Sermon: Be Encouraged, Transformation Is Coming
Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10 (21st Century King James Version)
”The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those; the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon; it shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Introduction: Isaiah 35 was likely composed during the late 8th century BC (c. 701 BC), amidst the Assyrian crisis when King Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem and ravaged the Judean countryside. The prophecy serves as a message of hope and restoration for a battered people, contrasting the devastation with promises of divine relief, homecoming, and an eventual, glorious future.
Isaiah 35 is a prophecy of hope and restoration, describing how God will transform desolate lands into lush oases, heal the physically and spiritually blind, deaf, and lame, and establish a "Highway of Holiness" for His redeemed people to return to Zion with everlasting joy, signifying the coming of God's salvation and kingdom. Isaiah fully understood Israel’s pilgrimage as God’s special people in a world gone wild. Yet He promises that there will be rest for the weary. In spiritual deserts, we wonder if God is with us or if He is simply a mirage. Yet Scripture shows us that no matter where God’s people find themselves—in battle or prison, in valley or wilderness—one thing is sure: God is faithful.
Here Isaiah gives a very wonderful description of the earthly pilgrimage to the other side. This joyful march of the saints sees beyond the present troubles and disappointment, beyond their rebellion and sin. The saints of God oftentimes find themselves despised, oppressed and mistreated by this world because of their sin and disobedience. There will come a time when the people of God shall receive God’s greatest blessings in the person of Jesus his son. Isaiah encourages us by saying, “Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.” At a time when the world was in a mess, misery and strife everywhere, and no hope for a better tomorrow, God sent His Son to take away the sin of the world.
Every Spiritual blessing in heavenly places has been given to the believer in Christ Jesus, and through the church shall all men see the glory of God in the earth. Even though these things are hidden, Isaiah gives a glimpse of the glorious future of those who can find the way in a lost world. It is great encouragement to know that a way has been provided for us. In John 14:1-6, Jesus comforting his disciples, telling them not to be troubled but to trust in him. He promises to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house (heaven) and declares, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. Isaiah further assures us by saying, “And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness.” Jesus is that way!
God has not deserted us in our lostness to suffer abuse, trials, and persecution with no end in sight. God hears our prayers, sees our struggles, and will come to our rescue. God knows how to execute vengeance on our enemies. Those who trust in God, at times may be weak and afraid. We can be assured that God will come and save us. What comfort and encouragement are these words of prophecy!
Isaiah gives this prophecy when Israel was surrounded with no hope in sight. The advancing Assyrian army to the north, the powerful Babylonians to the east, and the Egyptians to the south, every advance led to Israel. Behind the Assyrians was nothing but destruction and barrenness. No one had been able to resist their power and strength. Hezekiah and the nation of Israel were weak, frail and fearful. The people were the people of God, but sin, guilt and shame had left them vulnerable. Yet they still had a faithful prophet and a godly king. God sent Isaiah with a word of encouragement. There is a future beyond this barrenness, look to the future God has planned for you. Transformation, restoration and renewal is on the way. Some see this prophecy as a view of Israel for the future; others see it as a view of Jesus Christ and His Church in this present world; still others see it as a glimpse of the millennial reign of Christ in the coming world. I know there are different opinions about this prophecy. Even though the prophecy may cover all the above views, I believe this prophecy is for those in a barren, unproductive place, being despised and persecuted with little hope. The people going through difficulties are the ones needing encouragement. So, be encouraged! How???
1. Be Encouraged Because We Know the Way, He is the Word. Encouragement in the desert come from knowing the transforming power of Christ and trusting the promises of God that cannot fail. The miracles we see around us attest to the power of the Gospel. We might not presently have every desire given or enjoy many riches of this world, yet we see miracles of transformation all around us. These shall be more abundantly multiplied as we walk in the way of holiness. Believers know what these miracles mean, for they have experienced salvation personally. They can testify, “I know I being Changed.” The gracious miracles in the ministry of Jesus reveals a God who is willing and able. God has sent and will send "streams in the desert." Salvation brings hope to desolate places and hearts. Through the power of the word, deliverance comes, people abandon the unclean for the clean, emptiness is replaced by fulness, and evil is replaced with goodness. Through divine grace of God, deserts become fruitful in every good work. As we share God’s word, the Lord opens the way of grace for every soul. Faith in Christ provides salvation from sin, its wages and penalty. Then salvation gives protection from Satan, and every foe he sends. Are we travelling this sacred road yet? Those who are, are redeemed by blood of Jesus and are striving after holiness. Those who love sin cannot even find the way. How thankful we ought to be on the way of holiness. It is available for all. How glad we ought to be that we have forsaken our sin, received Christ by faith and are walking in the way of life. The way is plain which means it is a well-worn path that can easily be recognized. Even the foolish can find it.
2. Be Encouraged By Knowing What God Has Planned Beyond the Mess. Encouragement In the desert comes through the knowledge that God has planned a glorious future for His children. They are on a holy pilgrimage. This holy pilgrimage will end in heaven with joy and peace that shall never end. Crowns of joy will be placed upon the heads of all who follow the Lamb of God, their mourning shall be ended, and they shall rest with him forever. Isaac Watts wrote a hymn about our journey, he says,
“Come, ye that love the Lord, And let your joys be known; Join in a song with sweet accord, Join in a song with sweet accord, And thus surround the throne, And thus surround the throne.
We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful, Zion: We’re marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God.
Let those refuse to sing, Who never knew our God: But children of the heavenly King, But children of the heavenly King, Shall speak their joys abroad, Shall speak their joys abroad.
The hill of Zion yields A thousand sacred sweets; Before we reach the heavenly fields, Before we reach the heavenly fields, Or walk the golden streets, Or walk the golden streets.”
Because we know what lies ahead, we should encourage others to go with us. Our family, father, mother, children, and associates. We are marching to the celestial city by the pathway of faith. The knowledge of what lies ahead should encourage us to fight on. Encouragement In the Desert Come Through seeing the success of God’s Word; Encouragement In the Desert Come Through Knowledge of what’s ahead. Isaac Watts says, believers enjoy a thousand sacred sweets all around us on our journey and then Heaven in the end. Finally, encouragement In the desert come through our personal affirmation. We must start saying what God is saying!
3. Be Encouraged By Adding Our Personal Support and Affirmation. Encouragement is both received and shared with others. “Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.”
In the desert land, anyone can become weak and fearful. The enemies are many, supporters are few and loneliness is real. The text says, say to the weak, say to the fearful, “be strong and fear not!” It may be hard to find encouragement in the desert. The journey is long, and friends may be few, yet we are not without encouragement. In 701 BC, King Hezekiah of Judah, supported by the prophet Isaiah, saw Jerusalem miraculously delivered from the invading Assyrian army led by Sennacherib. After Hezekiah prayed and spread a threatening letter before God, an angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night, forcing a retreat. This divine intervention saved Jerusalem, though many other Judean cities were already conquered. This was a foreshadow of the coming blessing of God restoring His people spiritually, physically and materially. Think about what to David in 1Sa 30:6 “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
In David’s desert, he was a fugitive from Saul with a group of stressed out followers, living in Ziglag of the Philistines, their homes had been overrun, their family members captured as slaves, their city destructed by fire, and everyone was in great distress. In these circumstances, they blamed David and one another. In the misery of their pain, they forgot all the good David had done. They forgot that David’s family had been captured too. As long as we have a good memory, we are not without encouragement. David remembered the Lord his God. Then David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. We are not told which Psalm David recalled, but may be Psalms 23, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anoints my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
God knew that their weakness and fear were real. But His words in our hearts are the perfect antidote. David started talking to God, then he talked to himself. We must say to ourselves, “be strong and fear not!” It is wonderful when others encourage us, speak blessings over our lives, support our efforts and appreciate our ministry. Sometimes, what you see in the desert is a mirage. This is a mirage, a type of optical illusion. The sun creates a layer of hot air near the ground. This hot air causes the light to bend (refract) upward, creating a reflection of the sky on the ground. Your brain assumes that the light has traveled in a straight line, and so you think you can see water. It is just a mirage. Don’t lose heart, God has provided springs in the desert. We must open our mouth and encourage ourselves. God will come and rescue me. God will come and save me. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.6 Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”
In deserts or in seasons of droughts, it is easy to forget God’s provisions. It is easy to think, “This is just too hard” or “The way is too far.” It is easy to agree with the voices of doom and gloom. Believers must learn to silence the voices of doom and gloom by encouraging themselves in the Lord. With the Lord on my side, I am going to make it and I will see miracles along the way! There is water for me even in the desert. There is some joy in this journey. I know that I will enjoy the blessedness of Heaven, but also, I am going to enjoy the journey!
“The hill of Zion yields a thousand sacred sweets; before we reach the heavenly fields, or walk the golden streets! We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful, Zion: We’re marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God.” Be Encouraged! Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.” Amen.
