Christ in the Old Testament

Isaiah 32:1

Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice. (ASV)

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 32:1-8

The identity of the king who shall reign in righteousness in our Scripture today is up for debate. Bible scholars generally believe it to either be Hezekiah or Jesus. Most Jewish commentators and some Christian scholars take the position that it is Hezekiah.

It is believed that Isaiah’s prophecy was given in the time of King Ahaz, the predecessor to King Hezekiah. However, Isaiah 30-31 are set in the time of King Hezekiah so it’s also possible that Isaiah 32 was also set in the time of King Hezekiah. The timing is critical because Isaiah speaks of a future king. Depending on when this prophecy was written, it could mean the king is either Hezekiah or Jesus or both.

Indeed Hezekiah was a righteous king. He succeeded King Ahaz who was purely evil and worshipped false gods. When Hezekiah became king, he removed all the idols from the Temple and re-instituted all the sacrifices and festivals that God had prescribed to Moses. Scripture says of Hezekiah, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done… Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him” (2 Kings 18:3-5).

However, interpreting Jesus as this future king fits as well and maybe even better than Hezekiah. If this king is Jesus, the first question to ask is then who are his princes that will rule in justice? That would seem to be those who are saved by his blood. A few verses that speak to who we are in Christ:

• “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet 2:9).
• “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth” (Rev 5:10).
• “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge… They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years… This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” (Rev 20:6).

When Jesus returns a second time, we will reign with him and serve God as priests. If we look at Isaiah’s prophecy as a picture of Christ’s kingdom in this future age, the rest of the passage makes more sense than trying to make it fit during the reign of Hezekiah. In those days, Jesus will be our shelter from the wind, our refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and like the shadow of a great rock (vs 2).

The result of Jesus reigning as king follows in verses 3-8. Eyes will be opened, ears will hear, the heart will know and understand and the tongue will be fluent and clear. Jesus will be seen and heard by all and the truth that Jesus is Lord will no longer be a mystery to some. Everyone will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. That will be a great time indeed!

Today’s Prayer: Thank you Jesus for the promise of a time when all the evils and pain of this world will be over. Help me live today as you expect making noble plans to bless those around me.