Isaiah 35:1-2

The Desert Will Blossom Like A Rose And Reveal The Glory of Yahweh (Isaiah 35:1).

In direct contrast with the barrenness and emptiness of Edom, all the barren places of Israel will flourish, and they will blossom with all the glory of a rose in its splendour, and will be filled with joy and singing, for they will see the excellency and glory of God. The picture is one of total blessing and rejoicing.

Analysis.

a The wilderness and the solitary place will be glad, and the desert will rejoice and blossom (Isaiah 35:1).

b Like a rose it will blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing (Isaiah 35:2 a).

b The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon (Isaiah 35:2 b).

a They will see the glory of Yahweh, the excellency of our God (Isaiah 35:2 c).

In ‘a' the wilderness and desert will blossom abundantly, and in the parallel it will reveal the glory of Yahweh and His excellence. In ‘b' it will blossom abundantly like a rose, and in the parallel will receive the excellency of Carmel and Sharon.

Isaiah 35:1

‘The wilderness and the solitary place will be glad,

And the desert will rejoice and blossom,

Like a rose it will blossom abundantly,

And rejoice even with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

The excellency of Carmel and Sharon,

They will see the glory of Yahweh,

The excellency of our God.'

As a result of God's judgment on them large parts of the lands of Judah and Israel would become like a wilderness and a desert, but it is not God's intention that this should be for ever. For eventually His people will return and the land will blossom like a rose or like the autumn crocus, and there will be great joy and singing. It will become fruitful like Lebanon, Carmel and Sharon proverbially were (see also Isaiah 33:9), and through it the glory of Yahweh and the excellency of their God will be revealed.

The picture is of a new miracle of growth. Even the most barren parts of the land will be as the most fruitful. There will be fruitfulness everywhere. It is the agricultural nation's idea of heaven.

That this to some extent occurred literally is testified to by history. Once Israel/Judah were again established in the land, the land did become fruitful and blossom. But there was still the problem of the curse, and the people lost their way, although a remnant ever remained faithful. It found a spiritual fulfilment in the ministry of Jesus and what followed, for John the Baptiser and Jesus both depicted the spiritual blessing that they had brought in terms of harvest, and of trees, and of fruitfulness (Matthew 3:7; Matthew 13:3 and often). In the words of Jesus, the fields were white for harvest, and they blossomed abundantly (John 4:35). But its greater fulfilment awaits the new heaven and the new earth which are the final result of all that Isaiah looked forward to (Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22). There will then be such a blossoming as has never been known before, the curse will finally be removed and the river of life will sustain God's people for ever (Revelation 22:1).