#DailyDevotion We Will Leap For Joy In The New Creation
Isaiah 355Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be opened. 6Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing. For waters will gush in the wilderness, and streams will flow in the desert. 7The hot sand will become a pool and the thirsty ground will have springs of water. In the haunts of jackals, where they rest, grass becomes reeds and rushes. 8A highway will be laid out; it will be called the Holy Way. No unclean person will travel on it. It will be for those who walk on it; no fool will wander there. 9No lions will be there. No wild animals will come up on it to devour you. They will not be found there. But the redeemed will be walking there. 10Those whom the LORD freed will come back. They will come to Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will disappear.
Isaiah’s sight into the Messiah’s reign and rule of the new creation is interrupted here by a brief double prophecy in verse five. I say double prophecy because it will completely fulfilled at the Messiah’s second advent but we see Jesus points to it when John the Baptist sends envoys to find out if Jesus is the one he was looking for. Jesus opened the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf were opened, lame men leaped and the mute sang as Jesus healed all who came to for healing and put their faith in him.
But we are still waiting the complete fulfillment of this prophecy at Jesus’ second advent. At that time, everyone who put their faith in him in this age he will bring to complete wholeness in that age. When we are resurrected or transformed into the likeness of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all the effects of sin in our life will be gone. Now I’m not saying here that all our illnesses etc. are caused by particular sins. But our bodies are made of fallen human flesh which is totally corrupted by sin. At the resurrection, we will have purified bodies which are no longer corrupted by sin. It is the sin in our flesh that brings about most of our ills. So as we are being renewed inwardly day by day trusting in the promise of the resurrection for Christ’ sake, we are also outwardly wasting away day by day.
As our present world is also corrupted by sin and it feels its effects through all its ‘natural’ disasters which the Lord uses to continually live repentant lives and trust in him alone, it too is looking forward to that day when it purified and beholds the glory of God and the children of God.
We see in these last few verses an image of the New Jerusalem, that is the Church in the world to come, though there may yet be a city there. There our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit will dwell among men. There we will enter its gates with thanksgiving, with praise, with rejoicing for all the benefits our Lord provides us. The new creation will be a safe place. No longer will we be in danger or threat of harm from our foolishness or that of others. Wild animals will not threaten us nor will there be any wicked to cause us harm. Finally we will only find gladness and joy. The LORD Jesus Christ will wipe away all our tears and sorrow and sighing will flee from us.
Gracious and Merciful Father, grant us faith and patience as we await the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, that on the day of his revelation we may enter the New Creation resurrected to be like him and dwell with you and Christ in the Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.