Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice. Isaiah 32:1 WEB

This prophecy condemns the kingship of Ahaz who ruled Judah for sixteen years. He offered sacrifices to idols and oppressed the people of Judah. In these practices, he was like the kings of Israel who offended God. 2 Kings 16:3 says of Ahaz, “But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel. KJV”

Jewish scholars assert that this scripture refers to Hezekiah, the successor of Ahaz. Christian scholars see this prophecy of Isaiah as predicting the coming Christ and his faithful disciples. In this assertion, Hezekiah is held as a type of Christ. In other words, he is seen as an example of the righteousness to come with our Savior.

Righteousness Restored

During the oppressive reign of Ahaz, corruption and ungodliness ruled the day. Under Hezekiah, righteousness and the fear of God were restored. His princes, the ministers of state, magistrates, and judges ruled fairly. They reinstated integrity to their offices.

In this sense, Isaiah’ words are truly applicable to Hezekiah and the reign of the good king. These words are, however, more applicable to Christ and his reign. The evidence for this is found in the context of the prophecy. As we read in Isaiah 32:3-4, “Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. NIV”

The reformation that occurred in the days of Hezekiah restored goodness and godliness to the lives of the people of Judah. This restoration was a shadow of the great improvements in understanding and administration of God’s grace and holiness with the coming of Christ and the preaching of his gospel message.

Yesterday’s Devotional: Doers of the Word