"And a highway will be there, a roadway,
and it will be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean will not travel on it,
but it will be for him who walks that way,
and fools will not wander on it.
No lion will be there,
nor will any vicious beast go up on it;
these will not be found there.
But the redeemed will walk there,
and the ransomed of the LORD will return,
and come with joyful shouting to Zion,
with everlasting joy upon their heads.
They will find gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
(vs 8-10)
Matthew Henry's comments on this section were full and encouraging to my soul this morning. I will share his wise words rather than my roaming ramblings.
"The way of religion and godliness is here called "the way of holiness." When our God shall come to save us He shall chalk out to us this way by His gospel, so as it had never been before described. It shall be an appointed way; a highway. It is the King's highway, the King of king's highway, in which though we may be waylaid, we cannot be stopped.
The way of holiness is the way of God's commandments; it is the good old way (Jer 6:16). The unclean shall not pass over it, either to defile it or to disturb those that walk in it. It shall be for those whom the Lord has set apart for Himself (Ps 4:3). It shall be reserved for them: the redeemed shall walk there out of the reach of molestation from an evil world.
The wayfaring men, who choose to travel in it, though fools, of weak capacity in other things, shall have such plain directions from the word and Spirit of God in this way that they shall not err therein; they shall get well to their journey's end. The Spirit of truth shall lead them into all truth that is necessary for them. The way to heaven is a plain way, and easy to hit.
It shall be a safe way: no lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast, none to hurt or destroy. Those that keep close to this way keep out of the reach of Satan the roaring lion. Those that walk in the way of holiness may proceed with serenity of mind, knowing that nothing can do them any real hurt.
Those that walk in the way of holiness must separate themselves from the unclean and save themselves from an untoward generation. Let them walk with the redeemed who shall walk there.
The end of this way shall be everlasting joy. Here is good news for citizens of Zion. The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion. God will open to them a door of escape out of their captivity. They shall join themselves to the gospel church, that Mount Zion that city of the living God (Heb 12:22). Those that by faith are made citizens of the gospel Zion may go on their way rejoicing (Ac 8:39). They rejoice in Christ Jesus, and they that mourn are blessed, for they shall be comforted.
When God's people returned out of Babylon to Zion they came weeping (Jer 1:4); but they shall come to heaven singing a new song (Rev 14:3). Their joy shall be visible, and no longer a secret thing, as it is here in this world; it shall be proclaimed, to the glory of God. Our joyful hopes and prospects of eternal life should swallow up both all the sorrows and all the joys of this present time."
Selah,
Lori
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