THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Isaiah: Jahweh Is Salvation

Part XLVIII: God's Promise Of A Blessed Transformation In Men In The Millennium

(Isaiah 32:1-8)

I. Introduction

A. Isaiah had already spent time critiquing the evils in the male leaders in Judah (Isaiah 1:21-23, 24-26, etc.), but in Isaiah 32:1-8, refreshingly, he turned to dwell in the great change in men that will occur in the Kingdom.

B. We view that passage not only for its encouraging prophecy, but for the upright pattern it offers for men today:

II. God's Promise Of A Blessed Transformation In Men In The Millennium, Isaiah 32:1-8.

A. Using one of his favorite exclamations in the term "Behold!", Isaiah looks forward to the Millennial Kingdom and claims that a King, Whom we know will be the Lord Jesus, will reign in righteousness, and princes under Him, all believers filled with the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-29), will rule in justice, Isaiah 32:1.

B. Accordingly, everyone in Messiah's administration will be wonderfully helpful to their subordinates, Isa. 32:2:

1. When subordinates face life's trials, likened to a harmful wind or a devastating storm, they will find their leaders going beyond just functioning in their callings to fulfill their duties as leaders to work hard to hide and to shelter their subordinates from the devastating effects of their personal trials, Isaiah 32:2a.

2. When subordinates experience fatigue or barrenness in life, they will find their leaders offering to go beyond the boundaries of their official assignments, becoming personally refreshing to their subordinates, like streams of water in a dry place and like the cool shade of a large rock in a weary land, Isaiah 32:2b.

C. At that time, all divine hardening in spiritual blindness and in spiritual dullness of hearing will have been removed so that Judah's leaders will see and give attention to what is true and right, Isaiah 32:3.

D. A change will occur in the currently reckless and in those leaders who stammered in drunkenness (cf. Isaiah 28:7, 8; 29:9): the heart of the rash will understand to know truth and the tongue of those who stammer will hasten to speak with great clarity, Isaiah 32:4; Edward J. Young, The Book Of Isaiah, 1974, v. II, p. 384-388.

E. Importantly, in the Millennial Kingdom, a man will be recognized for what he actually is and not for what he appears to be by subordinates so that subordinates are deceived and damaged in relating to him, Isaiah 32:5-8:

1. The fool (naval) will no longer be called a prince (nadiv) and the crafty (kilay) will no longer be spoken of as having a spirit of honorable liberality, Isaiah 32:5; Ibib., p. 388-389.

2. Building on this theme, Isaiah described how the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity in order to practice ungodliness and to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of hungry subordinates unsatisfied and to deprive the thirsty of drink, Isaiah 32:6.

3. As for the crafty, his devices are evil, planning wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is upright, Isaiah 32:7.

4. However, in sharp contrast to the fool and the crafty, the truly noble man plans noble things, and on noble things he stands, Isaiah 32:8. Opposite the fool in particular, the nobleman speaks truth, his heart is busy with righteousness in order to practice godliness and to utter reality concerning the Lord, to address the craving of hungry subordinates and to satisfy the thirsty with drink. Opposite the crafty in particular, the nobleman's devices a righteous, planning upright plant to edify the poor with truthful words especially as the appeal of subordinates is upright.

Lesson: In the Millennial Kingdom, a refreshing change will occur in male leaders: instead of selfishly using their powers to take advantage of their subordinates, they will work hard to shield their subordinates even from the personal trial they face in life, becoming personally refreshing to their subordinates. Men will no longer be viewed as one thing relative to their character while being something else, but truly noble men will be seen as noble and fools and crafty as simply fools and crafty.

Application: Since this marvelous change will occur under the ministry of the Holy Spirit's control, it is only fitting that we men who lead in any divine institution today do so by the Holy Spirit's empowering to use our roles to go beyond just dealing out justice, but to work hard to shelter our subordinates from the devastating effects of their personal trials, and to act as refreshing encouragers to people who face the wear and tear of harshness in life. It is also important that we seek to live what front we present to people around us to be -- that we truly present our true selves and not some trumped up presentation before others. Finally, it is very important that we speak the upright truth in great clarity to our subordinates that they have no misunderstanding to their disadvantage and harm.