"Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,And princes will rule with justice."
Isa. 32:1
There is an eschatological sense to this verse and the ones following it. There is a beauty to this promise and an inherent crying out of the soul, "O Lord Jesus, come quickly!" All around we see sin on display and those in power doing things that make our heads shake with disbelief. We look at most areas of government and can identify with Marc Anthony's exclamation, "O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason." (The Life and Death of Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 2)
See also the joys and blessings that will follow from this King reigning in righteousness:
- There will be shelter from the wind,
- There will be water in place of desert,
- Eyes will see,
- Ears will hear,
- There will be knowledge and understanding
- And stammering tongues will become fluent and clear.
But I don't think that this verse is purely eschatological only. I think it can apply now. Does this king reign? Yes. He is called Lord. Who are His subjects? All creation! Especially the holy angels and His people—His blood-bought chosen ones. If we call Him Lord, and do what He commands, then He is reigning in our hearts. Wherever Jesus reigns, there will be all these blessings: shelter, no longer dry and barren, no longer blind nor deaf, but filled with knowledge and understanding, readily able to speak truth clearly.
We see this wherever Jesus went while here on earth. He healed the demon-possessed man and suddenly he was no longer wild, uncontrolled and naked. Instead he is seated, fully clothed and in his right mind. (Mark 5:15) The kingship of Jesus brings peace and blessing.
There is yet another outcome of this King reigning in righteousness. You will become noble.
"But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds they stand." Isa. 32:8
This is in contrast with the vile or the scoundrel of verses 6 and 7. But it is very interesting to see that the word noble as found in the NIV translation is rendered liberal in the KJV. It has nothing to do with politics of today but means a sense of generousness and being able to give freely. It is only when Christ is reigning in our hearts that we are most free to give unto others without ulterior motives. Jesus told His disciples, "Freely you have received, freely give." (Matt. 10:8)
The Christian, living under the Lordship of Christ, see that he has nothing of his own and that all that he has ultimately comes from God (1 Cor. 4:7; James 1:17) and is thus able to think of others instead of himself. It is pride that causes us to be inward-focused to the exclusion of others. To the extent that Christ reigns in our hearts, pride is driven out and we become more other-focused.
Truly that is very noble! Nobility comes through generosity. It is better to give than to receive. Put what you have to work for the King. That is fit tribute you then will bring!
