But how should all this be accomplished? Chapter 32 furnishes the answer: God’s King would appear, reigning in righteousness, and a new order of things be established. We are carried back in thought to chapter 11, where Christ was presented as the “Shoot” out of Jesse in His Manhood, and as the “Root” out of which Jesse sprang as to His Deity, He is to be King, and in verse 2 His Manhood is specially emphasized, befitting the fact that as King He is characterized by the seven-fold Spirit of Jehovah, of whom He is the visible Representative.
This world has indeed been swept by tempests of Satanic power, since he is “the prince of the power of the air”. In spite of all man’s cleverness it has proved itself to be “a dry place”, devoid of real refreshment, and also “a weary land”, where men spend their lives chasing what proves to be emptiness. The futility of Man’s efforts is being manifested daily, and the cry from many may be summarized as “Wanted a man!” Satan’s man will first appear, bringing evil to a climax, but to be destroyed by the Man of God’s purpose, who will fulfill this word. He will introduce the three things indicated salvation, satisfaction, and reinvigoration in a land no longer weary but rather restful.
If verse 2 gives a lovely picture of what Christ in kingly power will be, verses 3 and 4 reveal that there will be a work wrought in the souls of those who will enter these millennial 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. Observe the order. It is just the same today. First, apprehension; then, heart understanding; and lastly, the plain expression of what is believed, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
But the fact that grace will so work in the hearts of some must make more manifest the evil that will still control many others, and of this the succeeding verses speak. Other scriptures show us that such will come under judgment and not enter the kingdom.
In view of these predictions the prophet now makes an appeal to the people of his own day, addressing it to those on whom the lesser responsibility rests. The men of the nation were mainly responsible, but the women too were careless and ease-loving, and upon them also the sorrows would fall until God intervened, not only by Christ, the King reigning in righteousness, but also by the outpouring of the Spirit from on high, of which Joel in his prophecy speaks more specifically.
Thus in this chapter we have brought together both what will be established externally by Christ as King and Saviour, and what will be wrought internally by the poured-out Spirit. Then indeed peace, quietness and assurance forever will be reached as the work and effect of righteousness. These things men are seeking today, but they have not got the secure basis on which they can be established. They will come in the future age, but while we wait for that, we who believe enjoy them in a spiritual and individual way, through the faith of the work of Christ and in the power of the indwelling Spirit of God.
Israel will know these things even when judgment falls on others, as verse 19 indicates; and with that assurance the seeds of truth may be sown and cultivated “beside all waters” with confidence in the ultimate result.
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