Isaiah 32:16
Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.
Justice
The Hebrew word for "justice" is "מִשְׁפָּט" (mishpat), which conveys a sense of rightness, fairness, and the proper order of things according to God's law. In the context of Isaiah, justice is not merely a legal term but a divine principle that reflects God's character. It is a call for the restoration of God's order in society, where righteousness prevails. Historically, the Israelites were often reminded of their covenantal obligations to uphold justice, especially towards the marginalized. This verse anticipates a time when God's justice will be fully realized, a theme that resonates with the messianic hope of a future kingdom where Christ reigns with perfect justice.

will inhabit
The phrase "will inhabit" comes from the Hebrew "יָשַׁב" (yashab), meaning to dwell, settle, or remain. This suggests a permanent establishment of justice, not a temporary or fleeting occurrence. The imagery of inhabitation implies that justice will be deeply rooted and enduring, transforming the land and its people. In a spiritual sense, it points to the indwelling of God's principles in the hearts of believers, leading to a society that reflects His will.

the wilderness
The "wilderness" or "מִדְבָּר" (midbar) in Hebrew often symbolizes desolation, barrenness, and a place of testing. However, it is also a place of divine encounter and transformation. In the biblical narrative, the wilderness is where God met His people, provided for them, and prepared them for the Promised Land. Here, the wilderness represents areas of life or society that are devoid of God's justice and righteousness. The promise is that even these barren places will be transformed by the presence of divine justice, turning desolation into a place of life and order.

righteousness
The Hebrew word "צְדָקָה" (tsedaqah) is translated as "righteousness," which encompasses justice, right relationships, and moral integrity. Righteousness in the biblical sense is not just about personal piety but involves social justice and ethical conduct in community life. It is a reflection of God's nature and His expectations for His people. The prophetic vision in Isaiah is that righteousness will permeate the land, bringing about a society that mirrors God's holiness and compassion.

dwell
Similar to "inhabit," the word "dwell" (from the Hebrew "שָׁכַן" - shakan) implies a settled, abiding presence. It suggests that righteousness will not be a transient visitor but a permanent resident in the land. This dwelling of righteousness is indicative of the peace and stability that comes when God's ways are followed. It is a foretaste of the ultimate fulfillment in the New Heaven and New Earth, where righteousness will be the norm.

in the fertile field
The "fertile field" or "כַּרְמֶל" (karmel) in Hebrew signifies abundance, productivity, and blessing. It contrasts with the wilderness, highlighting the transformative power of justice and righteousness. When God's principles are established, even the most desolate places become fruitful. This imagery is a powerful reminder of the blessings that flow from living in accordance with God's will. It points to the spiritual fruitfulness that results from a life rooted in justice and righteousness, echoing the biblical promise that those who delight in the Lord will be like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in its season (Psalm 1:3).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is known for his prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah and the future restoration of Israel. His messages often include themes of judgment and hope.

2. Wilderness
In biblical terms, the wilderness often symbolizes a place of desolation, testing, or spiritual barrenness. It is a place where God’s transformative work can occur.

3. Fertile Field
Represents abundance, growth, and prosperity. It is often used metaphorically to describe a place or state of spiritual fruitfulness and blessing.

4. Justice
In Hebrew, the word used is "mishpat," which refers to God’s divine order and fairness. It is a key theme in the prophetic literature, emphasizing God’s desire for moral and ethical living.

5. Righteousness
The Hebrew word "tsedaqah" signifies right standing with God and living in accordance with His will. It is closely linked with justice and is a hallmark of the Messianic kingdom.
Teaching Points
The Transformative Power of God’s Justice
God’s justice is not merely punitive but transformative, bringing order and restoration to places of desolation.

Righteousness as a Dwelling Place
Righteousness is not just an action but a state of being that should permeate our lives, influencing our thoughts, actions, and relationships.

The Role of the Believer in Promoting Justice and Righteousness
As followers of Christ, we are called to be agents of justice and righteousness in our communities, reflecting God’s character in a broken world.

Hope in God’s Future Restoration
Isaiah’s vision provides hope that God will ultimately restore and renew all things, bringing justice and righteousness to fruition.

Spiritual Fruitfulness in God’s Kingdom
Just as the fertile field represents abundance, our lives should bear spiritual fruit as we live in alignment with God’s will.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of the wilderness and fertile field in Isaiah 32:16 help us understand the transformative work of God’s justice and righteousness?

2. In what ways can we actively promote justice and righteousness in our own communities, reflecting the vision of Isaiah 32:16?

3. How do the themes of justice and righteousness in Isaiah 32:16 connect with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure that righteousness becomes a dwelling place in our personal lives?

5. How does the promise of God’s future restoration in Isaiah 32:16 provide hope and encouragement in times of spiritual desolation or barrenness?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 11:4-5
This passage describes the coming Messiah who will judge with righteousness and bring justice to the earth, echoing the themes of justice and righteousness in Isaiah 32:16.

Psalm 72:1-3
A prayer for the king to rule with justice and righteousness, bringing peace and prosperity, similar to the vision of a transformed land in Isaiah 32:16.

Amos 5:24
Calls for justice to roll on like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream, paralleling the prophetic vision of justice and righteousness inhabiting the land.
Until the Spirit be Poured OutE. Johnson Isaiah 32:9-20
The Holy Spirit in ProphecyP. Mearns.Isaiah 32:13-19
The Outpouring of the SpiritS. Davies, M. A.Isaiah 32:13-19
A National PentecostF. James.Isaiah 32:15-17
Judgment and MercyJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Isaiah 32:15-17
Results of the Outpouring of the SpiritJ. H. Jowett, D. D.Isaiah 32:15-17
Spiritual InfluencesJames Parsons.Isaiah 32:15-17
The Pouring-Out of the SpiritHomilistIsaiah 32:15-17
The Spirit Poured OutJ. H. Jowett, M. A.Isaiah 32:15-17
People
Isaiah
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abide, Desert, Dwell, Dwelt, Fertile, Field, Fruitful, Inhabit, Judgment, Justice, Righteousness, Rule, Upright, Waste, Wilderness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 32:14-17

     8151   revival, corporate

Isaiah 32:14-18

     3215   Holy Spirit, and peace

Isaiah 32:15-18

     9145   Messianic age

Library
The Hiding-Place
'And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.'--ISAIAH xxxii. 2. We may well say, Of whom speaketh the prophet this? Here are distinctly attributed to one of ourselves, if we take the words in their simplicity and fulness, functions and powers which universal experience has taught us not to look for in humanity. And there have been a great many attempts--as it seems to me, altogether
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Sowing Beside all Waters.
"Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters."--ISAIAH xxxii. 20. These words form part of a great prophetic vision. The prophet is standing among his countrymen like a watchman on the walls of Jerusalem. And far away, as he looks, the distant horizon of his stormy sky is bright with Messianic hopes, but around him the shadows lie dark and heavy. It was his destiny to speak to a people whose ears were dull of hearing and their hearts without understanding; but he never lost the conviction that the
John Percival—Sermons at Rugby

Sureness
The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.' (Isaiah xxxii. 17.) One reason why I glory in teaching Full Salvation is that it includes a religion of certainty. It brings a man to a place of sureness as to his religious relationships. A soul just awakened to a sense of responsibility is naturally full of wonderment and anxiety, and this must be disposed of. So that when we speak of a man obtaining Salvation, we say 'he found peace'.
T. H. Howard—Standards of Life and Service

Peace on Earth through Righteousness
And the work of righteousness shall be peace: and the effect of righteousness quietness and confidence forever. --ISAIAH 32:17. After we have found peace in our own souls through faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ our Saviour, if our faith is honest, we must feel the desire and the duty of helping to make peace prevail on earth. But here we are, in a world of confusion and conflict. Darkness and ignorance strive against light. Evil hates and assaults good. Wrong takes up arms against right.
Henry Van Dyke—What Peace Means

The Cloven Rock
C. P. C. Is. xxxii. 2 In the great and terrible wilderness I wandered in thirst and dread; The burning sands were beneath my feet, And the firece glow overhead. The fiery serpents and scorpions dire Dwelt in that lonely land, And around and afar, as a glimmering sea, The shadowless, trackless sand. Then came a day in my journey drear When I sank on the weary road, And there fell a shadow across the waste-- The shade of the wings of God. The shadow solemn, and dark, and still, Lay cool on the purple
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

Under his Shadow.
A BRIEF SACRAMENTAL DISCOURSE DELIVERED AT MENTONE TO ABOUT A SCORE BRETHREN."He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."--Psalm xci. 1. UNDER HIS SHADOW. I MUST confess of my short discourse, as the man did of the axe which fell into the stream, that it is borrowed. The outline of it is taken from one who will never complain of me, for to the great loss of the Church she has left these lower choirs to sing above. Miss Havergal, last and loveliest
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come

A vision of the King.
ONE of the most blessed occupations for the believer is the prayerful searching of God's holy Word to discover there new glories and fresh beauties of Him, who is altogether lovely. Shall we ever find out all which the written Word reveals of Himself and His worthiness? This wonderful theme can never be exhausted. The heart which is devoted to Him and longs through the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be closer to the Lord, to hear and know more of Himself, will always find something
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The Second Continental Journey.
1827-28. PART I.--GERMANY. After John and Martha Yeardley had visited their friends at home, their minds were directed to the work which they had left uncompleted on the continent of Europe; and, on their return from the Yearly Meeting, they opened this prospect of service before the assembled church to which they belonged. (Diary) 6 mo. 18.--Were at the Monthly Meeting at Highflatts, where we laid our concern before our friends to revisit some parts of Germany and Switzerland, and to visit
John Yeardley—Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel

The First Ministry of the Baptist.
(LUKE III.) "Hark, what a sound, and too divine for hearing, Stirs on the earth and trembles in the air! Is it the thunder of the Lord's appearing? Is it the music of his people's prayer? "Surely He cometh, and a thousand voices Shout to the saints, and to the deaf and dumb; Surely He cometh, and the earth rejoices, Glad in his coming who hath sworn, I come." F. W. H. MYERS. The Preaching of Repentance--His Power as a Preacher--His Message--Warning of Impending Judgment--The Wages of Sin Thirty
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist

Have Read the Letter which You in Your Wisdom have Written Me. You Inveigh against Me
I have read the letter which you in your wisdom have written me. You inveigh against me, and, though you once praised me and called me true partner and brother, you now write books to summon me to reply to the charges with which you terrify me. I see that in you are fulfilled the words of Solomon: "In the mouth of the foolish is the rod of contumely," and "A fool receives not the words of prudence, unless you say what is passing in his heart;" and the words of Isaiah: "The fool will speak folly,
Various—Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.

St. Malachy's Apostolic Labours, Praises and Miracles.
[Sidenote: 1140, October] 42. (23). Malachy embarked in a ship, and after a prosperous voyage landed at his monastery of Bangor,[576] so that his first sons might receive the first benefit.[577] In what state of mind do you suppose they were when they received their father--and such a father--in good health from so long a journey? No wonder if their whole heart gave itself over to joy at his return, when swift rumour soon brought incredible gladness even to the tribes[578] outside round about them.
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
"The Holy Spirit was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified."--John vii. 39. We have come to the most difficult part in the discussion of the work of the Holy Spirit, viz., the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the tenth day after the ascension. In the treatment of this subject it is not our aim to create a new interest in the celebration of Pentecost. We consider this almost impossible. Man's nature is too unspiritual for this. But we shall reverently endeavor to give a clearer insight
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Letter xxvi. (Circa A. D. 1127) to the Same
To the Same He excuses the brevity of his letter on the ground that Lent is a time of silence; and also that on account of his profession and his ignorance he does not dare to assume the function of teaching. 1. You will, perhaps, be angry, or, to speak more gently, will wonder that in place of a longer letter which you had hoped for from me you receive this brief note. But remember what says the wise man, that there is a time for all things under the heaven; both a time to speak and a time to keep
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

His Future Work
The Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work on earth the Father gave Him to do, who is now bodily present in the highest heaven, occupying the Father's throne and exercising His priesthood in behalf of His people, is also King. To Him belongeth a Kingdom and a kingly Glory. He has therefore a kingly work to do. While His past work was foretold by the Spirit of God and His priestly work foreshadowed in the Old Testament, His work as King and His glorious Kingdom to come are likewise the subjects
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ

Question of the Contemplative Life
I. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. 7 ad 3m II. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. 19 III. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. 18 " Ep., cxxx. ad probam IV. Does the Contemplative Life consist solely in the Contemplation of God, or in the Consideration
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

Assurance
Q-xxxvi: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS WHICH FLOW FROM SANCTIFICATION? A: Assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. The first benefit flowing from sanctification is assurance of God's love. 'Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.' 2 Pet 1:10. Sanctification is the seed, assurance is the flower which grows out of it: assurance is a consequent of sanctification. The saints of old had it. We know that we know
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

How the Silent and the Talkative are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 15.) Differently to be admonished are the over-silent, and those who spend time in much speaking. For it ought to be insinuated to the over-silent that while they shun some vices unadvisedly, they are, without its being perceived, implicated in worse. For often from bridling the tongue overmuch they suffer from more grievous loquacity in the heart; so that thoughts seethe the more in the mind from being straitened by the violent guard of indiscreet silence. And for the most part they
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Plan for the Coming of Jesus.
God's Darling, Psalms 8:5-8.--the plan for the new man--the Hebrew picture by itself--difference between God's plan and actual events--one purpose through breaking plans--the original plan--a starting point--getting inside. Fastening a Tether inside: the longest way around--the pedigree--the start. First Touches on the Canvas: the first touch, Genesis 3:15.--three groups of prediction--first group: to Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3; to Isaac, Genesis 26:1-5; to Jacob, Genesis 28:10-15; through Jacob,
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

How to Make Use of Christ as the Truth, that we May Get Our Case and Condition Cleared up to Us.
The believer is oft complaining of darkness concerning his case and condition, so as he cannot tell what to say of himself, or what judgment to pass on himself, and he knoweth not how to win to a distinct and clear discovery of his state and condition. Now, it is truth alone, and the Truth, that can satisfy them as to this. The question then is, how they shall make use of, and apply themselves to this truth, to the end they may get the truth of their condition discovered to them. But first let us
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

The Gospel of the Kingdom.
"This is He whom Seers in old time Chanted of with one accord; Whom the voices of the Prophets Promised in their faithful word." We have seen that, in the providence of God, John the Baptist was sent to proclaim to the world that "The Kingdom of Heaven" was at hand, and to point out the King. And as soon as the Herald had raised the expectation of men by the proclamation of the coming Kingdom, our Lord began His public ministry, the great object of which was the founding of His Kingdom for the salvation
Edward Burbidge—The Kingdom of Heaven; What is it?

How Christ is to be Made Use of as Our Life, in Case of Heartlessness and Fainting through Discouragements.
There is another evil and distemper which believers are subject to, and that is a case of fainting through manifold discouragements, which make them so heartless that they can do nothing; yea, and to sit up, as if they were dead. The question then is, how such a soul shall make use of Christ as in the end it may be freed from that fit of fainting, and win over those discouragements: for satisfaction to which we shall, 1. Name some of those discouragements which occasion this. 2. Show what Christ
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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