Have you ever been down, really down, feeling that there was no hope for your condition or situation? Perhaps you or someone you love has a devastating illness and the doctors say there is no hope. Maybe you are in such dire financial straits that it is hopeless, as well. Perhaps your marriage is falling apart. Maybe the economy or the social conditions in the country are very bad. Any of these can bring hopelessness, and hopelessness brings fear. Many of the Israelites at the time of the Prophet Isaiah also lived in fear. There were threats of war and safety from neighboring nations. As in any society, there were numerous poor people, and then, due to the times of the Old Testament, illness frequently led to death. God gave the prophet messages for the people, to bring them comfort and hope. Today’s Scripture is one small portion of such a message.
As our brief Scripture passage opens, we see the Lord tell the Prophet Isaiah to tell the people not to be afraid or filled with fear, but instead to be strong, for the Lord will come with a vengeance and save them from whatever is oppressing them, other nations and ultimately Satan (vs 4). We read here both a prophecy and a promise. This is a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, and the promises that He fulfilled in His life.
Isaiah proceeds to tell the people that at the time when the Lord comes, bringing salvation, referring to the time of the coming of the promised Messiah, there will be physical healings manifested, specifically healing of the blind, of the deaf, the mute, and of crippled people (vs. 5-6). Though there are numerous miraculous events recorded in the Old Testament, there are not many physical healings recorded, and no mention of the blind or the deaf being healed. When the prophet would have given this message from God, it would have been a glorious wonder, as someone who had gone blind or deaf had no hope. Their condition was a life sentence back then, as no matter how skilled a doctor might have been in the days of the Bible, there was nothing anyone could do for someone who went blind, and especially who was born blind. It was the same with the deaf. Depending on how badly one was crippled, one might be able to get around with crutches or have limited mobility. However all of these people would likely spend their lives begging for their daily needs and sustenance. Now there was the promise that the Messiah would bring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. The Messiah would heal the crippled so that they could run and leap just like a deer could! Those who could not speak would be able to sing forth.
Even a quick reading of the Gospels show that Jesus healed folks with these ailments numerous times. Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus outside of Jericho (Mark 10:46-52). He healed a blind man while in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26). And then quite notably, Jesus healed a man who was born blind (John 9). We also read in the Gospels that Jesus healed people who were deaf. One such instance is recorded in Mark 7:31-37. There were a number of people who were crippled and the Lord healed them, including some who were probably paralyzed. One was a man confined to a bed, and his friends brought him to Jesus, going so far as to lower him through the roof because of the crowds (Luke 5:17-26). Another was when Jesus healed a crippled, possibly paralyzed, man who had been in that condition for 38 years (John 5:1-15). These were sure indications to the people that Jesus was fulfilling prophecies of the coming Messiah, as no one but the Messiah would be able to perform such miracles.
Another miracle that the Lord foretold through Isaiah was turning the desert into pools of water (vs. 6-7). There are times that our hearts feel like a desert. Isaiah prophesied of the coming of Jesus who gives living water to all who trust in Him (John 7:37-39). He gives us the Holy Spirit. Even in our driest times the Holy Spirit is with us, sustaining us, strengthening us, and keeping us in Christ.
Even in the worst of times, times when it would seem that all hope and trust is gone, we can still trust in God. He will come for us. He loves us, and just like a father will do all he can for his child, God, who has all power, will work on our behalf.
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