Tuesday, December 8, 2020
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.
Isaiah 35:1-2
These verses of the scripture talked about the restoration of the land and of the people. The wilderness and wasteland shall be glad for them and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose: after the judgment on the nations described in Isaiah 34, that God will bring a beautiful restoration.
It will blossom abundantly and rejoice: this was true in the immediate term when Judah was restored after the invasion of the Assyrians was turned back. It is true in longer term too, when modern day Israel has turned the wilderness and the wasteland into productive farms and truly has made the desert blossom as the rose. It will be true in the ultimate fulfillment of prophecy when God restores the ecology of the world after the end of the great tribulation and the battle of Armageddon
Verse 1 of Isaiah, states that the wilderness is a solitary place. The land of the church’s enemies, which had enjoyed many external blessings and comforts, shall be turned into desolate wilderness, as was declared in the foregoing Chapter. So on the contrary, Emmanuel’s land or the seat of God’s church and people, which formerly was barren and despised like a wilderness, shall flourish exceedingly. We have more than once had occasion to observe that by the wilderness is generally meant the Gentile world: now it is here foretold that through the influence of the gospel and the grace of God, it should put on new face and become like a pleasant and fruitful garden. The multitudes of converts to the true religion should be made there in and a vast number of spiritual and Holy worshippers should be raised up to God in it.
Verse 2 of Isaiah explains that it shall be glad for them. This is evidently a beautiful poetic figure by which the wilderness is represented as expressing joy. The sense is the desolate mortal world would be filled with joy on account of the blessings which are foretold in this prophecy.
And the blossom as rose means that the word rendered rose. Whatever the meaning of the word, the rose will convey the idea of beauty compared with the solitude and desolation of the desert. The word “rose” is being a flower better known conveys a more striking image of beauty and there is no impropriety in retaining it.
The picture showed that God is able in everything, everywhere and he can make a way where there is no way. God brings joy where there is no joy. He gives the weak strength and comfort.
Vianney Kayimbula