Isaiah 32:1–2

The whole work at Jerusalem is now finished, and Jehovah is then shown to us reigning. He and no other is the person spoken of here… It is no longer a question of Christianity but of the kingdom. He is the One all believers wait for, and all the prophets spoke of Him. When He reigns, the righteous will no longer be called to suffer, but will dwell at ease.

"Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice" (Isa. 32:1). Many a rightful heir has come to a throne only to abuse the power given him. But Jesus Christ, of David's line, raised from the dead, will reign in righteousness. Under Him all the nations of the earth will be blessed, for He is Abraham's seed as well as David's.

No one disputes that this came true in part when Sennacherib's army fell. But the salvation here is far larger, and brings far more blessing, than that partial and temporary rescue… Has this time come? Has Israel ever known such a King? His reign here follows the Lord of Hosts' intervention on Israel's behalf. Has such an intervention yet taken place?

A king will reign in righteousness, and then transgression will cease. If there is the least outbreak of man's will, it will be dealt with on the spot. The black and dark night will then have passed away. Gone with it are the transgressions that marked all its weary hours. The day will have come in, for the Sun of Righteousness will then be shining in a cloudless sky.

This is a completely different state of things from the present. Now grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life. It is not (so to speak) righteousness reigning through glory in the government of the world. In the day this chapter has in view, the Lord Jesus will take up the sceptre of the earth in righteousness, and especially of the land of Israel.

Justice will be given without partiality. "Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice" (Isa. 32:1). This tells us of those lesser rulers who act as ministers of Christ in the affairs of this world.

During the thousand years of the kingdom, we read that "a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice" (Isa. 32:1). In the eternal state, righteousness will dwell. Ruling assumes there is evil to hold down. In the eternal state there will be no sin to spoil the new heavens and the new earth. Everyone will be in right relations with God and with one another, so we can truly say that righteousness dwells there.

In the age to come all the world will be brought under His gracious rule. But the one who confesses Him now enjoys the benefit of His salvation before the day arrives when He is openly displayed… You cannot count on His protection if you are rebellious. You must submit to Him. He uses all His power on behalf of the one who submits to Him.

The connection with the previous chapter is obvious. Chapter 31:4-9 predicts the coming of the Lord to deliver His people and punish their enemies... And now the start of chapter 32 reveals the coming King and His righteous reign. The King is the Man Christ Jesus, "a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm."

A King will reign in righteousness, far beyond David or Solomon, who were only faint pictures of Him. And the Man who is God, Jehovah's companion, will be like a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the storm.

"A MAN." Not an angel or fiery seraph. We would be afraid of such beings, and they could not help us in our need. But He has drawn us with "the cords of a man," with "the bands of love" (Hosea 11:4).

"A HIDING PLACE." Strong temptations to sin would sweep us off our feet like the wind. Trouble threatens to overwhelm us. But in Him we have peace and are perfectly secure.

There is wrath coming upon the world, but God has made a hiding-place for you. Isaiah spoke of it: "A man will be like a hiding place from the wind." Do you want shelter from the wrath to come? You will find it in Christ. You will find Him an ark of refuge... God has prepared a covert from that tempest. Where is it? It is Christ at the right hand of God. There is salvation in Him, and nowhere else.

Storms of Satan's power have swept this world, since he is "the prince of the power of the air." Despite all man's cleverness, the world has proved to be "a dry place," with no real refreshment. It is also "a weary land," where men spend their lives chasing what turns out to be emptiness. Man's failure shows itself daily, and we can sum up the cry from many as "Wanted a man!" Satan's man will appear first and bring evil to a climax. But the Man of God's purpose will destroy him and fulfil this word. He will bring in the three things named — salvation, satisfaction, and new strength in a land no longer weary but restful.

"THE SHADOW OF A GREAT ROCK in a weary land." The Old Testament calls God "the Rock" of Israel. Like Israel, we have proved that this world is "a weary land." How full of meaning, then, and how blessed, that Christ, "a Man," appears as the rest-giving "shadow" of the "great rock," the ETERNAL GOD. His wonderful love for us came out at the cross, when Christ died for us... A MAN AS THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY!

Christ is indeed "a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm… the shade of a great rock in a weary land" (Isaiah 32:2)... But remember this: if we only run to Christ as a shelter in the time of storm, we shall be in danger of leaving Him once the storm has passed. Sadly, this is what happens too often with each one of us. We turn to Him in the storm; we neglect Him in the calm.