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The Ransomed Shall Return
35 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
(ESV)
Isaiah 35 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
The promise at the end of the chapter is beautiful.
There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk on it, 10 and the redeemed of the LORD will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Isaiah 35:9-10 HCSB
Can you imagine, for a moment, what it will be like to have unending joy and gladness overtake you? There will be no sorrow and no pain. There will be no tears. Knowing how we live right now, it’s almost impossible to believe. It takes faith.
This chapter was written for a specific time period but also has prophetic implications. We know that Isaiah is describing our restoration with the Lord for eternity. The beauty of this verse is that we can believe it with certainty. The work has already been done! Christ has died and risen and we are new creations.
As we partner with Him on this Earth, we must always keep this in mind. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. His purpose and plan cannot be trumped! Where do you need to be reminded of this encouragement? Where has life drained you of this hope and joy? Celebrate knowing that as a follower of Christ, your place at the table of the Lord awaits.