Isaiah proclaimed the coming of the Lord, and His forerunner, John the Baptist, with these words,
"A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. "Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."" (Isaiah 40:3-5, NASB95)
When the king comes the people of the region are wise to make sure he has a good ride as he comes into town. His disposition-whether he will be inclined to do good for the community--might be affected by the condition of the road. Though the King of Kings and Lord of Lords rides, if you will, above the earth's surface (Look at the description of His glorious chariot in the opening chapters of Ezekiel.) and His disposition is not fickle, still Isaiah drew on this image to encourage his countrymen to prepare their hearts. The New Testament picks up this refrain in the early chapters of the Gospels, Matthew 3 for example. Of course in our day these from Isaiah words have been made famous by Handel's Messiah.
As I type I am listening to a very unmusical sound. The clack of the treads on an end-loader and a track hoe, and beeping of the reverse warnings. They are cutting down the high places, filling in the low, and making the rough places smooth. It's very non-oratorio-ish. It does, however, communicate, Isaiah's thought. I'm sitting here thinking, "Have I made my heart a hospitable place for my Lord?"
To change the image to an agricultural one, Jesus says in John 15, that He prunes His vines, to make them more fruitful. To change the picture, yet again, Paul tells Timothy that if one is to be a "vessel for honor," there are certain things that must be cleansed away-"youthful lusts"-rather one must "pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace." (2 Timothy 2:21-22)
Lord, may the "clack-clack-clack," and the "beep, beep, beep," that will make me more hospitable for You, echo in my heart. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." (Psalm 139:23-24, NASB95)
"A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. "Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."" (Isaiah 40:3-5, NASB95)
When the king comes the people of the region are wise to make sure he has a good ride as he comes into town. His disposition-whether he will be inclined to do good for the community--might be affected by the condition of the road. Though the King of Kings and Lord of Lords rides, if you will, above the earth's surface (Look at the description of His glorious chariot in the opening chapters of Ezekiel.) and His disposition is not fickle, still Isaiah drew on this image to encourage his countrymen to prepare their hearts. The New Testament picks up this refrain in the early chapters of the Gospels, Matthew 3 for example. Of course in our day these from Isaiah words have been made famous by Handel's Messiah.
As I type I am listening to a very unmusical sound. The clack of the treads on an end-loader and a track hoe, and beeping of the reverse warnings. They are cutting down the high places, filling in the low, and making the rough places smooth. It's very non-oratorio-ish. It does, however, communicate, Isaiah's thought. I'm sitting here thinking, "Have I made my heart a hospitable place for my Lord?"
To change the image to an agricultural one, Jesus says in John 15, that He prunes His vines, to make them more fruitful. To change the picture, yet again, Paul tells Timothy that if one is to be a "vessel for honor," there are certain things that must be cleansed away-"youthful lusts"-rather one must "pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace." (2 Timothy 2:21-22)
Lord, may the "clack-clack-clack," and the "beep, beep, beep," that will make me more hospitable for You, echo in my heart. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." (Psalm 139:23-24, NASB95)
It's STTA.
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