Isa. 32:1-8 You are a Minister of Reconciliation
A translation and sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS 06 May 2007
1 Look, a king will reign for righteousness!
And as for governors, they will govern for justice!
2 And a man will be
like a lee of the wind and a storm-shelter,
like streams of water in a drought,
like shade of a ponderous rock in a weary land.
3 Then the eyes of the seers will not be plastered
and hearers’ ears will pay attention,
4 and the heart of the hasty will understand to know,
and the stammering tongue will hasten to speak clearly.
5 Never again will the fool be called generous,
and as for the miser, he will not be said to be noble.
6 For a fool speaks folly and his heart does iniquity:
to practice corruption,
and to utter error concerning Jehovah,
to cause the soul of the hungry to be empty,
and he will cause the thirsty drinkers to want.
7 and a miser’s methods are evil:
He has devised to destroy lowly men with speeches of falsehood,
even while the needy man pleads for justice.
8 But a generous man has devised generous things, and he stands firm upon generosity.
We live in a crazy, mixed-up world today. In his humorous sci-fi book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, p. 50, author Douglas Adams parodies our foolishness and its results during his discussion on an amazing animal called the Babel Fish:
“Now it is such a bizarrely improbably coincidence that anything so mindbogglingly useful could have evolved by chance that some thinkers have chosen to see it as a final and clinching proof of the non-existence of God. The argument goes something like this: "I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," says Man, "the Babel fish is a dead giveaway isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. Q.E.D."
"Oh dear," says God, "I hadn't thought of that," and promptly vanishes in a puff of logic.
"Well, that was easy," says man, who goes on to prove that black = white, and is promptly run over at the next zebra crossing.”
What does it look like when we are reconciled to God? God blesses us and we become a blessing to others. Isaiah outlines 3 areas where God blesses His people to be a blessing to the world when they are reconciled to Him: (A) Security & Leadership-v.1-2, (B) Knowledge of the Truth-v.3-5, and (C) Gospel Ethics-v.6-8.
Look, a king will reign for righteousness!
· Prepositions in this vs: Express purpose or manner of this king’s reign –Young “to righteousness… to princes, to justice.”
· Imagine how good it would be to have political leaders who, instead of pushing radical social agendas & lining their pockets, let well enough alone and just made sure that laws & judgments were just so that the country became full of righteousness? James – there is only one lawgiver & judge (God); He alone can give us the proper definitions for righteousness and justice.
And as for governors, they will govern for justice!
· Good leadership is a blessing to all, both in church and in politics. Consider Jethro’s standards to screen elected officials: Ex. 18:21 “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain”
· Princes/rulers unjust in 1:24; 3:14; They were making treaties in Egypt 30:4, but after judgment they will be righteous & just 9:5ff; 11:1-5;16:5 (Young)
· “king & princes” contrast with those of Assyria who abandon post 31:9
· Fulfillment:
Calvin- in Hezekiah’s reign, but ultimately Jesus.
Jerome-Jesus & apostles (princes)
Young-can only belong to Messianic government 24:23 “Jehovah of Hosts will reign on Mt. Zion”
v. 2 And a man will be like a lee of the wind and a storm-shelter, like streams of water in a drought, like shade of a ponderous rock in a weary land.
a. Like a storm-shelter - storm / tempest / wind - refers to 30:30-Assyrian threat and 28:2-Babylon’s
threat, but God promised in 4:6 and 25:4 to protect His people from this storm.
The Kansas wind gets to me – boy was it whipping around yesterday! But God promises to be a shelter from the wind for us, to protect us from those pressures we can’t handle on our own.
b. streams / rivers-KJV same as the ones in 30:25 God will open up on the mountains.
c. This “Rock” is not like the transient rock of Assyria in 31:9! Hymn “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” uses this phrase in reference to Jesus. Ultimately Jesus is the Rock (I Cor 10:4) that gives God’s people the ability to uphold justice and righteousness and pass on blessings to others. 4:4-6 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion… by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, (5) then the LORD will create…(6) a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm... Learn to take shelter in Him so you can help others. Dear Lord, let other people find me refreshing & comforting because You are living through me and Your love is shining through me.
weary / parched-NAS / thirsty-NIV
28:9-17 "To whom would He teach knowledge… (10) order on order, Line on line… (11) He will speak to this people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, (12) He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the WEARY," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen… (14) Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers, Who rule this people… (15) you have said, "We have made a covenant with death… (16) Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone… (17) "I will make justice the measuring line And righteousness the level; Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies…
lit. “heavy/glorious” / great / huge-ASV rock - 2:21; 7:19; 22:16; 31:9; 42:11; 57:5
33:15-17 He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain… (16) His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure. (17) Your eyes will see the King in His beauty…
25:4-5 For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless Is like a rain storm against a wall. (5) Like heat in drought...
SUMMARY: God is our rock of protection from wind and sun so we in turn can become a shelter for others offering water and shade in a weary land. Every time we step into our calling at home or work or school, leading by trusting in God as our rock and offering kindness to others, we are fulfilling this prophecy and setting up justice and righteousness, following the example of our king Jesus!
Then the eyes of the seers will not be plastered, and hearers’ ears will pay attention, v. 4 and the heart of the hasty will understand to know, and the stammering tongue will hasten to speak clearly.
Curse of 29:9-14 and 6:10 is reversed!
seers - 29:10-their eyes were covered, but eyes & ears opened in 29:18;35:5
dim-KJV,ASV / blinded-NAS / closed-NIV,ESV / smeared over-Del. - 6:10;29:9
hearken-KJV / listen-NAS,NIV / give attention-ESV / incline-BDB - 28:23; 34:1; 42:23; 48:18; 49:1; 51:4
The princes and seers were “stammering” because they were drunk (Young). Hebrew word for “Stammering” is found nowhere else in the Bible, although a word with the same letters in different order is found in 3:8, describing the leaders of Israel who were drunk and speaking against God and in 28:11; 33:19 to describe the speech of foreign enemies.
This understanding was hidden in 6:10, 29:14, 44:18. because they “looked to their own way” (56:11) and were “wise in their own eyes” (5:21). Only God has understanding (40:14) man has none to give Him, therefore, “understand that I AM He”(43:10). 29:24 They also that err in spirit shall know to understand, and they that murmur shall receive instruction.
rash ones / hasty-NAS,ESV / reckless-Young - 4b, 5:19 (asking God to hurry up); 35:4 (people weak in faith and impatient needing encouragement to faith); 49:17; 51:14 (prisoner); 59:7 (those who hurry to shed blood)
stammering-NIV / stutter, inarticulate-Str tongue will be ready-KJV / hasten-NAS,ESV / be fluent-NIV to speak plainly-KJV / clear(ly)-NAS,NIV / distinctly-ESV
Things are as they should be – see-ers see, hearers hear. (Young.)
Communication from God is opened back up because the sin which has blocked fellowship has been repented of.
The source of all knowledge and understanding – God and His word – is opened up again.
Impulsiveness which gets into trouble will become an asset in the future that means they are the first to communicate well! The impulsive apostle Peter who became the first to preach the Gospel in Acts 2 is a good example.
“It is through the kindness of Christ that a tongue to speak, a mind to understand, and ears to hear, are restored to us… riches, possessions, and everything else in which men commonly judge the happiness of life to consist, ought to be reckoned of no value in comparison to these blessings… In contrast to hasty, “wise men are usually cautious… To distinguish between the covetous man and the bountiful can only be done by Christ’s light, when He shines by means of the gospel, and, by exploring the deepest corners of the human heart, brings us to spiritual and inward obedience” (Calvin)
5 Never again will the fool be called generous, and as for the miser, he will not be said to be noble.
God’s people were mixed up:
Falsehood won’t be perpetuated by false nomenclature which obscures knowledge of truth. Right will be called right and wrong will be called wrong.
EXAMPLES:
· Recent bills in congress
“Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act” –not about “Local Law Enforcement” or “prevention”,
“Employment Non-discrimination Act” implies that discrimination is bad, but it is a facet of Biblical wisdom (v.4 “the mind of the hasty will discern truth-NAS”)
· We don’t expect commercials to be truthful anymore because exaggeration has become common. Does this help our economy?
· Truckers can’t be honest with their logs because everyone fudges; does that help deliver goods any faster?
· Big government which promises more benevolence at the price of further taxation, inflation, and dependence upon government handouts - not true generosity.
· Slang phrases like “wicked good” –well, which is it?
· C.S. Lewis on names being restored: From the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe p.153
“The queen of Narnia and Empress of the Lone Islands desires a safe conduct to come and speak with you,” said the dwarf…
“Queen of Narnia indeed!” said Mr. Beaver, “Of all the cheek-“
“Peace, Beaver,” said Aslan. “All names will soon be restored to their proper owners.
When we are reconciled to God and we find our security in Him, our shelter from the storm, our living water, our rock, then we start understanding truth and turning things right-side up again in the world.
The way all of this comes about is through the Gospel – an old English word for “Good News.”
Next 3 verses contrast the ethics of the fool with the ethics of the Gospel
For a fool speaks folly and his heart does iniquity: to practice corruption, and to utter error concerning Jehovah, to cause the soul of the hungry to be empty, and he will cause the thirsty drinkers to want. 7) and a miser’s methods are evil: He has devised to destroy lowly men with speeches of falsehood, even while the needy man pleads for justice.
“When He ascends the judgment-seat, Christ will show what is the disposition of every person; for, so long as He does not exercise the office of a judge, everything remains in confusion: the wicked are applauded, because they have the appearance of piety, and the most excellent men are despised. But Christ… is said to “have in his hand a sieve for separating the wheat from the chaff.” (Matthew 3:12.) this sieve is the gospel…” (Calvin)
Let us look at the nine things that the fool does and see the contrast in the Gospel:
1. (v.6) He speaks folly / nonsense-NAS / villany-KJV
contrast that with the Gospel according to David: “The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. (31) The law of his God is in his heart… (39) The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. (40) The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the evil one and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.” Psalm 37:30-40
2. His heart does / works-KJV / inclines toward-NAS /
is busy with-NI,ESV
iniquity-KJV,ESV / wickedness-NAS
/ vanity-LXX / evil-NIV
Contrast that with the Gospel from Titus 3:3-8: “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. (4) But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, (5) He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (8) The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.”
3. He practices corruption/ungodliness / profaneness-ASV / hypocrisy-KJV / lawlessness-LXX - 9:17; 10:6; 24:5; 33:14“Profane… doing the opposite of God’s will … he wars against God & consequently against men, for love of God & of man belong together -cf. Matt. 22:36-40 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Yng)
4. He utters/ speaks/spreads error / wandering/staggering - 53:6 “all we like sheep have gone astray” against Jehovah
Contrast that with the Gospel in Peter: “As
each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of
God's varied grace: (11) whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of
God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in
order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him
belong glory and dominion forever...” (1 Pet. 4:10-11)
5. He will make empty / leave unsatisfied (29:8;30:7) the soul / craving-ESV of the hungry -29:8;58:7&10
contrast that with the Gospel according to Mary as she sang about Jesus in Luke 1:53 “He has filled the hungry with good things”
When we are reconciled to God we help the poor rather than take advantage of them.
58:6-11 "Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness… (7) Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry, and bring the poor to your house…? (8) Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth … (10) if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness… (11) and the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places… and you will be like… a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”
6. He will deprive-ESV / withhold-NAS,NIV / cause to fail-KJV
/ cause to lack/ make wanting/deficient-BDB (51:14)
the thirsty of getting drink (27:3;43:20)
However, later in Isaiah, God promises: 41:17 “When the poor & needy seek water… & their tongue is parched w. thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I …will not forsake them.”
55:1 “Hey everyone who thirsts, come to the water;”
Jesus explains in the Gospel of John (6:35, 7:37) that He is that water, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst… If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink!’”
7. (v.7) his knaveries-Own / LXX-counsel / instruments-KJV / his weapons-NAS / methods-NIV
his devices-ESV / apparatus-Str. - are evil / wicked-NIV / lawlessness-LXX
Not only is his attitude and practice evil, but so are his instruments and methods.
Contrast that with the book of Romans 6:10-13 “For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. (11) So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus… (13) Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”
8. He devises / makes up-NIV / plans-ESV / counsel-LXX ( v.8, 1:26; 3:3; 7:5; 9:6; 14:24-27; 19:11-17; 23:8-9) wicked devices-KJV / wicked schemes-NAS,ESV / evil schemes-NIV / lawlessness-LXX / loose conduct-Young - Usually refers to sexual immorality & translated “lewdness” by KJV throughout prophets. From זמם “to plan”
Contrast that with the kind of plans the Apostle Paul made: “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, (21) but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand…’ (23) But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions [Greece], and since I have longed for many years to come to you [in Rome], (24) I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. (25) At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. (26) For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem…” (Rom 15:20-26) Preaching the Gospel in new areas, enjoying fellowship with believers in Jesus, and delivering financial aid to the poor – those were Paul’s kind of plans!
9. He seeks to destroy / ruin-Own,ESV (10:27; 13:5; 54:16) the lowly-Str. / poor / meek-ASV / afflicted-NAS by lying / deception-Own / slander-NAS / unjust-LXX / falsehood - 9:15; 28:15 (“We have covered ourselves with a lie”); 44:20; 57:4; 59:3, 13 even when the needy are asking for justice.
3:14 … spoil of the poor in [the princes’] houses. 3:15 What are you doing beating my people up & grinding the faces of the poor? 10:2 To turn aside the needy from justice,, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and they may rob the fatherless!
“He is a man of tricks & plots” (Young). Lying/ deception/ falsehood is his modus operandi. This is the devil’s nature too (John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father… there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar & the father of lies.”).
However, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6)
When we are reconciled to God we become followers of the way, the truth, and the life, leaving deception behind and becoming people of truth. This creates God’s kind of ethics in the world.
8 But a generous man has devised generous things, and he stands firm upon generosity.
noble/generous – occurs 3 times in v.8
contrast between the two emphatic “he’s” – the fool in v. 7
and the unselfish man in v.8
Contrast between justice and falsehood, truth and lies.
nobleman - v.5 (speaking of the regenerate-Calvin) devises liberal things-KJV / noble things-ASV,ESV / noble plans-NAS / noble deeds-NIV (v.5)
and lit. “upon” (ESV) / by these noble things he stands.
The principle here is UNSELFISHNESS. His ethical system is not self-centered; he lets God define right & wrong. His actions are not self-centered, for he is generous without expecting a return that will benefit him. Luke 14:12-14 “When you prepare a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends or your brothers or your family or rich neighbors so that they may later invite you over… (13) But when you prepare a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: (14) and you shall be blessed; because they have nothing to reward you…”
When we stand on God’s system of ethics we can be assured of four things:
George Whitfield & John Wesley’s preaching saved England from repeating the French Revolution by recreating a working class that valued truth, worked heartily as unto the Lord, and didn’t squander earnings on drunkenness. (Robby Butler) “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” (Wesley)
When we trust Jesus Christ and are reconciled to God, we receive the blessings:
but they are not blessings to be kept to ourselves, they are to be shared with the world.
You are a minister of reconciliation, as Paul and Timothy wrote in 2 Cor. 5:15-18.
Interestingly, they mention the same three blessings:
He [Jesus] died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. [Jesus is our rock, our security, our protection, whose death and resurrection saves those who believe in Him.]
Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. [This transforms our knowledge to discern the truth about spiritual things.]
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. [Transformation of the Gospel into a new ethic.]
Now all these things [these three blessings] are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… [don’t hide this light under a bushel; share the blessing with the world as a minister of reconciliation!]