This chapter stuck out to me because of the stark contrast
with the previous chapters. In chapter 34, Edom, having once been a fertile and
luscious land, is changed into a desert, while in chapter 35, a desert is
changed into a garden. Edom was used to represent all the nations of the world
to show that human wisdom and arrogance bring destruction. Likewise, the
desert, in chapter 35 is meant to represent the physical, social, spiritual
world that was previously destroyed by a lack of faith in God.[1]
1The desert and the parched land
will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the feeble
hands, steady
the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come, he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come, he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the
blind be opened and
the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be
there; it
will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
The first part of this chapter is verses 1-4. The first
thing that struck me about this chapter is that while it is probably referring
in some part to the return of the Exiles from Babylonian captivity, there is a
lot more going on here. This is not just a return to normal for the people of
God, it speaks of a greater time when there will be true justice, grace, and
security for those who follow the Lord.
There is going to be a complete physical and spiritual renewal: death,
injustice, and fear are gone; and there will be holiness, purity, and wisdom.[2]
Like chapter 32 before it, the imagery of a desert becoming a fertile field is used
to speak of the renewal to come.
In Scripture, the imagery of a desert is used to convey a
place of lifelessness. The desert does not support life, nor do the few things
that do live in the desert thrive. But after it rains, the desert comes alive
with flowers like the Crocus. But the blooms do not last because the rains do
not come. The first two verses are saying that the desert and the parched land, that is, the places where there is
no water and that are virtually incapable of supporting life will come alive
and bloom as though there is water.
The references to Lebanon and Carmel of Sharon are meant to
imply abundance. Lebanon was well known throughout the Ancient Near East for
its cedar forests, and Mount Carmel and the fertile Plain of Sharon below
remind the people of rich, well watered land that is capable of growing much
food. A desert, by contrast is dry, scorched and can only support the toughest
and most gnarly plants and animals such as cacti and lizards. While some cacti
can grow somewhat tall, it is nothing compared to the heights of an old cedar
that has been continually nourished for years and years.
Finally, in verse 2 we find out what is causing these
lifeless places to bloom and thrive: they
will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God. God is the author of all life. When he comes, even
the desert will live. When Jesus talks about living water in John 4 with the Samaritan
woman he is talking about water that does more than just keep us physically
alive, it keeps us spiritually alive and connected with God.
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is
that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you
living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw
with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you
greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as
did also his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be
thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will
never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of
water welling up to eternal life.”
The water Christ gives us revives our hearts, minds, and
spirits, and grows us in holiness and righteousness. God takes us from the dry
desert where we are doomed to death and restores us to life—eternal life. God’s
presence always brings life and joy to faithful believers. Those who are
fearful and have given up and are shaken from life and their circumstances will
be made strong because God is the one that saves us from our physical and
spiritual enemies. There is great hope in verses 3-4 because it shows that in
our weakness, we are not the ones that must go to God for restoration and
healing, God “will come to save you.”[3]
God, Himself, the Alpha and Omega, will come and bring us living water that
gives us new life.
The second part of this chapter is verses 5-7. These verses
seem to speak of the healing that will happen when God comes. But this is not
just a physical healing of the blind, deaf, mute, and lame, but a spiritual
healing as well. The people will have their senses restored such that they can
experience God and His glory. The veil will be lifted and they will see and
hear clearly, and be able to respond with proper worship befitting of such an
awesome God.
Verses 6-7 also says that creation will be healed: “water will gush forth in the wilderness, and
streams in the desert, the burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground
bubbling springs.” This verse ties back to John 4:14. The ground will
become so saturated that the excess water will be like a spring of water that
wells up and sits on top of the earth in a pool. The barren and lifeless land
will support reeds and papyrus—both plants that require large amounts of water
to survive. So God isn’t just going to come and make it better, or bring just
enough water to make things grow, he is going to bring abundantly what creation and humanity needs to thrive and grow the
best it all can. We know from history, that this isn’t exactly what happened
when the people returned to the land from captivity. A quick read through
Nehemiah will show that it took quite a bit to get the city back in order and
to keep the rich from exploiting the poor. Not quite the joyful celebration
Isaiah describes. Therefore, this must be talking about another time as well,
when God’s glory and presence dwells not just in the temple, but in all the
world.
The last section of this chapter is verses 8-10. The highway
described here, once again, probably refers in part to the road back to Judea
that the exiles took, but the poetry also suggests the idea of a “Kings Road”
that only the righteous may tread upon. The road is made holy by the holiness
of those who walk upon it, and not because it is holy in and of itself.[4]
God comes to rescue and redeem his people from physical captivity (as in the
Exile), and from the spiritual captivity of sin. In return, His people come to
Him to devote their holy lives to Him in worship and praise.[5]
At the end of the highway is Zion, and God will dwell in
Zion. The people will come into His presence with joy and praise because these
are by products of God’s presence. Verse 10 is repeated in Isaiah 51:11, which
is also a chapter about redemption and renewal. God’s supernatural protection
and provision removes all obstacles that often keep people from coming to him
whole heartedly. Thus, the people who love and follow God will be overcome by
the joy of living in His presence and will not remember their sadness or
sorrow.[6]
This is the hope of new life in Christ. A life where death does not separate us
from love, and the sin and evil of this world have no power to harm. This is
what it mean to live in Christ and to be continually watered by the source of
all living water so that we will thrive under any circumstance.
Halleluia! I'm looking forward to that time.
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