Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
Isaiah 31 ends with God Himself coming down to defend Jerusalem and crush the Assyrian invader. Chapter 32 opens with what comes next: a throne, and a king who reigns in righteousness.
With the rescue of Jerusalem complete, one writer identifies this King as Jehovah Himself:
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.
Power often corrupts the man who inherits it. This King is different:
"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.
God did strike down Sennacherib's army in Isaiah's own day. One writer asks whether the promised reign ever followed:
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?
Righteousness on the throne is not a mood. The King acts on wrong at once:
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 not a picture of the present age:
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.
The King does not rule alone. The verse puts princes under Him:
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.
There is a further stage beyond this reign, and the difference turns on a single verb:
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.
This is prophecy, but it asks something of you today:
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 King. The One who comes down to rescue Jerusalem is the One who then takes the throne. He is Jesus Christ, of David's line and Abraham's seed, the rightful heir who will never abuse His power.
- Not yet. Sennacherib's defeat was real but partial. Israel has never known such a King, so this reign is still ahead.
- Righteousness enforced. The King deals with wrong on the spot, and transgression ceases. The long night ends and the Sun of Righteousness shines in a cloudless sky.
- Not this age. Right now grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life. Then righteousness itself will govern the world, with princes ruling under Christ as His ministers.
- Beyond the reign. Ruling means there is still evil to hold down. In the eternal state righteousness no longer rules; it simply dwells. Until that day, whoever submits to this King comes under His protection early.
And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the storm; as brooks of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
This promise sits inside a picture of government: a King rules in righteousness, and under Him a Man becomes shelter, water and shade for people who have none. Who is this Man, when does He come, and can anyone shelter in Him today? (Older translations read "a man" here, and the writers below follow that reading; the ESV reads "each will be like a hiding place.")
The previous chapter promised that the Lord would come to rescue His people. This one shows who arrives.
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."
One writer measures this King against Israel's past kings, and names who the Man is:
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.
One writer weighs what it means that the shelter is a Man and not an angel.
"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).
Two of the four pictures deal with danger. The first is about pressure we feel now:
"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.
The second points to a judgment still ahead, and one writer turns it into a direct offer:
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.
The other two pictures deal with emptiness, not danger. One writer holds them up against the world we live in:
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 last picture puts a Man in the place of God Himself.
"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!
Running to Christ in trouble is right, but stopping there carries a danger.
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.
- King. The promise sits inside a coming reign of righteousness, far beyond David or Solomon.
- Man. The shelter is a Man, not an angel. An angel would frighten us and could not meet our need.
- Shelter. Wind and storm cover both present temptation and coming wrath. Christ is the answer to both, and there is no other.
- Supply. A dry place and a weary land describe a world that cannot refresh, so the same Man is also water and shade.
- Home. Running to Him in the storm is only the start. The danger is leaving Him once the weather clears.
And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken;
Isaiah 32 opens with a King who reigns in righteousness, and verse 3 turns to the people He rules. God changes them so they see and hear at last — but when does this happen, and who does the work?
The verse describes conditions under a reign that has not yet started. One writer contrasts it with the present time, when the righteous suffer instead of ruling.
Verses 1, 2. The first thing is a king who is to reign on earth in righteousness. The church, on the other hand, ought to follow Jesus in the present order. He was righteous, yet He suffered, and a judge who admitted He was innocent put Him to death. The righteous man suffers, and people commit the worst injustice against him. That is the position of the Christian and the church. It is not yet a king reigning in righteousness. In the age to come righteousness will reign.
The verse lands on a tired world. One writer names what people are weary of — and what they are not.
The world had long been weary of the effects of sin, if not of sin itself. Now the blessing has come: "Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention."
Dull eyes and deaf ears are the normal state now. One writer shows what God still does while that lasts, and how little high standing counts against Him.
Think of a world of deception, before the king reigns in righteousness. Eyes are dim and ears are dull. The worthless man is called generous, and the miser is called open-handed. Even there, the eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, which otherwise would perish from the earth. And He overthrows the words of the treacherous, even if they stood as high as Haman stood with King Ahasuerus.
Verse 2 shows what the King will be; verse 3 shows what happens in those who live under Him. One commentator traces the order, and sees the same order in believers now.
Verse 2 gives a lovely picture of what Christ in royal power will be. Verses 3 and 4 reveal a work done in the souls of those who will enter these scenes and enjoy the blessedness of the reign of Christ. They will have become a people of clear vision, of opened ears, of understanding hearts, and of plain and forceful speech. Notice the order. It is just the same today. First you grasp the truth. Then the heart understands. Last comes the plain expression of what you believe, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Good government does not by itself produce this seeing and hearing. One writer names what does, and it is the same thing the gospel calls for now.
The LORD will reign in righteousness, and all through His day He will govern with strength and kindness. Yet it will be proved once more that this changes the heart no more than the gospel does now, unless the power of the Spirit renews it in conscience. There must be the possession of a new nature. A man must be born again to see or enter the kingdom of God. It will then be clear that the new birth is needed not only for the heavenly glory, but even for the earthly side of that kingdom (John 3).
Open eyes change how people are judged. One writer contrasts today's polished appearances with what that day will expose.
It is not as you see now. Today men appear to have every good natural quality. Yet put them to the test, and they have no heart for divine things. They do not love the name of the Lord Jesus, and they do not care for His glory. Here it will not be so. Blessing will flow, evil will be judged, shame will vanish away. Things and persons will be plain to see and will bear their true character. Man will then do what he was made for, for the first time on earth... We know how uncertain human judgment is, and yet how men cling to appearances and keep them up. There will be no empty show then.
- Now: dim. Eyes are dim and ears are dull in a world of deception. Even now God preserves knowledge in it.
- Then: the King. Righteousness does not reign yet; the righteous suffer. This verse belongs to the age when Christ rules and the long weariness caused by sin ends.
- The gift: sight. The promise is not just a better ruler. God changes the people: clear vision, opened ears, understanding hearts, plain speech — in that order.
- The condition: new birth. Glory alone does not change hearts. A new nature is needed to see or enter the kingdom, even in its earthly form.
- The result: nothing false. When sight returns, appearances stop deceiving. People and things bear their true character, and empty show is over.
and the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
Isaiah 32 opens with a King reigning in righteousness. Verse 4 shows what that reign does inside people. Is this a picture of better schooling and better manners, or of a work God does in the soul?
This scene belongs to a coming reign, not to the present calling of believers:
It is no longer a question of Christianity but of the kingdom. When He reigns for Whom all believers wait, as all the prophets spoke of Him, the righteous shall no longer be called to suffer, but to dwell at ease. We are now called to do well, suffer for it, and take it patiently, in view of heavenly glory, and as followers of Him who passed through sufferings. This indeed is grace. But in the coming day God will display righteousness by divine power here below, when Satan is set aside and Christ reigns.
Verse 3 speaks of eyes and ears. Verse 4 moves inward to the heart, then outward to the tongue. One writer says that order still holds today:
Verse 2 gives a lovely picture of what Christ will be when He reigns as King. Verses 3 and 4 reveal that a work will be done in the souls of those who will enter that coming thousand-year kingdom and enjoy the blessedness of Christ's reign. They will have become a people of clear vision, of opened ears, of understanding hearts, and of plain and forceful speech. Notice the order. It is just the same today. First you grasp the truth; then the heart understands; and last comes plain speech about what you believe. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Good government by itself changes no one. The understanding heart of verse 4 has a deeper source than the King's rule:
Jehovah will reign in righteousness, and it will be His to exercise strong and generous government all through His day. But once more it will be clear that this changes the heart no more than the gospel changes it now, unless the power of the Spirit renews it in conscience. There must be the possession of a new nature. Man must be born again to see or enter the kingdom of God. It will then be clear that the new birth is needed not merely for the heavenly glory, but even for the earthly things of that kingdom.
For Israel this is a reversal. The nation had once used its own speech against its Messiah. One writer sets the two moments side by side, quoting the older wording "the rash" where the ESV has "the hasty":
Then they were conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood and of hate. "Away with Him!" "He has a demon, and is insane." "Not this man, but Barabbas." "We have no king but Caesar." … Their language will not be like that when, with unveiled hearts, they look on Him whom they have pierced. … In that day the heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and will move the once stammering tongue to skilful praise.
The Gospels show the same thing happening. Jesus healed a deaf man who could hardly speak. One writer takes that man as a picture of the nation:
The afflicted man was only a symbol of the state of Israel. Through unbelief the nation was unwilling and unable to hear God, or to speak out their own misery and His praise. But as brought to Him he pictured the remnant on whom light dawned in a region and shadow of death. And "straightway"… his ears were opened, and the tie of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke rightly.
Later in the same chapter, one writer traces the whole change back to a single moment:
The reference is to what comes before Jehovah takes His place and reigns in the land. And all the sorrow is to continue until the Spirit is poured down upon them. Then comes the great change in Israel… But there will be a fitting and large outpouring of the Spirit in that day, as we have already seen.
- King first. The chapter opens with a King who reigns in righteousness. Every change in verse 4 flows from His rule, not from human progress.
- Spirit as cause. The sorrow lasts until God pours out His Spirit on Israel. That outpouring brings the great change.
- New birth as gift. Even the earthly blessings of that kingdom need a new nature. Glory alone leaves the heart where it was.
- Order as pattern. Sight first, then an understanding heart, then plain speech. The same order holds today: the mouth speaks out of what fills the heart.
- Praise as result. The tongue that once cried "Away with Him!" now speaks clearly, and stammering turns into skilful praise.
The vile man shall be no more called noble, nor the churl said to be bountiful
Isaiah 32 opens with a King reigning in righteousness. Verse 5 gives one plain sign of that reign: worthless men will no longer carry honourable names.
The writers quoted here use an older translation. Where the ESV says "fool" and "scoundrel", it has "the vile person" and "the churl".
The verse belongs to a chapter about a coming reign. One writer sums up where the chapter is heading:
Then, in Isaiah 32, the Messiah will reign in righteousness and set everything morally in order... Righteousness will be established everywhere, and peace, the fruit of righteousness.
The two words are not vague insults. One commentator ties the first to Nabal, and the second to the crafty man. He also gives the reason such men keep their good names now:
The prophet Isaiah looks on to the King's reign in righteousness. He lets us know that it will not be so in that future day of bliss for the earth. The vile person or fool, like Nabal, shall no more be called liberal, nor the churl or crafty be said to be bountiful. The wicked now strive to appear what they are not, and not to show what they are. For at heart men are ashamed of what they know themselves to be.
Pretence survives because even the worst men want the credit of goodness.
Under that reign, character and name will match. The same writer sets that day against what we meet now:
It is not as you see now. Men appear to have every good natural quality, and yet when tested they have no heart for divine things. They do not love the name of the Lord Jesus, and they do not care for His glory. Here it will not be so. Blessing will flow, evil will be judged, shame will vanish away. Things and persons will be shown for what they are and bear their true character. Man will then do, for the first time on earth, what he was made for. All this stands in contrast with the deceit of unrighteousness that has gone on, and still goes on, here below. We know how uncertain human judgement is, and yet how men cling to and keep up appearances. There will be no vain show then.
This describes the kingdom, not the present. That difference decides what believers should expect now:
It is no longer a question of Christianity but of the kingdom. All believers wait for Him, and all the prophets spoke of Him. When He reigns, the righteous will no longer be called to suffer, but to dwell at ease. We follow Him who passed through sufferings, with heavenly glory in view. So we are now called to do well, suffer for it, and take it patiently. This indeed is grace. But in the day that is coming, righteousness will be displayed by divine power here below, when Satan is set aside and Christ reigns.
Until then, false labels stick — but only among men:
We live in a world of deception. The king has not yet begun to reign in righteousness, eyes are dim and ears are dull, and the vile man is called generous while the miser is called open-handed. Even here, the eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge, which would otherwise perish from the earth. And He overthrows the words of the treacherous, even if they stand as high in a king's favour as Haman stood with Ahasuerus.
The habit Isaiah names is alive in everyday speech. Another writer lists today's versions of it:
What the truth would do now, the judgement seat will do then. The light that shines from the judgement seat of Christ will unmask every kind of hypocrisy... Everything will get its proper name then, though it is misnamed now. Worldly-mindedness is called prudence. A grasping, covetous spirit is called foresight. Self-indulgence and personal advancement are called wise management and admirable diligence in business. So it is now; but then it will be quite the reverse. All things will be seen in their true colours, and called by their true names.
- King — Right names wait for the right King. Messiah will reign in righteousness and set everything morally in order.
- Fool — "Vile person" means the fool, a Nabal; "churl" means the crafty, tight-fisted man. Both borrow names they have not earned.
- Shame — Pretence works because men are ashamed at heart of what they know themselves to be. So they strive to look like what they are not.
- Reality — In that day persons and things bear their true character. There will be no vain show, and no reputation that survives the test.
- Meanwhile — We are called to do well, suffer for it, and take it patiently. God preserves knowledge now, and the judgement seat will give everything its right name.
for the vile man will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Isaiah 32 looks ahead to a King who reigns in righteousness. In that day the flattering titles men hand out will collapse, and no one will call the fool generous. Verse 6 gives the reason. It lists what this man says, what he plans, and what he does to hungry people.
The verse sits in a scene where appearance and reality line up at last. One writer sets that day against the world we know now:
It is not as you see now. Men appear to have every good natural quality, yet when tested they have no heart for divine things, no love for the name of the Lord Jesus, no care for His glory. Here it will not be so. Blessing will flow, evil will meet judgement, shame will vanish away. Things and persons will be seen as they are and bear their true character... There will be no vain show then.
Older translations call this man "the vile person," and set him beside "the churl," the tight-fisted man. The same writer names both, and says what keeps their disguise going:
The prophet Isaiah looks on to the King's reign in righteousness. He tells us it will not be so in that future day of blessing for the earth. No one will call the vile person, or fool, like Nabal, generous. No one will call the churl, the crafty man, open-handed. The wicked now strive to appear what they are not, and not to show what they are. For at heart men are ashamed of what they know themselves to be.
Nabal was a rich man in the Old Testament who refused to share his food. His name means "fool."
The verse says he practices ungodliness. An older translation reads "hypocrisy." The words people use are corrupt too: a fine title is stuck on a man whose conduct contradicts it. Another writer shows the same trick in everyday speech, and where it ends:
The light shining out from the judgement seat of Christ will unmask every grade and shade of hypocrisy. Nothing will escape. All will be reality then, though there is so much falseness now. What is more, everything will get its proper name then, though it is misnamed now. People call worldly-mindedness prudence. They call a grasping, covetous spirit foresight. They call self-indulgence and personal advancement sound management and praiseworthy diligence in business.
The verse ties the mouth to the heart: he speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity. One writer draws the practical test from that link:
What is really filling my heart will come off my tongue. And so you can always tell what my heart is occupied with, because I have a tongue. I cannot deceive you for long.
Isaiah names the target of that speech: the man utters error about the LORD Himself. A comment on a similar figure in the Psalms goes further back, to what the heart does before the mouth opens:
His heart is a magnet. By a terrible principle of natural selection, it attracts wickedness to itself — wickedness it has forged first. Then he goes out and proclaims what he has gained; but in fact he only shows himself for what he is.
The verse ends with an empty stomach and a dry throat. The test of claimed generosity is what happens to people with nothing. Against this man stands the giving God:
God is revealed to us as the giving God. He gave His Son (John 3:16). Christ gave Himself (Eph. 5:25). God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7)... We are in a world of need, both material and spiritual. The heart that knows the grace of Christ will be a heart that has learned the secret and the joy of giving. "The liberal devises liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand" (Isa. 32:8).
That last line comes from an older translation. The ESV reads, "But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands."
- Heart — The heart forges the evil first, and draws more wickedness to itself before a word is spoken.
- Mouth — What fills the heart comes off the tongue, so no one can hide behind fine speech for long.
- Hands — He claims charity, but he leaves the hungry empty and the thirsty dry.
- Titles — Men twist words. They praise the churl as open-handed, just as they call greed foresight today.
- The King — When He reigns, persons and things bear their true character. The man who plans noble things is the one who stands.
The instruments also of the churl are evil he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the meek with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.
Isaiah 32 describes a King who reigns in righteousness. So why does verse 7 stop to sketch one schemer, the man older translations call "the churl", in a chapter about blessing?
The earlier chapters raise a problem. Isaiah 32 answers it with a Person, not a policy.
But how would all this happen? Isaiah 32 gives the answer. God's King would appear, reigning in righteousness, and would set up a new order of things.
The word behind "churl" points to a crafty man. Today he goes by a kinder name. One writer links him to Nabal, a rich man who refused to feed David's men.
Isaiah looks on to the King's reign in righteousness. He tells us it will not be so in that future day of joy for the earth. The vile person or fool, like Nabal, will no more be called generous, nor the churl or crafty man said to be bountiful. The wicked now strive to appear what they are not, and not to show what they are. For at heart men are ashamed of what they know themselves to be.
He does not attack the strong. He picks the person who cannot fight back, and he does it in the very place that should give justice.
It may seem strange to say, "Do not rob the poor," and especially "because he is poor." But we need the warning, because human nature is now so low, selfish, and cruel. An unscrupulous man might see the rich as the more tempting prey. But the rich can look after themselves in ways the poor would not or could not try. So bad men flatter the rich for profit, while they also rob or oppress those who ought to be objects of pity. But the LORD has His eye on such villainy, at the very gate where justice should flow. He pleads the cause of the poor and the afflicted, and He makes those who plunder them pay dearly.
The poor man's plea can be completely right and still lose under a pile of lies. But someone else is keeping the record.
This is still a world of deception. The king does not yet reign in righteousness. Eyes are dim and ears dull, and the vile man is called generous, the churl bountiful. Even so, the eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, which would otherwise perish from the earth. And He overthrows the words of the treacherous, even if they stood as high as Haman in the eyes of Ahasuerus.
Haman was the court favourite in Persia whose plot against the Jews collapsed on his own head.
Isaiah draws this portrait in detail because the churl's disguise is about to come off. Under the reign of the King, appearances stop working.
It is not as you see now. Today men appear to have every good natural quality. Yet when tested they have no heart for divine things. They do not love the name of the Lord Jesus, nor care for His glory. Here it will not be so. Blessing will flow, evil will be judged, shame will vanish away. Things and persons will be seen as they are and will bear their true character. … We know how uncertain human judgement is, and yet how men cling to appearances and keep them up. There will be no empty show then.
The churl survives on a flattering label. So check the labels in use now, including the ones we give ourselves.
Everything will get its proper name then, though it is misnamed now. People call worldly-mindedness prudence. They call a grasping, covetous spirit foresight. They call self-indulgence and personal ambition sensible management and admirable diligence in business. So it is now; but then it will be quite the reverse. All things will be seen in their true colours, and called by their true names, before the judgement seat of Christ.
- Disguise. The churl trades on a name he has not earned. Men try to look like what they are not, because at heart they are ashamed of what they are.
- Weapon. He uses lying words against the person least able to answer. He robs the poor because he is poor.
- Witness. Even while the lie stands, God preserves knowledge. He overturns the words of the treacherous, however high the liar has climbed.
- Unmasking. When God's King reigns in righteousness, appearances stop working. Persons and things will bear their true character, and empty show will end.
- Test. Everything will get its true name one day. So weigh the names we use now: covetousness renamed foresight is still covetousness.
But the noble deviseth noble things; and to noble things doth he stand.
This verse closes a portrait of a coming King, who changes what people are called once He reigns. It raises two questions: who is the "noble" man, and what does it mean that he stands on the very things he plans? (Older translations, which the commentators use, read "liberal" where the ESV reads "noble.")
The verse is not a general proverb about generosity. It belongs to a scene where a King rules and the suffering of the righteous ends.
This 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 to live at ease. It is because we look for heavenly glory, and because we follow Him Who passed through suffering, that we are now called to do good, suffer for it, and take it patiently.
That reign reaches the earth itself. It puts things in moral order and brings human pride down.
In Isaiah 32 the Messiah will reign in righteousness and set everything morally in order… Righteousness will be established everywhere, and peace with it, since peace is the fruit of righteousness. The hail will fall on the proud who bear no fruit. The city, which is human pride organised, will be brought completely low.
The word behind "liberal" is not mainly about money. It is the word for a willing heart, and the same root gives the title "prince."
The word "prince" means liberality. "My people shall be willing." (Psalm 110; the ESV reads, "Your people will offer themselves freely.") "Willing" and "liberal" are the same word… Again, in 2 Corinthians 8:5, Gentiles had been made willing — "They gave themselves first to the Lord." First the Lord recognizes and owns them; then comes the generosity. Grace produced it in them, and God calls it their own free choice.
So the noble man of this verse has an open, willing heart — a heart grace produced, which God still calls his own free choice.
The noble man stands out against the fraud earlier in the chapter, who loses the flattering name of generosity. Today the fraud keeps that name, because people work hard to look like what they are not.
Isaiah, looking ahead to the King's reign in righteousness, tells us that it will not be so in that coming day of blessing for the earth. No one will call the worthless man or the fool generous, or the mean and crafty man open-handed. The wicked today work hard to look like what they are not, and to hide what they are. Deep down, men are ashamed of what they know themselves to be.
The same light that strips the false also brings out what is real.
Blessing will flow, evil will be judged, shame will vanish. Things and people will show up as they are and bear their true character. Then, for the first time on earth, man will do what he was made for… There will be no empty show then. Good fruit will spring out of the rich resources of divine mercy. And in the light of God shining then, everything false will be exposed.
The verse says the noble man is established on his noble plans. One writer applies that to how a believer holds his heavenly blessings now.
We are in a world of need, both material and spiritual. The heart that knows the grace of Christ is a heart that has learned the secret and the joy of giving. "But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands" (Isa. 32:8). There is always the danger that by being unfaithful with "that which is another's" (Luke 16) we lose "that which is our own." In other words, we lose the enjoyment of the heavenly blessings that really belong to us, as far as we are unfaithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us here.
Another writer traces this generosity back to faith, and says the giver loses nothing by it.
A generous spirit is simply the normal product of faith: the Lord cares for the poor, and faith in Him will show the same attitude. What is more, the Lord will make sure that giving does not leave the giver poor: he will not lack.
- Willing — the word behind "noble" is the word for a willing heart. Generosity starts by giving yourself to the Lord.
- Worked — grace produces that willingness, yet God calls it the man's own free choice.
- Weighed — under the coming King, flattering titles fall away. No one calls a worthless man generous, because each person bears his true character.
- Witnessed — good fruit will spring from divine mercy in full daylight, and God's light will expose everything false.
- Well-founded — the noble man stands on what he plans. Be faithful with what God entrusts to you, and you keep the enjoyment of what is your own.