A Voice In The Wilderness

A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS

A voice cries: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord. Isaiah 40:3

Isaiah’s prophecy is divided into three volumes: the Book of the Sovereign (1-39), the Book of the Servant (40-55) and the Book of the Spirit (56-66); three books––Father, Son and Spirit. Isaiah 40:1-11 is the introduction to Isaiah’s second book. This wonderful passage has been likened to an overture to a great symphony. It introduces all the themes yet to follow in Chapters 40-55: comfort, revelation, incarnation, redemption, the Way of the Lord, the Glory of Christ, the City of God, the Power of the Spirit and the Wonder of Zion’s Savior––the Suffering Servant.

The Evangelists use this text to identify and explain John the Baptist and his ministry (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:2-3; Luke 3:4-6). Its message could be summarized in Isaiah’s own words: “Behold your God!” (v. 9). In Isaiah “Behold” is a big word. The prophet uses it over 106 times in his three books. What Isaiah wants us to “Behold!” is this:

First, we are to behold the great comfort of God in His redeeming love. Isaiah is “the Gospel prophet” above all others. For this reason, he is quoted by Jesus and the Apostles in the New Testament more than anyone else in the Old Testament, except for David and his Psalms. The wonder of redemption is a great theme of Isaiah, especially in Book Two (chapters 40-55).

Second, we are to behold our great God and all His marvelous works. Isaiah asks us again and again: To whom can you compare God? The answer is obvious: No one! Isaiah repeatedly calls Israel to compare and contrast: “Behold your idols…behold your God!” Only the irrational man who is blind would choose the works of wood, stone and metal over the Living God.

Third, Isaiah calls us to behold God’s servant, the special Suffering Servant, whom the Gospels identify as Jesus Christ. Indeed, and most surprisingly, this is the theme of Isaiah: Servanthood. John Oswalt says this about Isaiah:

It is my conviction that the overarching theme of the book of Isaiah is servanthood. Of course this point of view is explicit in chs. 40-55, but I am convinced that it is implicit in all the others and forms the thread which binds the book together. God has called all people, but particularly his own people, to lay down their self-exaltation and be dependent upon him, to become evidence of his character and deliverance in order that the world might know him as he is and thus be delivered from their own destruction.¹⁸

Thus, fourth, Isaiah makes us behold ourselves. The people of Israel were anything but the servants of Jehovah––worshiping idols, given to sin, focused on self, proud, rebellious and worldly. Since men are made in the image of God, once they behold their God, catch a vision of the Servant-Savior, and see the marvel of the divine word and work, they will see themselves as they really are: the servants of God.

God calls Israel “My servant” 14 times in Isaiah. A servant God expects a servant people. Jesus said as much: “Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leaders as the one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at the table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:26-27).

There, you see, is the voice of one crying in the wilderness; there is the prophetic message, the word of John: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The prophet’s song is not really “Thus says the Lord,” or even essentially “Repent for judgment is nigh!” The real voice of God through a prophetic preacher sounds like this: “I stand among you as One who serves. The servant is not greater than the Master. I, your Master, serve you; therefore, you must serve one another. Only in this way will you be able to behold your God!”

Maybe this is really the key that unlocks those wonderful but mysterious Beatitudes. Only the servant of the Kingdom will be blessed, happy, fulfilled. Blessed is the servant of God. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Now that is a radical message for a society of consumers and a culture of the self. There is the voice of God in the wilderness: “Behold your Servant God! Behold, then, yourself!”

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

AC: Ask the Lord to grant traveling mercies and security and safety to the Commissioners and their families before, during and after the Assembly.

CTS: Pray for Sean Lucas, Covenant Seminary’s vice president for academics, as he oversees many aspects of the Seminary’s educational mission, including the continuing enhancement of library and other campus resources, and the strengthening of the Seminary’s various outreach ministries.

MTW: Pray for strong relationships on missionary teams and with their national partners in ministry.

RUM: Please pray for all of the RUF Campus Ministers to grow in their personal devotion to Christ. Pray for the wives that support these men. Pray that these families will be rooted in the Gospel and encouraged and strengthened as they give their lives to minister at universities.

RBI: Please pray for the leadership of RBI as they implement the Strategic Plan developed during 2007. The Core Values, Vision Statement and Mission Statement provide a foundation for this plan, so pray RBI will be true to these values and statements as the Strategic Plan are put into practice with the end result of glorifying God and serving His Church.