1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD’S hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
– Put yourself, in your imagination, on the day when Isaiah first delivers the word that we are now reading.
Open your eyes you see the country under vicious control, people are beaten down. Gone is the rejoicing in what they had been, because their history, their glory has been destroyed. So many of their friends are dead, many children in the grave. A great prophet, who has proven his trustworthiness because for years he has brought good news and sad news which has proven to be true. He cries out ‘God has commanded me to say that the nation’s ‘warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.‘ He has commanded me to speak words of comfort because He has wonderful things to say to you! This prophet goes on to describe a picture which is surely poetic, because you can’t imagine it really happening, but the picture fills your mind with delight! And as you replay the prophet’s words there seems to be an exciting promise there! ‘“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.‘ Is He saying that God is coming, in person, into our midst?
6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
Comment:– Are we listening into a side conversation between God and Isaiah? God says “Cry!” Isaiah says “What shall I cry?” and God gives Isaiah the message to cry out “All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.”
And that contains a lot to challenge my thinking as to what is lasting and as to what is very temporary!
1 Kings 8: 56 – “Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise.”
Prayer: Please help me today to go singing – ‘Standing on the promises of Christ, my King!
Through eternal ages let His praises ring.
“Glory in the highest!” I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.’