Isaiah: Chapter 35 | The Wolfe Notes

Welcome, Family! We're spending 2024 with the prophet Isaiah. While we claim no expertise, we're excited to sit with you as we both learn at the feet of Jesus. Each month, we offer a calendar that outlines daily exercises (adapted from Jenn Wilkin's Women of the Word Bible study process) to progress through Isaiah. Download July's calendar to begin with us and witness what we uncovered in our weekly "Wolfe Note" postings.

Contents:

1. Different Versions Noting and clarifying differences between KJV & VOICE.
2. Annotation My thoughts, connections, clarifications, and questions.
3. Research Identifying the wilderness that rejoices.
4. Summary An approximately twenty word overview of the chapter.
5. Memorize Why I chose to memorize Isaiah 35:3-4.
6. Cross References Of Isaiah 35:3-4.
7. Respond Based on reflections on God's character and my own.

Different Versions

I read Chapter 35 in the King James Version (KJV) and The Voice (VOICE). King James is a word-for-word translation and The Voice is a paraphrase. 

Major differences I noticed (*My thoughts alone are in italics and designated with an asterisk.):

• Isaiah 35:4
• Comparisons:
• KJV: Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, (1) your God will come with vengeance, even God (2) with a recompence; he will come and save you.
• VOICE: Tell those who worry, the anxious and fearful, "Take strength; have courage! There's nothing to fear. Look, here - your God! Right here is your God! (1) The balance is shifting; God will right all wrongs. None other than God (2) will give you success. He is coming to make you safe."
• Discrepancies: 
1. God coming with a vengeance (KJV) and coming to right wrongs (VOICE) project two very different feelings. The first angry, the second sounds matter-of-fact.
2. Will God pay you what you're due (KJV) or make you successful (VOICE)? 
• Clarifications/Conclusions:
1. In Hebrew, vengeance. Other translations: coming to destroy your enemies (NLT); renders judgment (BST); vindication (NAB). Ellicott explains its God "punishing the oppressor, and saving the oppressed." Gill explains this is accomplished in Christ's life, death, resurrection, and return. (Isaiah 61:2; Luke 21:22; Revelation 18:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:8)
2. In Hebrew, as deserved; reward for good deeds. Other translations: divine retribution (NIV); revenge (CEV); repayment (LSV). Henry says its a reward received for enduring their troubles at the hand of the oppressed. Gill says it's also to render destruction to them who destroyed. Revelation 11:18
3. The VOICE's translation waters down the true wrath that is intended here. Divine retribution and vengeance is quite different than righting wrongs and making successful. The making successful phrase furthermore rules out the rendering of destruction to those who destroyed.

• Isaiah 35:7
• Comparisons:
• KJV: And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the (1) habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be (2) grass with reeds and rushes.
• VOICE: Burning sands and hardened wastelands will become pools, shimmering with life; the thirsty ground will drink deep from refreshing springs. Abandoned villages (1) where predators once lurked will become (2) grassy playgrounds. Dry, arid land will turn lush and green.
• Discrepancies: KJV gives a medieval feel whereas the VOICE modernizes it.
• Clarifications/Conclusions: The overall intention is to describe a harsh, desolate landscape transforming into a lush, beautiful one.
• Isaiah 35:8
• Comparisons:
• KJV: And a highway (1) 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: (2) the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
• VOICE: And the road (1) to this happy renovation will be clearly signed. People will declare the way itself to be holy - the route, "sacred." Only those who are right with God will be able to walk its pleasant path, And nobody - (2) no visitor, no dimwit - will get lost along it.
• Discrepancies: 
1. Is the road found in the land described (KJV) or is it the road to get to the renovation (VOICE)?
2. Is it wayfaring men who are fools (KJV) or two different groups of people (VOICE)? 
• From the KJV, I understand that though those who travel on it are foolish, for we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, we will not err because we are on it. It's a foolproof road.
• The VOICE groups these descriptors separately as visitors and dimwits, as opposed to visitors who are dimwits, saying neither one will get lost. 
  
• Clarifications/Conclusions: The difference is subtle and insignificant because the message is the same. We are all sojourners, travelers through this life. We are also all foolish because only God is wise. As long as we stay on God's path, we will find our way home. 

Annotation

Notes on my process. *Denotes my thoughts alone. ! Denotes a connection. Researched quick answers are in italics. *R Indicates a topic with more extensive notes under the research heading.

1. Change in the Wilderness (v1-2)
1. The places that were once desolate will now bloom with JOY.
1. ? Who is the wilderness and solitary place glad for - the subject in verse one? Is it God's people?
2. ? Why would the wilderness and solitary place be glad? Is it because God will transform it? Redeem it? 
3. ! Edom became desolate and the desolate places become the promise land. This is a classic tale of God turning the tables!
2. Songs of rejoicing fill the land where the glory and excellence of God is now known.
2. Encourage One Another (v3-7)
1. If anyone doubts, encourage them to be strong and fear not.
1. ? Why hands and knees?
2. ? What is the meaning of recompence? Payment for suffering endured, services rendered, or sacrifices given. Meriam Webster
3. ! Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31:31.  (See Wolfe Notes on Proverbs 31:31.)
2. God will come. He will save you.
3. Then the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, the mute will sing. 
1. ! When Jesus came 🎵He made the lame walk (See John 5:1-9.), and the dumb talk (See Mark 7:31-37.) / And He opened blinded eyes to see (See John 9:1-41.) 🎶and He made the deaf hear (See Luke 7:22.). Lyrics from "What Life Would Be Like" performed by Big Daddy Weave.
4. The dry land will fill with water. 
1. ! And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in  a weary land. Isaiah 32:2 KJV
5. Animals that were used to the desert will now lie in lush land.
3. Highway to Heaven (v8-10)
1. A highway of holiness will be found here.
1. ! The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3 KJV
2. Only the righteous will be able to use it and no one who travels on it will make mistakes.
3. They will be safe on the path. No beast will hunt the redeemed of the Lord.
1. ! No predators. No demons or devil. No powers of darkness.
4. This is their homecoming to Zion! 
1. 🎶Families are singing, and dancing, and laughing (Let's go!) / The Father is welcoming (Come on) / This is our homecoming 🎵 ("Homecoming" performed by Cory Asbury and Gable Price)
5. When they arrive they will sing with everlasting joy and gladness will be in their hearts. All sorrow and sighing will cease.
1. 🎵No more sickness, no more madness, no more pain / When we all see Jesus face to face🎶("Face to Face" performed by Zach Williams)
2. 🎵God's Got an army / Marching through this land / Deliverance is their song / There's healing in their hands / Everlasting JOY and gladness in their hearts / And in this army I've got a part.🎶 (Lyrics at Gospel Lighthouse Outreach. This version is from my memory. In my head it's paired with these lyrics from "I am a Wounded Soldier": 🎶I am loved / I am accepted / By the Savior of my soul! / I am loved / I am accepted / And His wounds have made me whole.🎵 (Lyrics at Divine Hymns) These are from my memory. ("I am a Wounded Soldier" sung by Danny Daniels)
3. ! And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pian; for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4 KJV

Research

*Thoughts that are mine alone are marked with an asterisk and italicized.

What wilderness rejoices? Is it the wilderness that resulted from God's judgment in Isaiah 34 or a different wilderness altogether?

Identifying the Subject of God's Judgment in Isaiah 34

• Then: Edom or Israel's current enemies which Isaiah distinctly names in Isaiah 34:5.
• Prophetically: Rome which oppressed Israel during and after the time of the Messiah. - Gill
• Eternally: The sum of immorality and evil, the church's enemy, will be purged during the great tribulation and completely conquered following the Battle of Armageddon. In Isaiah 34, Idumea stands as a symbol of what will happen to all worldly power. - Enduring Word, Gill, Barnes, & Pulpit

Interpreting the Wilderness in Isaiah 35

• Then: Judah's restoration following the Assyrian invasion. Or, the wilderness in Isaiah 34 learned from their punishment and this is their reward. - Enduring Word, Jamieson-Faussett-Brown, 
• Prophetically: Modern day Israel transformed a wasteland into productive farmland.
• Eternally: The church flees to the wilderness to escape the antichrist but can now return safely (Acts 7:38; Revelation 12:14). God will restore earth's ecology after the great tribulation and Battle of Armageddon (Isaiah 11:6-9). Nature is waiting for this transformation (Romans 8:19-22).  - Enduring Word, Gill

*Conclusions: As with all prophecy, we consider from a then, now, and eternal approach. The wilderness in Isaiah 34 represents punishment on evil - from abundance to desolation. Isaiah 35 depicts the transformation that befalls people who follow God - from desolation to abundance.

Summary

God transforms the wilderness to lush land. From here, the ransomed walk the path to Zion and know endless joy.

Memorize

I chose to memorize Isaiah 35:3-4.

Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 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.

It is an action verse. This is what we're called to do. It gives us purpose and direction.

Cross References

*Thoughts that are mine alone are marked with an asterisk and italicized.

Of Isaiah 35:3-4.

Strenghthen ye the weak hands,...

• Luke 22:31-32 KJV: And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 
• Zephaniah 3:16 VOICE: On that day people will say to the faithful in Jerusalem, "Do not be afraid, Zion; Hold your head and hands high, and take courage."
• Exodus 17:12 VOICE: When Moses became too tired to hold his hands up any longer, Aaron and Hur took a stone and sat him down on it. Then both men stood beside Moses, one on each side, holding his hands up and keeping them steady until sunset.

...and confirm the feeble knees.

• Job 4:3-4 KJV: Behold, thou has instructed many, and thou has strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
• Isaiah 40:1-2 KJV: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
• Isaiah 57:14-16 KJV: And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

Say to them that are of a fearful heart,...

• Proverbs 27:23 KJV: Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
• I Thessalonians 5:14 KJV: Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 VOICE: Two are better than one because a good return comes when two work together. If one of them falls, the other can help him up. But who will help the pitiful person who falls down alone? In the same way, if two lie down together, they can keep each other warm. But how will the one who sleeps alone stay warm against the night? And if one person is vulnerable to attack, two can drive the attacker away. As the saying goes, "A rope made of three strands is not quickly broken."

...Be strong,...

• Isaiah 7:4 VOICE: Tell Ahaz, "Keep your wits about you. Stay calm. Don't panic just because those two angry northerners, Rezin of Aram and Pekah (Remaliah's son).
• Isaiah 28:16 KJV: Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 
• I Chronicles 28:20 KJV: And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou has finished all the work for the service of the house of the lord.

...Fear not,... 

• Isaiah 44:2 KJV: Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
• Isaiah 43:1-6 KJV: But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou was precious in my sight, thou has been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
• Isaiah 41:10 KJV: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

...your God will come with vengeance,... 

• Psalm 94:1 KJV: O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
• Isaiah 1:24 KJV: Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.
• Isaiah 34:8 KJV: For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

 ...even with a recompense,...

• Revelation 22:12 VOICE: See, I am coming soon, and I will bring My Reward with Me. I will pay back every person according to the deeds he has done.
• 2 Peter 3:10 VOICE: The day of the Lord will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night; and on that day, the sky will vanish with a roar, the elements will melt with intense heat, and the earth and all the works done on it will be seen as they truly are. 
• Luke 14:12 VOICE: Jesus still wasn't finished. Now He turned to the host who had invited Him to this gathering. Jesus: When you host a dinner or banquet, don't invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they might invite you to a party of their own, and you'll be repaid for your kindness.

...he will come and save you. 

• Psalm 145:19 KJV: He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
• Isaiah 25:9 KJV: And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is out God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
• Titus 3:5 VOICE: He came to save us. It 's not that we earned it by doing good works or righteous deeds; He came because He is merciful. He brought us out of our old ways of living to a new beginning through the washing of regeneration; and he made us completely new through the Holy Spirit.

*Conclusion: We need each other because on our own we are weak. We must remind each other:

1. Be strong in the Lord. He is our sure Foundation.
2. Do not fear. He chose us, redeemed us, and is with us.
3. Evil will be punished and good rewarded. He is just.
4. Deliverance will happen. He is faithful.

Respond

1. God turns tables. What we see now is not what will be. I get caught in only believing what I observe. Like Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:11, I get dismayed realizing that "the race does not always go to the swift, the battle is not always won by the strong, bread does not always fill the table of the wise, wealth does not always accrue to the skillful, and favor is not always granted to the knowledgeable". I get stuck in the "life is unfair" way of thinking. I must draw the same conclusion that Solomon did: fear God, keep His commandments, and trust He will make all things right.
2. God heals. I often think that He won't heal me, that the suffering I go through is part of living. But the reality is: He will heal me. He is healing me. Nothing will be broken in heaven. I must remember what He's most concerned with healing is my soul. My soul because it's eternal whereas my body is only the husk that holds it. (Psalm 23:3; Isaiah 53:5; & I Corinthians 15:50-54)
3. God prepares the way and His preparations are perfect. Sometimes I question if I'll really find my way to heaven. What if I miss some detail along the way and wind up spending eternity in hell? But Isaiah 35:8-9 assures us that God's way is idiot proof and safe from predators that would snatch us away. I must remember this: my salvation is secure because I choose to walk on God's path.

In Closing

Father God, I'm stunned. Your way is beautiful, Your love is undeniable, and Your purpose has always been for us. You desire all of us to willingly choose you so that none of us would perish. You work tirelessly to lead us to You. Oh, that we would accept You. I pray that those who shut You out awaken to You and choose to walk Your path. So that on that day, together, we will hear You say, "Welcome home!"

Learning with You,

Are you ready for Isaiah 36?

Sample these related posts:

To locate the Isaiah study guide for July.

To review notes on Isaiah Chapter 34.

To know that He directs your path.

To encourage you while you wait.

To put your hand in His hand.

Interested in more faith-related blogs? Then you're looking for Faith Food. At Faith Food, you'll find links to all our faith-related blogs and a short description of each.

Image Credit: Elephants from pxhere.