Isaiah 40:3 'A voice cries: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’
The message 'Prepare the way of the Lord' is a familiar one to us. It’s taken from the mouth of John the Baptist, whose whole life can be summarised as one of preparation for the coming of the Lord. He, in turn, took it straight from the prophet Isaiah. Handel set it to music. It’s the opening lyric in Godspell. But what does it mean, to prepare the way of the Lord?
Isaiah chapter 40 is set in the period of exile. Half of Israel's population are in exile, having been carted hundreds of miles away to Babylon and they’ve been there for several generations. But at last, after years of anguish, their time has come. They’ve hit the jackpot! Here’s a message of comfort. 'Comfort my people. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.' The days of Israel's sufferings are numbered. Her warfare is ended. Her iniquity is pardoned. Soon it will be over. Good news indeed.
A voice cries in the wilderness, make a highway for God. Wilderness, highway, - what's going on?
The Jews of the OT never lived far from the wilderness. It surrounded every town. Everywhere, it encroached. It was a continuous struggle to keep the wilderness at bay, a thoroughly unfriendly place.
At its simplest, the wilderness was where God was not: barren land. But that didn’t mean that God could not be found there. God specialises in taking barren places and transforming them, just as he takes individual lives and transforms them through the power of His Spirit.
Now, the contract is signed. A highway is being built. Prepare it well, it's the highway for God Himself. He's coming! Through this metaphor of road building, the prophet is calling on the exiles to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Lord. The urgency of his message speaks to us. We too, must prepare our hearts, and be ready to receive God, to welcome him into our lives.
Prepare the way of the Lord. Isaiah is telling his people who they can trust, implicitly. 'The glory of the Lord shall be revealed.'
God has spoken. He comes to rule, to bring justice, like an ever-loving shepherd, who will gather his lambs, and lead them to good pastures. Good news for all who will listen; good news for all who feel down; good news for all who have been hurt or damaged by what life has thrown at them; good news for everyone who has ever asked, 'What's the meaning of it all? There must be more to life than this'; good news for all who need hope, and purpose. This is God telling us that the best in life is still to come. 'Prepare to welcome and receive God.' He’s the one who will never let you down. He makes promises you can rely upon.
“After me shall come another who is more powerful than me”, says John. We wait, to celebrate the birth of our Saviour. But first, we must prepare the way to celebrate the coming of him who stood up and declared, 'I am the Way'.
For the Jews of Isaiah's time, the wilderness days are over. For the hearers of John the Baptist, there's a promise of new hope. God is doing a new thing in the world. For the people of today's world, there's the same message – hope, forgiveness, love, new beginnings, eternal life. As we approach Christmas, we must take time to prepare ourห heart for God's sovereign rule.
A prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have come to bring us hope and comfort. You have come to offer us new life. Thank you for living and dying to take away my sin. Help me to prepare a way into my heart, for you to come and live in me. Come into my heart and make me the person who you want me to be. Amen.
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