...until a spirit from on high
is poured out on us,
and the desert turns into farmland,
and the farmland is considered a forest.
Isaiah 32:15
Isaiah and other writers of the Bible had a big challenge. “How can we tell others about our great and wonderful experiences of God?” They looked around at objects and scenes that suddenly gave them the feeling of, “Ah Ha! That’s what God is like!”
Isaiah thinks about two aspects of being in a desert to tell what God is like. What happens when someone dying of thirst suddenly stumbles upon a stream in the desert? The person jumps for joy, running and skipping to fill his hands with the refreshing water to quench his thirst. The other object is a large rock in the desert that someone finds so that he can sit in its shade as relief from the burning sun.
Picture yourself out in a desert. Imagine feeling thirsty and hot. Then you find a stream and a rock. The imagination can give us the feeling, without ever really going into a desert. Then you’ll have the same experience of God that Isaiah has. Isaiah would be so happy about that!
Examples of Bible Breaths Learn More…
You, a stream in the desert v. 2
You a rock: shade from the sun v. 2
With You, Lord, all comes to life v. 15
Your people living in peace v. 18
Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.
Mondays are dedicated to the reading of the Hebrew Prophets.
These Firestarters are for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook. You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.
The Bible Through the Seasons 