It is no wonder that Handel chose many passages from the book of Isaiah when he wrote the Messiah.  It’s one of the most important prophetic books in the Old Testament.  It may be a collection of writings by different authors.  Beginning in Chapter 40, the book focuses on the coming of the Messiah.

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

We can use these same metaphors in preparing our hearts for the coming of the Lord.  Do we have valleys of despair to turn over to our Lord?  Do we have mountains of pride or selfishness for which we need to repent?  Could we describe our faith life as rugged ground, inconsistent with its ups and downs.  Prepare, says Isaiah. for the glory of the Lord will be revealed.

This section of Handel’s Messiah is performed here by a soloist of the Gramaphone Chorus of Ghana.

Judy