Isaiah 40:3-5
A High Way For Our God
June 23, 2024
Isaiah is writing about the coming of the Messiah. These verses were partially fulfilled through the ministry of John the Baptist. Matthew 3:3 says In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'" We will see their ultimate fulfillment when Jesus comes in His second advent, to rule as the King of Kings, and sets things right in the world. In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering Servant. In His second coming, Jesus will be the conquering King. In His first coming, Jesus arrived in the most humble of circumstances. In His second coming, Jesus will arrive with the armies of heaven at His side. While these verses are primarily about the future, they also point out the preparations the church must make for the Kingdom if we want to see the Lord move among us in a time of power and glory. It is these preparations that will allow us to contrast “a high-way” verses “a low-way”. God’s “High Way” always stands in contradiction to the World’s “Low Way.” As individuals and as the church of Jesus Christ we are called to “make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” According to the Prophet Zechariah, Jesus will set His feet on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and rule for 1,000 years over all the nations of the earth. While we wait for His return there must be:
I. A LIFTING “Every valley shall be exalted”
Isaiah refers to a “filling process.” A valley is “a crevice, a gutter, or a low place.” This speaks to us about the places in our lives that are lacking; the low places in our lives. We all have low spots in our walk with the Lord. We all have places that we have allowed to become hollowed out and shallow. Those places must be filled in and lifted up before the glory of God can truly be revealed in your life. For some it is a Spiritual Valley: Prayer life, Bible reading, Church attendance, Unforgiveness, Guilt, Anger or Self-righteousness. For some it is a Physical Valley: Financial problems; Marital issues, Substance addictions, the Hardships or any relationship or activities that have pulled us away from God. We must identify those low places that need to be filled in with the Fruit of the Spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control). If we are willing to lift up by filling in the low places in our lives with the excellency of God, we will experience Him moving in our walk for the good of the Kingdom of Heaven.
II. A LOWERING “Every mountain and hill shall be made low”
This refers to a humbling process. A mountain or hill is something that stands taller than the landscape around it. Throughout history, mountains have always been barriers to man’s progress. They have hindered his efforts to explore his world and go where he wants to go. There are many potential mountains in our walk for the cause of Christ. Pride is a Mountain, Fear is a Mountain, Worry is a Mountain, Hypocrisy is a Mountain, Guilt is a Mountain and Unforgiveness is a Mountain. But in Mark 11:22 Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. We must work to tear down the mountains that stand between us and what God wants to do in our lives. Everyone here has mountains in their life. We all have attitudes, actions and passions that need to be brought down so that God can move in like He desires to. A preacher once said, “I have noticed that when mountains are brought down, low places are filled in.” We must look at our lives today and identify the high places that stand as mountains and hills between us and the Kingdom agenda.
III. A LINING UP “The crooked shall be made straight”
This refers to getting things lined up like they should be. The words “crooked” comes from a word that means “deceitful, sly, or slippery”. It speaks of a road that is deceptive in nature. It promises one thing and delivers another. It appears to be a level, easy way, but when traveled, it proves to be hazardous, and it always leads to a fall. Some of us have gotten ourselves into relationships that have led us away from God. That road is crooked and needs to be straightened out. Some of us have allowed work or recreation or some pursuit for advancement to lead us away from the Lord. Those are dangerous roads and need to be abandoned for the straight road of serving the Lord. Some of us are walking the crooked path of arrogance. We refuse to bow to the Lordship of Jesus in our lives. We hear His Word and turn a deaf ear to His call. That is a dangerous path! It needs to be abandoned for the path of humility in the service to the Lord.
IV. A LEVELING OUT “The rough places [shall be made] smooth”
This refers to a pressing or squashing process. The word “rough” refers to that which is “impassible or being bound up.” It can even have the idea of being “dubious or doubtful”. It speaks to those areas that are questionable and need to be “squashed!” It speaks to those places in life where we know we could do better, but we don’t. The Bible tells us very clearly how to handle those areas of life. It says, “Abstain from the very appearance of evil,” 1 Thessalonians 5:22. The Word of God is telling us that we need to examine our lives and deal with those places where we are a little rough around the edges. We need to address those areas where we tolerate things that need to be confessed and forsaken. Again, we all have those places in our lives that are rough. We allow ourselves a mile when the Lord has forbidden even an inch. We allow things like gossip, envy, anger, unforgiveness, laziness, tempers, habits, tardiness, prayerlessness or impurity in our talk or our thoughts or our motives. I am talking about things that we often see nothing wrong with, or that we excuse as our own “guilty pleasure or little weakness.” We all have rough places in our walk with the Lord, but they must be smoothed out for the kingdom.
V. A LOOKING “And all flesh shall see it together”
As we take the High Way and reject the Low Way we ought to be looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God because Revelations 1:7 says Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Jesus' second coming will be visible and victorious. All people will see Him arrive, and they will know it is Jesus. Even the ones that pierced Him, the Nation of Israel will know that this Jesus was the same Jesus they had rejected. But when He comes again, they will be hand in hand with us as we welcome our King of Kings and Lord of Lords Who says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "Who Is and Who Was and Who Is to come, the Almighty.” Let the truth about Christ penetrate your life, deepen your faith in Him, and strengthen your commitment to follow Him no matter what the cost.
