Preparing for His Coming
David Cawston
Isaiah 40:3-5
Introduction:
This is Palm Sunday!
This is the weekend that we remember Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem!
Whenever a king would visit a city or region, the people of that region would make sure that the roads the king would be coming on were in good repair. They would fill potholes
and widen the road where it was too narrow. Sometimes, as they would find a section of the road to be too humble for someone as important as a king to travel on, they would
build a new road.
That's the imagery Isaiah is using here. God would come again to Jerusalem. Once more His glory would be manifest there as it had been in previous days. The people needed
to prepare, to make a way for the Lord's return. They would do this by straightening the crooked things, by bringing equality, and setting right what was wrong.
Chapter 39 ends with Isaiah foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. They will destroy the city and the temple and will carry the Jews
away into exile.
Here in Chapter 40, Isaiah goes on to foretell their future restoration to their home. They will return and rebuild the city and temple. The walls of Jerusalem will be restored and their blessing will increase. God's judgment of their rebellion will be a thing of the past.
These verses speak of the returning exiles who will make the trip through the wilderness from Babylon back to their home. The physical journey will be but an outward
expression of their spiritual return to God, and His return to them. So Isaiah issues a call to the returning exiles to be as diligent in their spiritual preparation as they would be in packing their things to go home.
If these words sound familiar, it's because we read these same words in the Gospels of the ministry of John the Baptist. He was the forerunner of Christ who came to prepare Israel
Isaiah.
Every time before His visitation there is always a season ...
David Cawston
Isaiah 40:3-5
Introduction:
This is Palm Sunday!
This is the weekend that we remember Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem!
Whenever a king would visit a city or region, the people of that region would make sure that the roads the king would be coming on were in good repair. They would fill potholes
and widen the road where it was too narrow. Sometimes, as they would find a section of the road to be too humble for someone as important as a king to travel on, they would
build a new road.
That's the imagery Isaiah is using here. God would come again to Jerusalem. Once more His glory would be manifest there as it had been in previous days. The people needed
to prepare, to make a way for the Lord's return. They would do this by straightening the crooked things, by bringing equality, and setting right what was wrong.
Chapter 39 ends with Isaiah foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. They will destroy the city and the temple and will carry the Jews
away into exile.
Here in Chapter 40, Isaiah goes on to foretell their future restoration to their home. They will return and rebuild the city and temple. The walls of Jerusalem will be restored and their blessing will increase. God's judgment of their rebellion will be a thing of the past.
These verses speak of the returning exiles who will make the trip through the wilderness from Babylon back to their home. The physical journey will be but an outward
expression of their spiritual return to God, and His return to them. So Isaiah issues a call to the returning exiles to be as diligent in their spiritual preparation as they would be in packing their things to go home.
If these words sound familiar, it's because we read these same words in the Gospels of the ministry of John the Baptist. He was the forerunner of Christ who came to prepare Israel
Isaiah.
Every time before His visitation there is always a season ...
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