Isaiah 35:1-10
The Ransomed Will Return
1The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.
2It will bloom profusely and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
3Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!
4Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
5Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
7The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water. In the haunt where jackals once lay, there will be grass and reeds and papyrus.
8And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it.
9No lion will be there, and no vicious beast will go up on it. Such will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk upon it.
10So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Berean Standard Bible
The wilderness and dry land will be glad, and the desert will blossom like a crocus. Lebanon's glory and the splendor of Carmel and Sharon will be seen because the glory of the LORD will be revealed. Creation itself is invited to rejoice at God's renewing presence.
The weak hands and unsteady knees are told to be strong and not afraid. God is coming with vengeance and divine retribution, but He is also coming to save. The promise is spoken to people who need courage because their bodies and circumstances have made them afraid.
Then the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, and the mute shout for joy. Water bursts from the wilderness, and burning sand becomes a pool. Isaiah's salvation is not an escape from the created world; it is the world repaired and people restored within it.
A highway called the Way of Holiness leads the redeemed home. No unclean person travels it, but the LORD's people walk there safely. Sorrow and sighing flee as the ransomed return to Zion with everlasting joy.
Questions
1 How will the wilderness respond?
AnswerIt will rejoice, blossom, and display the glory of the LORD.
2 What message is given to weak and fearful people?
AnswerThey are told to be strong and not afraid because God is coming to save them.
3 What signs accompany salvation?
AnswerThe blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, the mute sing, and water comes to the desert.
4 Where do the ransomed go?
AnswerThey return to Zion with everlasting joy, while sorrow and sighing flee.
What This Means for Us
God's future gives courage to people whose weakness is visible. The promise does not shame the fearful; it tells them that the LORD is coming toward them with salvation.
Speak courage to someone in your family without pretending the difficulty is small. Hope can name the desert honestly while still looking for the water God promises.
Prayer
Saving God, strengthen weak hands and fearful hearts among us. Bring your healing and joy, and teach us to walk in holiness as we wait for the day when sorrow is gone. Amen.