Isaiah 35:1-10
Read Isaiah 35:1-10
Helpful Background Information:
Isaiah lived during the decline of Israel’s kingdom period, speaking the word of God to Israel and Judah’s leaders. At this time, the people were often referred to as “deaf and blind” (6:10). This designation came upon the people as a result of their refusal to listen to Isaiah’s warnings about the consequences of their sin. Isaiah consistently warned the people that their sin would bring God’s judgment if they did not repent.
With the warnings, however, came a message of hope. Isaiah believed that things would get worse before they got better, but that there would certainly come a day when God would fulfill all of His covenant promises. In chapter 35, Isaiah describes what will characterize the days when the LORD finally rescues and redeems His people (vv.9b-10a). He says that, though the people have fearful hearts, they do not need to fear because their God will come (v.4). When their God shows up, Isaiah says that He will open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf (v.5). He also goes on to say that it will be a day when the lame “leap like a deer” (v.6).
In the beginning of John 5, centuries after Isaiah’s prophecy was written, we find Jesus in Jerusalem, among many who were blind, lame, or paralyzed (v.3). It’s here that Jesus singles out one man who had been lame for thirty-eight years to miraculously heal (vv.5-9).
There’s little room for doubt that the hopeful words of Isaiah’s prophecy anticipated events like these in Jesus’s ministry—where He is presented to us as the One who came to rescue and redeem God’s people once and for all (Isaiah 35:9-10).
Reflection Questions:
Isaiah promised that when God came, the blind would see and the lame would leap for joy. How does Jesus' ministry reveal that God Himself has come to rescue His people?
The people in Isaiah's day longed for God to come and save them. In Jesus, God actually entered our world to do just that. How should the reality of the incarnation shape our worship and trust in God to fulfill His promises?
The miracles of Jesus were signs that God's kingdom was breaking into the world. In John 5, we catch a glimpse of that reality. Why do you think God uses miraculous healings to show us something about what His kingdom is like?