Isaiah 35: The Highway of Holiness
Translation and sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 10 June 2007
1. Wilderness and arid land will be glad, and desert will rejoice and blossom like the crocus.
2. She will blossom abundantly
and rejoice, yes even sing out with rejoicing!
Lebanon’s glory has been given to her – the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They themselves will see the glory of Jehovah, the majesty of our God.
3. Strengthen the drooping hands
and make firm the feeble knees.
4. Say to the hasty of heart,
“Be strong,
do not fear,
see your God!
Vengeance will come – God’s payback!
He Himself will come, and he will save you.
5. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.
6. Then the lame will leap like the stag, and the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy,
for waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
7. And the burnt-place will become the pool,
and the thirsty-place, springs of water!
In the home of jackals – its resting-place –
grass will become the cat-tail and the papyrus.
8. And there will be a highway and the road,
and it will be called “The Way of the Holy.”
An unclean man will not pass over it,
but it belongs to him walking the way,
and the simple will not go astray.
9. There will not be a lion,
and a ravenous beast will never go up on it - such will not be found there,
but redeemed ones will walk.
10. And the ransomed of Jehovah will return,
and go to Zion with singing - everlasting joy upon their head.
Gladness and joy shall overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee!
This chapter contrasts sharply with the previous one (Edom is the same area as the Arabah desert of this verse) and contains much contrast language within itself as well.
But overall, it speaks of walking in God’s way. John Bunyan wrote a book about this:
At the gate to the King’s Highway, Goodwill gives these instructions to Christian: “Look before thee; dost thou see this narrow way? That is the way thou must go: it is cast up by the Patriarchs, Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles; and it is as straight as a rule can make it: This is the way thou must go.” Pilgrim’s Progress
VIEW #1: Glad wasteland: v.1 Wilderness and [dry
ESV/ solitary-KJV/ waste-NKJ/ desert-NAS/ parched –NIV] arid land will
be glad
· The land of God’s people has been hung out to dry and become a wilderness as it has been overrun by enemies, but it will one day be fruitful and joyful again.
· 53:2 Messiah will come like a root out of this dry ground
· 32:15 “the Spirit [will be] poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.”
· Isaiah starts talking a lot more about joy and gladness from here on out in his book, and the source of that joy is always the presence of God.
VIEW #2: Blooming desert v.1b-2a and desert [NAS-Arabah] will rejoice and blossom like the crocus. She will blossom abundantly [burst into bloom-NIV] and rejoice
VIEW #3: People singing and rejoicing 2b. yes, even sing out with rejoicing!
VIEW #4: Glory Transferred v.2c, Lebanon’s glory has been given to her – the majesty [excellence-KJV/ splendor-NIV] of Carmel and Sharon.
VIEW #5: The glory of the Lord! They themselves [i.e. the desert & dry land of v.1
(Young) LXX-my people ] will see the glory of Jehovah, the majesty of
our God.
Those who are on God’s road will see God himself. They will see gladness, fruitfulness, and singing, and God’s glory will transform them! What a fantastic place to be in!
Well, not always. Being transformed is difficult, as is all change; walking God’s path isn’t easy. Sometimes we get overwhelmed with responsibilities and failures and fears and depression.
Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew nigh to a very miry slough that was in the midst of the plain: and they being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the slough was Despond. Here, therefore, they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with the dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire.
PLIABLE: Then said Pliable, Ah, neighbor Christian, where are you now?
CHRISTIAN: Truly, said Christian, I do not know.
PLIABLE: At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect between this and our journey’s end? May I get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave country alone for me. And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the slough which was next to his own house: so away he went, and Christian saw him no more. Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone; but still he endeavored to struggle to that side of the slough that was farthest from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate; the which he did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back: but I beheld in my dream, that a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him what he did there.
CHRISTIAN: Sir, said Christian, I was bid to go this way by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the wrath to come. And as I was going thither, I fell in here…
HELP: Then, said he, Give me thine hand: so he gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and he set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his way.
3 Strengthen the drooping hands [weak-KJV,ESV/ feeble-NIV/ exhausted-NAS/ sinking-Young] and make firm [steady-NIV] the feeble knees [NIV-that give way].
This verse says what to do about it – Get strength!
This language is borrowed from Job 4:3-4, where Eliphaz praises Job for his good leadership in the past.
41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Josh 1:9 has three of the same commands: “Be strong and courageous (firm). Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Eph. 6:10 “be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.” – this is where strength comes from!
Later, Hebrews 12 quotes this verse. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." … 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord... 22 you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant...
We get strength from trusting God and obeying Him. But we also need encouragement from other believers:
v.4 Say to the hasty of heart [fearful-KJV,NIV/ anxious-NAS,ESV/ panic-stricken-Kimchi], “Be strong, do not fear, see your God! Vengeance will come – God’s payback [recompense-KJV,NAS,ESV/ retribution-NIV]! He Himself will come, and He will save you.
HASTY-“impatient with the apparent delay in God’s fulfillment of His promises… dissatisfied with God’s purposes & methods of carrying them out.” (Young) 2 Pet. 3:9 (Paraphrased by Charlie Peacock) “Dear friend, He is not slow in keeping His promises as some understand slowness to be. Keep a watch out; don’t loose faith; He said He would come for you, He’s gonna come for you - wait & see!”
3 IMPERATIVES TO PASS ON:
1. BE STRONG-This is not the kind of pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps
macho-strong. This is tapping into a much greater power than anything human.
Isaiah has already told us God’s people don’t have strength in and of themselves
(33:23) and that
God is the source of their strength (22:21;
27:5)
“At a time when it seems all is lost, [we should call] to mind the ancient
promises of God and look to the future when He will accomplish His
redemption... One can only have this attitude when he realizes that the God who
had been with Joshua is also at all times with His people.” (Young)
2. FEAR NOT-This is the 4th out of 16 times in the book of Isaiah alone God commands us not to fear. If God repeats a command that many times, it must be important!
3. BEHOLD YOUR GOD –And what are we looking for? 59:17 “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation… and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.” Look for God to come in power to destroy His enemies! 2 Thess. 1:6 “It is righteous for God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.” We’ve already seen in 34:8 that God would have a payback time for Edom.
1 Thess. 4:16-18 “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven… and [we] shall be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
They went then till they came to the Delectable Mountains, which mountains belong to the
Lord of that hill of which we have spoken before. So they went up to the mountains, to behold the
gardens and orchards, the vineyards and fountains of water; where also they drank and washed
themselves, and did freely eat of the vineyards. Now, there were on the tops of these mountains
shepherds feeding their flocks, and they stood by the highway-side…
Then said the shepherds one to another, Let us here show the pilgrims the gates of the Celestial City, if they have skill to look through our perspective glass. The pilgrims lovingly accepted the motion: so they had them to the top of a high hill, called Clear, and gave them the glass to look… they thought they saw something like the gate, and also some of the glory of the place. Then they went away, and sang...
When we have a vision of the goodness of our heavenly inheritance, it is much easier to persevere on the road.
v.5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like the stag, and the tongue of the dumb will shout [sing-KJV,ESV ] for joy, for waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7And the [waterless-LXX / parched -KJV / scorched –NAS] burnt-place will become the pool, and the thirsty-place, springs of water! In the home [haunt/habitation] of jackals – its resting-place [where they lie down-ESV] – grass will become the cat-tail [reed] and the papyrus [rush].
Defects will be removed from both the land and its people.
When is “then”? It’s like that stone touching down several times on the surface of the lake before it sinks in. First, “then” is when we start encouraging those on the path of righteousness. This is also a prophecy fulfilled in the first and second comings of Jesus.
Jesus’ miracles inaugurated the fulfillment of these promises
These infirmities are representative of all the characteristics of fallen mankind which will be healed completely in the resurrection at His 2nd coming, but can begin to be addressed when we offer those words of encouragement to Be Strong, Fear Not, and Behold your God.
WHY all this healing? Because God’s grace and blessing is being poured out like a river.
WATERS WILL BREAK FORTH—
Water will transform the desert flora to water plants (reeds and rushes)! The barren prairie becomes a lakeside resort! Those who are thirsty for God’s salvation will find it! (Mat. 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger & thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”)
8 And there will be a highway and the road, and it will be
called “The Way of the Holy.” An unclean man will not pass over [travel-NAS/ journey-NIV]
it, but it [i.e. the way of holiness] belongs to him walking the way,
a. Isaiah draws our eyes to a particular spot with the prominent word “there.”
b. The desert is pictured in Job 12:24 as a place where there is “no way” and the desert is where the Israelites wandered aimlessly in their Exodus from Egypt. In 33:8&21 & 34:10-there was no passage.
c. But THERE, God will make a grand highway that nobody can ever get lost on!
d. “Way of Holiness” Psalm 77:13a “Your way, O God is holy”
e. In Isaiah, holiness is an -attribute of God (6:13; 11:9; 23:18; 27:13).
f. Holiness is made possible to us by the obedience, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 49:6-11 “It is too light a thing for you to be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus says Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel… in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I will… give you for a covenant of the people… to make them inherit the desolate heritages: saying to the captives, “Go forth”… Neither heat nor sun shall smite them: for He… will lead them, even by springs of water… And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
g. LXX makes explicit that uncleanness/impurity is the opposite of God’s way of holiness. Only the redeemed can walk on it. While this has an initial fulfillment in the exiles like Ezra and Nehemiah who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity, it’s fulfillment will not be complete until we receive our heavenly inheritance and the wicked no longer own the world; it belongs to the redeemed!
h. Christianity is called “the way” in the NT:
“How blessed are they who know the Way, the Truth, and the Life, who through God’s grace are in that holy way that leads with unerring sureness to the city where the Holy One of Israel reigns in solemn majesty and glory!” (Young)
v.8c and [even/though-ESV/JV] the simple [fools] will not go
astray [err-KJV/ wander-NAS/ go about-NIV]. 9 There
will not be a lion, and a ravenous [vicious-NAS/ ferocious-NIV] beast will
never go up on it - such will not be found there, but redeemed ones will walk
[on it].
A) “Simple/Fools/idiots” indicates you don’t have to be smart to
walk on God’s way of holiness. You can be a little child; you can be mentally
handicapped. Shoot, you can just be a normal person and still have difficulty
staying on the straight and narrow. Don’t worry, God can keep your feet from
turning:
Psalm 17:4-5 “…by the word of Your lips [119:105-Your word is a lamp
unto my feet and a light unto my path] I have kept me from the ways of the
violent. 5 My steps have held fast to Your paths, My feet have not slipped.”
B) 30:6 and 34:11ff list
wild animals in the places under God’s judgment,
but there are none here on God’s holy way. It is a safe place
32:18 “And
my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in safe dwellings, and in
quiet resting-places.”
C) REDEEMED will walk/RANSOMED will return
1. First of Isaiah’s 24 uses of this word: 41:14; 43:1&14; 44:6, 22-24; 47:4; 48:17-20; 49:7, 26;
51:10; 52:3, 9; 54:5-8; 59:20; 60:16; 62:12; 63:4, 9, 16;
It is they who will get to walk on this safe path, and not the rest of the
world.
2. What does it mean to be “ransomed/redeemed”? Bought with a price (I Cor. 6:20; 7:23)
a. Delivered from Egypt, 2 Sam. 7:23 “Israel, whom God went to redeem unto Himself for a people, and to make him a name … out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
b. Returned from Exile in Babylon, 1:27;10:22-a remnant shall return
c.
Then in Jesus’ death and resurrection,
1:27 “Zion
shall be redeemed w. justice, and her converts with righteousness.”
59:20-Redeemer shall come to Zion to them that turn from sin
Mat. 20:28/Mk. 10:45; “the Son of Man came… to minister and to give His life a ransom
for many” (cf. 1 Tim. 2:6)
Col 1:13-14 “the Father… delivered us out of the power of darkness, and
translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love; in whom we have our redemption,
the forgiveness of our sins,”
1 Pet. 1:18-19 “you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver
or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with…
the blood of Christ.” (cf. Gal 3:13)
d.
and ultimately that is Heaven.
Rev. 5:9 “…You were slain, and purchased
unto God with Your blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation…
14:3-4 and they sang a new song before the throne…, even they that had
been purchased out of the earth. 4 These are they that were not
defiled… These are they that follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These
were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto
the Lamb.
v.10 And the ransomed of Jehovah will return, and go to Zion with
singing [joyful shouting-NAS] - everlasting joy upon their head. Gladness and
joy shall overtake them [or they will obtain-KJV,ESV/ find-NAS gladness
and joy], and sorrow and sighing shall flee!
a. Not merely depart, but flee! (Young)
Isa. 17:13 & 31:8 speak of the Assyrians fleeing,
but this is speaking of more than that one event.
b. God’s way of holiness leads to a destination: HEAVEN.
c. The description of the destination of Isaiah’s Highway of Holiness in vs. 9-10 matches the description of heaven in the Apostle John’s vision: Rev. 21:3-4 “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men… God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more…”
d. EVERLASTING JOY –
· 29:19 “The meek also shall increase their joy in Jehovah, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”
· 30:29 “You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goes with a pipe to come unto the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel.”
· 55:12 “You shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.”
· Phil. 4:4-“rejoice in the Lord always” (cf. 1 Thess. 5:16)
Now when they were come up to the gate, there was written over it, in letters of gold, “blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
Then I saw in my dream, that the shining men bid them call at the gate: the which when they did, some from above looked over the gate, to wit, Enoch, Moses, and Elijah, etc., to whom it was said, These pilgrims are come from the City of Destruction, for the love that they bear to the King of this place; and then the pilgrims gave in unto them each man his certificate, which they had received in the beginning: those therefore were carried in unto the King, who, when he had read them, said, Where are the men? To whom it was answered, They are standing without the gate. The King then commanded to open the gate, “That the righteous nation (said he) that keepeth the truth may enter in.”
Now I saw in my dream, that these two men went in at the gate; and lo, as they entered, they were transfigured; and they had raiment put on that shone like gold. There were also that met them with harps and crowns, and gave them to them; the harps to praise withal, and the crowns in token of honor. Then I heard in my dream, that all the bells in the city rang again for joy, and that it was said unto them, “enter ye into the joy of your lord.”
Nate Wilson’s website – Isaiah Sermon Expositions
Christ the Redeemer Church website - Sermons