Tuesday 25th April
Read Isaiah 40:3-5
“A voice of one calling:
‘In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’” (NIVUK)
The first voice in the book of consolation is a voice of grace from the mouth of God (v1-2). The second voice could be called a voice of providence. It is unnamed but its intent is clear. It is a voice announcing that not only is the punishment and exile of God’s people over and their sins pardoned but that Yahweh himself would visit his people. The desert between Babylon and Israel would be prepared for the royal arrival and all obstacles removed. This providence for God’s people is assured because the mouth of Yahweh has spoken (v5c).
This voice, announcing the arrival of the king, spoke truly despite nearly 800 intervening years. Although God’s people did return from exile in Babylon under the Persians and the path was semi-smoothed out by the new Persian king it was certainly not an event that could be described as the glorious return of Yahweh to Israel. God’s people returned but their hearts remained hard. The gospel writers though recognised this preparation for the arrival of the King in the message of repentance by John the Baptist.
“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.”’” (Matthew 3:1-3) (NIVUK)
In the famous words of Isaac Watts, have you ‘prepared him room’ in your heart through daily repentance?
I am tempted to encourage you to proclaim, along with this unnamed voice (until John), the approach of heaven and ‘Joy to the world’. But one can’t help but be impressed with Handel’s use of these early verses of Isaiah 40 in his great masterpiece. Every valley shall indeed be exalted (‘raised up’) when the Lord arrives in His glory!
