Make Straight
Make Straight the Path • Sermon • Submitted
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In The Wilderness
In The Wilderness
In the first words of this passage we see a double statement concerning the comfort of the people of God. Isaiah uses a double statement to show the great need.
This is the divine command to the prophets. Nachămū (piel, literally, to cause to breathe again) is repeated, because of its urgency (anadiplosis, as in ; , , etc.)
Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 7, p. 391). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
In verse two the message is repeated tenderly to show the great importance that God wants His people to understand that their penalty is paid. The people of the time would have perhaps looked at this message much like we would look at a stint in the military; completing a term.
One thing that we should recognize and the people of the times knew, was that there was a price too be paid for sin. As we read through the Old Testament we find the cost of sin was only redeemable with blood.
Commentary on the Old Testament First Prophecy—Ch. 40
The turning-point from wrath to love has arrived. The wrath has gone forth in double measure.
Now in verse 3 we find that someone is crying out in the wilderness. Now Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years before John the Baptist was born, but the message is still the same. Isaiah was telling the people this message in his time; Get right with your God-you have been redeemed but you need to turn back. The truth of the matter is that God’s time and our time is not the same. Believe me there are many days of penalty for sin and redemption can seem so far away. But the Lord has given us his word so that we might read and understand. John came to make things right; at least to prepare us for what was to come. We are today waiting with great anticipation for what is to come.
In verse 4 we get a description of what will happen; this is what John was supposed to do, make the paths straight. We know that life is full of ups and downs, but a time is coming when the paths will be cleared. I visit with people all the time who struggle greatly with life; there seems to be no answer for their struggles, and yet the bible tells us that the day is coming. This is the good news that we need to preach to the world, but don’t we struggle with the message as well?
Verse 5,
When the way is prepared for Jehovah the Coming One, the glory of the God of salvation will unveil itself
Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 7, p. 393). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
John is making a way for the glory of the Lord Jehovah to realized. Think about the ministry of the church. We may not ever glorify ourselves and by all rights we should never aspire to do so, but are we making a way to glorify the Lord? Yes!
Verse 6-8, Cry out! but we will often say what shall we cry out? The message here is that humans are but feeble and the body withers but the word of God will endure.