Isaiah 32, The Destructive Danger of Complacency

One of my favorite Old Testament verses in Isa. 32:17: The work of righteousness will be peace.  And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.  The power of this passage is increased when you pay attention to the context (as always).

Satan is the master of counterfeits.  When we say master we mean he has a lot of them.  He is not the master in that he is able to provide alternate sources of soul-satisfying goods.  He is good at providing alternatives that look in some way like a soul-satisfying good, but an alternative that in fact works against satisfaction of the soul.  He provides hedon (pleasure) instead of joy.  He provides lust and fondness in place of love.  In today’s passage we see he provides complacency instead of peace.

Jesus the Messiah, King in Jerusalem (King of Peace) is the ultimate King of Righteousness (Melchizedek, Heb. 7:1-3).  That is what Isa. 32:1-4 tells us.  He brings peace because He reigns in righteousness.  A key issue of righteousness is generosity, which is at the center of Isa. 32:5-8.  It is critical here for a simple reason: Isaiah is prophesying hard times to come upon Israel, and it is the generous man who will stand during those hard times.

That is contrary to the way people generally think.  The assumption is that if hard times are coming then what we need to do now is to stockpile for the future.  That is what some were counting on as Isaiah preached (32:9-15).  Isaiah is basically speaking to the rich, and especially those who became rich by ignoring the needs of the poor.  They were completely oblivious to Isaiah’s message because they were secure in the status of their bank accounts, their pantries and root cellars.  They were at peace but it was a counterfeit peace.  Isaiah uses two words to describe their condition.

·        At ease (v9,11).  It means to be quiet, secure but with the unintended result that one becomes careless or wanton.  It is used of laziness (Job 12:5), becoming scornful (Psalm 123:4), having an attitude that everything is alright when it is not alright (Zech.1:15).

·        Complacency (v9,10,11).  This refers to trust or confidence, but also is used in the negative where someone becomes careless.  The first use of this word in Deut. 28:52 was what was happening in Isaiah’s day: the high walls in which they trusted were about to come down. 

Isaiah addresses the women particularly because their lives were very careless because they had such trust in the money their husbands were making.  Remember that Isaiah ministered in the reigns of Uzziah to Hezekiah (Isa. 1:1); these were very good times economically.  But, as is typical, the good economy led to a lousy relationship with God.  Isaiah announces that the times of complacency will end in great mourning that will last until the outpouring of the Spirit, the time of the New Covenant (v15).

The time of the outpouring is the time when the King of Righteousness reigns.  It is the time when righteousness and justice characterize the citizenry of Israel (note: both of these terms are used in 32:1 and 16).  And those righteous people will live in true security and peace.  So Isaiah concludes in v20 with the promise of blessing on those who are truly generous.

We believe this chapter has much to say to us today, in a time when many place their confidence in their material possessions.  The result is that they become complacent, but also they become miserly.  This is a dangerous situation and believers in Christ particularly must avoid this course of life.  It is the lukewarm spirituality Jesus admonished us about in Rev. 3:14-22.  Let us take heed!