Day 8 Expectation

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Isaiah 11:13-16 (NLT)

“Then at last the jealousy between Israel and Judah will end. They will not be rivals anymore. They will join forces to swoop down on Philistia to the west. Together they will attack and plunder the nations to the east. They will occupy the lands of Edom and Moab, and Ammon will obey them. The Lord will make a dry path through the gulf of the Red Sea. He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River, sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams so it can easily be crossed on foot. He will make a highway for the remnant of his people, the remnant coming from Assyria, just as he did for Israel long ago when they returned from Egypt.”

Middle eastern conflict has been going on for a long time, and when we read the Bible we see the breadth of history that carries into today. Sometimes prophecies are fulfilled in multiple ways, and much of the events described in biblical prophecy took place not long after it was spoken. On the other hand, much prophecy continues to hold meaning for the future of the world. We don’t always know how or when additional prophetic fulfillment will come to pass.

The Red Sea and the Euphrates River are described in this passage. Keep in mind, we do not know for sure that the modern bodies of water with those names are exactly the same as the ones referred to in the Bible. Geography changes, as you can see from the articles linked above. There are a lot of divisions that have taken place over time in the Euphrates River — perhaps a fulfillment of these words of Isaiah. No matter how we interpret this prophecy, we know that God is planning a rescue for his people that will rival the great Exodus of the Israelites out of slavery.

God is making a highway (hint: Jesus called himself “the Way”) for his people who follow him all the way to the end. He is readying the world for the final rescue. He is creating your way out of a broken world. Nations will war, battles will rage, and God will bring an eternal era of peace. With a simple wave of his hand he will accomplish his plans. Are we waiting with hope and expectation for his Great Rescue? Or have we forgotten in the midst of our earthly lives? May we each be reminded this Advent to turn our expectations and attention to the One who has come and will come again.