Isaiah 35:8-10 – The Great Highway
In these last three verses of chapter 35, we have a picture of a great highway. It’s looking ahead to a time when God’s people are redeemed. The people of God, redeemed by Him, shall come to their true journey’s end. They shall be able to go to their true home, to their Father’s house.
This is all looking, of course, at things in the context of the coming Assyrian invasion. The Assyrians, by the power of God, would be driven off from the very gates of Jerusalem. And in a miraculous way, God would in several generations bring down an even mightier enemy, the Babylonians. God would destroy them and would return the people to their home. And that coming home was a joyous time in many ways. But this is also looking forward to the true and heavenly Zion of God. The highway that we’re looking at leads there.
The wonderful thing about this highway is who travels it and who doesn’t. We read here that the unclean shall not pass over. They may pass alongside. Have you ever been traveling down a highway, and you see somebody next to you on a side road, and they look like they are rather going the same way. But eventually that road turns off somewhere, and they’re not on the road with you. So it is here, the unclean shall not pass over. Those who are made clean, those who have had the sickness of sin healed, those who have had the dry death of their iniquity quenched by the water of the Spirit, these different ones are the ones who will travel upon it.
We read here that whoever walks the road, although a fool, should not go astray. When you and I read that, what comfort there is, for what fools we are sometimes, either from our own misguided judgment or our ignorance. And the picture here is of someone who’s veering a little bit down the highway. But there are built in guardrails, and we may get our scrapes, and we may get a little bit of damage, but we’re kept in it. We go on the way.
We read here that no lion should be there, nor any ravenous beast go upon it. What lion might we be talking about? Peter calls Satan a roaring lion, who goes about to devour. If we’re truly traveling upon this road, he cannot get to us.
Questions
- What are some characteristics of this highway?
- Where does this highway lead?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks that God preserves us and keeps us on the right path.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.