A Way in the Wilderness

Have you noticed that sometimes life feels like a desert? In moments of pain and anxiety, it may seem like there’s no way out. All we see is an endless wasteland.

The people of Israel faced their worst “desert” when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took its inhabitants captive. Far from home, they lived for decades under oppression. In moments of anguish and despair, they remembered the prophet’s words: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (NIV).

In the ancient Near East, a king’s subjects would “prepare a way” by going ahead of him when he returned to his city. His return implied abundance and protection. The author uses this image to announce a way out of the desert; make a path for the King of Kings, trusting that he will arrive to lead everyone home.

The prophet’s confidence finds a basis in God’s history. God freed Israel from brutal slavery—with ...