8 And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing; – Q – Is this Jerusalem or the New Jerusalem?
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Comment: Does this describe the world as we live in it today? Apart from the time in the garden of Eden was life on earth ever like this? In small areas from time to time life has been pretty good. The next chapter in Isaiah is an historical record of Sennacherib’s overthrowing of the area surrounding Israel and the horrors that he brought. A quick overview of Isaiah’s time tells us (and this is not exact) that Isaiah prophesied for about 40-60 years; the prophecies are about situations through which he lived and certainly 200 years of Jewish history from his time forward! And that fails to recognize that he lived 600+ years before Jesus – and there are many Messianic prophecies in Isaiah! Furthermore Messianic prophecies are both related to the Messiah’s first and second coming! The second coming of the Messiah is certainly in the future! In Australia main roads are named either by name or numerically. The road passing through this very desirable land described here as the ‘Way of Holiness‘, which I think obviously describes those who should travel on it as ‘holy, good living’ people! I have underlined five words which need to be thought about deeply! All of them are related to character. 1. The first one is ‘unclean’ which we all readily understand as dirty. It is a word used often in the Old Testament in opposition to the concept of ‘holy, godly or God approved’. 2. The second, ‘fools‘, is a word with several meanings and at least the two needing to be considered here are very different in concept! a) the word fool is frequently in Proverbs and elsewhere to mean those ‘one who reject God’s call’. b) In an intelligence sense to describe one with little understanding or who is without a reasoning ability. It is important to decide which of these 2 meanings applies here. I think it means b) for intelligence isn’t the key to heaven whereas rejecting God’s Way is the key to hell! The other two words 3. ‘the redeemed‘ and 4. the ransomed are in the New Testament commonly used to describe Jesus’ followers and in the Old Testament to describe those who are faithful to God’s calling!
Matt 7: 21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”. – which raises the question, ‘what is the will of the Father?’ Jesus speaking said, in John 6: 40 – For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Prayer: God I will, with Your help, walk in Your Way!
As I read it! 