521: Sorrow & Sighing Shall Flee Away | Tim Henderson

Introduction

You guys, as we close up our final message in Isaiah's advent today, we're going to be looking at Isaiah 35. That’s the passage that Stan just read in the best voice in this church. And you guys, I teach in a lot of contexts, and I just got to be honest with you, Isaiah 35 is a tough passage to preach because there's so much in here.

What I want is 90 minutes in small groups with each one of you, with lots and lots of self-discovery and a chance to really take this apart. And we don't get that. What we get is a 30-minute monologue, which is not nearly as good for a passage that is just so important and so rich. However, we will stick to our limits, and I'm going to do the best I can in 30 minutes to show you just this thing that is bursting with insight, so that's incredibly important so you can discover as much as you can.

Recall that we are looking at Advent this year through the eyes of Isaiah. And Isaiah is one of the most prescient men who ever lived. He was 700 years early to the game, and he knew that God loves to rescue the guilty. He loves to bring escape to those who have been trapped. Isaiah knew that God likes to rescue in surprising ways. He likes to work through unlikely children, bringing life out of death and strength out of weakness.

As Sloop spoke last week, looking at our last passage from Isaiah, we looked at Isaiah 11 and that God likes to bring stumps. Oh, nope. Nope, false. He likes to bring shoots out of stumps, but I think it looks like it's cut down and dead and it's over. He likes to bring new life out of that. God loves a good surprise and he loves none better than victory from defeat.

Context of the Passage

Our passage here this morning, Isaiah 35, is only half of a double set of chapters, right? Isaiah 35, really properly, it should be taught right alongside Isaiah 34. We don't have time to do that, but I want you to understand. I'm just indulging me for at least a minute so you kind of understand where 35 fits in this whole thing.

Isaiah 34 and 35 together form the climactic conclusion to the question that Isaiah has been answering basically since like chapter 7, chapter 7 through 12. He really is posing this question: can God be trusted? Is he trustworthy? Can I rely on him? Can I depend on him? And of course, I mean, this is the Bible and so of course Isaiah's answer that is yes, all right?

But you guys, we've got to acknowledge that it is a fair question, at least it's a reasonable question or at the very least it is a common question. The world is full of evidence. The God is trustworthy. The world is full of things that point to his benevolence, right? Our planet. It just has abundant food and oxygen. It's an environment where people can flourish. Our bodies are very, like our very selves heal from injury and illness. We can suffer terrible things and then overcome them. The fact that our bodies heal is so surprising. He places us in families so they won't be alone. He has given us senses that are capable of producing exquisite pleasures that are really unnecessary, and he has revealed himself and he has made a way so that banished persons would not remain estranged from him.

However, the world is also filled with evidence that he is not trustworthy. And if Isaiah 34 and 35 are going to make any sense, we just have to be honest about this. You guys, there are a thousand ways to suffer. There is pediatric cancer, tapeworms, starvation. Injustice reigns in so many corners, whether it comes in the form of a thug with a gun or a dictator with an army. There is heartbreak and poverty and unemployment and loneliness. As the poets have said, nature is red in tooth and claw. And in the case of Israel and Judah, sometimes there are invading armies that conquer your homeland, kill most of you, and disperse you for 70 years of exile and banishment, with images of your temple being destroyed.

Is God trustworthy? You guys, the people of God living in 700 B.C. and the people of God living in 2025 A.D. all need help to make sense of the fact that there is conflicting or at the very least confusing data on this question. You probably need help to make sense of it too, because most of us have moments or seasons or chronic circumstances that are puzzling to say the least. But the most important part of a story, the most important part of any story is: how does it end? How does this story end?

Someone says the good guys win and the bad guys lose. If you're paying attention, you might wonder, yeah, but win exactly? And are you sure? Because right here, in the middle of the story, it doesn't seem like it. The Bible reflects on that over and over and over again. This pairing, Isaiah 34 and 35, is one of the most pointed places where it does. The question that Isaiah is exploring is: will all of the mad, mad suffering of this world finally be explained? Will it be compensated? Is God really in charge and is He actually bringing this chaotic, sin-and-suffering-filled world to a happy outcome? That is the question that Isaiah is seeking to answer in 34 and 35.

Now, Isaiah 34, which is not our passage this morning, but just indulge me for a minute, Isaiah 34 is about the justice of God against His enemies. The bull's eye of it is Edom, which is a place, or it used to be a place, honestly, it's not a place anymore, that is emblematic, it's representative of all of the wicked nations that hate God, that hate the people of God. If you read through Isaiah 34, you'll see that it begins talking about like all the nations, and then we're just kind of specifying Edom, okay?

This language, what's going on in Isaiah 34 against Edom, is really important. In fact, John, who's going to write Revelation, is going to mine Isaiah 34 heavily for his depiction of God's ultimate justice against His enemies. There's tons of imagery in Revelation that is all rooted here in Isaiah 34. So the language that you'll be familiar with, perhaps, of sulfur, of unquenchable fire, of burning pitch, of complete obliteration, of smoke rising forever. If you know Isaiah, I mean, if you know Revelation, those are all images that John uses. It's all of it, you guys, is sourced here in Isaiah 34, okay?

It is an ominous passage. Isaiah 35, though, is its mirror inverse, and that's the one that we're going to look at. Isaiah 35 is not about justice for the enemies of God. It is about lavish mercy toward those who have come under His gracious reign, when He finally comes to restore all things. John uses this material just as much in Revelation, and as we walk through it, I think you will notice some of these images that get picked up in Revelation that kind of flavor the story that John will tell there, okay?

This, I’m telling you, Isaiah 34 and 35, probably relatively unknown to most people, but this is high-grade content. Chapter 35 in particular is very worth knowing and savoring and hoping in. In fact, I would suggest to you, it is probably the single most important passage in the entire Old Testament if you want to know how the story ends. If you want to know the infinite joy that awaits those that have come under His gracious reign, Isaiah 35 is the absolute bullseye. And the New Testament relies on it in painting this picture, okay?

Isaiah 35: The Hope of Restoration

So I'm going to read the whole, I'll read it to you in a second, but when I do, I want you to watch for four images, all right? First image is of a desert that sings, and it rejoices in a riot of color. Second image is of a hospital where miracles are performed. Third is the image of a secret supply of water that breaks forth to flood a dry and thirsty land, and then fourth is an exclusive highway, upon which no evil, ravenous, or foolish thing may travel, okay?

Here in all of its glory, one image at a time, is Isaiah 35, verse 1:

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.

First image is big picture, this is the general one, this is just kind of the overarching framework. Isaiah is conjuring the sense of joy and gladness, so there's a sudden rush of color and sound; it's glory and it's splendor.

When he cites Carmel and Sharon, those probably don't mean anything to you because why would we know about these places? They're the most fertile places in Israel. It's where there's flowers growing, where the food is abundant, where everything is rich and lavish, okay?

It is, I was trying to think, what is the American version of Carmel and Sharon? It's probably Kauai, if I had to guess, okay? If you guys know your Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is the garden island. If anybody has been to Kauai, it's the most beautiful place in the world.

This is what he says: what's coming is paradise, loveliness. And notice the immediate implication of it. It concerns weak knees, weak hands, shaking knees, and anxious hearts. Look at verse 3:

"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way, and say to those with fearful hearts—"

We'll see what they say in a minute, hold on to that, but just notice, these are all markers of fear. Your hands are shaking, your knees are trembling, right? Your heart is afraid, right?

Have you ever been afraid? Do you remember the last time, do you hear a season in which you were afraid? I believe you know that I had two really miserable years when I left Penn State Crew before we came to Roanoke. We spent two years in Princeton and it was the darkest time of my life, and I was afraid.

And when I look back on that time, what I remember, what was kind of imprinted in me, two things. Number one, that fear is incredibly persuasive. I could not, I was just incapable of seeing future happiness. Like it was just over, and I was just so afraid and scared and I was persuaded. The second thing that I learned is that fear is a liar. Fear is a liar. But at the time I just believed the lies because it's a good liar.

With this desert that sings, it sings to frightened people, right? It sings to alleviate fear, but I want you to notice what makes it sing, okay? John, I mean what Isaiah has been doing here, he's painting this picture. It’s everything that's wonderful in his life and his life, but he saves until verse 4 the reason that the fears subside, the reason that fears give way.

Look at what makes it sing. Verse 4:

"Say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear, your God will come. He will come with vengeance, with divine retribution. He will come to save you.'"

You guys, this is it. This is it. Isaiah is writing about—and what the desert will sing about—is the coming of Christ. The rejoicing and the shouting and the blossoming and the blooming and the gladness and the glory and the splendor and the joy. It's all about one thing: it is about the return of Christ that he is coming back.

Peter will call this the revealing of his glory. John calls it simply his appearing. James will call it the Lord's coming, while the author of Hebrews simply calls it the day. Paul will talk about it the most, calling it at various times the coming, the day he comes, the day of Christ, the day of Christ Jesus, the day of the Lord Jesus, the day of redemption, the splendor of his coming, and my personal favorite, the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are very own, eager to do what is good.

Paul talked about it the most of all the apostles, but Jesus talked about it the most of anyone. He talks about it over and over again. He says:

"I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you."

He said that we would see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory, and he told countless stories about his coming. He told stories about a bridegroom and ten foolish virgins. He told a story about a vineyard owner with rebellious tenants. He told stories of a great judgment where the people are gathered and then separated like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He told multiple stories about a long wait with a sudden surprise that we'll be seeing from east to west.

And here, in Isaiah 35, we get an insight, we get a foretelling of what will happen when he comes. Look at the next image, verses 5 and 6. We find a hospital of miracles. Verse 5:

"Then will the eyes of the blind be open and the ears of the deaf unstopped, then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout for joy."

Notice, you guys, the net effect of all of it is joy. In fact, note, fear does not merely give way to comfort. It gives way to joy.

This flood of relief and happiness is how all the bad stuff is unmade. Have you ever seen, I don't know if you're a YouTube video feeder, but the same thing that feeds me—have you ever seen videos of kids or even adults getting a cochlear implant and hearing for the first time? Have you seen these things?

The audiologist is all full of knobs and the kid gets to hear their mom's voice or someone gets to hear their husband's voice for the first time in their lives and invariably everybody just starts crying, right? Because there's so much joy of all that has been withheld from you and now this rush of happiness as it is yours. There will be this time where all the badness and the brokenness and our failings and our weaknesses and our suffering—all of it just gets reversed.

In fact, speaking of reverses, look at the next image in verse 6. The image here is of a shock of water in a desert.

"Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sands will become a pool. The thirsty ground bubbling springs and the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow."

You guys know what's the definition of a desert? What's a desert? What makes a desert a desert? It's dry. It’s no rain. Technically, it's less than 10 inches of rain a year. That makes this a desert.

And every one of these lines of this stanza is a reversal of that. In this desert, in this waterless land, it says there will be water in the wilderness. Streams in the desert. A pool flooding the burning sands. Bubbling springs on thirsty ground. Reeds and papyrus, which PS only grow on water, where the jackals once lay.

You guys, this is vivid imagery of reversal, of life out of death. It’s not just that the Sahara, when Jesus comes back, will be an ocean again as it used to be. But rather that all of the sad things come untrue. Last week, Sloop stole my line because it's pretty hard for anybody who's a token fan to read imagery of this—Isaiah 35 in particular, but anything that anticipates the return of Christ—without thinking of the best and highest moment in Lord of the Rings, the words that come from Samwise Gamgee.

Now, Dylan, where are you, bro? Are you in here? Dylan, I think you're in here somewhere and he's reading. There you are. Cover your ears, okay? This is the spoiler, spoiler. Dylan's reading Lord of the Rings and he doesn't want to know how it ends. And so my perspective is it's been out for like 60 years so you're on your own. But so go like this, la, la, la, la, okay? So you ready? Are you safe?

Are you safe? So after the ring is destroyed and Frodo and Sam are basically left for dead on the edge of a volcano, it kind of closes the scene and you're like, "Well, good job, guys. But you're dead." And then Sam wakes up. Here's what happens: with Sam awakening, he found that he was lying on some soft bed, but over him gently swayed wide beach and boughs, and through their young leaves, sun-like glimmer, green and gold. All the air was full of a sweet mingled scent.

He remembered that smell. The fragrance of a Thillion. "Bless me," he mused, "How long have I been asleep?" So the scent had borne him back to the day when he had lit his little fire into the sunny bank and for the moment, all else between was out of waking memory. He stretched and drew a deep breath: "Why, what a dream I've had," he muttered, "I'm glad to wake."

He sat up and then saw Frodo was lying beside him and slept peacefully, one hand behind his head and the other resting on the coverlet. He was the right hand, and the third finger was missing. Full memory flooded back and Sam cried aloud, "It wasn't a dream, then—where are we?" And a voice spoke softly behind him in the land of a Thillion and in the keeping of the king: "And he awaits you."

And with that, Gandalf stood before him, robed in white, his beard now gleaming like pure snow in the twinkling of the leafy sunlight. "Well, Master Samwise, how do you feel?" he said.

But Sam lay back and stared with open mouth and for a moment, between bewilderment and great joy, he could not answer. At last he gasped, "Gandalf, I thought you were dead!" But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What has happened to the world?

A great shadow has departed, said Gandalf, and then he laughed and the sound was like music or like water in a parched land. And as he listened, the thought came to Sam that he had not heard laughter, the pure sound of merriment, for days upon days without count. It fell upon his ears like the echo of all the joys he had ever known. But he himself burst into tears.

Then, as the sweet rain will pass down a wind of spring and the sun will shine out the clearer, his tears ceased and his laughter welled up and, laughing, he sprang from his bed.

How do I feel? he cried. Well, I don't know how to say it. I feel, I feel—and he waved his arms in the air— I feel like spring after winter and sun on the leaves like trumpets and harps and all the songs I have ever heard.

That is what Isaiah 35 is talking about. That right there. And I'm telling you right now, this is where I wish this was not a sermon but a Bible study and there were five of us and I could look you in the eye— it is imperative that you know that that is your future. You will not survive this shadowy land, you will check out, you will find some strategy to make life work unless you know, it is urgently important that you know that we who are hidden in Christ are winning what we're losing right now.

We will win and when we do, we win everything. We win it all. It is urgently important that you know that the plans that God has for the world, the story that he is telling, will end well, it will end better than you can possibly imagine. And it is crucial that you make sure and that you know that you will be part of it.

Look at the fourth image. Fourth image in Isaiah 35 is that of an exclusive highway, all right? Verse 8:

"And a highway will be there; it will be called the way of holiness. It will be for those who walk on that way—the unclean will not journey on it, wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there, but only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will