Comfort for God’s People
1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
9 You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
My Understanding: This passage is literally about the nation of Israel and God’s deliverance of her out of the hands of Babylon after she had gone through a time of captivity due to her sins against God. Yet, this passage also contains many prophetic sections regarding Jesus Christ, our Messiah, and it has spiritual overtones, as well, to those descriptions of physical deliverance of God’s people. I believe the Lord would have me make practical application to today of this passage of scripture and to look at the spiritual aspect of this deliverance and forgiveness of sins, as well as to examine the sections specifically regarding Jesus Christ, our Messiah, Savior and Lord.
Jesus Christ, our Messiah, Son of the Living God, and God himself, came to earth, took on human flesh, suffered as we suffer, was tempted as we are tempted, yet without sin, died on a cross as a criminal, although he had done no wrong, took upon himself the sins of the entire world, crucifying our sins with him and burying them with him, too, and then he rose from the dead, triumphing over death, hell, Satan and sin. He ascended to the Father where he sits as our mediator and intercedes for us, his saints, and one day he is coming again to receive those who are his to himself. Then, we will reign on earth with him 1,000 years and will dwell with him in heaven for eternity. So, Jesus Christ, God the Son, paid the price for our sins so that we could go free from the ultimate penalty of sin and free from the control of sin over our daily lives. And, it is through faith in him that we are saved from sin.
This section that begins, “A voice of one calling,” was quoted in the New Testament about John the Baptist who went before the Lord Jesus to prepare the way for him. To make a highway ready and to prepare the way means to clear all obstacles out of the road so that the procession could travel down the road. John was called to prepare the way for Christ’s ministry on the earth and for the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to be presented to the world so that they might find salvation through Jesus Christ. John’s message was one of repentance, i.e. turning from our sinful lifestyles and patterns of behavior, and turning to faith and obedience to our Lord God. He knew that repentance was necessary to prepare the way for Christ, i.e. for people to receive Jesus Christ into their lives.
The Bible tells us that we cannot come to faith in Jesus Christ unless the Father draws us to him, so we cannot come to Christ in our own flesh, but must be drawn of the Spirit of God to faith in Christ. The Bible also says that it is by grace we are saved, through faith (repentance and obedience), and that this is not of ourselves but is a gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast (See Ephesians 2:8-9). In other words, no amount of hard labor on our part can get us into heaven. Even the faith to believe is a gift from God, I believe, yet God does not just zap us and instantly we are saved and we have our ticket to heaven. It is still a choice of our free will by which we come to faith in Jesus Christ as we listen to his call and we obey by turning from our sin, by his grace, and we make a choice to no longer live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, by his grace, and we surrender our wills to the will of our new Master, Jesus Christ, our Lord, Messiah and Savior.
Jesus Christ is not only our Messiah, King, Lord, Master and Savior, he is our gentle shepherd who leads us like a shepherd leads and cares for his sheep. Those of us who belong to him, he holds very close to his heart and he holds us in his loving arms. He gently leads us in the way that is right and in the teachings of his word. He gave us the Holy Spirit of God to indwell us, who are his, to counsel, instruct, teach, guide, nurture, comfort, care for, lead, convict, empower, and to show us compassion and mercy in our time of need, etc. And, God is calling out to all who will hear and will listen and who will answer his call for them to come to him, to believe in Jesus Christ, to turn their lives over to him, and allow him to be their gentle shepherd who will lead them will all tenderness and compassion.
His Loving Arms / An Original Work / May 31, 2011
When I’m with you, hear My call.
I died once, shed blood for all.
Hear Me calling you today.
I’ll wash all your sins away.
Don’t delay to let Me in.
I’ll purify, cleanse within.
I’ll heal all your heartaches, too;
Wrap My loving arms ‘round you.
I love you, won’t you love Me?
I’ll give life eternally;
Wipe away tears from your eyes,
When I meet you in the skies.
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
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