Sermon #83                                                            Series:  Isaiah

 

          Title:       A King Shall Reign In Righteousness

          Text:       Isaiah 32:1-20

          Subject:  Isaiah’s Prophecy Of the Gospel Kingdom

          Date:      Sunday Evening - August 11, 1991

          Tape #

 

          Introduction:  

 

          Though this chapter is applicable to Hezekiah and his reign, it is clearly a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ and his reign as King today, in this gospel age.  The King spoken of here is Christ.  The kingdom described is the Gospel Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Church of God.  The time spoken of is this present Gospel Age.

 

Proposition:  The church of God is a blessed, prosperous and peaceful kingdom, under the rule and dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 Divisions:  There are three things described in these twenty verses:

 

1.   The Kingdom Of Christ and Its Blessings (vv. 1-8).

2.   A Time Of Great Distress and Trouble (vv. 9-14).

3.   A Time Of Restoration and Revival (vv. 15-20).

 

I.      In verses 1-8 Isaiah gives us a prophetic description of THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST AND ITS BLESSINGS.

 

          Once more, I remind you that the kingdom of God is not a carnal, earthly, political kingdom.  The kingdom of God is spiritual.  The only way a man can enter it is by the new birth - (John 3:3, 5).  The church of God is the Kingdom of God.  We who believe are God’s spiritual kingdom.  This text is talking about Christ our King and the blessedness of his Kingdom.

 

          Verse 1 - “Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness.”  Christ is the King spoken of (Acts 2:34-36; Rom. 14:9; Eph. 1:23).  He is the King of the universe, the King of kings.  And he is the King of his saints.  He reigns right now!

 

1.   Over all things.

2.   In the hearts of redeemed sinners.

3.   In his Church.

 

          And he reigns “in righteousness.”  Our great King reigns because he has fulfilled all righteousness.  He reigns in a righteous manner, according to justice and equity.

 

1.   The laws of his Kingdom are Holy and Just (I John 3:23).

2.   His administration, ways and methods, are right - “The righteous Lord loveth righteousness.”

3.   The scepter of his Kingdom is righteousness.

 

          “And princes shall rule in judgment” - These princes are gospel preachers, pastors of local churches, who are set over them in the Lord and have the rule of them under Christ (Heb. 13:7, 17).

 

1.   They rule by the Spirit of God.

2.   They rule by the Word of God.

3.   They rule according to the Will of God.

 

          Verse 2 - “And a man shall be for a hiding place from the wind.”  This man is Christ, the incarnate God-man, our Mediator.  He is our “Hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest.”

 

1.   The Wrath of God.

2.   The Temptations of Satan.

3.   The Persecutions of Men.

4.   The Afflictions of Providence.

 

          Christ is “as rivers of water in a dry place.”  This speaks of the abundance of grace in Christ and the freeness of it.  Grace flows to us from the infinite, boundless ocean of God’s love and goodness in Christ.  It comforts and refreshes our souls in this dry and barren land.  John Gill wrote, It makes God’s saints “cheerful and fruitful, revives their spirits, makes glad their hearts, and causes them to go on their way rejoicing.”

 

          And Christ is “as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”  This world is a weary land to God’s saints.  We are wearied with our own sins, the temptations of satan and the sorrows of worldly trouble.  And our weary souls take refuge in Christ, who is our Rock (Ps. 61:1-4).

 

1.   Rock of Salvation.

2.   Rock of Refreshing.

3.   Rock of Refuge.     

 

          Verses 3 and 4 describe the blessedness of those who are born of God’s Spirit and enter into the Kingdom of his dear Son.

 

1.   They are illuminated and given understanding by the Spirit of God (Eph. 1:15-19).  “Ye have the mind of Christ.”

2.   They diligently hear and harken unto the Word of God.

 

·        Believe its Doctrine.

·        Submit to its Ordinances.

·        Obey its Precepts.

 

3.   Things which were once rashly spoken against, we now understand.  Believers are taught of God (John 6:44-45; I Cor. 2:9-14).

 

·        The Person and Work of Christ.

·        The Gospel of the Grace of God.

·        The Sovereign Rule and Providence of God.

·        The Covenant of Grace.

 

4.   And men of stammering tongues are made to be ready and able teachers and preachers of the things of God - (I Cor. 1:26-29).

 

·        The Apostles.

·        Ministers of the Gospel.

 

 

                             Illus:  African Pastors.

                                       Mexican Pastors.

                                       New Guinea Pastors.

 

          Verses 5-7 describe those who are unfit to be and must not be allowed to speak for God in his church.

 

1.   The vile man is one who is a hypocrite, who in the name of  God speaks error against the Lord.

2.   The churl is the covetous hireling who fleeces the sheep.

3.   Both are destroyers of men’s souls.

 

Note:  God’s saints are to try the spirits by the word.  And those who are tried by the world will be exposed in their true light (v. 5; I John 4:1-7). 

 

          Verse 8 describes the princely character of true, faithful gospel preachers.  They are free spirits.  They deliver the gospel of free grace.  And they do so freely, without any sinister designs, or personal ambitions.  And by the message they preach God’s servants are established.

 

·        By the Doctrine of Grace.

·        By the Gifts of Grace.

·        By the Spirit of Grace.

·        By the Enjoyment of Grace.

 

II.   Secondly, verses 9-14 describe A TIME OF GREAT DISTRESS AND TROUBLE.

 

          Before the coming of Christ and the beginning of the gospel age the church went through a long, long time of barrenness and trouble, arising from sinful, presumptuous ease and careless neglect of the things of God. 

 

·        Babylonian Captivity.

·        400 Silent Years.

·        Roman Bondage.

 

          And the church today, when she becomes presumptuous and careless, brings trouble upon herself (Song 5).  Carnal security produces careless neglect.  And careless neglect brings barrenness, spiritual desolation.  These verses are a call to repentance.  In times of spiritual desolation…

 

1.   There is no milk in the breasts - The Ordinances.

2.   There is no harvest in the fields - Conversions.

3.   There is no fruit in the vine - Spiritual Joy.

4.   The palaces, churches, are forsaken!

 

          But, blessed be God, it shall not always be so!

 

III. Verses 15-20 proclaim A TIME OF RESTORATION AND REVIVAL.

 

          Without question, this is a prophecy of the coming of the gospel age and the outpouring of God’s Spirit and grace upon the Gentiles.  But these verses also speak of times of refreshing, restoration and revival promised to the church of God.  As surely as trouble comes, deliverance will follow.  As surely as we experience times of desolation, we will experience times of refreshing.  Here are five characteristics of genuine revival.  Whenever you see these five things, you are seeing revival, God is restoring his church.

 

A.  Repentance, lamentation and the confession of sin among God’s people (vv. 9, 11, 12).

B. The outpouring of God’s Spirit (v. 15; Acts 2).

C. An exaltation of the person and work of Christ (v. 17).

 

          The work of his righteousness, not ours, is peace.  The effect of his righteousness, not ours, is quietness and assurance forever!

 

D. The ingathering of God’s elect (v. 18).

 

          When Christ gathers his sheep into his fold, the Spirit of God is working in our midst.  And his fold is the local church.  Local churches are -

 

·        Peaceable Habitations (Eph. 2:20-22).

·        Sure Dwelling Places (I Tim. 3:15).

·        Quiet Resting Places (Ps. 133:1; 122:1-9).

 

E.  The faithful preaching of the gospel far and near (v. 20).

 

Application:

 

1.   Our King is upon His Throne.

2.   Let us ever take Refuge in our Redeemer.

3.   We have had our Time of Barrenness.

4.   Let us turn to the Lord our God.

5.   Pray that the Lord may be pleased to pour out His Spirit upon us.