Isaiah 32:15-20 – A Lifting Up of the Downcast
God does not suffer his people, individually or corporately, to continue on in sin. He will do whatever He must to turn you around and keep you on the way of holiness. It’s not because He hates His people, it’s because He loves His people. And the point is not to leave His people in misery, but to bring them forth through the misery into joy and godliness and glory. He does that with individuals and with His people as a whole.
All kinds of problems have been threatened here. And all came to pass. But God says here, His true people will be lifted up. This lifting up looks ultimately to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. For it is after His life, death, resurrection, and ascension that God’s plan brought along the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost which we see here in verse 15.
In verse 16 we see that, where there hadn’t been justice and righteousness before, there is now. Where there was turmoil, where there was fright, now there is peace. We see in verse 17 that a fruit of righteousness is peace with God. Because if we have a right standing before His law, we have a right standing with Him. We have peace with God. We are content with the way He deals out things to us. We are assured of His love for us and His care for us. This contentment, this assurance, this faith is found nowhere else but in Jesus Christ.
In verses 18 and 19, there’s outward peace. And then lastly, in verse 20, we see the material blessings given to the people as God lifts them up from their sin. God by His grace, when He sees fit to bring reformation to a land, to bring spiritual life where there had been death and darkness, things are utterly changed, utterly transformed. People might come and say, what has made this change? It is all by the working of the Spirit of God, and to Him alone must go the glory. Now, are there difficulties ahead for us in our own life? Surely there are. Jesus promised on the very night in which He was betrayed that in this world you will have tribulation. But Jesus went on to say, ‘But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.’ You may be downcast for a while, believer. But God takes those who are downcast, and in His glory, and for His glory raises them up.
Questions
- What is promised in verse 15?
- What is a fruit of righteousness?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.