Isaiah 35
As you may know we have transitioned to ChurchCo 2.0. The transition meant that the readings over the past week were eliminated. Rather than going back and reposting all of them and leaving everyone to catch up, I am beginning the readings at the point where they were erased. Sorry of the inconvenience.
July 8
Reading: Isaiah 35
1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom
like the crocus;
2 it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,
"Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you."
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
8 And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Recall the apocalypse that the Lord has promised in Isaiah 34 and in many other places. It will not be the end. It is merely the beginning of the New Creation.
Isaiah 35 is the concluding prophesy in the Book of the King. In it we see the happy glory of the New Creation that will display “the majesty of our God.” (vs. 2)
This chapter is meant to be uplifting to those who are following the Lord in this crazy world. (vss. 3-4) We often feel weak, feeble, and anxious. To know that the Lord will remake all things with a place for us in it is tremendously encouraging.
The restoration of creation will be complete. (vss. 5-9) God’s people will be healed. The land will be restored. Unrighteousness will be removed. Dangers will be gone.
Verse 10 is a wonderful summary of the rejoicing in the New Creation. In my younger days we used to sing this as a song. It was great fun! But that fun is nothing compared to the coming rejoicing in God’s restored world.
This is a reality in which we need to live every day. How can you daily remind yourself and your family of the Lord’s promised return and remaking of all things? You can sing it. You can pray it. You can write it on your wall. We get so many other, competing, messages. To fight the battle for your mind you must find ways to remind yourself of the truth.