The Ransomed Shall Return
Isa 35:1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,
Isa 35:2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
Isa 35:3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
Isa 35:4 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.”
Isa 35:5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Isa 35:6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
Isa 35:7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
Isa 35:8 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.
Isa 35:9 No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there,
Isa 35:10 and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
1 The joyful flourishing of Christ’s kingdom. 3 The weak are encouraged by the virtues and privileges of the gospel.
The Ransomed Shall Return
Isa 35:1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,
This chapter presents an inspired and inspiring picture of the earth in its restored state. The arid and waste regions of the world in its present state will be no more.
Verses 1, 2 portray the beauty and fragrance of a land that blooms again after being freed from the curse of sin.
Isa 35:2 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
The Lebanon Mts., Mt. Carmel, and the Plain of Sharon were noted for their verdure and beauty. In ch. 33:9 a curse had stripped these regions of their verdure and reduced them to a wilderness state. Now, however, they were to be restored by God to their Edenic beauty (see chs. 41:19; 55:12, 13; 65:10).
Isa 35:3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
God’s messengers are to encourage their fellow men to look forward with confidence to the glories of the earth made new and to trust in His power to deliver them from this present world cursed by sin.
Isa 35:4 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.
With vengeance. That is, upon His enemies, but to “save” His faithful people (see Matt. 25:32, 34, 41). The disposal of the enemies of God’s people prepares the way for their deliverance, and with the knowledge of this, His children may take courage and hope (see Isa. 25:9; John 14:1–3; Titus 2:13).
Isa 35:5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
This promise will be true both literally and figuratively. Men who are spiritually blind (ch. 6:9, 10) will have the eyes of their spiritual vision opened and the ears of their moral understanding unstopped. In the earth made new all physical infirmities will likewise be healed.
Isa 35:6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
This will be true both literally and figuratively (see on v. 5). For the figurative application see Ps. 46:4; Zech. 13:1; John 4:10; John 7:37, and for the literal fulfillment see Eze. 47:1–12; Rev. 22:1,
Isa 35:7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
Fertility and beauty will characterize even the regions of earth that are now sterile and barren.
Isa 35:8 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.
An highway. See on chs. 11:16; 19:23–25. Had the people of Israel been faithful to God, the Land of Promise would have been restored to its Edenic fertility and beauty, as here pictured in vs. 1–4, 7, and sickness and disease would have disappeared from among them, as portrayed in vs. 5, 6.
From all nations sincere seekers for truth would travel “The way of holiness” up to Jerusalem to learn of the true God. “The way of holiness” would not be for “the unclean,” or insincere, yet it would be so clearly marked that even the simplest of men, if honest in their search for truth, would not lose their way.
All “the ransomed of the Lord” would eventually “come to Zion” along this highway “with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads” (see on Isa. 35:10; cf. Isa. 52:1; Joel 3:17). But Israel proved unfaithful, and accordingly forfeited the glorious destiny that might have been hers, and the promises of this chapter belong to the church today (MH 159, 160; see pp. 35, 36).
Isa 35:9 No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there,
In ancient times lions were a serious menace to those who journeyed through wild and desolate regions. But God assured a safe journey to those who would travel to Jerusalem along His holy way.
Isa 35:10 and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
The ransomed. That is, those of all nations who accepted salvation.
With singing. The journey to Zion is a happy one. Pilgrims on their way to attend the feasts at Jerusalem went with hearts full of joy and thanksgiving to God.
They sang psalms of praise (see Ps. 121; Ps. 122) as they looked forward to the happy hours they would spend in the sacred city, in fellowship with one another and in communion with God. This was to be the experience of “the ransomed” of all nations.