Isaiah 40 is a demarcation in the prophecies of Isaiah, cousin of Royalty, High Priest. Here we see revealed in phases the changes which would come when the Messianic ministry be revealed in Jesus. No prophet in the Bible reveals so vividly as does Isaiah. Not only the Messianic ministry but the Church. Here Isaiah 40 shows the reversals that comes when God begins something new.
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 43:18–19.
Here it is explicit, changes. Do not consider the things of old, they have no bearing nor are they similar to what has come before. We need to do this exercise, as Paul did in Philippians 3, who consigned his past achievements as dung compared to the new things that God was taking him into.
Forget the past. Consign it to the place of learning and acquiring. God declares “Behold” which is a challenge to perceive the changes, not just that there will be change, but what they will look like. This makes Isaiah distinct to his contemporaries. He not only discerns, but he sees and touches that which God shows him. In Isaiah 40 he prophesies that those things we consider being “higher” like hills and mountains, in this new thing, will be brought low. All those we respected being leaders and authority in spiritual things will be brought to a low point. And the low, valleys, those without expression or a voice shall be lifted up for this new thing. God is preparing a new people to receive this new work of God.
Just like Mary, young in age, inexperienced is brought into the new thing, carrying it within her being, to bring it to birth, it being Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord. In this way this new thing must ENTER our spiritual womb, and be nurtured by the Holy Spirit. In this new thing, one striking issue is both the songs of Mary and Hannah, in that they explain this same process of the hills and valleys. They come straight through Psalm 113, the needy on the dunghill, being made to sit with princes and kings. With Hannah, they are princes, with Mary they are kings. Hannah is dealing with the prophets who would sit with princes, with Mary her own son, the Son of God is above the Kings, so whosoever is in Him, will sit with earthly kings, as He has been enthroned on the Father’s Holy Hill; Psalm 2.
And we see this preparation through the many series here on this website, where we see in the Christmas story that the spiritual preparation was not done with the priesthood or with Herod, but those God selected. The times in which we live we will see the high and mighty suddenly lose their place, and God brings up those we would not consider.
We see a modern case of a different kind, Dubai, a city that in 1980 was no more than a fishing village, yet now is a marvellous hub of economic, tourist destination. This is the sort of processes God is bringing into being.
The fact is if you lower mountains, and raise valleys you get a flat landscape, so that all can walk and journey with ease, and light can fall in fulness. Dubai in the picture is mostly flat so easily populated with marvellous architecture. This example is to demonstrate that more than the case of Dubai, God also takes a hold of us, in a matter of years He moulds us, trains us, takes us through great processes. God breaks the class system, and the superior attitudes of the rich, powerful so that with those who would never be considered to be become major players in the moves of God.
One example shines out, Evan Roberts, who for 11 years had one prayer, “bend me.” When the revival broke out in Loughor, in South Wales, he was not even present, yet they called for him, and he was able to discern, flow with the Lord. Over 100 thousands souls were saved in the 1904 revival. Evan Roberts was not a priest, or minister per se, but God had already prepared him. Revival is like that Isaiah 40 experience, the hills and valleys are brought low, with the same objective, seek God’s presence. God did not favour one over the other.
“I will make a way in the wilderness” means that God would focus the start of His work in the very place where there were no temples, nothing. Yet the way would be revealed and provided for. This in a sense is the place of prayer, for without this, our efforts would be an extension of our own vanity. Prayer makes us a discerning people. Prayer makes us put Jesus, the Father, the Spirit in the centre. Making Him before us, beyond us so we can behold Him.
“And rivers in the desert” the desert is dry, but digging down through prayer we reach the depths, where pure streams flow. In tapping into them, drawing them up we get a Isaiah 35 scenario, where the emptiness, deadness of the desert is replaced with new life. Jesus represents this in the new thing of the Father.
Concluding words.
Preparing the way of the Lord, is preparing conditions for His appearing, His visitation, His dwelling with us. The conditions need to be right for this to take place. Nothing better than abolishing classes and superior sectors of society. In God He considers all equal. The mountains of arrogance and pride must go, and the valleys of negativity and rejection must be broken by God lifting them up in honour and esteem. Let us prepare this way so Jesus can appear.
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