8And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. 9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:8–10, ESV)
Foreign armies would attack and scatter the nation of Israel. Yet this message from Isaiah states that God’s chosen people will once again travel to Jerusalem to seek the Lord and worship Him there. Moreover, in this future time their travel to Zion will be unhindered, and it will be safe. In Isaiah’s day travel could be dangerous. Here he speaks of a safe highway in the Millennial Kingdom called “the Way of Holiness.”
There are a couple noteworthy things about this highway. First, it leads to Zion, the city of God. Second, no unclean person shall be able to take this highway to the city. Third, this road is only for the ones whom God has ransomed and redeemed from death. Last, those who walk on this road experience great joy.
While this passage reveals a picture of the Millennium, it is a clear picture of Christ. Think about it. We look forward to entering that place called heaven, the abode of God. There is only one way to heaven. Jesus clearly stated it in His own words.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV)
The only people who will take the way of Christ are those whom He has redeemed with the payment of His own shed blood. These are the holy ones, the saints. Yet their righteousness is not of their own doing for their righteousness is that which God has imputed, that is counted, to them by faith. Moreover, the way is secure. No force or power is capable of hindering us on our journey in Christ, who is the Way.
For us, Christ is the “Highway of Holiness,” and those of us who are journeying on this highway have an inexpressible joy. Consider verse 10 for a second. Do you not see the joy? On our heads is an everlasting joy, a joy of knowing Christ, and the joy of knowing that we are on this journey with Him. How does this joy manifest itself in our lives? It does so with singing. It does so with gladness and joy. It does so in the assurance of a time when we will forget all sorrow and sighing, and we will rejoice forevermore.
Renewing the Heart 