Isaiah 32:17

And the work of righteousness shall be peace

The true work of life

I. THE NATURE OF TRUE LIFE WORK--the work of righteousness. What is righteous work?

1. Working by right law. God has established a law to regulate all action and motion throughout His empire. What is the law by which mind is to be regulated? The will of God, not expediency. Of expediency, we are no safe, no correct judges.

(1) This will is revealed in nature. But the revelation is difficult to interpret.

(2) It is revealed in Christ. There it can be clearly read and easily appreciated. He embodied the great moral code.

2. Working by a right law from a right motive. A mere conformity to the letter of the law, if it could be obtained, is not righteousness. We must keep the law not from the fear of hell, or the hope of heaven, but from a predominant affection for the Lawgiver. It is noteworthy that the work of righteousness is not a work to be limited to any department of action. Righteousness must run through all personal and social relationships.

II. THE BLESSEDNESS OF TRUE LIFE WORK. “Peace.” This is true.

1. Of individuals.

2. Of families.

3. Of churches.

4. Of nations.

Conclusion--Learn the transcendent worth of the Gospel. The great object of Christ’s mission was to promote righteousness. His life was a revelation of righteousness, His death a demonstration of righteousness, His whole history one great motive to righteousness. This is the supreme want of humanity. Legislation, philosophy, poets, priesthoods, civilisations, have tried to supply it and have failed. Christ alone can establish righteousness. (Homilist.)

Righteousness and peace

Peace is not a root, but a fruit. It is not the beginning of a process, but its end. It is not the summary creation of an imperial fiat; it is the matured product of the spiritual order. We cannot command peace; we can only grow it. If we would have the reapings we must attend to certain sewings. To obtain peace we must plant righteousness. (J. H. Jowett, M. A.)

The spiritual order

The first bugle-peal proclaims not the advent of peace but the enthronement of right! The herald withholds the word “peace” until “righteousness” is established. “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness!” That is the voice of the first trumpet, and it is only when certain great redemptions have been wrought, certain perversities corrected, certain degraded monarchies restored, certain pure and muscular dispositions recovered, that we hear the sound of the second trumpet, “And the work of righteousness shall be peace,” &c. That is the expression of the spiritual order as contained in the teaching of the Divine Word. (J. H.Jowett, D. D.)

Peace

Peace is the general glow of health resulting from the inter-related life of many members, each of whom occupies his appointed place in the spiritual order, and is possessed by the spirit of equity and truth. Peace is the spirit of communion, the genius of co-operation, the cohesion of many members into one pure and indissoluble whole. Now there can be no cohesion among the unclean. Dirt is always divisive. (J. H. Jowett, D. D.)

Righteousness and peace

Before iniquity intruded King Arthur’s court was whole, and the angel of peace abode in the temple. But when the iniquitous stole into the court, the rare communion was broken, and the angel of peace flew away into distant exile. (J. H. Jowett, D. D.)

Maladjustments

Maladjustments always produce unrest whether it be in the physical or moral life. You say, “I cannot rest at night.” How is that? “I have a great deal of pain.” Where? “In this hand.” How are you treating it? “Oh, I bathe it very frequently, and I use a little ointment.” But your finger is out of joint! There is a maladjustment. Your finger is not where God intended it to be. Your finger will have to be set right. Physical righteousness, physical rightness must be the first step to physical rest. The truth is analogous in the moral sphere. There are mal-adjustments there, disjointings there. (J. H.Jowell, D. D.)

Goodness and joy

“Why are you singing?” a lady asked a little girl. “Oh, I don’t know, unless it is because I have tried to be good to-day,” was the answer.