The Righteous King and Outpoured Spirit Transform a Corrupt World (Isaiah Sermon 34)

Turn in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 32 as we seek to hear God’s word from this chapter. There are many miseries in the world, there are many forms of suffering and lots of groaning, and we as a nation, I know, groan and are grieved by what happened this week in Connecticut. All over the world people groan in a different way. Groan under the oppression of unjust or wicked governments, governing officials who use their position of government, their position of authority, whether ultimate in that nation or governors or sub-rulers in that nation, who use those positions of influence to make themselves rich, to bring pleasure and honor and accolades to themselves, fatten themselves in some sense at the direct expense of their people, this has been going on from the beginning of human governments. Proverbs 29:2 covers this and says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” And that is true.

Now, as we come to this time of year in which we celebrate the incarnation, the birth of Christ, maybe one of the more famous passages in Isaiah, Isaiah 32, is not one of the famous chapters, but we know Isaiah 9:6-7, which says, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” What’s the next part? “And the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called the wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness, from that time on and forever, the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” So as we come to Isaiah 32, right away in verse one, we have this issue introduced, “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness.” So we have a king and rulers, plural, will rule with justice. So we are addressing the issue here of a righteous government, a righteous king and sub-rulers under him who use their positions righteously, not like the situation when Isaiah wrote. So we have a contrast with the wickedness and the corruption of leaders that were ruling in Jerusalem in his day, and so this is a the point of contact with us, there are corrupt governments all over the world.

I’ve been to Haiti five different times. Haiti was ranked by the International Red Cross as the fourth most corrupt government on the planet, and there was a story in Reuters after the 2010 earthquake in January 2010 that there was concern that this tragedy would bring billions of dollars of aid into the country and the heritage of the government of that country was of immense corruption, and it would just be siphoned off and never really get to the needy. That’s Haiti.

Recently, I was in China, and while I was there, the English language newspaper was slid under our door, and so I read it and the headline story there was of corruption in government, and I thought it was interesting, just given the state control of every apparatus there, I just thought it was interesting to have this story in a state-run English language newspaper, lots of different themes I could go off on, but just one of the issues there are just building contracts that are given with government money and these buildings are built. And in the Shandong Province, along the coastline there are these magnificent living quarters and 80% of them are housed by party officials.

My first mission trip in 1986 was to the nation of Kenya. While I was in there, while I was there, I was in a small place called Moi’s Bridge, and Moi’s Bridge between Eldoret and Kitale, it was named for the President of the country, President Daniel arap Moi. While I was there, he visited his little namesake town and he waved to me, I think it’s ’cause I was the only white face in the crowd, so he saw me and pointed at me and waved, so I felt honored for a day. But in 2007, he stepped aside from power in 2002 and he reigned from 1978 to 2002, it was uncovered that over two billion dollars of Kenyan government money were filtered to 30 different other nations with a shell game that left his two sons worth somewhere between 500 and 700 million dollars. I was talking recently to Ashok, one of our elders about the process that they’re going through with adoption, and he just said, “It’s very slow,” and, “Well, what makes it so slow?” And he just says, “Well, in India, everything is lubricated by bribes, nothing really moves unless you’re willing to do that.” And this is not just in India, it’s just an issue everywhere.

The corruption of human government, now, someone once said, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I don’t know that that’s entirely true, I know it’s definitely not true when it comes to Jesus. He has absolute power and it doesn’t corrupt him at all. And that’s our great hope in Isaiah 32 of a righteous ruler who will have absolute power and will not in any way be corrupted by it. And even more amazingly, rulers, plural, under him, who will be like him, righteous, and will use their positions well, and that is our great hope. I don’t think it’s true that power corrupts, I think the human heart is already corrupt, and I think what happens is they get into positions where they can show the corruption that was already there by these temptations that surround them. I think that’s really what happens, the power draws forth the corruption that’s already there, it doesn’t put it in. And so when we come to Isaiah 32, we come with hopes and yearnings for a righteous king, a righteous government, one that will not take advantage of the people that are crushed, and the great joy of this chapter is that it’s a prophecy that says it will happen. It will happen, but it will only happen, according to this chapter, by the power of the out-poured Spirit of God. Only when the Holy Spirit is poured out from on high will this transformation occur.

So the chapter unfolds in three basic sections, verses 1-8, we have the purpose of God and that is noble rulers instead of wicked ones, God’s purpose. Secondly, in verses 9-14, we see God’s purging as he clears the building site for the righteous society he said he’s going to build in verses 1-8. So he’s going to bring judgment on the nation of Judah for their wickedness and their sins, and he’s going to purge away the evil rulers and the evil society that brought about the need for that purging. And then thirdly, God’s power, the out-poured Spirit of God producing a harvest of righteousness. That’s how the chapter unfolds. So let’s look at the first section and that’s Isaiah 32, 1-8 beginning, as I’ve already mentioned, with verse one, “Behold…”

And by the way, every time the NIV gives me a see, I’m probably gonna put behold, is that okay? I mean, I’m just a big fan of ‘behold.’ I think it’s just an awesome word. I would challenge you, use it in a sentence this week sometime. It’s hard to do actually, but anyway, that’s what makes it special. It’s a special word, “Behold the king,” isn’t that marvelous? Just, Jesus unveiled in the scripture here.

I. God’s Purpose: Noble Rulers Instead of Wicked Ones (vs. 1-8)

“Behold the king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule in justice.” Now, who is this righteous king of verse one? And I think there must be a multifaceted answer that’s given here. Ultimately as a Christian, as a Christian reader of the Old Testament, I see Jesus here, but I think there’s nothing wrong with seeing a Davidic or a son of David who will reign after the Assyrian invasion, perhaps Hezekiah himself or a future godly king like Josiah. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad to see the Christian impact or the impact of the Gospel of Christ on Gentile society in the two millennia after Jesus’ Ascension and before he has returned, that’s in view as well. So I see all of that going on here. But ultimately, this is Jesus Christ, and below him are sub-rulers, and really most of the chapter is about them, not much about him. Now, he sets the agenda, he sets the example, but there’s just not much said about the righteous king, rather about the rulers who rule under him, princes in some of the translations here. In Hezekiah’s day, the Davidic king would sit on the throne, the son of David, and his sons would be his counselors or government officials or friends of his sons, etcetera, or friends of the family. But I see all of this in view here, princes or rulers who rule under the king. And in Hezekiah’s day, he was not well served by his counselors, these were the ones that were urging him to go down to Egypt, these were the ones who, apparently, according to this chapter, are thoroughly corrupt and are using their positions with malice and wickedness, poorly served, and perhaps just at a very simple level, Isaiah is predicting that after the Assyrian invasion, after the purging that he mentions in the middle of this chapter, God is going to establish a reformed government, a righteous government, in which the king will reign in righteousness and the rulers under him will rule with justice just as he does. But for me ultimately it’s pointing to Christ as the king of all kings and the lord of all lords.

Now these rulers, it’s said of them in verse two, again, speaking of the godly society, the righteous society that is coming, this is a future language, “A king will reign in righteousness,” in the future, “And rulers will rule with justice.” These rulers are described here in verse two, “Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.” This is the vision for society, justice. The king reigning with justice, and so also the rulers under him. Justice is that which lines up with the character of God expressed in the laws of God. As God establishes his justice, his righteousness, this king and the rulers are going to do everything based on that justice and that righteousness rather than the injustice of wicked rulers.

In verse three and four, I think we have the sense of the ministry of the word of God. There are different ways of understanding this, but it says, “Then the eyes of those who see,” sometimes called seers, that would be prophets, that’s one interpretation, “Will no longer be closed and the ears of those who hear will listen. The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.” So you’ve got to see in those two verses, a very strong emphasis on word, their words here, concepts, things that we know and can understand, things that we can now speak clearly. And so for me, the backdrop of this must be the word of God, and those who see the word are prophets, those who teach our priests frequently, the mouth of a priest must teach the law, the word of God, and so in this righteous society, the word of God is going to be flowing and richly ministering to people and transforming minds and hearts, and people’s blind eyes will be healed and they will see the world as it really is, and not corrupted and twisted, they will understand well from the word of God. And they will speak clearly, again, God’s words to one another, the word will just flow richly, and so you could see even offices like prophet and priest being established so beautifully and the word of God transforming that society.

And then in verse eight, noble leaders making noble plans and actually carrying them out. I love verse eight, “But the noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands.” Some of your translations may have the word liberal, I think in that sense of a free flowing of generosity, we don’t use the word that much that way anymore, but I think that’s where you get the idea of liberal arts, the free flowing of blessings and of richness going, but I like the word noble a little bit better in the NIV, and it’s a beautiful word. So the noble man, I think in this case, the ruler under the righteous king, the noble man, his character conformed to the righteous king, he is righteous like him, he loves righteousness, hates wickedness, that’s the essence of his nobility. He wants to do noble things with his position of authority, He has noble plans for the people and for the government and for his positions, and he actually carries them out, it’s not empty campaign promises here, but he actually has good intentions and he sees them through. By contrast in verses one through eight, especially verses five through seven, we have the situation as it was before, this is where Isaiah is standing and looking ahead, ‘O I look forward to the day when, won’t it be incredible when, at last a righteous king will be there and rulers under him will rule with justice, but right now it is not so.’ And so we can resonate with that in different eras in history, in different parts of the world, the corruption and the wickedness of governments reach different levels, but it’s something we are aware of. Look how it’s described here in verses five through seven, “No longer…” Again, it’s speaking positively about the future, “No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected.” So in other words, the fool here is like the fool in the book of Psalms and Proverbs, a morally corrupt individual who is, I think one of those rulers or leaders, and he’s established and he’s honored and praised and given accolades and trophies and medals and titles of honor and all of that, or like the wicked king Herod, when he’s speaking in Acts 12 and he’s wearing these radiant robes and they cry out, “This is the voice of a god and not a man,” but he’s a fool, he’s a scoundrel, he’s wicked and yet he’s highly esteemed and praised because he can give them food, he’s in charge of their food supply and they want stuff from him, and now we see that in our government, don’t we?  People are praised and honored or re-elected because the government programs can get them what they want, and that’s a flaw in the system.

And so here it says in verse 5, “No longer will that happen, the fool will not be called noble or the scoundrel will be highly respected, for the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil.” Ultimate evil, for the fool. Psalm 14:1, “The fool says in his heart, there is no God.” He really says that. He may speak the word God and all of that and give outward lip service, but in his heart, he really doesn’t believe in the God of the Bible. He doesn’t believe in him, he doesn’t believe that God is a consuming fire, he doesn’t believe that God is light and in him there’s no darkness at all. He doesn’t fear the Lord, Romans 3, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” He has no fear of God, and so he doesn’t think properly about God, his mind is busy with evil, he speaks foolishness and he practices un-godliness and he spreads error concerning the Lord, he doesn’t think properly concerning the Lord. His doctrine is wrong and he spreads it.

This is the corrupt leader, the corrupt government official, and how does that work in terms of his carrying out of his office? Well, the hungry, he leaves empty and from the thirsty, He withholds water, so sins of omission, and sins of commission. Sins of omission, the hungry and the thirsty do not get what they need. This is just a symbol for the role of government in meeting needs and this man is withholding it. It’s really amazing, most of the hunger in the world is so because of the wickedness, the direct wickedness of rulers and officials who withhold food. East Africa had this again and again where food was actually used as a weapon in civil wars in the Sudan and in other places. In the west, there was plenty of food and it was flowing, but it never got there because of the corruption and wickedness of people. And so from the hungry he withholds food and from the thirsty he withholds drink. And sins of commission, wicked things he actually does in verse 7, “The scoundrel’s methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes.” Do you see the schemes, the plots and the planning?

If you think about wicked evil king Ahab who wanted a man’s field as vineyard, do you remember that? And Jezebel, and they plotted and schemed to have him killed, Naboth, and have his vineyard taken over by the government, by him. And that’s the kind of wicked scheming that goes on, we will use our position of power and authority to make ourselves rich and to crush the poor and needy. And so he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just. So this is the corruption of government, of the governing officials which Isaiah sees and says, “No longer will that happen.” By direct contrast, we have verse eight again, “But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.” What a striking contrast. That’s verse 1-8.

II. God’s Purging: Judgement Clears the Building Site (vs. 9-14)

Now, in verses 9-14, Isaiah makes very clear the purging that’s going to come, there is a judgment coming on Judah, and these wicked leaders are gonna be purged out. And it’s described very painfully and powerfully here in verses 9-14, “You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me, you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say. In little more than a year, you who feel secure will tremble, the grape harvest will fail, the harvest of fruit will not come. Tremble, you complacent women, shudder, you daughters who feel secure, strip off your clothes, put sackcloth around your waist, beat your breasts, for the pleasant fields and for the fruitful vines, and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers. Yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry. Fortress will be abandoned, and the noisy city deserted. citadel and watch tower will become a wasteland forever. The delight of donkey is a pasture for flocks.”

And so, while this is essentially, this chapter is essentially good news, it comes in three parts. The first part is good news and joy of a king that’s gonna reign in righteousness and rulers ruling under him in justice, and then the third part shows God’s power and bringing it about and the richness of life under that new government. In the middle, though, is the bad news of the purging that has to happen to bring it about, a dire warning of coming judgment. And the proper response to this warning was to be humbled, to be broken-hearted, to put on sackcloth, to weep and wail and to seek forgiveness from God, that’s what the Lord wanted when they heard Isaiah’s prophecy.

Now, he focuses here on ungodly complacent women in particular. Verses 9-11 speaks again and again of the complacency of these women. It’s not an easy concept, the idea of complacency, but in verse nine in the NIV it gives us complacent, the word complacent. Verse 9-10, it says that they feel secure. Verse 11 again, complacent and feel secure, again in verse 11. So what is this complacency? This is a feeling of arrogant self-righteousness and unfounded confidence that this time of luxury and security will go on forever, because God just loves us evidently, because we’re living such a luxurious life, and it’s just gonna go on and they’re not worried or concerned at all about sin or God’s holiness or impending judgment, these things aren’t even on their radar screen. That’s complacency. It’s a spiritual laziness, spiritual fatness that causes you to be lethargic spiritually and to not rise up and act as God wants you to.

“That’s complacency. It’s a spiritual laziness, spiritual fatness that causes you to be lethargic spiritually and to not rise up and act as God wants you to.”

Now, he zeros in on the women, I think, just as a representative, representatives of society. It’s not that the women were particularly worse than the men, it’s not that, but I think it’s just giving us glimpses of society, and he did this earlier in Isaiah 3. He talks about the women of Zion being haughty and arrogant, walking along with mincing steps and flirting with their eyes and ornaments jingling on their ankles, and he talks about all their equipment. We read about it in Isaiah 3:16-24, “In that day, the Lord will snatch away finery, the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces and earrings and bracelets and veils and head dresses and ankle chains and sashes and perfume bottles and charms, signet rings and nose rings and fine robes and capes and cloaks and purses and mirrors and linen, garments and tears and shawls.” A bunch of equipment mostly for beauty, but they weren’t beautiful. These women were corrupt morally. Amos also picks up on them, “They lounge on ivory couches,” it says, “And they call to their husbands, ‘bring us more drinks.’” And so that’s a picture of the luxury and the complacency of these women. In Isaiah 4:4 it says, “The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion, and he will cleanse the blood stains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a fire.” So judgment is coming. And if you look at verse 10, it’s imminent, it’s very, very soon. Now, the Assyrian invasion was 701 BC, so if you take verse 10 seriously, this prophecy must have been like 702, 703 BC. Why? Because look at verse 10, in the NAS it gives us, “Within a year and a few days.” It’s very precise, “Within a year and a few days.” So if a prophet comes and says, “In 369 days, the invasion’s coming,” take that really seriously, “Within a year and a few days, you will be troubled, O complacent daughters.”

And then he turns agricultural to give us a sense of that. Again, just as the women were representative for all the people, so the agriculture is representative of the judgment that’s coming. The grape harvest is going to fail. Judgment is coming on the land, thorns and briars are going to cover the fruitful fields. This was a rich land with ample harvests, it was rich. The soil was rich, you wouldn’t have to irrigate it with a foot pump, he says in Deuteronomy 11. No, not at all. This is a land with rich soil, and it’s drenched with autumn and spring rains. It’s a land the Lord your God watches over and cares for continually, directly. It was a land flowing with milk and honey. But he said very plainly in the blessings and curses, in the curses section, if you turn away from me and if you follow false gods, and if you are wicked and evil, I will make the ground beneath your feet like bronze in the sky over your head like iron. There will be drought and famine and I will bring judgement. And you have again, this issue of thorns, a picture of God’s judgment. This time of luxurious revelry, of sinful complacency will come to an end one way or the other.

Now, he urges them to act. Look at the verbs, look at verse nine, “You women who are so complacent, rise up.” You see that? “Get up off the ivory couch. Rise up and listen to me. Listen to my words, you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say. Get up. Shake off the lethargy and listen to me.” That’s what the prophet is saying, “Tremble, you complacent women, shudder, you daughters who feel secure, strip off your clothes and put on the sack cloth. Beat your breasts for the judgment that’s coming,” take this very seriously. He’s urging them to do that, because the judgment is coming and it’s not just agricultural, it’s gonna be on the cities. Verse 14, “The fortress will be abandoned, noisy city, deserted, citadel and watch tower will become a waste land forever. The delight of donkeys, pasture for flocks.” So it’s a prediction that the walled cities of Judah will fall and they did. Even in the Assyrian invasion, all of them fell except Jerusalem, that was the only place that didn’t fall. All of the other cities of Judah fell to the Assyrians, people died, city walls were pulled down, citadels were abandoned, these things happened even in the Assyrian invasion. How much more than the final deportation of Judah under Babylon a number of years later?

And so we see in section one, God’s purpose. His purpose is to have a righteous king ruling in righteousness and justice and rulers ruling like him under and not like the old system in which there are wicked evil rulers who are using their positions for corruption. Section two, we see God’s purging as he’s going to bring judgment on this land and purge away the wickedness that’s bringing on this invasion. Thirdly, we have God’s power, the out-poured Spirit of God, which alone can transform this situation and give us what verse one says will happen.

III. God’s Power: The Outpoured Spirit Produces a Harvest of Righteousness (vs. 15-20)

Verse 15-20, “Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high and the desert becomes a fertile field and the fertile field seems like a forest and justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field, and the fruit of righteousness will be peace and the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes and undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.”

So that’s God’s power poured out by the Spirit. So this purge that’s going on in verse 14, citadels crushed, places abandoned and all that, that’s gonna continue, verse 15, “Until.” See that? And so the turning point there is the outpouring of the spirit of God. The judgment will come on the country until God says, “Stop. And now I’m gonna pour out my Spirit.” Now, other nations, Gentile nations, they get the purging, they just don’t get the spirit poured out. These are God’s people and that’s the only difference there is. Just because there’s smoldering heaps of ruins in Europe after World War II doesn’t mean a righteous society is gonna spring up afterwards.

Actually, what’s probably happening is roving bands of men are organizing themselves to take advantage of the anarchy and go right back into the old system of corruption and wickedness. Without the Spirit of God, that’s all we will ever do. That’s what our hearts are. We must have a transformation and only the Spirit of God can bring it about. Ezekiel put it this way, Ezekiel 36:25-27, “I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols and I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit in you and I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to obey my commands and my laws.” That’s the only way the change could ever happen, by the out-poured Spirit of God, the spirit is poured out from on high. Isn’t it interesting the number of times that verb is used with the spirit? Spirit poured, the pouring of the spirit. Isn’t that interesting?

It’s in there many times, Isaiah 44:3-4, it says, “For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.” In the Hebrew poetical structure, the pouring down of the water equals the pouring out of the spirit and the agricultural images, the plants growing up, those are people whose hearts are no longer spiritual deserts, but are now fruitful, rich, righteous gardens that are producing good works for God. And it only happens by the spirit, as he is poured out. And so verse 15, “The Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes the fertile field.” You know what the desert is? It’s the wicked, unregenerate human heart, that’s the desert, and only by the power of the Spirit of God paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, only in that way does the human heart get changed.

“You know what the desert is? It’s the wicked, unregenerate human heart, that’s the desert, and only by the power of the Spirit of God paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, only in that way does the human heart get changed.”

And as a result of that change, verse 16, “Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field.” Oh, how sweet is that. Now at last, these rulers under the righteous king, they yearn for righteousness and justice as much as the king does, and they wanna live it out. And what are the effects? Verse 17, verse 17 is the keeper verse. Well, they’re all good, aren’t they? They’re all God-breathed and useful. But some just shine more radiantly than others, don’t they? Star differs from star and splendor. Some are just more glorious than others. Verse 17 is a glorious verse. “The fruit of righteousness will be peace. The effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.” Isn’t that sweet? Oh, what a magnificent verse.

One of the things Tom Knight and I do every week is try to figure out what the cover verse is gonna be. So this one made it on the cover. Not to say the other verses aren’t great, they are, but this is the cover verse. It’s magnificent, a picture of no longer complacency, but peace. Now, what’s the difference? We’ll talk about it in a minute, but there’s a big difference. Not complacency, but genuine peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and confidence and assurance.

And the final words are just kind of an Old Testament picture of a prosperous life, “My people who live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be,” how blessed you will be, “sowing your seed by every stream and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.” And you could say, “But I have no cattle and donkeys.” Now I could say, “Well, God promises you here, you’re gonna have some.” Alright. But I’m not going there, I’m just saying this is just that Old Testament agricultural image of rich blessing that’s going to come as a result of the work of God here.

IV. How Isaiah 32 Preaches Christ

Now, how does this chapter preach Christ? Does this chapter preach Christ? Say yes, yes, it does. Of course it preaches Christ. The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. And so right away, verse one, “Behold the king, a king will reign in righteousness.” That king is Jesus Christ, ultimately, he is the king of kings, and he’s going to come in his heavenly glory, and he’s gonna sit on his heavenly throne and he’s going to rule. There is a coming kingdom. And so we pray, may your kingdom come. He is a righteous king, he’s described in Hebrews chapter one, God the Father speaking to him, “To his own Son, he says, “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness, and therefore God, your God has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”” That’s the righteous king. So I think verse one is ultimately talking about Jesus, and he is the true shelter from the storm.

Look at verse two, “That every ruler will be a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm.” Think of a storm bigger than the storm in the days of Noah, more significant than Noah’s storm. What is it? This coming judgment day, friends. Judgment day is coming. The streams are gonna rise, the wind is gonna blow, and the rains are gonna come down and beat on your house and test it, and if it’s not based on the word of Christ, it will come crashing down. It’s judgment day that’s coming, and Jesus is the refuge and the shelter from the coming storm. That’s who he is. And so therefore, the judgment that is coming is the ultimate storm, and you must find a refuge place or you’re gonna get swept away as all of Noah’s generation did, anyone that was not on Noah’s ark drowned, and anyone who’s not in Christ will die in the judgment.

But in Christ, we can live. We can live forever. We can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, having been justified through faith. Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for all the wickedness of this chapter. For the wickedness of Connecticut, for the wickedness of our own hearts, Jesus’s blood is the only remedy, but that blood was shed on the cross. And it says in Colossians 1:20 that, “He has made peace through his blood shed on the cross,” and he, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “Rescues us from the coming wrath, and he alone is able to satisfy our thirst in the desert.” He’s able to give us a good drink of water every day. Remember what he said to the Samaritan woman? Said, “Everyone who drinks of the water that I give them, will never thirst. Indeed, the water that I give them will become within them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” He says in John 7, “If anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink, whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” And so he gives you a drink and then you can give other people a drink. This is where the godly rulers come in, they have been transformed by the Gospel and they’re able to satisfy the thirst of others, they are able to be a refuge and a hiding place like a rock that gives a great shadow in a dry and weary land. Because Jesus is supplying them, they are able to give drink to others.

This is how this chapter preaches Jesus, and Jesus is the one who pours out the spirit, he said, “I’m going to ascend on high and I will get the gift the Father has promised, and I will pour out the Spirit.” And so he says through Peter on the day of Pentecost, “Exalted to the right hand of God, he,” Jesus, “has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” Quoting Joel 2, he says, “In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams, even all my servants, both men and women. I’ll pour out my Spirit in those days.”

So I was meditating on the pouring out thing. You know what I got out of that? It’s kind of like one of those old water-driven factories, down at the Eno down here, where you have a big water wheel? And as the river flows, the work gets done. Isn’t that powerful? As the water flows in that water wheel, then then the milk can turn and the grain can be ground or the lumber can be cut. So I think the pouring image is that of a need for continual ministry of the Spirit to us, not occasional, not temporary, not from time to time, or day to day, but continual flow of the Holy Spirit. He’s going to pour out the Spirit on us and transform us continually. And then his disciples can rule like princes under him, having been transformed by the Spirit.

V. Applications

So what applications can we take from this? First, come to Christ, don’t leave here unregenerate. Come to Christ, let him be your atoning sacrifice. Maybe you’ve been complacent and lazy, maybe you’ve thought you were fine with God, but the Lord has convicted you today, and you know that you don’t have a Savior. Jesus is the only savior. Don’t be complacent, but flee to Christ, flee the wrath to come. Trust in him.

Now, this text, I think, speaks a word to Christian leaders. God delegates his authority to created beings, and if we’re corrupt, we will act corruptly in those positions of authority. But if we’re transformed by the Gospel, we can actually use those positions well and wisely. There are elements of godly leadership in this chapter, righteousness, that which conforms to the character of God, justice, that which conforms to the laws of God. Shelter in the storm, shadow of the rock, you are an element of protection and provision for people who are hurting because of tsunamis or earthquakes or disease or other issues that bring poverty and suffering. Streams of water, provision, the eyes of those who see will be open, saturating your minds in the word of God. You will be able to speak no longer with a stammering tongue, but fluent and clear. You will speak wisdom into this world, transformed by the word of God. And you will make noble plans because of your noble heart and you’ll carry them out. That’s what a godly leader looks like. So therefore, elders of the church, be that for First Baptist Church. Use your position well and wisely to serve, don’t love trappings of power, whatever they may be here at this church, but at any rate, don’t love them and get enamored by them. Not greedy for money, but eager to serve, it says in 1Peter 5. As Jesus washed the disciples feet, use your position as a servant leader to serve those entrusted to you. Husbands, use your position of leadership in the marriage to serve and protect your wife as Christ does the church, washing her with water through the word, love your wife, care for her, don’t be a dominant tyrant oppressor or a complacent, lazy, negligent husband. Parents, use your position of authority over your children to bless them and to serve them, be a river of blessing to your children. Bring them up with tenderness and affection and godly leadership. Saturate their minds in the word of God. Employers, be a blessing to your employees, make them glad they work with you and for you. They may be unregenerate, but they see Christ in you. The way you use your position of leadership and authority, you use it well and wisely, and so you enrich their lives. Government leaders, government officials, it speaks directly to you, that you would stand for righteousness and justice and use your positions well, not to make yourselves wealthy. And if you are not in any of those positions of leadership, pray for those who are to do these things, pray that God would take hold of their hearts and that they would use their positions that way.

Verse eight is the single greatest New Year’s resolution verse in the Bible. Alright? It’s a great New Year’s resolution verse coming up in a couple of weeks, if you do that, or don’t wait for New Year’s, make a Sunday resolution today, whatever it is. Be noble and make noble plans and then do them. How’s that? How about, like William Carey said, concerning missions, “Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.” Make noble plans. What are your noble plans? And are you carrying them out?

And if I can urge you, just hate complacency. The picture I have of complacency is of a big nasty, wicked spider who has stung the complacent person with some kind of paralyzing poison and is wrapping them up in some kind of sticky silky stuff to be eaten later. Do you see an indolence, a laziness, a sluggishness in your spiritual life? Do you see it in your prayer life? Do you see it in your Bible intake? Are you complacent? It’s easy in a land of plenty of wealth, to get lazy and complacent. Use this passage to shake it off, rise up and receive the fullness of the Spirit. Say, “Lord, I wanna be filled. Pour out your spirit on me from on high, transform my life, make me different, let the wheel of change turn in my life and let me do those good works you have for me to do,” and seek the full assurance of verse 17, “The effect of righteousness is quietness and confidence forever.” Just know that having been justified through faith, you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Close with me in prayer. Father, we thank you for this incredible chapter, for all the things that we can learn from it. Father, take the Scripture now and apply it richly and fully to our lives. We pray in Jesus name, amen.

Two major themes in Isaiah 32 resonate with our current world situation. First, the passage describes the corruption of rulers who use their positions of leadership in government for selfish purposes. They are corrupt, they are on the take… they are not servants of the people but they are serving themselves. They rule harshly and unfairly, seeking a bribe or some side stream of money that comes from their position of power. This grievous situation is seen in governments around the world, but it is especially bad in some places more than others.

Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, and embezzlement. Corruption may facilitate criminal enterprise such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking, though is not restricted to these activities.

The most corrupt governments on earth right now: Somalia, Afghanistan, North Korea

Examples of selfish, wicked government corruption:

In Nigeria, more than $400 billion was stolen from the treasury by Nigeria’s leaders between 1960 and 1999

·        Haiti: International Red Cross ranked Haiti was 155th out of 159 for corruption; After the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, Reuters ran a story showing that endemic corruption was a threat to siphon off billions of dollars of aid; this had been going on for decades

·        China: Communist Party members live at a much higher level than non party members; there is bribery, embezzlement, cronyism, monopolistic practices in which government money goes to builders connected with the government; there are vast privileges and perks that go with government leadership; in my hotel room on my last night in China a few weeks ago, the English language paper had a headline on government corruption… but the paper itself is controlled by the government!! Examples: 80% of beautiful housing in desirable resort areas along the coast in Shandong province went to government officials

·        Prohibition-era Chicago: Al Capone ran the town; many of the police leadership and the politicians were involved in some way with Capone; Mayor Big Bill Thompson was on Capone’s payroll; called “the best mayor money could buy”

·        In medieval times, the “nobles” and aristocracy would plunder the poor, taking by force whatever they wanted… the king or duke or earl or whatever could charge any taxes he desired… few peasants could challenge them

The second major theme is how the power of the Holy Spirit can change everything… making leaders godly, making society richly blessed; though this is not a utopian vision for what can happen in this world, it is a foretaste of the New Heavens and New Earth, and a call for Christian leaders NOW to use their positions of power to BLESS their people and ENRICH their lives… truly to serve the people for their benefit in the pattern of Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT ALONE can this happen

The backdrop of this chapter:

RSV Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

We see this all throughout human history and all around the world.

“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Actually, no… the human heart was ALREADY CORRUPT… power gives an opportunity to put the corruption ON DISPLAY… a chance to glut oneself on the “good stuff” of the world: food, gold, beautiful houses by spectacular scenic vistas, human praise/accolades, luxurious possessions, soft clothes, fine furniture, etc.

The only remedy?? The Kingdom of God displayed in the Person of the Son of God, and empowered by the Spirit of God!! That’s what Isaiah 32 puts on display… a transformation from corrupt human rule to the rule of righteousness and justice in the pattern of King Jesus by the power of the Spirit.

I.   God’s Purpose: Noble Rulers Instead of Wicked Ones (vs. 1-8)

A.  Who Is the King of Verse 1?

Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.

1.  It is a prediction, a prophecy, of the future of a king…

2.  As a Christian, it’s easy to think this must be talking about Jesus Christ, the coming king… and that is certainly possible

3.  But the language of Isaiah 32 is so clearly bound to the immediate circumstances of Isaiah’s day that some scholars think Isaiah is speaking of the future of Hezekiah’s own reign

4.  The verse speaks of “rulers” who will rule under the king with justice… most other translations speak of PRINCES under the king

ESV Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.

These are probably counselors ruling under the righteous king

5.  Hezekiah was poorly served by counselors who were urging him to turn to Egypt for military aid… some of these same underlings may well be referred to in this chapter as the morally corrupt rulers who reign under the king

6.  Perhaps Isaiah is predicting a spiritual renewal after the Assyrian invasion that will result in a much purer kingdom

7.  Wicked rulers will be replaced with godly ones… and the kingdom will shine in righteousness

8.  Or perhaps Isaiah is speaking of a future son of David who is not the messiah, but who will reign righteously… like Josiah

9.  My opinion: prophecy is about BOTH Hezekiah AND the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ

10.  NOT eschatological… not the New Heavens and New Earth… for there still will be threats and dangers that the rulers under the king will have to protect the people from…

Isaiah 32:2 Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

That doesn’t sound like heaven to me!! Just the effects of godly rulers under the great and righteous king

11.  The essence of the coming king: RIGHTEOUSNESS… that which conforms to the character of Almighty God

B.  Vision for a New Society

1.  Princes Like the Righteous King (vs. 2)

Isaiah 32:1  rulers will rule with justice.

a.  The rest of this section focuses on these sub-rulers, these princes, not the King

b.  It primarily says they will rule WITH JUSTICE like their righteous King

c.  They use their position to PROTECT their people and PROVIDE for their needs

Isaiah 32:2 Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

2.  Prophets/Priests who hear, understand, and teach the word of God (vs. 3-4)

Isaiah 32:3-4 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. 4 The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.

a.  The “seers” were the prophets who should see the Lord by faith and see His word by understanding

b.  The prophets and priests were entrusted with the teaching ministry of the people

c.  By the power of the Spirit, these leaders WILL BE OPEN to God, to His word… they will HEAR God speak, and understand His will… from this they will LEAD the people

3.  Ability to weed out wicked men from leadership (vs. 5)

Isaiah 32:5 No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

4.  Noble leaders making noble plans and carrying them out (vs. 8)

Isaiah 32:8  But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.

a.  Unlike the wicked men who used to lead, these noble princes will be noble in HEART not mere the “nobility” of an aristocracy, landed gentry who are spoiled and corrupted by their privileged birth… so-called “NOBLES” who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but whose hearts are not noble at all…

b.  NO, these princes will truly be NOBLE because they will be conformed to the King who is reigning in righteousness

c.  Their NOBILITY consists in their “generosity” or “liberality” to the poor… they are lavish in blessing those entrusted to their care

d.  And having a noble heart, they want to give MORE and MORE to the people

e.  So they make NOBLE PLANS… in government, language, these are their POLICIES or the PARTY PLATFORM… or CAMPAIGN PROMISES…what they intend to do with their power

f.  Their plans are truly godly, and then… AMAZINGLY, when in power, they actually CARRY THEM OUT… they stand firmly in a pattern of actual good deeds done for the benefit of the poor

C.  By Contrast, Wicked Fools Who Use Positions to Oppress (vs. 5-7)

Isaiah 32:5-7 No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected. 6 For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water. 7 The scoundrel’s methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.

1.  The old society described with painful clarity

2.  The “fool” here is same as that in the Book of Proverbs… a morally corrupt man who has no fear of God at all, and who lives for this world and for himself

Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

3.  Old society CELEBRATED and HONORED these people!! They gave them the places of honor at the banquets… people paid them compliments, flattered them, honored them in public, and raised them higher and higher; indeed these fools who were princes EXPECTED and even DEMANDED these kinds of perks

In China, the leaders of the communist party are accorded with amazing privileges—staggering wealth, the best living arrangements, medals of honor for their patriotism, banquets in their honor, etc.

4.  The fools SPEAK FOLLY (vs. 6) because their MINDS ARE BUSY WITH EVIL

a.  Their words are utter folly from the heavenly perspective (because they are spoken with NO FEAR OF GOD), though the people may acclaim them as the height of wisdom

Acts 12:21-23 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

b.  Their mouths speak folly because their minds are busy with EVIL PLANS

c.  At every moment, they are scheming to crush and grind the people more and more to gain earthly privileges for themselves, or to get revenge for some insult, or to rise higher in personal power

5.  They TEACH FALSE DOCTRINE about the Lord and live wicked lives in His sight

Isaiah 32:6 He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD;

a.  These wicked men live wicked lives… lives of sexual immorality and/or gluttony and/or greed

b.  And this all stems from their false doctrine about the Lord

c.  In Israel, the princes and priests and prophets were to teach and live according to the Law of Moses; but the word of God was far from them

d.  Around the world, the rulers of the Gentiles teach error about the Lord (that He doesn’t exist, or is Allah or is Buddha or is not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ)

6.  Sins of Omission and Sins of Commission

Isaiah 32:6-7 the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water. 7 The scoundrel’s methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.

a.  They should have been providing for the poor and protecting them

b.  Instead, they walk away and do nothing for the plight of the poor

c.  They go beyond this: they make active plans to deprive the poor of what little resources they have

d.  They crush them in court, and deny them justice

D.  Contrast Striking

Isaiah 32:8  But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.

II.   God’s Purging: Judgment Clears the Building Site (vs. 9-14)

Isaiah 32:9-14 You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! 10 In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. 11 Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your clothes, put sackcloth around your waists. 12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines 13 and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers– yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry. 14 The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

A.  Prophecy is Mixed: Not Merely Beautiful Promises (vs. 1-8 and 15-20), but also Dire Warnings of Judgment

1.  Vss. 1-8 promise a change of society in which the wicked, corrupt princes will be removed and replaced by godly, noble men who protect the people and provide for them

2.  Vss. 15-20 speak of the outpoured Spirit which changes the desert to a fertile field, and the fertile field to a forest; a society of blessing in which everything is fruitful and peaceful

3.  In between: a DIRE WARNING of a coming judgment

a.  Immediate context: Assyria is coming and will conquer almost everything in the land of Judah

b.  Jerusalem will be spared, but everything else killed or destroyed

c.  This will CLEAR THE BUILDING SITE for the godly society God intends… everything PURGED BY FIRE

Isaiah 4:4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.

d.  Only proper response: be humbled, weep and wail, grieve, repent, seek the Lord’s protection, turn away from the sins that are bringing this terrifying judgment

e.  Warning given to COMPLACENT WOMEN of Judah

B.  Ungodly, Complacent Women

1.  Isaiah focuses on these women as representatives of a whole corrupt society

2.  Verses 9-11 speak again and again of the complacency of these women

a.  “complacent” vs. 9

b.  “feel secure” vs. 9 and 10

c.  “complacent” vs. 11

d.  “feel secure” vs. 11

3.  Complacency = arrogant, self-righteous attitude of UNCONCERN

a.  They don’t see the real situation spiritually

b.  They don’t see the wickedness of the land, their own great sins in the sight of God

c.  They don’t see what happened to the northern Kingdom of Israel as in any way a “shot across the bow”, a warning to them that, unless they repent, they will also all likewise perish

4.  The ungodliness of the women of Zion already highlighted in Isaiah 3:

Isaiah 3:16-24 The LORD says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. 17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the LORD will make their scalps bald.” 18 ¶ In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings, 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls. 24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.

5.  These complacent women are living for luxuries and comforts… for buying fine clothes and laying on embroidered couches and drinking wine… just like the luxury-loving women of Israel that Amos prophesied against

Amos 4:1 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!”

Amos 6:4-7 You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. 5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. 6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. 7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

C.  Judgment is Imminent!!

Isaiah 32:10 In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble

NASB Isaiah 32:10 Within a year and a few days You will be troubled, O complacent daughters

Very definite time frame!!! Then, the grape harvest will FAIL!!

Vs. 10 the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come.

D.  The Prophet Calls on them to REPENT

1.  Sharp commands… immediate action called for

Isaiah 32:9 You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say!

2.  RISE UP!!! Get off your ivory couches!! Listen to my warnings!!!

3.  Repent!! Tremble!! Mourn!!

Isaiah 32:11 Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your clothes, put sackcloth around your waists.

Isaiah 32:12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines

Isaiah 32:13 and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers– yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry.

4.  The time of luxurious revelry and drinking and empty foolish laughter will END… it will either end in deep repentance and grieving for sin, or it will end when the Assyrians come and invade… either way, it WILL end!

E.  Thorns and Briars will Cover the Fruitful Fields: (vs. 13)… a clear symbol of the CURSE from God for sin

1.  Agricultural richness of the essence of the Promised Land’s blessedness

2.  Rich soil, Ample rainfall, Bountiful harvests… all part of God’s blessing on the Promised Land

Deuteronomy 11:10-12 The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. 12 It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.

Deuteronomy 11:9 a land flowing with milk and honey.

3.  But God promised to curse the land if they turned away and sinned… WHICH THEY DID

4.  Not merely agricultural… not merely a crop failure…

Isaiah 32:14 The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks

This is a prediction of the destruction of the walled cities of Judah… and you could extend it beyond this immediate prophecy to the fall of Jerusalem a century later at the hands of the Babylonians

F.  Summary

1.  Section I: God’s PURPOSE: A Transformed Society Depicted by Contrast… a King will reign in righteousness and rulers under him will reign with justice; unlike the previous corruption of wicked leaders (vs. 1-8)

2.  Section II: God’s PURGING: A Devastated Land Under the Judgment of God… clearing the building site for the holy society God wants to build

3.  Section III: God’s POWER: the Outpoured Holy Spirit transforms everything

III.   God’s Power: The Outpoured Spirit Produces a Harvest of Righteousness (vs. 15-20)

Isaiah 32:15-20 till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. 16 Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. 17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. 19 Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, 20 how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

A.  ‘Til the Spirit is Poured Out (vs. 15)

1.  The devastating purge of verses 9-14 will continue until God pours out His Spirit from on high

2.  Isaiah and Jeremiah (and other prophets) clearly predict the devastation of God’s judgments on all nations because of their sins

3.  BUT the difference between what God does to His own people and what He does to other nations is this: after judgment comes MERCY, and the TRANSFORMING POWER of the Holy Spirit

4.  Without this, the godly society of verses 1-8 will NEVER HAPPEN!!

5.  The smoldering ruins of some bombed out European village in WWII did not give way to righteous rulers, but vigilante groups of thugs who prowled the rubble looking to take advantage of anarchy… human nature NEVER CHANGES until GOD CHANGES THE HUMAN HEART BY THE SPIRIT

Ezekiel 36:25-30 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. 30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.

6.  Without this, it is merely judgment!! No harvest of righteousness at all

7.  The Spirit ALONE can change the wicked human heart… without the Spirit, we learn nothing, but just reset for the next wave of selfishness and sin

B.  The Spirit POURED OUT from on High

1.  The Spirit likened to WATER again and again… water that is POURED OUT

Isaiah 44:3-4 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. 4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.

2.  This spiritual water transforms the land and makes it fruitful… a harvest of righteousness

Isaiah 32:15 till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.

3.  The real desert is the heart of the sinner…

4.  The Spirit has the power to change the heart of the sinner and make it flourish with the righteousness of God

5.  The result of the Spirit’s actions: changed human hearts result in a changed human society, with justice and righteousness

Isaiah 32:16 Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field.

6.  This, of course, is the society described in verses 1-8

C.  The Effects of the Spirit (vs. 17)

Isaiah 32:17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

1.  The terrifying words of warning in verses 9-14 have passed

2.  The judgment of God is over; no wrath need be feared again

3.  Instead of the arrogant, faithless complacency Isaiah prophesies against in verses 9-11, we have true peace, true quietness, true assurance… GOD LOVES US: GOD HAS FORGIVEN US; GOD IS AT PEACE WITH US

D.  Final Words of Blessing in Old Covenant Images of Prosperity (vs. 18-20)

Isaiah 32:18-20 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. 19 Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, 20 how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

IV.   How Isaiah 32 Preaches Christ

A.  Jesus is the Perfect Coming King

Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory

1.  He alone perfectly and absolutely reigns in righteousness

Hebrews 1:8-9 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

2.  He is the true shelter from the storm and refuge from the wind… the coming judgment of God… BY HIS BLOOD ALONE WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD

Isaiah 32:2 a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm

The ultimate storm and wind is the judgment of God on us for our sins… just like verses 9-14, we are the sinful ones, complacent, at ease, not troubled by the coming wrath. Jesus calls us to flee the wrath to come and find refuge in Him:

Romans 5:1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

Colossians 1:20 by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross

1 Thessalonians 1:10 Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

3.  He alone lives to satisfy our thirst in the desert

Isaiah 32:2 like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

a.  John 4:

John 4:14 whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

b.  John 7:

John 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

4.  He alone pours out the Holy Spirit on us, changing us forever to love what He loves and hate what He hates

Acts 2:33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

B.  The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1.  The Spirit is poured out on all who repent and believe in Jesus!!

2.  This is the Promise of the gospel

Acts 2:17-21 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

When the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit cuts us to the heart and convicts us of our sins; then we call on the name of Jesus and receive the gift of forgiveness and the indwelling Holy Spirit to change us

Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off– for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

3.  When this happens, our lives change and become no longer like spiritual deserts… dead, no fruit… instead… we become a FERTILE FIELD that eventually grows into a FOREST of righteousness

4.  All of this by the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ poured out on us from on high

C.  How His Disciples Rule Like Princes Under Him

1.  Having been changed by the Spirit, we can now carry out roles of leadership under the King

2.  We can be godly husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, elders, political leaders, bosses, authority figures

3.  We will seek to use our positions for the glory of God and the benefit of the people entrusted to our care

V.   Applications

A.  Worship KING JESUS for the Perfection of His Government

1.  He is the perfect shelter from the wind and the perfect refuge from the storm

2.  He provides streams of water in the wastelands for His people

3.  He is the Good Shepherd who comes not to steal or kill or destroy, but to give His people life—ABUNDANTLY

4.  He is the King who will reign in righteousness, and He is worthy of our praise and our trust

5.  SO… COME TO CHRIST!!! As we’ve said!!!

B.  For Christian Leaders

1.  The “princes” under King Jesus are His disciples who are established in positions of leadership in the family, the church, and the world

2.  Christians leaders are to IMITATE their King… we are to use our positions of authority in the manner of Christ for the glory of Christ

3.  Understand the elements of GODLY LEADERSHIP in this chapter

a.  “righteousness” = that which conforms to the character of God and His laws

b.  “justice” = not much different than righteousness… it is the APPLICATION of godly principles to every case… not favoring the poor over the rich or the rich over the poor, but doing what is right in every case

c.  “shelter in the storm”/”shadow of a great rock in a dry and thirsty land” = PROTECTION for people; this world is a HARSH PLACE, with natural disasters, diseases, poverty, suffering and death threatening all the time; godly leaders seek to be a protection for the people entrusted to them (vs. 2)

d.  “streams of water” = PROVISION of basic needs, sustaining life (vs. 2)

e.  “eyes of those who see” will be open, and “ears of those who hear” will be open TO GOD’S INSTRUCTION… they will be people of the Bible, people of the leadership of the Holy Spirit (vs. 3)

f.  “heart will understand”… having taken in God’s word, they MEDITATE on it and understand God’s purposes in this world (vs. 4)

g.  “The stammering tongue will be fluent and clear”: having understood the King’s purposes, they SPEAK THE WORD OF GOD and THE PLANS OF GOD clearly to the people they lead (vs. 4)

h.  Noble in character, they make NOBLE PLANS for those entrusted to them, and they actually SEE THEM THROUGH (vs. 8)

Summary: Clear portrait of a godly leader: submitted to King Jesus, character conformed to Him in loving righteousness and justice and hating wickedness; seeing themselves as servants to the people entrusted to their care… PROTECTING them from the harshness of this life, PROVIDINIG for their basic needs, LISTENING everyday to God’s word, MEDITATING ON IT and SPEAKING IT, MAKING NOBLE PLANS and ACTING ON THEM

4.  Use your position to SERVE the people… to protect them and provide for them, not for your own corrupt selfishness

a.  This means ELDERS of the church… do not love trappings of power or use the position to stoke your pride, or because you are greedy for money

b.  This means HUSBANDS… use your position of leadership in the marriage to SERVE and PROTECT your wife, feeding and caring for her as Christ does the church

c.  This means PARENTS… use your position of leadership to SERVE your children, bringing them up with tenderness and affection, with godly discipline; meet their needs and love them and cherish them

d.  This means EMPLOYERS… use your position of leadership to BLESS your employees, so that their lives are enriched because they work for you

e.  This means GOVERNMENT LEADERS… use your position of authority to serve and protect the people, not for graft or corruption

5.  Pray for Christian leaders you know to do this!!

a.  Pray for the elders

b.   Pray for husbands

c.  Pray for parents

d.  Pray for employers

e.  Pray for government officials…

f.  Pray for everyone in authority, to live according to these principles!!

C.  Make Noble Plans, and See them Through

1.  Verse 8 a great “New Year’s Resolution” verse! But it doesn’t just have to be New Year’s to make noble plans

2.  What are “noble” things? KJV uses the word “liberal”

3.  The Christian life should be one of big plans made from a big vision of a big God

William Carey: “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”

4.  Be ambitious in the internal journey

a.  Make noble plans to put sin to death; to memorize Scripture; to pray longer and for more people; to display the fruit of the Spirit more consistently than ever before

5.  Be ambitious for the external journey of evangelism, ministry, and missions

a.  Make noble plans for ministry to the poor and needy

b.  Make noble plans for evangelistic outreach to neighbors, coworkers and friends

c.  Make noble plans for prayer for missions, or going on a short-term mission trip

6.  “And by noble deeds he stands”: having made noble plans, then ask God for power through the Spirit to carry them out

D.  Hate Complacency!!

1.  Isaiah hammers these complacent women who live such lazy lives of self- indulgence

2.  You should hate spiritual complacency too!

a.  False peace, false security

b.  Spiritual laziness: failure to understand what is going on in the world; failure to care for the lost; failure to grieve deeply over sin; failure to repent deeply, to yearn deeply for the righteousness this passage speaks of

Illus. Like spider victim; stung by spider stinger, paralyzed but still alive; feeling a terrible sleepiness, drowsiness coming over you; wrapped up by the spider’s silk to be consumed later

3.  Remedy in this text: RISE UP… LISTEN TO GOD’S FIERY PROPHETIC WORD… SEE WHAT IS COMING (all the wreckage of the prophecies is foretaste of future judgment of entire world)… UNDERSTAND GOD’S WORD… SPEAK IT PASSIONATELY TO EACH OTHER… PRAY

E.  Receive the Fullness of the Spirit

1.  The gift of the Spirit is the transforming power of God through the word

2.  Power to love righteousness and hate wickedness

3.  Power to hear God speak through His written word and to go change the world as He commands

4.  Power to be witnesses to the lost

5.  Power to bear a harvest of fruit that will last for eternity

6.  ASK to be filled with the Spirit; that the Spirit would be continually poured out on you, and on this church

7.  From lazy, complacent overconfidence to genuine grief over sin, zeal for the glory of God, harvest of fruit in keeping with repentance

8.  Power to move from a spiritual desert to a fertile field, and from a fertile field to a forest

9.  BY THE SPIRIT!!! The Sovereign Third Person of the Trinity

10.  Poured out continually from above (Joel 2, Acts 2)… POURED

a.  Like a liquid, a constant stream

b.  Implied constant dependence… like the stream of water flowing by an old water mill (Eno River mill)… if the stream stops flowing, the mill stops turning

c.  Poured out INTO us and then OUT FROM US

John 7:37-39 Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive

11.  So… begin your day by seeking the FILLING OF THE SPIRIT

a.  Confess any known sin… ask God by the Spirit to work deep repentance in you

b.  Ask for forgiveness… then receive it by faith based on the blood of Jesus

c.  Then walk in a sense of full assurance of salvation

d.  Continuous GUIDANCE to make NOBLE PLANS and BY NOBLE DEEDS STAND

F.  Seek Full Assurance by the Spirit of Your Salvation in Jesus

Isaiah 32:17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

G.  Long for the New Heavens and New Earth, the “Home of Righteousness”

1.  The text speaks of people living peacefully

Isaiah 32:18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

2.  This is truly fulfilled only in heaven

Revelation 7:9-10 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Revelation 7:13-17 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes– who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

That is the true fulfillment of this chapter!!