Jesus, the Hiding Place

“Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.  And a Man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of waters in a dry place, as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary land.”  Isaiah 32:1-2

This passage from Isaiah refers to the reign of Hezekiah, but is also one of those prophecies of the reign of Jesus Christ that will occur at some time in the future.  II Chronicles 29-31 gives the account of how Hezekiah, on becoming king over Judah, oversaw the cleansing and repairing of the temple after it had been desecrated by the previous king, Ahaz.  Hezekiah had the high places and idols done away with and brought back the proper sacrifices and worship.  The remainder of this passage describes a world wherein people are changed in a way that no mortal man could facilitate.  The only King who can reign in total righteousness is the King of kings, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is described as a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the storms.  No earthly man can meet this standard for his best effort is not strong enough nor good enough.  Jesus is the only ultimate protector and provider.  While the Lord is our protector and provider, that doesn’t relieve us of responsibility.  We must be sensitive to the word of God and ready always to obey.

A hiding place from the wind/As refreshing as a cool breeze/A covert from the tempest/Bearing our burdens with ease.

Rivers of water in a dry place/Quenching thirst, His cup in hand/The shadow of a great Rock/Giving shade to a weary land.

You are Jesus, King of all kings/Oh so mighty, caring, and true/Why are we so hesitant/To depend totally, completely on You?     8/5/09

Isaiah also describes the change that people will experience by God’s grace as they become obedient to God’s word.  They will be able to see God’s plan clearly and hear His word with an open heart.  Today people use the excuse to not read God’s word because they don’t understand it.  Mark Twain said, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.”  Perhaps that is the more accurate reason why some folks neglect to read the Bible.  Others read from time to time, but rush through the verses as though they can check it of their “to do” list.  It is only when one is willing to let the Spirit of God penetrate the heart and bring understanding that the knowledge of God can be obtained, and that requires perseverance and consistent and diligent study .  Isaiah foretells of a time when folks will be able to understand and speak clearly and boldly and make known to others the awesomeness of the Lord.  Those who were previously judged as folks who would never amount to anything will become great orators of God’s word.  The Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1:27 that God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things to confound the mighty.

Isaiah also has a word for those whom he calls “vile”.  He wrote that they will no more be called “liberal”.  In this passage, “vile” means “wicked” and “liberal” means “noble”.  As the ancients before us, we place ungodly people in places of authority over us.  They are treated as if they are noble creatures, only doing what’s best for their constituents.  However, their real agenda is to promote themselves and destroy whoever gets in their way.  When Jesus returns, the ungodly people will be unmasked, and they will be seen for who they really are.  Isaiah also wrote that the “churl”, a stingy rich person, will no longer be said to be bountiful.  Rich folks in our day are honored because they are rich.  What is important, though, is not how much one has, but what one does with his or her wealth to help others.  The “churls” will also be revealed for their love of money.  The truly noble folks are those who give to help others and inspire others to “pay it forward”.

I nor anyone else know when Jesus will return to rule the earth, but I am sure that He will come when His Father deems is the right time.  Isaiah’s prophecy tells me that the ways of the world will never improve until that day when Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives.  We always hope that things will get better, but, according to Isaiah and the open wickedness of mankind that we see on display in every newscast, it will not get better as long as man thinks that he is in charge.  I know that the Lord will banish evil and restore righteousness, and therein lies our hope for a better world.