December 27, 2025 - Isaiah 35

In chapter 35, Isaiah constantly uses the future tense “shall.”  He looks toward a future day when God’s salvation will be revealed.  He uses terms that we are very familiar with from reading the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry:  “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” (35:4-6).  “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” (35:10).  The people of God will obtain the gladness and joy that seemed always just out of reach, gladness and joy that will be found in Messiah.  Gladness and joy are ours, now, but oh my, what joy and gladness will be ours, and that of all the saints of every age, one day!

Come, we that love the Lord,

And let our joys be known,

Join in a song with sweet accord,

Join in a song with sweet accord,

And thus surround the throne,

And thus surround the throne.

We’re marching to Zion,

Beautiful, beautiful Zion;

We're marching upward to Zion,

The beautiful city of God.   –Isaac Watts (1707)