By Dr. Robert C Crowder
Reading:
Isaiah 35:1-10 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. 3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. 7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Reflection:
Isaiah 35 stands as one of the most beautiful prophecies in all of Scripture. It paints a vision of transformation so complete, so glorious, that the very landscape of creation joins in the celebration. The desert blossoms, the wilderness rejoices, and the parched ground becomes a pool. But this is not merely poetry about environmental renewal. It is a prophecy about redemption; the joy that springs up in human hearts when God saves His people and restores what sin has broken. Isaiah saw the desert burst into bloom and the ransomed returning to Zion “with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Centuries later, John saw the same vision in its final fulfillment: a new heaven and a new earth where God Himself wipes away all tears, and “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor sighing, neither shall there be any more pain.” What Isaiah prophesied, John witnessed in glory. The desert will bloom. The ransomed will return. And sorrow will flee forever.
The historical context helps us understand the depth of this promise. Isaiah prophesied during a time when Judah faced existential threats. Assyria had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and was threatening Jerusalem. Exile loomed on the horizon. The people were weary, discouraged, and afraid. Into that darkness, God spoke words of future hope: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”
The imagery is deliberate and powerful. A desert is a place of barrenness, emptiness, and death. Nothing grows there. No life flourishes. Water is scarce, shade is rare, and survival is difficult. Spiritually, the desert represents the condition of the human heart apart from God; dry, lifeless, incapable of producing fruit. It is the soul under the curse of sin, withering under the heat of God’s judgment, unable to save itself or even sustain itself.
But God promised transformation: “It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing.” The Hebrew intensifies the joy; literally, “rejoicing, it shall rejoice.” This is not subdued relief or quiet contentment. This is exuberant, overflowing gladness. When God redeems His people, joy erupts. And notice the cause: “The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.” Joy is the result of seeing God’s glory. When God reveals His presence, displays His character, and accomplishes His purposes, people naturally respond with joy.
Isaiah then shifts to physical restoration: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.” This is millennial language; when Christ returns to establish His kingdom, creation itself will be renewed. Disease, disability, and death will be banished. The curse of sin will be reversed. But the New Testament shows us that this healing began with Christ’s first coming. When John the Baptist sent disciples to ask if Jesus was truly the Messiah, Jesus pointed to these very signs: “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”[1] The miracles of Jesus were not merely acts of compassion; they were signs of the kingdom, foretastes of the ultimate restoration.
The prophecy continues with the promise of water: “For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” Where there is thirst, there will be abundance. Where there is death, there will be life. Jesus applied this imagery to Himself: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”[2] The Holy Spirit is the water that transforms the desert of the human heart into a garden of life and fruit.
Then comes the promise of the highway: “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.” This is the path of the redeemed, a road marked by holiness, protected from defilement, accessible even to the simple. It is not a path for the self-righteous or the morally superior. It is a path for sinners who have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.[3]
The prophecy ends with a picture of ultimate joy: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Notice the word “ransomed,” those who have been purchased, redeemed, bought back at a price. This is not universal joy granted to all humanity indiscriminately. This is the joy of those who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb. Their joy is not temporary; it is “everlasting.” It is not fragile; sorrow and sighing flee before it. And it is corporate; they come to Zion together, singing as they walk the highway of holiness.
The promise of joy is not dependent on circumstances. The desert may still surround you. Trials may still press in. Weaknesses may still mark your days. But when God redeems His people, joy springs up in places once lifeless. He makes the wilderness sing. And the God who promised to transform the desert is faithful. He has already begun that work in every believer through the indwelling Spirit, and He will complete it when Christ returns to reign.
This Advent, let God’s promise settle into your heart. If your soul feels like a desert; dry, weary, barren, look to the One who brings water in the wilderness. He is faithful to refresh, renew, and restore. Joy is not something you manufacture through positive thinking or favorable circumstances. Joy is the fruit of His transforming presence.
Prayer:
- Ask the Lord to refresh your soul today and let His joy bloom in the barren places of your life.
- Where you feel dry and weary, pray for Him to pour out streams of living water, trusting His power to transform what feels lifeless in you.
Consider:
Write one specific “desert” area in your life; a place of spiritual dryness, ongoing trial, unresolved difficulty, or persistent discouragement. Commit to praying for God to bring new life and joy to that place every day this week. Watch for evidence of His work, however small, and thank Him when you see it.
[1] Matthew 11:5
[2] John 7:37–38
[3] 1 Corinthians 6:11
Robert C. Crowder Ministries 
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