Unconventional Evangelism: Removing Mountains

Character Development
Written By Mark Hamby

Reflective Reading: Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40 could easily be one of my favorite chapters in the Bible; it is gushing with truth. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to pull out your Bible and study along with me as we dive into this powerful portion of Scripture.

First, let’s put this chapter into context. Last week we learned that because of King Hezekiah’s failure to place God’s house above his own, the next generation would be taken to Babylon into captivity (chapters 36-39). After receiving this troubling news, God reveals in chapter 40 that He will bring comfort to Israel after the captivity. Additionally, He will make a way for their return by leading them out through some very unique provisions. Isaiah writes,

“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:1-3).

If you’re familiar with the Bible, then you’ve already made the connection that this prophecy is referring to John the Baptist preparing the way of the Messiah. What is unusual is the geography that is mentioned and the message that is proclaimed. John’s message was first preached to the hard-to-reach wilderness peoples; the shepherds, Bedouins, nomads, and farmers. Geographically, or should I say, geologically, he was to make a straight highway for God in the desert. Wait a minute; John wasn’t in the road construction business! What does this mean?

Historically, this phenomenon of making a straight road in the desert was practiced by kings and queens. Not only would they make a road in the desert, they would also,

“Exalt every valley, and make low every mountain and hill: and make the crooked straight, and the rough places plain” (Isaiah 40:4).

When a king or queen conquered a new land, the captives, along with skilled workmen, would make roadways that would allow the king or queen to travel unimpeded to their newly conquered land. The workers would literally fill valleys, cut through mountains, and straighten crooked roads all so that the royal chariots might have a smooth, safe path. The primary purpose behind this extraordinary work was to give the greatest honor and glory to the new sovereign ruler. Note the next verse in Isaiah 40,

“And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken” (vs. 5).

The preparatory work of removing all obstacles gave the people of this newly conquered land easy access to present themselves to their new lord and sovereign. In a way, this is what John the Baptist did. He removed the obstacles of legalism, sin, and hypocrisy so that people could follow the Lamb of God. This is exactly our responsibility today. We need to remove all of the obstacles that impede people from coming to know the LORD. It is our responsibility to make it easy for people to hear the Word of God. As we think through our plans for reaching people for Christ, we need to consider the obstacles that hinder them and then do whatever it takes to remove them.

I remember, when I was a very young Christian, I invited my best friend to church. He agreed to come, but after the morning service he said he would never come back. Well, I had to remove an obstacle before the evening service! I threatened to break his door down if he didn’t come with me. Yes, I know this sounds crazy, but in those early days of my salvation there was nothing stopping me! I wanted everyone within reach to know about this God who had saved me and radically changed me from the inside out. Those early days are filled with some of my most “over-the-top” memories.

What happened to my best friend? Well, he agreed to come to church with me that evening and by the grace of God was gloriously saved! To this day he is still serving the LORD.

Now, I’m not suggesting that we threaten to break doors down if someone doesn’t go to church with us. But we do need consider this: if a pagan nation is willing to remove mountains, fill valleys, and straighten crooked roads just to make a smooth path, how much more should we go the extra mile to make it easy for people to come to our great Savior, who loves them and gave himself for them?

Before I close this exposition of Isaiah 40, there is one more story that I believe will bring the application of today’s text home. This true example occurred in 1980 with twin brothers I met in college. If I told you their real names, you just might recognize them. (They are in the Christian film industry.)

When Daniel came to know Jesus as his Savior, it was his greatest desire for his twin brother to come to know the LORD. After several attempts and no response, he resorted to a more “out-of-the-box” strategy. One day, Daniel grabbed his brother and pinned him against the wall. He zealously pleaded for his brother to repent and receive Jesus as his Savior. When his brother saw the longing of his brother’s heart, he dropped to his knees right then and there to receive the Lord Jesus as his Savior.

These illustrations are, of course, a little over the top. But maybe, just maybe, our evangelistic outreach could use a little tweaking (or perhaps some major road construction) as we seek to dismantle roadblocks so that all can know our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Sincerely,

Mark Hamby

M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min.

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