"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness..." -Matthew 6:33

 

     God's Kingdom is a central and recurring theme found throughout the Bible. Think of the many parables of Jesus which begin: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field." Or, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed." Or, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field." One of the most rewarding ways of reading the Bible is to seek out its many references to God's Kingdom. This lesson is about one such search-

 

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;

To search out a matter is the glory of kings.

-Proverbs 25:2

 

     Since we are to seek his kingdom and his righteousness, could it be that they are not plainly visible to us because of our fallen condition? After all, we know that when Adam and Eve sinned, their relationship with each other, with creation, and with God were all changed. Keep in mind that the revelation of the Kingdom hope was God's response to Adam and Eve's sin. It was introduced immediately, and gradually unfolded over the next several thousand years. However, there is a fairly complete picture of God's Kingdom in one particular part of the Bible: Isaiah, chapter 49.

 

     In a previous article entitled 'The Servant of the Lord,' we discussed the first 6 verses of Isaiah 49 from the perspective of Hebrew poetic parallelisms and stressed that they were to be considered as an introduction to what followed afterward in the chapter.

 

     By way of review:

 

Listen to me, you islands;

Hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was born the LORD called me;

From my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.

 

He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,

In the shadow of his hand he hid me;

He made me into a polished arrow

And concealed me in his quiver.

 

He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel,

In whom I will display my splendor."

 

But I said, “I have labored in vain;

I have spent my strength for nothing at all.

Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand,

And my reward is with my God.”

 

And now the LORD says—

he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

To bring Jacob back to him

And gather Israel to himself,

For I am honored in the eyes of the LORD

And my God has been my strength —

 

He says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

To restore the tribes of Jacob

And bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

That my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

-Isaiah 49:1-6

 

     Consider how these verses, which refer to Jesus' role in mankind's salvation, also apply to God's Kingdom: They are addressed to the entire earth, and speak of something that has been in the works for a long time. Like Jesus' role, the hope of God's Kingdom has also been concealed from plain sight. Both serve to display God's splendor (as we shall see). Both seem to have labored in vain. and both act as a light to the Gentiles so that God's salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

 

     God confirms his will that the kings of the earth should bow down to his Servant (verse 7), that he would rehabilitate the land (verse 8), and to say to the prisoners, "Come out!" (verse 9) People would come from all directions, for the One who has mercy will lead them (verses 10-12), and it would be a cause for great rejoicing:

 

Shout for joy, you heavens;

rejoice, you earth;

Burst into song, you mountains!

For the LORD comforts his people

And will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

-Isaiah 49:13

 

     Once again we find a Stair-like parallelism. Because they often serve as Synthetic parallelisms as well, Stair-like verses will enlarge or add an extra thought to a verse's meaning. But they also elevate the reader's understanding and prepare him for what comes next. The important point is to know when you are in a Stair-like verse. In this case, we have a verse that expresses joy throughout heaven and earth, for the LORD has comforted his people and acted with compassion. However, the next verse is a complaint. Whenever we read Stair-like verses, be prepared to have an expanded view, like seeing an enlarged vista from a higher vantage point.

 

     It should be noted that this part of the Bible is a prophecy. Isaiah was active as a prophet just as the kingdom of Judah was entering its final years. After putting up with an unfaithful people for centuries, God was sending them away into exile in Babylon. The throne of David would no longer have a king representing God's interests in the world. Hence, this complaint:

 

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,

The Lord has forgotten me.” -Isaiah 49:14

 

This chapter of Isaiah is a guarantee that God still retains the right to rule over the affairs of men, even though this period of history seems rather dark. That is why when Zion, which is another name for Heavenly Jerusalem, which is another name for the Kingdom of Heaven, feels forsaken and forgotten, God, in one of the most moving passages in the Bible, replies:

 

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

And have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

 

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

Your walls are ever before me.

 

Your children hasten back,

And those who laid you waste depart from you.

 

Lift up your eyes and look around;

All your children gather

And come to you.

As surely as I live," declares the LORD,

“You will wear them all as ornaments;

You will put them on, like a bride."

-Isaiah 49:15-18

 

     These verses of Isaiah, chapter 49, should instill in us a great confidence that the Kingdom of God is real and an assured hope for peace on earth. The thought that the Kingdom of Heaven could feel forsaken and yet be comforted and assured by God that that could never be the case, help to impress upon us the certainty of God's promise being fulfilled. Incidentally, when God makes a statement that begins with "As surely as I live," it is about the strongest guarantee that can be made in the Bible.