Isaiah 35
COMMENTARY:
: 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. (1926 “excellency” [hadar] means majesty, splendor, adornment, the quality of a person or thing which inspires awe or reverence in the beholder, can be related to size, strength, power or authority.)
DEVOTION: Here we find the same word used two times in this verse. The first time it is explaining about a place and the second time is explaining about a person. So we find that this word can be used to describe a person or a thing.
The first time it is explaining about a place which is a thing. The second time it is explain about the person of God.
It is thought to be talking about the Millennium. This is when things will be different than they are today. The land of Israel well be a place of glory in this time period with the LORD’S presence.
There will be blossoms in abundance. There will be worship that will be real and only directed toward the LORD. This is not presently happening during the time period of Isaiah’s lifetime.
The future plan of the LORD is going to come about after a time of testing of the children of Israel and the rest of the world. We are living in the time period before the Millennium today. Our world is still under the curse of sin. Most of the people living are not followers of the LORD.
It is sad to look around our world and see so many people not concerned about meeting the LORD and feeling HIS judgment. It seems that eat, drink and be merry are the signs of our times.
The problem is that many who call themselves believers are practicing this philosophy which is not of the LORD but of the world. There are many people who think they are OK in God’s sight but their lifestyle is not pleasing to the LORD.
They are religious, in that, they attend church and sometime even say some Christian things but their actions speak louder than words.
The LORD looks at not only the actions but the hearts of those who claim to be followers of HIM and sees things HE is not happy about and one day will have to judge those individuals but saying to them “I never knew you!”
If we are playing at church and the Christian life we need to change and genuinely worship HIM in spirit and in truth. With the change eternity in heaven is waiting otherwise it is eternity in hell.
CHALLENGE: God is looking for genuine followers who are worshiping HIM daily by reading HIS word, praying and witnessing to others. No one can fake God out!
: 4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. (1576 “recompense” [gamuwl] means reward, benefit, retribution, reprisal, or what is deserved.)
DEVOTION: How many of us worry about things that never happen? It is said that ninety percent of what we worry about never happens, and the ten percent is not as bad as we thought. However, the Bible instructs Christians that they are not worry about anything. It is easier said than done.
The children of Israel were the followers of the LORD in the Old Testament. They were instructed in the proper worship and actions that the LORD expected of them. They didn’t provide these to the LORD. They were going to be judged for their unfaithfulness. They didn’t have to worry about it, it was going to happen anyway because they didn’t listen to the warnings of the prophets. This is the ten percent that happens.
Now Isaiah is instructing those who have a worrying heart to stop and be strong because the LORD is going to bring the believing ones back to the Promised Land. They are not to tremble with fear because the chastening was only going to last for a short time.
God was going to save them from their enemies in the present and in the future. HE judges those who are outside of HIS family in HIS time. HE is longsuffering and not willing that any should perish but HE allows those who reject HIM to suffer the consequences both now and in the future.
Those who are followers of the LORD will reap the benefits of proper service and beliefs. There are rewards passed out at the Judgment Seat of Christ to those who are following in our present age.
So from the beginning of creation until the end of creation there will be two groups of people. There are those who obey and those who disobey the LORD. Each will receive their proper reward or punishment. They will be without excuse because everyone living will have an opportunity to say yes or no to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: We are not to be those who have a fearful heart. We are the ones who are supposed to be strong and not worry. Worry is a sin. Ask the LORD to help you control this emotion.
: 8 A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
DEVOTION: The modern roadways we have here in the United States is impressive. We can be from state to state in minutes and hours. The luxury of travel is taken for granted and assumed today. Yet in Isaiah’s time travel was far different and to make a promise of safety and arrival at their point of destination was astounding! To think that travel could be safe and no impure or imposter could enter was unfathomable! We long for safety in our everyday life and the activities that we do! From our children going and coming from school to the mundane routine of chores throughout the day. We assume the best but always have the fear of the unforeseen happening.
This promise Isaiah brings to the people who are wearied by attacks and foreign troops besieging their homes is a ray of hope and comfort. Perhaps that same ray needs to be in your life this week. Look to the Lord who knows the future and promises a better day! Even if it means a time of desolation before the peace He never forgets His promises!
CHALLENGE: Israel was weary and in need of encouragement so you might be as well! Take courage that God knows our situation and speaks words of comfort and brings hands of encouragement! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (6299 “ransomed” [padah] means to redeem, payment, set free, rescue, or deliver.
DEVOTION: There have been many movies made that show children being taken from their parents and the kidnappers ask for a payment of money to get them back. In most of the movies the children are returned to the parent sometimes with the payment made and other times without the payment made as the police catch the individuals involved in the kidnapping.
Here we have the children of Israel being taken into captivity by a nation that the LORD has chosen for this purpose. The children of Israel need to learn a lesson or lessons about who they should trust and who they should worship. Too often they trusted in human hands to save them. They also believed that the gods of the land could save them instead of the Creator of the Universe. This is happening today as well.
The children of Israel were going into captivity in Babylon. This chapter predicts their return from captivity. However, many feel that it also reveals the Millennial kingdom of Christ. So there is a duel meeting to this prediction or prophecy. If we look real close we see that when they return and even unto this date the land has not produced as much as this chapter predicts.
This chapter is describing a time period when the LORD will cause the desert to blossom. There will be singing, joy from the people who are strengthened. The blind seeing, ears hearing, lame walking, etc.
Those who are following Christ in this age will reign with HIM then. Those who are members of the church universal will be kings in the Millennial kingdom. It will be a thousand years of peace in Jerusalem.
Are we preparing to reign with Christ? Are we acting like kings? Are we fulfilling the requirements of kings?
One requirement was that a king had to write a personal copy of the Word of God. Have we written our personal copy of the Word of God? Would it help us understand the LORD better? Think on these things. I have written the Word of God on computer many times. It has helped me understand some passages I never understood before. Typing the Word of God makes you think about what you are typing.
CHALLENGE: We need to inform people that we have been “set free” from slavery. We were a slave to sin and have been set free to serve the LORD. Ask them if they have been set free!!!
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