Isaiah 35:4, commentary and pictures

To those whose hearts are fearful, God commands strength and freedom from fear because He Himself will come with vengeance and repayment to rescue and save His people. His vengeance means righteous judgment and justice upon His enemies, and that day of wrath against them is the day of final deliverance for His church. That deliverance is His coming in glory to gather His remnant, when the ransomed return to Zion with singing and everlasting joy and sorrow and sighing flee away, fulfilled with the new heaven and new earth when God dwells with men and wipes away every tear and there is no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. His coming also brings present renewal where the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the mute speak, and the barren wilderness becomes watered and holy, a healing already begun in transformed lives for which all honor belongs to God. Therefore its promise is to be proclaimed now with assurance and without gloom, and to be laid hold of by the discouraged, the weak, and the wavering to make them courageous, steady, obedient, and compassionate toward others until the closing work is finished.

God's Coming to Save

The fearful in heart are commanded to be strong and fear not, because God Himself will come with vengeance and with recompense to rescue and save His people. His coming brings judgment, justice, and repayment as well as deliverance. It is a message meant to encourage churches and believers in times of spiritual lack, emergency, disaffection, and disappointment, and to strengthen them as they face people unwilling to be helped.

His vengeance and recompense mean judgment, justice, and repayment upon His enemies. The day of wrath for His enemies is the day of final deliverance for His church.

That deliverance is the Lord's coming in glory to gather His remnant church. Then the ransomed of the Lord return to Zion with songs and everlasting joy, and sorrow and sighing flee away. This will be fulfilled together with the new heaven and new earth, when the tabernacle of God is with men and God wipes away tears and there is no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain.

His coming brings the saving restoration described with the verse: the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, the mute sing, and water renews the wilderness and thirsty land. In that quoted promise His coming brings healing, refreshment, holiness, and the redeemed's joyful return to Zion, transforming what is barren. This renewal of God's future can also be fulfilled in people's lives in this world as they cooperate with Him, so that their lives and work reflect the transformation and salvation He brings, and all honor for that work belongs to God, not to the people through whom He works.

The chapter is a word of promise and a source of faith, hope, and assurance in God's mercy, grace, and glory. The verse is to be read with all of Isaiah 35 and with Isaiah 50 as inspiring, promising words given for encouragement. To the earthly mind the Word is a desolate wilderness with no pleasure in it, but to the mind renewed by the Holy Spirit it becomes a land of living streams where divine beauty and celestial light shine.

The verse is present truth to be proclaimed just now with assurance and power, with no mournful note. It belongs to the future restoration of God's people, given for encouragement in the closing work before the work is closed up and the sealing is finished. Then great things are to be expected from the Lord, the outpouring of the Spirit will come, angels will be in the midst, and God's people will be out of the cities.

Courage for Fearful Hearts

The promises are given to encourage churches and believers in times of depression, discouragement, spiritual lack, emergency, disaffection, unbelief, and disappointment. The fearful, depressed, and discouraged are to be strong and not fear, because God will come with judgment and recompense and will save them. These words are to be claimed and leaned on when churches or believers show spiritual weakness, disaffection, or unbelief, to strengthen those who serve and to strengthen them as they face people unwilling to be helped. The restoration promised in the following verses, including healing and life-giving water in the wilderness, strengthens this assurance.

When disappointed by spiritual lack seen in churches and in individuals, by halting and disaffection among believers, and by meeting those unwilling to be helped and strengthened, there is to be no sinking into discouragement. When evil angels in the form of believers work in the ranks to bring in a strong spirit of unbelief, assembling in meetings not to receive blessing but to counterwork the influences of the Spirit of God, their words are not to be taken up and repeated to confirm evil angels in their work. Instead the command is strength and fearlessness in faith in God proved true in the past, repeating the rich promises of God which are yea and amen in Christ Jesus, making His Word the strong testimony and leaning on His sure promise. Encouragement is to be communicated to others by taking hold of the mighty assurances given in Christ and in His word, bringing a true heart to the help of the Lord against satanic agencies. The Redeemer's work undertaken in behalf of humanity, seen in the life and death of Christ as what sacrifice heaven was willing to make that none perish but have everlasting life, is to be carried on daily.

The verse instructs the strengthening and reassuring of those who are weak, afraid, faltering, erring, or discouraged, with supportive words and actions that pity them, lift their spirits, and help them rather than looking down on them. Christ's compassion and pity toward the needy is the example and pattern to follow. To say Be strong to those of a fearful heart is the servants' work to hold up feeble hands, strengthen the wavering, build up the church, gather souls, and rescue souls from Satan's snare. Only servants who are themselves steady, trusting in Christ, free by His salvation, knowing in whom they trust and with firm feet not entangled in Satan's net can do it. One whose own feet are entangled, wavering, or sliding cannot strengthen others, and must first labor for self and pray until endued with power from on high.

Its words are to be laid up in the heart as a call to accept Christ as Saviour and friend and take the offered salvation. Those who hear are to stand wholly on the Lord's side, consecrate self and family to God's service, draw together, depend on Christ alone for salvation, grow in grace and knowledge, and walk in full obedience to all the commandments of God in the fitting-up time for heaven. The fearful are called to courage and firmness to speak the truth at all times and in all places. That strength comes when Bible principles take the field again and when the subduing love of Christ is received into the heart and faith is established in the Word of the living God.

Then selfishness and suspicion are banished, self-importance and arbitrary authority lessen, Christlikeness governs practical life, peace comes, and sin is not allowed to run riot. In sanitariums, printing offices, and schools, and in every institution established to advance God's work, a different atmosphere prevails, spirituality revives, and the holiness and peace of heaven come in. The love of Christ in the soul is as an ever-flowing stream in the desert that refreshes all and turns the sear and barren wilderness into a green pasture where flowers spring to fragrant life, where peace seeks the highest good of others in following Christ's example. The discouraged are not to sink down, for the faint-hearted will be made strong and the desponding will be made to hope. God has tender care for His people and His ear is open to their cry, and He will take care of His own cause, so those who fill their lot and place, live low and humble at the foot of the cross, and live faithful holy lives before Him will not be ashamed but will confide in God with holy boldness.