Isaiah 32:1-20: a reflection

1Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice. 2A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a large rock in a weary land. 3The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen. 4The heart of the rash will understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly. 5The fool will no longer be called noble, nor the scoundrel be highly respected. 6For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profanity, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. 7The ways of the scoundrel are evil. He devises wicked plans to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks right. 8But the noble devises noble things, and he will continue in noble things. 9Rise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my voice! You careless daughters, give ear to my speech! 10For days beyond a year you will be troubled, you careless women; for the vintage will fail. The harvest won’t come. 11Tremble, you women who are at ease! Be troubled, you careless ones! Strip yourselves, make yourselves naked, and put sackcloth on your waist. 12Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. 13Thorns and briers will come up on my people’s land; yes, on all the houses of joy in the joyous city. 14For the palace will be forsaken. The populous city will be deserted. The hill and the watchtower will be for dens forever, a delight for wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks, 15until the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered a forest. 16Then justice will dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness will remain in the fruitful field. 17The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. 18My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places, 19though hail flattens the forest, and the city is leveled completely. 20Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out the feet of the ox and the donkey.

Isaiah looks ahead to a time of righteousness, when a king will reign in justice and the Spirit will be poured out, turning the wilderness into a fruitful field. And he names a beautiful fruit of righteousness: The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Where righteousness takes hold, it produces not anxiety and turmoil but peace, a quiet and settled confidence that endures.

Notice what Isaiah says righteousness produces: peace, quietness, and confidence. We might think of righteousness as merely a demand, a standard to meet; but Isaiah shows its fruit, the settled peace and quiet confidence that come where right relationship with God and others prevails. Righteousness is not a joyless burden; its effect is peace, a quietness of heart and a confidence that lasts, the calm that comes from things being rightly ordered before God.

That connection between righteousness and peace is worth taking to heart. We often seek peace and quietness of soul directly, while neglecting the righteousness from which they grow; but Isaiah ties them together. Where we live rightly before God, in right relationship with him and others, the fruit is peace, a quiet and confident heart. If you long for peace and quietness of soul, do not seek it apart from righteousness. Pursue right relationship with God, and right dealing with others, and let the peace Isaiah promises grow from it. The work of righteousness is peace; seek the righteousness, and the quietness and confidence will follow, as fruit follows from its root. A heart rightly ordered before God is a heart at peace.

Lord, through Isaiah you promise a time of righteousness, and you name its fruit: the work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Show me what righteousness produces: peace, quietness, and confidence. I might think of righteousness as merely a demand, a standard to meet; but you show its fruit, the settled peace and quiet confidence that come where right relationship with you and others prevails. Righteousness is not a joyless burden; its effect is peace, a quietness of heart and a confidence that lasts. I often seek peace and quietness of soul directly, while neglecting the righteousness from which they grow; but you tie them together. If I long for peace and quietness of soul, keep me from seeking it apart from righteousness. Help me pursue right relationship with you, and right dealing with others, and let the peace you promise grow from it. The work of righteousness is peace; help me seek the righteousness, and let the quietness and confidence follow. A heart rightly ordered before you is a heart at peace; order my heart rightly, Lord, and give me your peace.