The prophet Isaiah lived in the eighth century BC, in the kingdom of Judah. He was writing before the Jews were exiled to Babylon. He warned about the faithlessness of the people and how retribution would come. There are, however, passages which are optimistic. It is thought by some that chapter 35 was written by another author, who was writing in Babylon but looked forward to the return to Judah. Isaiah uses beautiful images from nature to make his point. Last week we had the picture of the wolf lying down with the lamb. This week we picture the desert bursting into flower. Apparently this happens when rain comes down on the arid land. It is a symbol of God’s promise to Israel, of his coming to their rescue. The prophecies that Isaiah made were about his own time but they were fulfilled in Jesus.
John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod. Autocrats do not like criticism, as we see clearly in our own day in many places. Herod was no exception. John, confined in what was probably a most unpleasant dungeon, seems to have lost confidence in the message he was preaching. He wondered if there would be another long wait for a Messiah. Jesus reassured him by quoting the words of Isaiah which we read today.
We are coming close to Christmas. The third candle is lit. It is the shepherd candle, the symbol of joy. The shepherds on the hill rejoiced when they heard the good news from the angel. The candle is pink and the priest can wear pink vestments.
“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:3)