“But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.” (Isaiah 32:8, ESV)
In the movie, “Forrest Gump,” Forrest’s mother used to tell him, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Her point to Forrest was that a person is only stupid if they do stupid things. Here we have another sentiment with similar logic. Noble is as noble does. Noble people do noble things.
At the time of Isaiah, Judah was spiritually insensitive. They did not seek the things of God. They did not listen to the prophets, and what they did hear they did not comprehend. Judah fit into the Forrest Gump proverb, “Stupid is as stupid does.” How foolish it is to shut one’s mind off to the things of God. Yet this attitude towards God seems to capture the attitude of so many today.
The multitude of people outside of the church have no real hunger and thirst for the “Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Why would we expect them to have any other attitude since they do not have a relationship with the living God? Yet there are many professing the name of Christ who have the same spiritual insensitivity as those outside the church. They demonstrate the same attitude of heart as Judah. To me this seems quite foolish.
The antithesis of the Forrest Gump proverb is that which Isaiah records in verse 8. He stated, “who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.” Isaiah looked forward to the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. It would be a kingdom in which all of the Messiah’s loyal subjects would plan noble things and stand upon noble things.
This noble proverb ought to identify every true believer in Jesus Christ for one main reason. Scripture indicates that the true child of God has moved from ignobility to nobility. Look at Peter’s words on this.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
Consider a monarchy. The true members of the royal line seek to plan and do things that reflect the noble line. They stand firmly upon the principles of their kingdom. When we see the children of the king doing things that are ignoble, we are appalled. We say things like, “How could the prince do something so unbecoming.” Do we have the same attitude regarding the church?
Many professing believers ought to examine their hearts. They should ask themselves this question. Am I insensitive towards the things of God or do I seek the things of God? Do I act as ignobility or nobility? Do I exhibit an ignobility proverb or the nobility proverb? There is a solution, confession and repentance.
Renewing the Heart 