Blossoms in the Wilderness

Guest speaker Dr. Michael Lyons, associate professor of Old Testament at Columbia Biblical Seminary, preaches Isaiah 35 for anyone who feels stuck in the wilderness. Facing the Assyrian threat, Judah wonders whether Yahweh is worth trusting, yet Isaiah promises that the dry land will actually blossom because the people will see the glory of Yahweh, the same glory that met Israel in the wilderness of Exodus and filled the earth in Isaiah 6. He calls the anxious to 'Behold your God' instead of turning to the modern Egypts we trust for rescue, and shows that the Way of Holiness is God's highway that leads his redeemed people into his presence, where sorrow and sighing flee away. Jesus answers John's disciples with Isaiah 35 (Luke 7:22), carries our wilderness to the cross, and defeats death in his resurrection, so his people become blossoms in the darkest places that point to the coming new creation.

Scripture: Isaiah 35

Speaker: Dr. Michael Lyons

Series: Guest Speaker