Seek First The Kingdom - Part 9

(1) Creating Shalom Out of Chaos
(2) The Fall Brought Chaos Back Into Creation
(3) The Kingdom: God’s Plan to Restore Peace to the World
(4) Jesus Was Sent for This Purpose
(5) What is the Kingdom?
(6) Patterns of the Kingdom in Scripture
- The Garden of Eden - The Wilderness - The Promised Land - The Kingdom of Solomon - The Days of the Apostles
(7) The Life and Ministry of Jesus
(8) Attributes of the Kingdom
 - Prosperity and Joy
 - Peace (Part - 9)
 - Righteousness
 - Holiness
 - Knowledge of the LORD
(9) The Millenium Kingdom
(10) The Believer’s Responsibility to Progress the Kingdom

ATTRIBUTES OF THE KINGDOM: Peace and Health

“There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” (Isa 9:7)

According to Isaiah, the kingdom will be a place of unprecedented and never ending peace, as in the song, “I (LORD) extend peace to her (Jerusalem) like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream,” (Isa 66:12). As a favorite passage in scripture reads,

“They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” (Isa 2:4)(Mic 4:3).

Peace will extend to all aspects of the kingdom, even to animals and those areas of the physical realm that have never known peace.

“The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa 11:6-9)

Peace exists with the animal kingdom because the LORD has made a covenant with the beasts of the field.

"In that day I will also make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the sky and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land, and will make them lie down in safety.” (Hos 2:18)

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus came as “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 5:6), “the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which in king of peace,” (Heb 7:2). The time of Solomon is seen in scripture to foreshadow the time of the Messiah’s earthly kingdom. The name Solomon (“Shlomo”) is based on the Hebrew word for peace, “shalom.” During the reign of Solomon,

“He had peace on all sides around about him. So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.” (1 Kings 4:24-25)

The phrase “every man under his vine and his fig tree,” is seen by the rabbis as a metaphor for the prosperity, blessing, and peace that accompanies the kingdom. Micah connects the fig tree to the coming of the kingdom saying,

“They will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war. 4 Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid,” (Mic 4:3-4)

In fulfillment of Isaiah’s words (Isa 9:6-7) and the prophecies about the kingdom, Paul told us that, “He (Jesus) came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near,” (Eph 2:17). Jesus would tell the crowds, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God,” (Matt 5:9). In every place where God is lifted up, Shalom and order will follow. Absent the knowledge of God, chaos will reign and increase.

There can be no peace where sickness and disease bring chaos into the creation. For this reason, illness was not part of God’s original plan prior to the fall. After the Exodus, the LORD promised the nation of Israel that He would keep the diseases and infirmities that plagued the Egyptians away from the Hebrew people.

“You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle. ‘The LORD will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt which you have known, but He will lay them on all who hate you.’” (Deut 7:14-15)

Protection from sickness and disease would have continued had the people remained obedient to the commandments of God (Deut 28:58-60), but they did not remain obedient. In the future, the promise of long life and health will return to the people of Israel as a blessing for their returning to the LORD in obedience and acknowledge of Jesus as Messiah.  As Isaiah foretold,

“There will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. ‘No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed…24 It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.’ 25 ‘The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent's food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,’ says the LORD.” (Isa 65:19-25)

The words of Isaiah describe a time of tremendous blessing and prolonged life, sometimes referred to in scripture as the “times of refreshing…from the presence of the Lord,” (Acts 3:19). The return of Jesus who will bring about “the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time,” (Acts 3:21). Luke refers to the “restoration of all things” and not the “remaking” of all things. Death, although greatly weakened, is still present (Isa 65:20), indicating that the existing world remains.

Until the time of refreshing, we will pray,

“The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace,” (Num 6:24-26).

The peace God gives is the peace “which surpasses all comprehension,” (Phil 4:7).

(to be continued - Scott)