Isaiah speaks of how the Lord makes a way for His people. The Lord made a way for His people many times on the pages of the Bible. He has made a way for His people many times between then and now. He will make a way for His people in the future.
Isaiah speaks of the way like this: "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way." (Isaiah 35:8a) Chapter 35 is titled "The Joy Of The Redeemed" and it is the redeemed that Isaiah speaks of when he refers to those who "walk on that Way". God-rejecters don't walk on that Way. This Way of Holiness is only for those who have placed their faith in the Lord, which the second portion of verse 8 makes clear.
"The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it." (Isaiah 35:8b) In the Bible the word "fool" was not used in the manner in which it is used in our day. In the original language the word that is translated as "fool" was a word used for a person who was spiritually reprobate and morally bankrupt. It didn't simply mean a person who unthinkingly makes silly mistakes. It meant a person who had no heart for the Lord or for His laws and who felt no desire to know Him or obey Him. The glorious highway spoken of by Isaiah in our passage is not for such people but is only for those who desire to know and serve the Lord.
I am reminded of a passage from the book of Revelation dealing with the restored earth and the eternal capitol city of the Messiah, which will be at Jerusalem. "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27)
The redeemed will have no fear of man or beast. No human enemy will ever attack them again and, just as it was in the Garden of Eden, the human race and the animal kingdom will be at peace with each other. "No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there." (Isaiah 35:9a) The invention of highways did a great deal to advance the progress of civilizations but traveling on highways in ancient times was still a dangerous business. Robbers might be lying in wait. Enemy armies might swoop down out of the hills or out of the forests to attack a nation's soldiers as they marched along. Wild animals might attack someone traveling along a highway, especially if someone were traveling alone or in a very small group. Such things will never happen on the highway Isaiah foresees! People will go up to Jerusalem, rejoicing along the way, with no fear of anyone or anything.
"But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return." (Isaiah 35:9b) Several different rescues are in view here, I believe, such as the many times over the centuries when Jewish people have returned to the land the Lord gave them. But the primary rescue in view here is, I believe, the rescue of the soul---the redemption of the soul---because in the original language this verse uses the word "goel" which means "kinsman redeemer". Only those who have been ransomed by the Kinsman Redeemer will walk there, in other words. Only those who are saved by faith are walking on the Way of Holiness, both literally and figuratively.
"They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." (Isaiah 35:10) What an awesome way to end this chapter! What an awesome way to end the human experience! We who have placed our faith in the Lord will live in His presence with everlasting joy. We will live in an eternal state of gladness. There will never again be any sorrow in our hearts. We will never be tempted to sin against our Redeemer and we will live on a remade earth where no curse of sin exists. There will be no troubles of any kind. "Sorrow and sighing will flee away" when the Lord has made all things new!
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