The King and His Princes - Isaiah 32:1-8

I want to begin today by asking you a question: How do you feel about the current state of the world?  This isn’t just a question for the adults.  I am curious what your Happiness Meter is saying based on what you know, or what you think you know about world events.  Are you reasonably content and unconcerned?  Or are you depressed about all the trouble we see around us?  

In my opinion, things have never been worse (during my lifetime) than they are right now.  Hopefully there are a lot of good things going on that I just don’t know about.  A LOT of good things.  But at this point, it is a struggle to decide if the glass is half full or half empty.  I could go into detail and give you a rundown of all the bad news, but it would only serve to remind us of things we already know and wish we could forget, things we wish were not true. 

The American political scene is particularly discouraging.  With dishonesty and corruption and governmental ineptitude on every side, with fiscal irresponsibility completely out of control, it is hard to have a positive attitude about the future.  The lack of trust in our political leaders on both sides of the isle, is at an all time high, and hope seems to be at an all time low.

In our study of Isaiah, we’ve already talked about the folly of putting our trust and confidence in horses and chariots and kings, rather than in God.  The people of Judah tried that and it was disastrous.  But even among Christians today, there is an inordinate amount of faith placed in the political system.  There is this pervasive idea among a lot of Christians that if we could just get men and women elected who would honor the desires of the writers of our Constitution, people who would uphold the original intent of our founding fathers, then America would be a much better place.  If we could just find enough fiscally and morally conservative people to elect, we could save America.  America would be Christian again.

Having such people in authority over us would certainly be encouraging.  But ultimately, we cannot trust men to bring our nation “back to God”, or to make us one nation ”under God” again.  If the truth were told, it is very doubtful that this country ever was truly a nation in submission to Christ.  What we really need instead of good politicians, is God Himself.  We need God to move in our midst, in our pulpits, in our hearts, amongst our leaders, and through the entire population of this country.  

What we desperately need is a genuine, regenerating work of the Spirit of God.  Not morally conservative politicians who are superficially better than the other guys.  We need God to bring conviction of sin, repentance from sin, and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.  That is something no political party can ever do for us.  Only God can bring men and nations back to Himself.  Only God can save America.

There is a gigantic vacuum of simple, common sense wisdom and discernment all across our land.  The pervasive foolishness in our country is overwhelming.  Doesn’t anyone realize that merely talking about racial profiling is in itself an act of racial profiling?  And the only way to eradicate such behavior is to have Homeland Security guards at the airport, and Border Guards in Arizona who can do their work with their eyes closed?  The only way to stop the cardinal sin of racial profiling is to close our eyes so we can’t see what someone looks like, and stop our ears so we can’t hear what they sound like.  Which would tend to defeat the whole purpose of Homeland Security.  It is ridiculous.

We can’t seem to figure out that the correction of bad behavior in our children is a good thing because we can’t figure out what constitutes bad behavior or how to correct it.  Spare the rod and spoil the child is our new national educational policy.

As a nation, and even in some churches, we can’t discern that marriage is by definition and by nature, the joining of two people of the opposite sex.  We have trouble grasping the fact that forcibly tearing an unborn child from the womb for the sake of furthering the mother’s college career is murder.  This is how things are today largely because the number one religion in America, the religion of self-worship, has never been healthier, and the worship of God has never been more neglected.

The people of God are tempted to be greatly discouraged over such ridiculous foolishness.  We wonder if there is any real reason to hope for a significantly better day to come.  The land is spiritually bleak, both inside and outside the church.  It is getting harder and harder to find much to be happy about when the bad news is this bad and this extensive.  Unless you read your Bible regularly.

No doubt, there were people living in Judah in the days of Isaiah who had very similar feelings to the ones I’ve just expressed.  The remnant of faithful worshippers of God there was a small band indeed.  Everything around them was spiritually dark.  The Gentile nations around them were unspeakably evil, and justice within the kingdom of Judah was next to impossible to find.  Prophet and priest alike were corrupt.  Kings led the charge into idolatry.  It’s hard to have hope when the religious landscape is so gloomy and bleak and evil.

That is why Isaiah’s words in chapter 32 are so important.  While Isaiah often spoke of calamities to come, many of his prophecies were the means of resuscitating hope in the people of God, and breathing life back into their failing hearts.  The first part of Isaiah 32 is that kind of prophecy.  It was an encouragement for the people of God to look beyond their present trouble to a much better day to come.

Many years ago, there was a commercial on TV for a company that rebuilt transmissions.  It began with a man handing his money over to two rather greasy mechanics as they assured the car owner that his transmission was now better than new.  The next scene showed the same customer handing over more money to the same two greasy mechanics who assured the owner that now his transmission was MUCH better than new.  Finally, the owner hands over yet another handful of money while the shady mechanics promise that his transmission is now MUCH, MUCH, better than new!  

Well, the day is coming when the Lord Himself will make all things much, much better than new, and it won’t take Him three tries to get it right.  Turn with me to Isaiah 32 and let’s read the first eight verses together.

1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. 

2 Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm,

like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. 

3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention. 

4 The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly. 

5 The fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable. 

6 For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity,

to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord,

to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink. 

7 As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil; he plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right. 

8 But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.  (Isaiah 32:1-8 ESV)

Verse 1 sets the pace for the following seven verses.  A king will reign.  A righteous sovereign will be over His people.  This is undoubtedly a reference to the coming Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, the Son of David.  The perpetual references in Isaiah to a coming righteous ruler is nearly always a reference to Christ.  So if we’re interpreting this correctly, Isaiah is speaking here of the future kingdom of God in which the Lord Jesus will reign over not just Judah, but the entire world.

Secondly, Isaiah tells us that along with the King of the world, princes will also rule in justice.  A righteous king, whom we know to be THE Righteous King, and His princes will rule with justice.  The two attributes of the rulers Isaiah mentions are the most precious characteristics any ruler can have: Righteousness and justice.  How rare are those today?  And the effect these righteous and just rulers will have upon the people will be to grant them relief from their troubles.  Look at verse 2:

Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm,

like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

This great King and His princes will be like protection from the wind, shelter from the storm, streams in the desert, and shade from the sun’s heat.  They will finally be the answer to the prayers of a suffering people who have been the perpetual victims of unrighteousness and injustice from their foolish rulers.  They have been afflicted by ungodly men and fools in positions of prominence in the land.  But the day is coming when such men are no more.  God’s people will once again, as it was in the days of Egypt, be delivered from their oppressors by the King of Glory.  The government of the world will be upon His righteous shoulders.  God will indeed rule in the earth and it will be much, much better than new.

I’d like for you to take a look with me at another passage of scripture: Matthew chapter 19, beginning in verse 13.  Here we read about that future King and His kingdom in more detail.

13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.

16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, (Greek: “in the regeneration”1) when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first. 

“In the new world”  Or “in the regeneration.”  It is a compound Greek word, the second syllable being from the word “genesis”.  The first syllable means “again”.  Genesis again; re-genesis, re-generate, re-create.  In this text, “the kingdom of Heaven”, “the kingdom of God”, and “the new world” are all the same place.  Jesus tells the rich young man who is asking about eternal life that he will have treasures in Heaven if he is willing to part with everything he owns to follow Christ.

Peter then says to Jesus that he and all the other disciples have done just that.  Verse 27: “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”  And the clear implication is, what will we have in heaven?  

Jesus then answers Peter by saying, “In the new world, when I sit upon my glorious throne, you will rule with me on twelve thrones.  That sounds a whole lot like the king and His princes Isaiah is talking about in chapter 32, verse 1.  A King will rule in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.  Then Jesus goes on to say to His disciples that everyone who has done what the disciples have done, (we have left everything and followed you) will be given 100 times what they forfeited for Christ’s sake AND inherit the eternal life that the rich young ruler was looking for but was not willing to pursue at the expense of his worldly treasure.  

Paul teaches us in Romans 8 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (v21).  He’s talking about the same new world Jesus is speaking of.  Peter writes about the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13).  No doubt, Peter, Paul, Jesus, and Isaiah are all talking about the same thing: the Kingdom of Heaven and the New World.

The word Jesus uses in Matthew 19 which the ESV translates as “the new world” is only used one other place in the New Testament.  Paul uses that same word to describe our salvation:

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration [re-genesis, re-creation] and renewal of the Holy Spirit.  (Titus 3:5).

So not only will the world including the heavens and the earth be re-newed, re-created, but it will be filled with re-newed, re-born, regenerated people.  In that new world, the King of Kings will reign supreme.  With Him will be those princes, the twelve apostles, who will also rule with justice.  In the book of Revelation, in chapter 4 we read about John’s vision of the New World and the throne of God:

4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.

Those twenty-four elders who sit upon thrones surrounding THE throne of God are commonly thought to be the 12 apostles and the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel.  In Revelation 5, we read that the 24 Elders in Heaven:

9 . . . sang a new song [to the Lamb, the Lord Jesus], saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

The twenty-four elders sing that by His blood, the Lord Jesus has redeemed people from every tribe on earth, not just the twelve tribes of Israel.  All these redeemed people constitute the kingdom to God, and they shall reign on the earth.  Not just a few princes, but all the saints will be kings and priests!

I believe all of this is foreshadowed very dimly and almost cryptically through the words of Isaiah to the people of Judah, 500 years before the birth of the Lord Jesus.  The King is indeed coming to put down the corrupt governments of wicked men.  Do you remember what we read way back in December from Isaiah chapter 9?

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 32 also describes the kingdom of the Lord Jesus as a time when He will reign in righteousness, and His princes with justice.  They will grant relief to His people from their oppressors.  The people will understand who Christ is, they will see and hear and understand and know and speak of Him rightly.  There will be no more ruling over the people by fools and scoundrels who are said to be honorable men.  No longer will they victimize their people with lies and deceit and wickedness.  But rather, 32:8 says:

8 But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.

Who is “[H]e who is noble”?  And what noble plans does He have?  And upon what noble things does He stand?  I looked up the word “noble” to be sure I understood what Isaiah was saying here.  “Noble” means “of an admirably high quality; notably superior; excellent.”  

When was the last time we could use the word “noble” to describe those who rule over us in our government?  That is not the word that usually comes to mind to describe politicians anywhere.  It causes us to ask the question, “What would it be like to have a noble, righteous, just government?”  What would a government look like with no scoundrels in it?

It would look like the government of the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes to reign over all.  

Several years ago, John MacArthur wrote a book entitled Why the Government Can’t Save You.  It wasn’t a popular book.  Many evangelicals today are convinced that the way to bring out a noble government in America once again is by finding a few good men and women who can turn things around.  Certainly we should vote for people who will uphold high moral standards.  That is what government is supposed to do: Enforce a high standard of moral conduct upon the people.  

But our government can’t save us from ourselves.  No human government can eliminate oppression and vice and inequity and injustice.  Only Christ can do that.  And someday, the King of Glory will come and make all things right, ruling over us and making rulers of us, with righteousness and justice.  That was the hope of the people of Judah in the days of Isaiah, and it is our hope today.  

Come quickly, Lord Jesus, and make all things much, much better than new.

----

1. 3824 paliggenesia  pal-ing-ghen-es-ee'-ah  (from 3825 and 1078; TDNT - 1:686,117; n f)

KJV - regeneration 2; 2

1) new birth, reproduction, renewal, recreation, regeneration

   1a) hence renovation, regeneration, the production of a new life consecrated to God, a radical change of mind for the better. The word often used to denote the restoration of a thing to its pristine state, its renovation, as a renewal or restoration of life after death

   1b) the renovation of the earth after the deluge

   1c) the renewal of the world to take place after its destruction by fire, as the Stoics taught

   1d) the signal and glorious change of all things (in heaven and earth) for the better, that restoration of the primal and perfect condition of things which existed before the fall of our first parents, which the Jews looked for in connection with the advent of the Messiah, and which Christians expected in connection with the visible return of Jesus from heaven.

   1e) other uses

       1e1) of Cicero's restoration to rank and fortune on his recall from exile

       1e2) of the restoration of the Jewish nation after exile

       1e3) of the recovery of knowledge by recollection