Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace: and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever (KJV).
Work in this passage has to do with what is produced, and could also be rendered as “fruit.” Peace does mean tranquility and security, but it also has to do with welfare. This includes wholeness, safety, soundness, and health. The word, quietness has to do with being still, quiet, settled, and unmoved, as opposed to being harassed and moved. The root word for assurance means a place of refuge. Assurance means security and the feeling associated with it. It means trust or hope. Thus, the verse could be rendered: “The fruit of righteousness shall be peace: and the service of righteousness is rest and hope forever.”
If a person truly wants to walk in peace, and lead a quiet tranquil life filled with hope, he needs to walk in righteousness. Without righteousness, there is no peace. This principle applies to our personal life, and it applies to a nation. As it is written, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34, KJV). It is easy to look to the government to fix the problems of a nation, or to blame a government for a country’s woes. People tend to think that if they can change the government, healing will come to the land, especially during an election year. But it is not the government that needs changing; it’s the heart of the people. If the heart of the people will change, so will the government. The government usually reflects the heart of the people.
Genesis 6:11-13 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them: and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Spiritually speaking, idolatry is also considered violence. When we read that the “earth was filled with violence,” it did not mean that the earth broke out into a large fistfight. Of course, there is the violence of war; but again, that is the result of corruption of man. Even James 4:1makes that clear: “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members” (KJV, be sure to read verses 2-5 as well)? The word, violence also means wrong or oppression, and also means unjust gain in a figurative sense. It is not limited physical violence; rather, physical violence is the result of spiritual violence. We find this link in Ezekiel 8:17, “Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose” (emphases added, KJV). As one reads verses one through sixteen, one will see that there were great abominations being committed, which in turn would bring great violence to the land in the form of war and destruction. We read in Ezekiel 28:16, “By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou has sinned; therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire” (KJV). We find a correlation between sin and violence in any land. The more corrupt a land, the more violence will fill it. For example, cities filled with sin and corruption, are plagued with violent crimes, whereas, those places of filled with goodness are not. Without righteousness there is no peace. Those who desire to see changes in their cities must begin with walking righteously themselves, and then sow righteousness wherever they go. Our righteousness is found in Jesus Christ; therefore it is the Gospel that will bring changes. Sometimes it begins with a single act of kindness, which in turn leads to more acts of kindness. Remember, Jesus went about doing good (Acts 10:38).
James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. Again, we see the correlation between righteousness and peace. When we walk righteously in Christ Jesus, we have peace with the Father. Sometimes people can be consumed with their needs, forgetting what Jesus had said: “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye all put on. Is not life more than meat, and the body more than raiment (Matthew 6:25, KJV)?” From verses twenty-six through thirty-two, he exhorts his disciples to not worry about such things –the very things that rob people of their peace of mind. The key is found in verse 33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added onto you” (emphasis added, KJV). If you are looking for peace of mind seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness: the peace will follow! Remember, our righteousness is found in Jesus: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (KJV).
