"The Prince of Peace" - The Peace Of GOD, Which Passeth All Understanding

• Peace is the Work of Righteousness - One might ask, “What exactly is the ‘work of righteousness’?” Any time we see the word “work” in the Bible with regard to salvation, we can know that it has to allude to something that God does. Any work of ours can never be righteous in God’s eyes. The same idea is also delineated in the New Testament in Titus 3. The “works of righteousness” were accomplished by God as we learn from Isaiah 61.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [the work of Christ's atonement] shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

Isa 64:6-7 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.”

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

• Quietness - We saw in Isaiah 32 that the “work of righteousness shall be peace”. Then it says, “the effect of righteousness quietness... forever”. What is the “quietness” that this verse speaks about? It is the effect of righteousness, or salvation. The Hebrew word for “quietness” is also commonly translated as “rest”. Another aspect of salvation and yet another word meaning “rest” is translated as “still” in Psalm 32. After we have received salvation, God leads us to the “still [or quiet] waters” to drink of the Water of Life – the Gospel – and to “green pastures” where we feed upon the Word of God. I am reminded of the Good Shepherd in John 10.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

Isa 30:15 “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…”

Isa 11:10 “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.”

Psa 23:2 “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

• Assurance - Let’s continue in Isaiah 32. What does “assurance for ever” signify? As we have been learning, we need to compare “spiritual things with spiritual” – the biblical blueprint that God has given us in 1 Corinthians for studying the Bible. The Hebrew word for “assurance” is usually rendered “safely” or “safety”; and its root word is almost always translated as “trust”. We read about the Israelites who were “safely” delivered by God (a picture of salvation) out of the hand of Pharaoh (a picture of Satan), and in the process He destroyed the Egyptian army (a picture of unbelievers). Psalm 16 affirms the hope of the resurrection and the promise that God the Father made to God the Son that His soul would not be left in Hell. The word for “assurance” is translated in this passage as “hope”.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

1 Cor 2:13 “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

Psa 78:53 “And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.”

Psa 16:9 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.”

Acts 2:29-31 “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”

• Peaceable Habitation - Today we learned that the “work of righteousness” is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, the “effect” of that eternal peace that God has secured for His people is eternal rest and safety, which will always belong to each child of God. But how does the Bible define the phrase in Isaiah 32 “And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation...”? This is the same word for “peace” that we saw in verse 17. It is the Hebrew word shalowm from which King Solomon’s name is derived, and he is a great representation of the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. The word for “habitation” describes the place where believers dwell and is also rendered, as a “sheepcote”, or “fold”, where sheep are protected. May God have mercy on many who are listening to His Word, and grant them that eternal peace and rest found only in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

Isa 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace... ”

John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold [peaceable habitation], and one shepherd.”

Php 4:6-7 “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”