In the grief-torn world of exile, a word of comfort breaks through!
Our passage is the turning point of Isaiah, moving from judgment (Isaiah 1—39)
to hope (Isaiah 40—66). The end of exile is now in sight because God
has announced His intention to “set the prisoner free!” This text
comes to us as prophetic call, a summons to announce the good news of God’s
coming salvation. As in most call narratives, the prophet is reluctant to
announce this amazing good news to so fickle a people (vv. 6-8a). However,
everything turns on the faithfulness and enduring power of God’s Word
(8b). In a world closed to human possibility, God speaks newness. This is
creation language—or better, the language of new creation! “Let
there be light!” “The barren one shall give birth!” “Make
straight in the desert a highway for our God!” This is creation ex nihilo
and is only made possible by the generative power of God’s utterance.
This text also introduces us to “gospel” language.
The term “herald” in verse 9 (nrsv, etc.) is derived from the Hebrew
root basar (to bring glad tidings). God’s prophet is called to be an
evangelist—to bring good news to “wilderness people” whose
lives are marked by barrenness, pessimism, and despair. The good news consists
in this explosive proclamation, “Behold your God!” (KJV).
This points to the ministry of John the Baptist described in
the Gospels as an Isaiah-like voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare
the way of the Lord” (John 1:23, AMP). The Baptist gladly proclaims that
God is present in the ministry of Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world!” (v. 29, RSV). Advent heralds good news
that breaks into our wilderness world. “God is coming! Are we ready?”
Isaiah has given us 39 chapters of human need. The sinfulness
of the people has resulted in the judgment of God. Exile is a dark reality
that has emptied God’s people of energy and hope. All is wilderness,
barrenness, and emptiness. There is no anticipation of a good future, no possibility
of any power available to break the chains of Babylonian oppression. Seventy
years of captivity have numbed God’s people into despair! Our own sinfulness
has short-circuited the life-giving power of God. We have scanned the horizons
of human possibility and can see no way out.
Into this world of fixed futures and possibility-denying presents,
God speaks a word of comfort to Israel. They are still “my people,”
says God. The time of deliverance has finally come. Bondage gives way to exodus,
barrenness to birth, and exile to homecoming. Valleys will be lifted up, mountains
made low, uneven ground leveled, and rough places made plain. God’s glory
will be revealed in the eyes of all people. The prophet’s initial response
anticipates our own, “How can I bring this news to a people so fickle
and frail?” These people are not deserving of such amazing generosity!
And this is where the gospel has its way. Salvation does not depend on the
suitability or qualification of the people, but on the desire and resolve
of God to comfort, to restore, to bless, to forgive, to create “out of
nothing,” and to make all things new. The prophet announces the gospel
message: “Here is your God!”
The text speaks an imperative to us. “In the wilderness
prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our
God,” (v. 3, italics added). These two words (in Hebrew parallelism)
have a strong ethical content. “Prepare” comes from the root word
“face” and is usually translated “turn (one’s face toward),”
or we might say, “Face it!” The word translated “make straight”
comes from the root word “upright” and is often translated “honest,
righteous,” or we might say, “Be straight with me!” The announcement
of God’s arrival summons us to honest evaluation and action. Are we ready
for the coming of the Lord? Such a question invites us to take an honest inventory
of our relationships—with God, with our brothers and sisters in church,
and with our neighbors. Can we “face” all parties and “be straight”
with one another? The Advent season summons us to constant watchfulness, as
Peter declares, since “the day of the Lord will come like a thief . .
. what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness?”
(2 Peter 3:10-11).
(For a complete manuscript of this sermon, go to www.preachersmagazine.org.)
Several analogies could help in moving this sermon along. The announcement of a visit from the in-laws could produce a high level of “preparation.” The question “Will you marry me?” prompts a newly engaged couple to begin wedding preparations. We will take the good news of childbirth as our controlling metaphor for this Advent sermon. Begin with a situation of barrenness. Imagine a couple who has been trying for several years to have children. Complication ensues as the couple engages in all forms of human and medical technology but still does not conceive. The resulting despair that comes from facing the limits of human technology is analogous to Israel’s exile condition. There is no hope on the human horizon. “Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever” (vv. 7-8, boldface and italics added). There is only one resolution for our hopeless condition—the gospel news of God’s arrival. Against all odds and contrary to numbed resignation the couple receives a word from the doctor, “You’re going to have a baby!” This news evokes joyous celebration and sets the couple to energetic preparation for the arrival of their firstborn child. How liberating to set our preparation (ethical reorientations) in the context of celebration. It is not our work of preparation that allows for God’s visitation. It is the news of God’s gracious visitation that empowers the reorientation of our lives. This is the good news we sing: “Joy to the world! the Lord is come; / Let earth receive her King / Let every heart prepare Him room” (Isaac Watts). God is coming! Are we ready?
