Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Every country in the world has its heroes. Every country has a story that is highlighted by very significant events and special people who did and said things which helped write the story of that country. A few weeks ago we watched the world’s athletes gather in Paris for the Olympics. Amazingly Israel had an Olympic team this year and they actually won 6 medals in Paris, more than ever before. As the Israeli athletes return home, sadly they return to an Israel at war. An Israel seeking to defend itself from several aggressor nations determined to eliminate the people of Israel and conquer the land of Israel.
Now pause and ponder that statement, and think about what it would be like for you to live in a place like that! History tells us this is not the first time Israel has faced such aggression, nor will it be the last.
Throughout the history of Israel God raised up His spokesmen to bring His messages to the people of Israel and their leaders, especially the kings. Of course Moses was the first and then years later Samuel, and then Elijah. But perhaps the most significant of these great prophets during the times of the Kings was Isaiah and in the past few days we’ve seen Isaiah very much involved in the life and times of king Hezekiah.
We know this great man of God Isaiah received his calling from God and began his life of being God’s spokesman in the year king Uzziah died, which we believe to be about 740bc. (Is. 6:1) Therefore Isaiah was God’s anointed and courageous spokesman to king Jotham, son of king Uzziah, and then also to his son king Ahaz, the wicked king who shuttered the doors of the Temple and outlawed worship of God in Jerusalem! 2 Chron. 28:24,25)
We presume Ahaz had little time for Isaiah and largely ignored the prophet. Nonetheless Isaiah received messages from God and wrote them offering them to Ahaz regardless if he was welcome in the palace or not! There was great joy in Jerusalem when the 16 year terrifying reign of king Ahaz concluded and his son Hezekiah radically and immediately turned Jerusalem and the people of Judah back to God.
Hezekiah elevated the prophet Isaiah to a position of being the honored and highly regarded prophet of Almighty God in Israel. Isaiah was very influential in the life and reign of king Hezekiah and we’ve spent some exciting days looking at Isaiah’s account of the remarkable years of God’s blessing during the reign of king Hezekiah. (Is. 36-39)
Following the miraculous healing of king Hezekiah from his deathbed, the last message the prophet Isaiah had for king Hezekiah was a grave warning of the future destruction of Jerusalem. (Is. 39:5-8) That horrific event happened about 110 years later when the Bablyonians demolished Jerusalem and the temple, and dragged thousands of Jews off to Babylon.
The very next line the prophet Isaiah wrote begins chapter 40 which is one of his most famous messages of future hope for Jerusalem. Do you see it begins with these welcome words: “Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” (Is. 40:1,2)
Isaiah makes it clear he is receiving instructions from God, as will other prophets after him, to speak good news, hopeful news, comforting news to God’s people because there would come a time future when the judgment God had warned about would be completed and God’s hand of blessing would return upon His people.
God wanted His people to know that those who would be taken as captive to Babylon would not be forgotten by God and He would bring them back and help them rebuild their city and their Temple! That story is told by Ezra in Ezra chapters 1-6. We’ll look more closely at that in a few weeks.
As amazing as that prediction was from God, Isaiah kept writing and the very next verse is an even more amazing prediction: “A voice of one calling: ‘in the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low, the rough ground shall become level and the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Is. 40:3-5)
Isaiah could not have imagined it, but 700 years later a man named John was calling Jews to repent and prepare for the Messiah. As they responded John was baptizing them in the Jordan river. Religious leaders from Jerusalem went out to the wilderness area where John was and they confronted John by asking him WHO he was and why he was calling people to prepare for Messiah?
These students of the prophets of course knew and revered Isaiah’s chapter 40 so they were shocked speechless when John the Baptizer responded by saying: “I am NOT the Messiah…I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness. ‘Make straight the way for the LORD.” (John 1:20,23) Do you recognize that as a direct quote from Isaiah?
Stunned, the Pharisees finally caught their breath and pressed John with another question: “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah…?” John responded with a very clear proclamation that fulfilled what Isaiah predicted: “I baptize with water, but among you stands One you do not know. He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am unworthy to untie.” (John 1:24-27)
Matthew tells us John added one more very important statement of explanation about this unnamed Person who was among them: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Matt. 3:11) Do you recognize who John was talking about my friends? Of course it is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, who came into our world to proclaim God’s Truth, to BE God’s living truth and to give His life as a ransom, paying our sin condemnation price so God could forgive our sin and set us free from our sin bondage. (John 3:16; Romans 3:23; 6:23)
The resurrected Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16,17) And do you remember the Holy Spirit came upon them with tongues of fire at Pentecost? (Acts 2:3)
Oh my friends can you imagine how excited the prophet Isaiah would have been if he could see the fulfillment of what he wrote in Isaiah 40:1-5 as clearly as you and I can see it from our vantage point of summer 2024? We need to praise God today, do you agree my friends? Here’s a great worship song and tomorrow we’ll meet again with Isaiah and some of his remarkable prophecies…
Today’s Scripture: Isa. 40:1-5.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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