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The Nations Will Be Judged
1Everyone of every nation,
the entire earth,
and all its creatures,
come here and listen!
2The Lord is terribly angry
with the nations;
he has condemned them
to be slaughtered.
3Their dead bodies will be left
to rot and stink;
their blood will flow
down the mountains.
4 Each star will disappear—
the sky will roll up
like a scroll.
Everything in the sky
will dry up and wilt
like leaves on a vine
or fruit on a tree.
Trouble for Edom
5 After the sword of the Lord
has done what it wants
to the skies above,
it will come down on Edom,
the nation that the Lord
has doomed for destruction.
6The sword of the Lord
is covered with blood
from lambs and goats,
together with fat
from kidneys of rams.
This is because the Lord
will slaughter many people
and make a sacrifice of them
in the city of Bozrah
and everywhere else
in Edom.
7Edom's leaders are wild oxen.
They are powerful bulls,
but they will die
with the others.
Their country will be soaked
with their own blood,
and its soil made fertile
with their own fat.
8The Lord has chosen
the year and the day,
when he will take revenge
and come to Zion's defense.
9Edom's streams will turn into tar
and its soil into sulfur—
then the whole country
will go up in flames.
10 It will burn night and day
and never stop smoking.
Edom will be a desert,
generation after generation;
no one will ever travel
through that land.
11Owls, hawks, and wild animals
will make it their home.
God will leave it in ruins,
merely a pile of rocks.
The End of Edom
12Edom will be called
“Kingdom of Nothing.”
Its rulers will also be nothing.
13Its palaces and fortresses
will be covered with thorns;
only wolves and ostriches
will make their home there.
14Wildcats and hyenas
will hunt together,
demons will scream to demons,
and creatures of the night
will live among the ruins.
15Owls will nest there
to raise their young
among its shadows,
while families of vultures
circle around.
16In The Book of the Lord
you can search and find
where it is written,
“The Lord brought together
all of his creatures
by the power of his Spirit.
Not one is missing.”
17The Lord has decided
where they each should live;
they will be there forever,
generation after generation.
God's Splendor Will Be Seen
1Thirsty deserts will be glad;
barren lands will celebrate
and blossom with flowers.
2Deserts will bloom everywhere
and sing joyful songs.
They will be as majestic
as Mount Lebanon,
as glorious as Mount Carmel
or Sharon Valley.
Everyone will see
the wonderful splendor
of the Lord our God.
God Changes Everything
* 3 Here is a message for all
who are weak, trembling,
and worried:
4“Cheer up! Don't be afraid.
Your God is coming
to punish your enemies.
God will take revenge on them
and rescue you.”
5 The blind will see,
and the ears of the deaf
will be healed.
6 Those who were lame
will leap around like deer;
tongues once silent
will shout for joy.
Water will rush
through the desert.
7Scorching sand
will turn into a lake,
and thirsty ground
will flow with fountains.
Grass will grow in deserts,
where packs of wild dogs
once made their home.
God's Sacred Highway
8A good road will be there,
and it will be named
“God's Sacred Highway.”
It will be for God's people;
no one unfit to worship God
will walk on that road.
And no fools can travel
on that highway.
9No lions or other wild animals
will come near that road;
only those the Lord has saved
will travel there.
10The people the Lord has rescued
will come back singing
as they enter Zion.
Happiness will be a crown
everyone will always wear.
They will celebrate and shout
because all sorrows and worries
will be gone far away.
Reflect
Isaiah reminds us that the world’s pain and suffering is temporary. One day in the not so distant future, wounded hearts will be healed … tears wiped away. The Lord is returning!
“Here is a message for all who are weak, trembling, and worried,” the prophet shares in 35:3-6. “ ‘Cheer up! Don’t be afraid. Your God is coming to punish your enemies. God will take revenge on them and rescue you.’ The blind will see, and the ears of the deaf will be healed. Those who were lame will leap around like deer; tongues once silent will begin to shout.”
Yet Isaiah can’t help but wonder if God’s message is falling on deaf ears. Those who are supposed to be set apart and holy are caught up in every kind of sin imaginable. They have become stumbling blocks for those seeking the true God.
Isaiah could wash his hands of the stubborn bunch – but he wouldn’t dream of doing so. The Lord has called him to share the coming hope: “A good road will be there, and it will be named ‘God’s Sacred Highway.’ It will be for God’s people; no one unfit to worship God will walk on that road. And no fools can travel on that highway. No lions or other wild animals will come near that road; only those the Lord has saved will travel there” (35:8-9).
God is returning – are you ready? Is your heart filled with joy … or fear? Are you fit to walk on God’s Sacred Highway? Take some time to prayerfully reflect on these questions.
Respond
Gracious Lord, You are the holy God of the universe – the one and only God who calls his people to holiness. Convict my heart. Remove obstacles that would keep me from knowing and serving you. Teach me to love others as you love them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Mike Ross
Michael Ross is an award-winning journalist and former editor of Breakaway, a national youth magazine published by Focus on the Family. He is also the author, co-author, and collaborator of more than 36 books, including the bestseller What Your Son Isn’t Telling You (Bethany House). Today, Michael oversees Back to the Bible’s book publishing efforts. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Lincoln, Nebraska, with their son.