The Glory of Zion (Matthew 9:32-34; Mark 7:31-37)
“The wilderness and the land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. It will bloom profusely and even rejoice with joy and singing. 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.
Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees! Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy.
For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water. In the haunt where jackals once lay, there will be grass and reeds and papyrus.
And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it. No lion will be there, and no vicious beast will go up on it. Such will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk upon it, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.”
Although the Promised Land was to be a land flowing with milk and honey, there were still parts of it that were extremely arid and rocky. There are very few flat places in Israel; even those places that are fertile are relatively hilly. Go to Israel today and you will see that large parts of it are semi – desert with only irrigation to help it produce. Isaiah is predicting that when Messiah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Creator returns, even rocky barren slopes will blossom. The air will be so charged with energy that the land will sing as it is blossoming. Can land sing? There are singing deserts where the sand makes sounds, and some farmers believe they can hear their corn growing on warm summer nights. When Messiah comes, water will gush forth in the desert, making streams and pools. The desert will become lush with greenery.
When Messiah comes, things that are wrong will be put right. The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap and dance, those unable to speak will sing the praises of God and shout for joy. There will be a highway to Zion called the Way of Holiness. Nothing that is unclean or vicious or hurtful or foolish will be able to set foot on it. Why are fools included in the list of those who cannot walk this highway? Psalm 14:1 tells us, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” The fools referred to here are those who deny the existence of God and therefore feel they can sin at will. The speed of darkness is the speed of light; when the light comes, darkness must flee.
APPLICATION: There is no suffering comparable to that of a chronic incurable problem such as blindness, deafness, inability to speak or inability to move one’s limbs properly. In some ancient societies, such people were shunned by their neighbors, who assumed that they must have done something terrible for which God was punishing them. Many of these people had no recourse apart from begging for a living.
Health workers who have cared for stroke victims or those with traumatic brain injuries know the unrelenting frustration these victims suffer. Limbs that once worked, eyes that once saw, ears that once heard – all now refuse to respond properly, leaving victims to suffer doubly, once from the infirmity and once from the knowledge of what once was. God is telling us through Isaiah that these problems will not last forever. When Messiah comes, hope and healing will pour forth.
“But,” you complain, “I want help NOW! I feel as if I am caught in a desert and I can’t get out!” Don’t feel alone; we all need help. There is none of us who does not struggle with something, whether physical or emotional. While the earth continues to wait for the physical return of the Messiah, those of us who know Jesus as Messiah and Lord can have hope right now.
The night before Jesus was crucified, he told his disciples many things. Jesus told his disciples, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”(John 14:6)
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:18-21)
Around the world, Christians are dying for their faith. What is so wonderful that men, women, and children are willing to die for it? A Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus secretly by night to ask questions. Jesus assured Nicodemus that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever might believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) It is the Eternal Living God who gives these people hope and the courage to remain steadfast, even when they face the threat of death. That same hope is available to anyone who will believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has died for the sins of the world and has risen from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus will never turn away anyone who prays to Him sincerely!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, there are many who would like to believe in You but are afraid of being disappointed. Speak to their hearts and assure them that You are still working in their lives. Let all who read these words confess their sins to You and put their trust in You as Savior, Lord, and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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