a sermon of T. J. de Ruiter, The Netherlands
Isaiah 40:4,5 "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
INTRODUCTION
Chapter forty of Isaiah brings us to the second main part of this voluminous book. It has two parts which, remarkably, contain each the same number of chapters as respectivey the Old- and New Testament. It is also remarkable that the message of each part of Isaiah corresponds with the respective part of the whole Bible: Part one contains emphatically the message of the divine righteousness and part two that of divine redemption, the deliverance of the people of God. Is this accidental or is this made by a smart, thinking human being, or.... is there a higher, a divine author, who saw to it, through the ages, even using various authors, that the Bible became a miraculous book in composition as well as in its message? The Bible itself gives us the answer: The Holy Spirit has inspired the writers. The church recognised this and is able to prove this claim of divine inspiration with many remarkable evidences.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ISAIAH 40:4,5
Profetically, most promises in this part of Isaiah have as their immediate fulfilment the release of the Jews out of the the Babylonian Exile. Isaiah sees prophetically the way God would release the people out of slavery and bondage, as they had become subjected to a strange, idolatrous, occult and demonic culture. The area in which they lived at that time is the present state of Iraq. Isaiah prophesies that the people will be released and will go on a journey through the Arabian dessert. This dessert is an inhospitable, difficult passable area and there is little water. Prophetically he sees that God clears a way for the people and he proclaims Gods miraculous and glorious help: Mountains shall be made low and valleys shall be exalted. In other prophetic words he declares that God will make springs of water to refresh the thirsty people; see, for instance, Isaiah 41: 17,18.
EXALT THE VALLEYS...!
We, dutch people, are inhabitants of a flat country and we cannot easily imagine the particular difficulties road-makers in mountainous countries are faced with. Aren't you surprised while driving in Germany, Swiss or Austria with the high fly-overs, that span valleys, ravines and gorges? Naturally, at the time Isaiah lived, such constructional roadworks were not realizable at all. The only solution Isaiah saw then was to exalt the valleys. When the Lord wants to take a straight course, the valleys have to be exalted. What a tremendous job the prophet visionary figured to himself - even with our present modern groundremoval engines, it would have been a gigantic job!
Howver, In the light of the New Testament we see that these prophecies do have a deeper, spritiual meaning. Just think of this work and realize how big the work is that the Spirit of God is willing to do in the hearts of people, who He wants to save! The valleys and ravines are the symbolical pictures of people who are humiliated, trampled down and oppressed in darkness. There are a lot of people who, through ill-treatment, abuse and long standing misunderstanding, consider themselves not only worthless in their own eyes, but even think that God looks upon them as worthless people. Their faith in God has serious problems and they cannot receive -or perhaps with great difficulty- Gods love and positive words in their broken hearts. Those people are often already in their youth ruined for life by bad, negative, yes even malicious influences. They are in the valley of psychic and spiritual darkness. They don't see light and can only find their way through life with the utmost difficulty. To those people Gods salvation is coming now. Every valley and every ravine shall be exalted! God shall clear away all problems of oppression, humiliation and brokeness. What a wonderful healing, releasing work the Spirit of the Lord is doing! To be released from the Babylonian Exile means nothing in comparison with the great things the messianic anointing of the Spirit wants to do in people: The brokenhearted are being healed, those who are bound by demonic powers in their spirit and soul are set free by divine proclamation. The prison in which they were mentally captive has been opened and they shall receive a garment of praise in stead of a spirit of heaviness, Isaiah 61:1-3. Every valley shall be exalted, Hallelujah! If you recognize yourself in this description, then believe now with everything that is within you, that God shall exalt your valley. You will be released and elevated through the power of the Spirit of the Lord!
MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS
The mountains represent everyone, who exalts himself proudly and arrogantly against the Most High, the Holy God. It deals with sins like self-exaltation, pride, arrogance, self-satisfaction and self-complacency. These mental conditions, these selfish attitudes are the most difficult obstacles for God to clear away. Proud, arrogantly inflated christians are harder obstacles for The Spirit of God than the broken ones... I shall be clear about it: even pastors and leaders of churches can exalt themselves. This danger exists if someone says: "Look here, this church I've built by hard working and praying. This is my church." Or: "Look here, I've got experience and I've got all gifts, I've got everything...but, nobody sees this, oh my stupid fellow-christians!" Here we have a manifestation of a high mountain, the one of self-exaltation.
I tell you: When Gods Spirit moves, there will be real exitement as the mountains are made low and those people fall on the ground, realizing their pride before the face of God and cry for forgiveness and purification... When I was in prayer and thinking of this, I remembered the history of Nebuchadnezzar: Daniel 4. He received a divine warning to convert himself of his self-exaltation. If not, a heavy, shameful and human unworthy chastisement should follow. Well then, some day he walked on the roof of his big palace and beneath him he saw the panorama of the big metropolis. He said, read 4:30: "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" (Stand. Rev. Version). While these words were still in the King's mouth, an angel spoke to him, saying that he was going to be insane for a certain time, becoming and living like an animal. Strange, even when like an animal, he still had enough insight to convert himself. God, The Most High broke his self-exaltation and in the end he was ready to acknowledge God humbly, dependently, giving Him all the praise... Truly, the mountain of self-exaltation, pride and self-complacency was made low.
AND THE CROOKED SHALL BE MADE STRAIGHT
"And the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain..." Here it deals about roads, which are crooked and full of bends, for instance those of boulders laying in the road or filled with dangerous holes. Especially they are dangerous to live at twilight and certainly when it has become dark. There are people whose ways are crooked, they are ensnared in malversations and they fear the day when everything will be discovered. There is someone who hears or reads this and this refers to you - you know it! So much is crooked in your conduct! Much in your way of living and in your business is a web of lies. You don't know anymore how to make everything right. Sometimes you are in destress, depressive there is a thought, a voice that says:"Make an end to your life!" I appeal to you:"Come to the Lord! Confess here and now. God knows your crooked ways. Ask for forgiveness and be willing to change your ways. God is merciful and gracious and He will show you the way out. He will give you a solution!"An example of the application of this word from the gospels, St. Luke 3:14: John the Baptist said to the soldiers:"Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages." People in business, hear the word of the Lord today: Be honest in your businessdeals and don't ask extravagant prices for products or achievements. Don't hide with a "I am in a system, I have no choice." Please listen: What I say here is based on the moral codes of the basic laws of God as given in the Jewish Tora. If you act unrighteously, dishonestly and deceptively your Creator will surely hold you responsible for your attitude and behaviour.
THE REVELATION OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD
"And all flesh shall see the glory of the Lord.." When you want to see Gods glory in your life... then be delivered of your 'valleys'. I can see deep, dark, dangerous, terrifying valleys, yes even deep ravines in the lives of some people. When alone or in the dark they have continually the feeling, the notion that they fall in a spiritual sense. It seems as if you fall in a bottomless ravine... You feel lonely, empty and worthless. I say to you: "When the Glory of the Lord will reveal himself over you, this fall-sensation will be expelled and the ravine, the valley of the inner darkness will be filled up!" If you believe and obey there will come a glorious way for the SPIRIT OF GOD in your life. You will feel free and filled with Gods wonderful glory!
CONCLUSION AND AN APPEAL
John the baptist was a pioneer. This prophecy in Isaiah was applied to his ministry by the Holy Spirit; read Luke 3:4-6. We are in the expectation of a revival, that will strongly shake the nations - it is our only hope. We are living in the expectation of Messianic signs and miracles. Like other countries, Holland also needs a national awakening, even a greater one that of the previous centuries. In closing I want to be very personal: Do you really want revival in your life? Do you really want to be set free from the bondage to sin? Do you want to cleanse your lifestyle? Do you really want the crooked to be made straight? Do you really want to make a new start with God? Then come, confess your sins and take the right decision now, in Gods presence, before His Face. He'll be merciful and will help you to renew your life. Call on the Lord: Jesus: "Jesus, set me free, I need it!" The promise is that all, who call on the Name of the LORD shall be saved! Wonderful Lord, gracious and loving! Let every valley be exalted, let the mountains be brought low and let the crooked be made straight! Yes, you go for... the GLORY OF THE LORD!
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Questions? E-mail.... Pastor T. J. de Ruiter