“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
2 “Speak kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,
That her iniquity has been removed,
That she has received of the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”
3 A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
4 “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;
5 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 40:1-5
There are few things received more gladly than a message of relief. When we have faced difficult circumstances or suffered with pain, the message of relief is itself relieving, even if the relief has not been enacted yet. It gives us hope of a brighter, better day ahead.
Israel was familiar with burden, and with the message of relief. Because of their flagrant disobedience to The Lord, both northern and southern kingdoms of Israel were subjected to oppression from foreign powers. Their land was occupied, their holy city plundered, and a large number of their people deported to live in far-off lands. Those who remained were reminded daily of the destruction they suffered, and those who had been taken away wondered how they could function, much less flourish, in a pagan culture. During such times, words of hope were a priceless gift.
The prophet Isaiah brings the word of hope for the people of Judah. In the sequence of the book of Isaiah, chapter 40 marks a shift in tone from judgment to restoration. As such, the opening words “comfort my people, says your God” could hardly be more fitting. For 50-70 years (depending on how one calculates) Judah had suffered the oppression and captivity of the Babylonians. Not only had they suffered, they understood that their suffering was due to their unfaithfulness. How great it must have been to hear a word from the Lord: “your warfare has ended, and your iniquity removed.”
1) Advent points us toward elimination of sin’s effects.
“And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” These are the confident words of Jesus. While it may seem like a pipe dream for us, righteousness is the paradigm of God, and God will certainly bring about his desired outcome.
What will it be like when God finally eliminates sin? According to God’s economy, sin has been dealt with by the death of Jesus. Experientially, sin will be absent in the Kingdom of God. Not only will our fractured relationship with God be resolved, our fractured relationships with one another will also be resolved.
2) Advent points us toward standing as the LORD’s people.
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;
What signals to a small, rural, out of the way community that they matter? When an access road is built connecting them to the mainstream of society. And not just a narrow road, but a wide, multi-lane thoroughfare that is easily traveled.
Imagine the message being communicated when the prophet says, “prepare the way through the wilderness for our God.” It is a signal that God matters to them, that he is prioritizing access because they are important in his Kingdom.
Romans 8:19 “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”
3) Advent anticipates the revelation of God’s glory.
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
We cannot yet imagine what it will be like to behold Jesus in all his glory. Peter, James and John caught a glimpse one day on the top of a mountain when Jesus was transfigured before them. One day we, too, will behold him fully.
The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” Our understanding is incomplete until the Lord comes again. We are given what we need, but the hidden things of God remain that way for now. Advent is a reminder that a day will come when we know fully, just as we are fully known.
Advent offers comfort and hope.
As a good word spoken in due time, Advent comes to remind us that God is still in control and still moving toward His perfect renewal of all things. God hears the cries of our hearts, sees the struggles we face, and assures us that the fallen state of this world is only temporary. He has provided the payment for our sin through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. In His perfect time, God will resolve all that grieves us in this world. Until then, may the Lord give us sufficient grace to face the days with hope, yearning ever more for our redemption.
The Winding Path 