Isaiah 40:1-11
Second Week of Advent
December 4, 2005
Just a mere bit of preamble here before I begin – the content & themes of these passages here are outgrowths and progressions from those of last week, not only in tone, but also in style and substance. Read and meditate with me upon the material, ideas, and prophecies presented in these sections of Scripture, not only in their application to the Advent season, but in their relevance to how we approach God in our everyday lives.
From Isaiah 64, filled with doubt, hurt, pain, and a dark realization of the depth of Israel’s sin, we come to this passage filled with declarations of joyful repentance and intimations of oh-so-necessary submission & dependence. Verse 2 is probably the key verse in projecting the overall state of Israel’s soul – “[God] Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (TNIV) I myself become filled with expectancy as I anticipate what God will bless His people with after their confession. Isaiah realizes that God can’t turn a blind eye or deaf ear to His people when they have repented and turned back to Him (II Chronicles 7:14).
Thus, with this verse, Isaiah openly is petitioning God to send His people some relief, so, prophetically, God answers Israel’s prayer through the voice and lips of Isaiah in verses 3-5. “A voice of one calling: In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (verse 3, TNIV) This section of verses has traditionally been interpreted as a prophecy about the coming of John the Baptist, complete with John asking God exactly what to say to Israel.
But let us address the imagery in verses 4 & 5 before moving onto verses 6-11. Maybe I’m interpreting this through the political scientist/sociologist lens that I possess, but I feel that the concepts of high being brought down, low being brought up, and rugged/rough terrain being smoothed out are all symbols and pictures of the great spiritual democracy that Jesus will bring upon the earth. I’m not arguing for universalism in salvation, but that salvation would be available for all through Jesus. The Jews (especially those of the Pharisee, Sadducee, or generally xenophobic variety) would no longer have a monopoly upon God’s blessing, God’s provision, and God’s grace. John was to be the beacon, the harbinger, and the herald of Jesus and was supposed to begin the leveling of the religious/spiritual playing field. Everyone was to be able to see, experience, and receive the glory of God in their lives. John would just be the first to talk about it and Israel had to hear this message first.
Isaiah hears a voice commanding him to cry out and Isaiah asked the voice what it is he was supposed to be crying out. The voice (most likely speaking prophetically for John the Baptist, since he spoke to Israel much this way) compels Isaiah to remind Israel (and subsequently all people) of how absolutely transient and temporary they really are, not just their faith, but their faithfulness as well. At the same time, the voice wants to remind Israel of how permanent the word of God is and always will be. However, despite the seeming derogatory comments about how fleeting Israel’s faith and lives are, the voice wants to make sure that Israel understands how much God loves them, how much He cares for them, and that He is for them. The voice calls this “Good News” twice (verse 9) comparing God (and prophetically, Jesus in His coming) to a shepherd – how He will tend His flocks, how He will carry them close to His heart, and how He will gently lead them.
What we have here is a double-headed prophecy. Not only are we reading about the arrival of John as he prepares the way of the Lord with a rather specific message, but we learn that the message that John will be bringing proclaims Israel’s long-anticipated Messiah. As Advent approaches, let us turn our ears & hearts to the prophetic voices in our lives, the oracles that are in our lives that seek to not only prepare our lives for the coming of our Messiah, but also remind us that God is truly near at all times.
December 4, 2005
Just a mere bit of preamble here before I begin – the content & themes of these passages here are outgrowths and progressions from those of last week, not only in tone, but also in style and substance. Read and meditate with me upon the material, ideas, and prophecies presented in these sections of Scripture, not only in their application to the Advent season, but in their relevance to how we approach God in our everyday lives.
From Isaiah 64, filled with doubt, hurt, pain, and a dark realization of the depth of Israel’s sin, we come to this passage filled with declarations of joyful repentance and intimations of oh-so-necessary submission & dependence. Verse 2 is probably the key verse in projecting the overall state of Israel’s soul – “[God] Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (TNIV) I myself become filled with expectancy as I anticipate what God will bless His people with after their confession. Isaiah realizes that God can’t turn a blind eye or deaf ear to His people when they have repented and turned back to Him (II Chronicles 7:14).
Thus, with this verse, Isaiah openly is petitioning God to send His people some relief, so, prophetically, God answers Israel’s prayer through the voice and lips of Isaiah in verses 3-5. “A voice of one calling: In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (verse 3, TNIV) This section of verses has traditionally been interpreted as a prophecy about the coming of John the Baptist, complete with John asking God exactly what to say to Israel.
But let us address the imagery in verses 4 & 5 before moving onto verses 6-11. Maybe I’m interpreting this through the political scientist/sociologist lens that I possess, but I feel that the concepts of high being brought down, low being brought up, and rugged/rough terrain being smoothed out are all symbols and pictures of the great spiritual democracy that Jesus will bring upon the earth. I’m not arguing for universalism in salvation, but that salvation would be available for all through Jesus. The Jews (especially those of the Pharisee, Sadducee, or generally xenophobic variety) would no longer have a monopoly upon God’s blessing, God’s provision, and God’s grace. John was to be the beacon, the harbinger, and the herald of Jesus and was supposed to begin the leveling of the religious/spiritual playing field. Everyone was to be able to see, experience, and receive the glory of God in their lives. John would just be the first to talk about it and Israel had to hear this message first.
Isaiah hears a voice commanding him to cry out and Isaiah asked the voice what it is he was supposed to be crying out. The voice (most likely speaking prophetically for John the Baptist, since he spoke to Israel much this way) compels Isaiah to remind Israel (and subsequently all people) of how absolutely transient and temporary they really are, not just their faith, but their faithfulness as well. At the same time, the voice wants to remind Israel of how permanent the word of God is and always will be. However, despite the seeming derogatory comments about how fleeting Israel’s faith and lives are, the voice wants to make sure that Israel understands how much God loves them, how much He cares for them, and that He is for them. The voice calls this “Good News” twice (verse 9) comparing God (and prophetically, Jesus in His coming) to a shepherd – how He will tend His flocks, how He will carry them close to His heart, and how He will gently lead them.
What we have here is a double-headed prophecy. Not only are we reading about the arrival of John as he prepares the way of the Lord with a rather specific message, but we learn that the message that John will be bringing proclaims Israel’s long-anticipated Messiah. As Advent approaches, let us turn our ears & hearts to the prophetic voices in our lives, the oracles that are in our lives that seek to not only prepare our lives for the coming of our Messiah, but also remind us that God is truly near at all times.
posted by APN | 5:47 PM
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