Judge, Lawgiver, King

Tinker, tailor, spy.

Yahweh is declared to be Israel’s Judge, Lawgiver, and King in Isaiah 33:22. As Thomas Leclerc ( Yahweh Is Exalted in Justice ) points out, Yahweh is assuming responsibility for the failures of Judah’s leaders. Judges take bribes and ignore the pleas of the weak (1:17, 23, 26; 5:23), but Yahweh is coming to Judge, and His Branch will judge in righteousness (11:4). Law has been perverted as the people ignore it (5:24; 24:5). Kings like Ahaz have proven themselves faithless. Yahweh ensures that Judah will be restored to justice, righteousness, and peace by combining all the offices in One, in Himself and His Branch.

The triple office is a brief outline of the exodus:

Yahweh came as Judge to Egypt, to judge Pharaoh and rescue Israel; He came as Lawgiver on Sinai, delivering Torah through Moses; Israel covenanted with Him as King at Sinai as well, committing to be ruled by Yahweh’s instructions and to submit to Him.

Yahweh takes on a triple office here. There are structural links to the triple-holiness attributed to Yahweh in Isaiah’s vision (ch. 6), and this also suggests a Trinitarian structure of Yahweh’s leadership of Israel. The Father is Judge, the Son King, and the Spirit the one who writes law on the tablets of human hearts. Or, this verse could be the basis for a fresh gloss on the triple office of Christ. He is Priest, King, Prophet; He is also Judge, Lawgiver, King. He is a Judge like Gideon or Samson, a rescuer; Lawgiver like Moses, teaching from a mountain; a warrior King like David leading His armies on a white horse and a King of peace like Solomon who builds a temple.

Verse 22 should be connected to the previous mention of Yahweh as King in verse 17. Yahweh taking responsibility as Judah’s Judge, Lawgiver, and King is the revelation of the King in beauty. Salvation is beautification.

The final clause of 33:22 states that Yahweh will save, and that suggests that the triple office of Yahweh is an elaboration of what it means for a people to be saved. Salvation means rescue from enemies, the role of the judges of Judges; but salvation also involves receiving and obeying the instruction of a Lawgiver; and salvation means being ruled by, led by, organized by a King.