21Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.
Have you ever tried to get a job but were short one qualification? You met all the criteria except one. That is so frustrating. Isaiah is speaking about a future that has not yet happened. I know this because it says that all the people will be righteous. Do you see any nation where all the people are righteous? I see some where it appears to be just the opposite, but none even comes close to this criteria. But what I really notice is the last phrase of this verse. This phrase also appears in 61:3, “for the display of my splendor.” The reason the Lord creates a nation of righteousness is that His great splendor would be seen. The Lord needs a canvas upon which to paint His great splendor. He has used the universe itself to paint a picture of His greatness. We are so small and He is so great, just as the earth is so insignificant compared to the vastness of the universe. But the Lord is not simply demonstrating His splendor in the inanimate stars. He wants to display His splendor in the crown of His creation, human beings. He did that in Jesus, but that is not enough. He wants to show that the results of Jesus life, death and resurrection can have profound effects on human interactions and society at large. It is not enough to change an individual life, the LORD wants to show that all of life can be changed. The LORD does not want a million disconnected people living for Him. He wants a million connected people, real people with real struggles interacting and living in community together. This will display His splendor in a way that no number of stars could ever. Imaging people getting along and supporting each other to the glory of the LORD. That will be a miracle!
The Arnold Journey 