Righteous Rule
Isaiah 32:1-8
"A leader is a person with a
magnet in his heart and a compass in his head."
--Vance Havner
Righteous Rule
Isaiah 32:1-8
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ" (Rev 11:15).
Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king will reign righteously
And princes will rule justly.
2 Each will be like a refuge from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like streams of water in a dry country,
Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 The mind of the hasty will discern the truth,
And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.
5 No longer will the fool be called noble,
Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.
6 For a fool speaks nonsense,
And his heart inclines toward wickedness:
To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD,
To keep the hungry person unsatisfied
And to withhold drink from the thirsty.
7 As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;
He devises wicked schemes
To destroy the afflicted with slander,
Even though the needy one speaks what is right.
8 But the noble man devises noble plans;
And by noble plans he stands.
Jesus will reign righteously; Others will lead like Him (v. 1)
1) Behold, a king will reign righteously
And princes will rule justly.
"A king" (32:1).
"The king" (33:17).
"Our king" (33:22).
"YHWH" (33:22).
Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:49).
Jesus will reign righteously; Others will lead like Him (v. 1)
1) Behold, a king will reign righteously
And princes will rule justly.
Jesus will reign righteously; Others will lead like Him (vv. 1- 2a)
1) Behold, a king will reign righteously
And princes will rule justly. 2) Each one....
A Good Leader Protects and Provides (v. 2)
2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
A Good Leader Helps Others Grow (vv. 3-4)
3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
A Good Leader Helps Others Grow (vv. 3-4)
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2).
Contrast to A Good Leader (vv. 5-7)
5 No longer will the fool be called noble
nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 For fools speak folly,
their hearts are bent
on evil: They practice ungodliness
and spread error concerning the LORD;
the hungry they leave empty and from the
thirsty they withhold water. 7 Scoundrels
use wicked methods, they make up evil
schemes to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy is just.
Fool - someone who lacks character and moral sense and who rejects the ways of God and the wisdom of God.
Rogue/scoundrel/churl/deceiver/villain - someone characterized by “deception, devious working for self-advantage and the hurt of others” (Dr. Alec Motyer).
Contrast to A Good Leader (vv. 5-7)
5 No longer will the fool be called noble
nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 For fools speak folly,
their hearts are bent
on evil: They practice ungodliness
and spread error concerning the LORD;
the hungry they leave empty and from the
thirsty they withhold water. 7 Scoundrels
use wicked methods, they make up evil
schemes to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy is just.
A Good Leader is Noble (v. 8)
8 But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds they stand.
If Jesus is our Leader, we should be growing into His likeness.
If Jesus is our Leader, we should be growing into His likeness: