Walking the Highway of Holiness
Highway of Holiness
Can a single path transform your spiritual journey and lead you to everlasting joy? Join us as we uncover the profound meaning behind the "Highway of Holiness" mentioned in Isaiah 35:8. Promising a future of renewal and divine blessing, this prophecy encourages the weak and fearful by assuring God's imminent salvation. We'll break down the vivid imagery of the wilderness rejoicing and blossoming, and the miraculous transformations that signal the arrival of God's glory. This episode offers a thorough exploration of how this prophetic path symbolizes not just physical restoration, but a deeper, spiritual transformation for the righteous.
We'll also delve into the three key characteristics of the Highway of Holiness: exclusivity for the righteous, unparalleled safety, and a journey reserved for the redeemed. Discover how Christ's righteousness paves this divine pathway and the broader interpretations of this prophecy, including its ties to the return of the Jews from captivity and its metaphorical reference to Christ as the way of sovereign grace. Tune in to understand how walking this holy road can guide you to a life filled with joy, protection, and ultimate redemption.
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Thank You. I Love You!
SEE YA!
Rick
Be An Encourager...Not A Discourager!
WEBVTT
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Hey, thank you for tuning in to the bonus episode on our week of holiness.
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Today we're going to talk about the highway of holiness.
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It's found in Isaiah, chapter 35, verse 8.
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I'm going to go ahead and read that for you.
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Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.
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The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with the spring crocuses.
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Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy.
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The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon and lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.
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There the Lord will display his glory and splendor of our God.
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With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees.
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Say to those with fearful hearts be strong and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies and he's coming to save you.
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And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf.
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The lame will leap like a deer for those who cannot speak will sing for joy.
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Springs will gush forth in this wilderness and streams will water the wasteland.
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The parched ground will become a pool and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land, marshgrass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived, and the great road will go through that once deserted land.
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It will be named the highway of holiness.
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Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
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It will only be for those who walk in God's ways.
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Fools will never walk there.
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Lions will not lurk on its course, nor any other ferocious beasts.
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There will be no other dangers.
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Only the redeemed will walk on it.
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Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
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They will enter Jerusalem singing crowned with everlasting joy.
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Sorrow and mourning will disappear and they will be filled with joy and gladness.
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Amen.
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That was from the New Living Translation.
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So the specific phrase highway of holiness is found only once in Scripture.
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It's in Isaiah 35.
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Now in this chapter, god promises that in the future the land of Israel will be blessed with fertility and that the desert will rejoice and blossom as the rose.
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That's in verse 2.
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Will rejoice and blossom as the rose that's in verse 2.
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Isaiah's prophecy of the Messianic kingdom also encourages the weak and fearful to be strong, because God's going to come with a vengeance to save the long-oppressed people of Israel Verses 3 and 4.
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There'll be gladness and shouts of joy when the new, restored Zion will see God's glory and experience his presence and be guided and protected by him.
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Now, at the time the kingdom is established, a highway will be there and it's going to be called the highway of holiness.
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That's from verse 8.
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The highway of holiness does not need to be a literal highway.
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The point of the prophecy is that God will remove all obstacles and it's going to smooth the way for his people, which will enable them to access the blessings of the kingdom.
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It's not going to be concrete or asphalt.
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So some point to the fulfillment of this prophecy as the Jews return from captivity in Babylon and Persia.
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But the language of Isaiah 35 gives it a broader context, including the physical healing and the environmental blessings.
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That's verses 5 through 7.
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The highway of holiness could also be seen to refer to the way that is Christ, the way of sovereign grace that redeems us from sin.
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That's all John 14, 6.
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The highway of holiness has three important characteristics.
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The first is found in Isaiah 35.8.
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It will be for those who walk on that way.
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The unclean will not journey on it, wicked fools will not go on about it.
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The highway of holiness is a place of holiness.
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It's reserved for those who are righteous in God's sight.
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Nobody entering the kingdom will be foolish or sinful.
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Christ alone provides the way of holiness, having exchanged his perfect righteousness for our sin 2 Corinthians 5.21.
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His righteousness is imputed to us.
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It enables us to be holy even as he is holy.
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That highway is reserved for his people alone.
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Second, the highway of holiness is a place of safety.
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It's reserved for the redeemed of the Lord.
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No lion will be there, no ravenous beast they will not be found there but only the redeemed will walk there and those the Lord has rescued will return.
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This is indicative of the safety and security of God's people that they're going to experience on that highway.
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No wicked people, symbolized by lions and ravenous beasts, are going to be allowed on that highway.
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The redeemed of the Lord will walk there in peace and safety.
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And thirdly, the highway of holiness will be a place of joy.
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They will enter Zion with singing.
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Everlasting joy will crown their heads, gladness and joy will overtake them and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
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Joy will overtake them and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
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Just as the ransomed captives would return from Babylon, all the redeemed of the Lord will enter the millennial kingdom and they're going to be rejoicing.
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Isaiah's mention of a highway occurs again in Isaiah 43, and that refers to the first advent of the Messiah.
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A voice of one calling in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord makes straight in the desert a highway for our God.
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Now that prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist.
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You can see that in Matthew 3.3.
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So why do we want to walk on the highway of holiness?
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Well, for spiritual fulfillment.
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You know, if we follow that path of holiness, it's going to bring us a deeper connection with God and it leads to more peace and purpose and fulfillment and integrity.
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Walking on the highway of holiness means that we're going to adhere to high moral and ethical standards that can lead to a life of integrity and respect and inner peace.
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If we live a holy and righteous life, we'll have peace because our life aligns with God's life and God's will for our lives and God's will for our lives.
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A lot of people think that walking in holiness leads to rewards in the afterlife.
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I think just being able to live in glory with God is going to be reward enough.
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And then don't forget just community and belonging.
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When you're walking on the path of holiness, you're with other believers, you're with your community, you're with your people and you'll grow.
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You'll grow on that path and you'll help others become better versions of themselves.
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Thanks for listening to our bonus episode.
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They're short but they're packed full of information and it's just a little bit extra for you during the week.
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Let me know if you like them.
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Let me know if you change your mind and hate them Really.
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I don't want to hear that, but I probably need to.
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I love you, see ya.
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