“And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” Isaiah 40:5
Dear Ones:
If ever there was a revealed difference between sinful man, and the Eternal God, it is in His dealings with Israel. Who among men is capable of giving a message of eternal hope to a people so defiant, and blatantly determined to go their own way as Israel was? We know the history of the nation, and how the people consistently rebelled against the authority of God, turning away from him to trust in something, or someone else. The consequence was just as consistently revealed. There was a dealing with their sin and rebellion, the result being terrible self-inflicted suffering and sorrow. However, it is at this point that the heart of God and the heart of man stand in stark contrast with one another. Man, if he would continue in his “independence of God,” would of necessity need to seek a remedy in and of himself for his sins, his suffering, and sorrow. Though he would not believe in God, he would blame God. The Lord on the other hand, will reach down into the mire of man’s sin, seek the sinner, commit Himself to him to take him by the hand and lift him up out of the mud and filth of his transgressions. It is at this point, the point at which God chooses to intervene, that the message of God is to be given to the nation, to the people, and to the individual. It is a message that is powerful, and crystal clear, one which is transforming in its power by virtue of God’s intervention. Isaiah describes it as a message of comfort, “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem.” In that declaration, God will reveal that the time has come for a new beginning, that Israel’s “warfare” with God is over, and that her sin has been totally removed, blotted out. The slate has been erased, and the declaration of God is that the time has come to begin again. So, from a practical standpoint, how is this to come about? Again, the Lord through Isaiah, reveals this to us very clearly…with the end result in view.
The CRY of the prophet, “in the wilderness,” is for Israel, and every believer that would seek God, to “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Is. 40:3) What does He mean by this? The “way of the Lord” is that manner by which the Lord WILL come, will answer, will intervene. It is HIS way, not the way of man. Isaiah tells us that it must be “straight.” A straight way is the shortest distance between two objects. It is also the way of least resistance, and the most readily accessible, and effective. Isaiah goes on to speak of “valleys” and “mountains,” which are inconveniences and obstacles. They impede the ready access along the straight way. Lastly He speaks of the “crooked” that needs to be straight, and the “rough” that needs to be made a plain…or smooth. In all of these pictures concerning “the way of the Lord,” we see that trusting the Lord to deal with them all is essential, so that there be “IMMEDIACY” in our walk with God. The great truth here in the “preparation” is believing God to deal with ALL that would hinder, deter, weigh down, or be an obstacle to fellowship with Him. “No cloud between,” and no weight or care to load us down. What then is the Mission?
The mission of God is that intended result promised by God, that we should “SEE THE GLORY OF GOD.” It is HIS mission and purpose, with the promise “… and ALL flesh shall see it together.” This certainly points to a day when all of creation, past and future, will bow before the Lord Jesus declaring Him to be Lord of all. But does it not apply to “all flesh” today? Joel’s prophecy, which was fulfilled at Pentecost, specifically declares: “I will pour out My Spirit upon ALL FLESH.” (Joel 2:28) This means that the blessing is ours today, as a nation and individually. If we are truly trusting the Lord to prepare “the way of the Lord” in our hearts, He is willing and committed to show us His glory.
Dear Father, prepare Thy way in our hearts, and anoint our eyes to “see” Thy glory. You revealed your glory to Moses, and to Martha. Open our eyes to behold the Lord Jesus by the Spirit, and Your working in our circumstances. Then we shall declare Thy greatness, and others will turn to You. We thank and praise Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad