Reversal In Themes
Yesterday we
had a very grim perspective on life.
There wasn’t much joy in Isaiah 34.
There wasn’t much to celebrate.
There was an honest look at humanity and a challenge to seek the
solution to humanity’s faults in God’s Word.
In Isaiah 35
we have a complete reversal. Here we
have plenty of things to celebrate. Here
we have an incredible picture of the restoration that comes after the time of
trouble. When viewed together, Isaiah
34-35 makes true the saying, “The night is always darkest before the
dawn.” {Which, of course, it isn’t. But
truisms don’t actually follow reality.
It is the symbolic meaning that makes a truism true.}
Isaiah tells
us that this very land that yesterday was left for dead will now re-bloom. What was once left for the habitation of wild
animals shall be majestic once more.
That which had turned to pitch will once again have the refreshing
streams that sustain life. The glory and
the majesty of the Lord will once more be able to be seen.
First: The Difference Is God
We should be
careful not to miss the major point of change in the tone of these
chapters. Isaiah 34 focused on God’s
wrath against humanity – especially against our brutality towards one another. Isaiah 35 speaks of the peace and life that
comes with the presence of the Lord. The
difference isn’t us, it is God. It isn’t
like human beings are going to get better on our own; the world changes because
the Lord will come and be involved in it.
It is He who will come and save us.
Look at the
beauty of verses 5-8, which directly follow the declaration of the salvation of
the Lord. Dry places will have
sustaining water. We who were once blind
will see. We who were once deaf will
hear. The lame will walk and the mute
will speak. Hopefully you are reminded
of Jesus words in Matthew 11:1-6. This
points me to not just a physical and literal understanding of this passage but
also a spiritual understanding of this passage that was made ultimately true
when Jesus came.
Yesterday we
heard that water would be turned to pitch.
What once had the capacity to sustain life would now inflame it and
destroy it. Today we hear that water
will be restored to the land and that even the people within the land will be
healed. The difference is God. When left to our own devices, human beings
inflame and destroy. But when God comes
among us human beings can be changed. We
can be healed. We can become a part of
God’s healing process in others. It is
God – it is Christ! – that makes the difference.
Second: God Is The Doer
I love the
imagery of verses 8-10. When the Lord
comes back to reveal His majesty and glory, a highway will be present. God will make a way for His people to come to
Him. God will make a way for people to
be righteous and to live out righteousness.
The ransomed ones shall return to the Lord and they shall know the way
because God will have made that way possible!
Of course,
there is a literal understanding here.
The Hebrew people will know captivity.
After their captivity, the way will be paved for the Hebrew people to
return to Jerusalem and stay. There is a
literal remnant that will return. In
fact, they return in three stages.
Zerubbabel brings the first wave of remnant to rebuild the temple. Several decades later Ezra brings a second
wave to remind the Hebrew people in Jerusalem to stay faithful. A few years after Ezra, Nehemiah brings a
third wave to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. Literally a path back to Jerusalem is created
for God’s righteous remnant. God makes
that path possible.
However, I
believe there is a far greater spiritual understanding about this whole
chapter. When Jesus came, a path was
made not just to Jerusalem but to the heavenly throne of God. Through Jesus’ death on the cross we can know
truth and peace. Through Jesus, God has
brought His glory and His righteousness to literally dwell within us. God has made a way for His people to be truly
His people.
And the
unclean shall not walk upon it. The way
to the Father is through Christ. The way
through Christ is a way of cleanliness and forgiveness. Those who truly walk the path that Christ has
opened know righteousness, forgiveness, and cleanliness before God. Thanks be to God!
<><
No comments:
Post a Comment