St. Mary CME Church
2772 Mt. Pleasant Rd, Mt. Pleasant, FL
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Devotional

Preparing for Deliverance

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Intro

 Isaiah prophesied to Judah and Jerusalem but many refused to listen to God’s word, yet here in Isaiah 32, he speaks of a Righteous King who will finally be able to get through to stubborn humanity. Isaiah says that although many do not listen to him presently, there will come a time when this Righteous King will have the power to open the eyes of the spiritually blind and the ears of the spiritually deaf, all those people who Isaiah was not able to get through to.

The main point of this chapter is that one day God will come to the rescue in the form of a Righteous King who will work by the power of God’s spirit to teach justice, wisdom, righteousness and love. This king is Jesus Christ, for he said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Isaiah 32:1-8 NRSV

[1] See, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. [2] Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, 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 have sight will not be closed, and the ears of those who have hearing will listen. [4] The minds of the rash will have good judgment, and the tongues of stammerers will speak readily and distinctly. [5] A fool will no longer be called noble, nor a villain said to be honorable. [6] For fools speak folly, and their minds plot 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] The villainies of villains are evil; they devise wicked devices to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right. [8] But those who are noble plan noble things, and by noble things they stand.

A Righteous King

Isaiah proclaims that at a time appointed by God a righteous King will rule over everything, and his righteousness will be so contagious that princes will begin to rule with justice. Rather than rule with corruption that devastates their people, they will use sound and good judgement which will be such a relief to humanity that it will be like a shield from the wind and like water in a dry place (vv1-2).

Isaiah humbly admits that this King will do what he himself has failed to do, he will open closed eyes and cause stubborn ears to hear. For even with all of Isaiah's preaching, teaching, proclaiming, and prophesying, Israel continued to practice ungodliness. Even the leaders in Israel used wicked methods to destroy the poor with lies and ignore the needy’s plea for justice.

Has the Righteous King truly come into your life, or are you seeking refuge in another person or thing?

Isaiah 32:9-14 NRSV

[9] Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, listen to my speech. [10] In little more than a year you will shudder, you complacent ones; for the vintage will fail, the fruit harvest will not come. [11] Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare, and put sackcloth on your loins. [12] Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine, [13] for the soil of my people growing up in thorns and briers; yes, for all the joyous houses in the jubilant city. [14] For the palace will be forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, the joy of wild asses, a pasture for flocks;

The Reason We Need the Righteous King

Isaiah’s years proclaiming the word of the LORD seemed to have no effect on the hearts of the people of Israel and they remained spiritually asleep. They had grown complacent in their sin and did not even feel any guilt about their wrong doing. Yet the prophet persists in his purpose to appeal to God’s people to “rise up” from their spiritual slumber.

Complacency is the idea that one has become so spiritually blind that they have lost all conviction and see no need for repentance. Rather than feel guilt for their errors, Israel had grown satisfied with their sinfulness and lost any concern for their spiritual well being.

With prophetic insight Isaiah warns Israel about an impending danger that will fall upon Judah in less than one year. The Assyrians had already besieged Jerusalem so Isaiah proclaims that the LORD will send great affliction on Judah for their ungodliness as well. However, God’s intent is not to destroy his people, but to hold them responsible for their sins, to wake them up from their complacency, and to ultimately cause them to repent of their ungodliness.

In what ways have you grown complacent in your Christian life, are you satisfied with the way things are?

Isaiah 32:15-20 NRSV

[15] until a spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. [16] Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. [17] The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. [18] My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. [19] The forest will disappear completely, and the city will be utterly laid low. [20] Happy will you be who sow beside every stream, who let the ox and the donkey range freely.

The Way the Righteous King Works

The Spirit of God is the agent of change just as much for Israel in Isaiah’s day as it is for us. There is no hope for humanity or transformation in an individual without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the means by which the Righteous King executes his reign, therefore God the Creator, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all one sovereign and divine being.

Isaiah proclaims that as a result of the Spirit of God being poured out; wildernesses will become fruitful fields (v.15), which means that those of us whose lives have become purposeless wildernesses will again bear purposeful fruit when the Holy Spirit has dominion in our hearts. This is also what the apostle Paul meant in his letter to the Galatians, “Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.” (Galatians 5:16-17 NRSV)

Since Isaiah’s day the Holy Spirit has indeed been poured out, first the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus when he was baptized and God the Creator gave his approval (Matthew 3:13-17), then Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on his disciples when he appeared to them after his resurrection (John 20:22), and again the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost causing all to provision the works of God's in their native language (Acts 2:4). Even the apostle Peter proclaimed that all we need to do is repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, and we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

What a privilege we share today that Isaiah could only hope for in his time, that the Spirit that we all need to live lives acceptable to God is already at work. It was first manifested in the life and witness of Christ our Lord, the Righteous King whom Isaiah prophesied about, and that same Spirit has been readily available to us and gives us peace, confidence, and trust in God forever (v.17).

Has God’s Spirit been poured out on you?

Prayer

Loving God,
We ask for your spirit to be poured out today, that those who receive it will awaken from their spiritual slumber and walk in righteousness, peace, and confidence in the footsteps of our righteous king, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Lead us on righteous paths, help us make wise choices, and allow us to produce the fruits of your spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This day brings with it another opportunity for us to repent and turn from our old ways of living, and we give you thanks for it. May the moment that we receive your Spirit change the trajectory of our lives forever, as we seek to do your will and walk in your ways. In the Name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!

Andrew Archer