Tag Archives: Isaiah

Isaiah 42 and The Bruised Reed

This morning I talked about some follow-up things for Isaiah 42. (Hear the sermon from this morning here.)

Perhaps the most famous Christian reading that takes up the topic of the bruised Reed is a book by that name- The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbs (1577-1635). You can find a good summary article on the content of the book here. You can find a free PDF copy of the book here. The whole book is only 69 pages. If you like it, most of his complete works are here.

Banner of truth publishing has published a Kindle version with some updated language. There are a few words in 17th century English that can puzzle you a little bit- and this version makes that a little easier. But reading 17th century theology is about a 70 page investment – once you’ve read that much you’ve pretty much picked up on the different ways they use certain words.

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Trivial Misreadings

Isaiah 40:3-5 – 3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.  4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Bob Grahmann preached two weeks ago from Isaiah 40. I never really liked Isaiah 40:3-5.

I spent several years as a wilderness leader climbing mountains and paddling rivers. Mountains and valleys are basically my favorite things in the natural world. I know it’s going to sound like a shallow objection, primarily because it is, but the mental picture that the coming of Christ was glorified by all of life’s topography being erased bothered me. And for some reason, I equated this with heaven – that somehow this passage was saying that heaven isn’t a place where the mountains are high and the valleys low but instead is a place of flattened-out sameness.

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