“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.
Isaiah 11:13-16 NLT
Isaiah continues to write about that wonderful time when “… the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world” (Isaiah 11:10a). The phrase “In that day …” occurs several times, pointing to the time when Jesus will establish His kingdom, a kingdom that will bring His righteousness and truth forever. Verse 13 starts by prophesying that “the jealousy between Israel and Judah will end”. When did it all go wrong between the two Jewish kingdoms? The nation of Israel split around 930 BC due to heavy taxation, forced labour, and King Rehoboam’s refusal to ease the economic burdens of the northern tribes. What happened was recorded in 1 Kings 12, but in Isaiah’s prophecy, the two kingdoms, North and South, will be united once again. Isaiah continues with local battles that will resolve, once and for all, the difficulties presented to both nations by the peoples around them: Edom, Moab, Ammon, and the Philistines. And geographical barriers to the return of the exiles were going to be removed. This was going to be the fruition of the Jewish dream: country reunited, strong once again, and the people able to live in peace.
The last verse in Isaiah 11 reads, “He will make a highway for the remnant of his people”. The prophet recalls Israel’s greatest act of deliverance—the crossing of the Red Sea. Just as God opened a path through waters that seemed impassable, He promises to prepare another “highway” for His people to return home. The message to the people in Judah and Israel is simple but profound: what God has done before, He is able to do again. There are several occasions in the Bible where we find God making roads where none seem to exist. He made a path through the sea for Moses. He brought water from a rock in the wilderness. He opened prison doors for Peter. Most wonderfully of all, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He made a way for sinners to come home to the Father. What seems impossible to us is never impossible to God.
Have we pilgrims ever found ourselves facing what seemed like an impossible obstacle? A closed door, a broken relationship, a difficult decision, or a burden too heavy to carry? We often feel as though there is no way forward. But the encouragement for all God’s people is the same because there is a wonderful and beautiful promise – God is the One who can make a way through even the most impossible and insurmountable situation. It happens all the time, often when we don’t even realise what has happened. God works behind the scenes, looking after His people. What about that time when the car broke down, and someone came along at just the right time to help? What about the time when an unexpected bill arrived, but then an envelope dropped through the door with just enough money to cover the shortfall? Perhaps these examples haven’t been our experience, but they have been for someone somewhere. God will make a highway for His people. In times of difficulty, we need to look to our Heavenly Father in faith, knowing that He has the solution to our problem.
In verse 16, we read about the remnant of God’s people returning from exile. Isaiah speaks of exiles returning from distant lands, but there is another kind of exile that affects every human heart, and that is sin. Sin separates us from God, and shame and guilt keep us at a distance in a spiritual exile. For many, fear tells us we can never come back, but, as we know, Christ has built a highway of grace. He did not simply point us towards the Father; He became the Way. Jesus said, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Every believer, previously in exile in a hard place because of their sins, has travelled that road, not by personal merit, but because God Himself opened it by showing them the way. As the old chorus says, “There’s a way back to God / From the dark paths of sin”. The “highway” is more than a road; it is the evidence that God goes ahead of His people. He prepares what they cannot prepare. He removes obstacles that they cannot move. Although sometimes we spend all our energy trying to clear the road ahead, Isaiah reminds us that God is already at work before we arrive. Our task is to trust and follow.
In verse 13, we read, “Then at last the jealousy between Israel and Judah will end”. For generations, God’s people were divided through political differences, tribal loyalties and suspicion. But when the Messiah comes, He will heal those divisions. This reminds us that one of Christ’s greatest works is reconciliation. He brings peace not only between people and God, but between people themselves. Every church and every family will become a living demonstration of that promise “in that day”, the day when Jesus returns. The transformation will be amazing, as pride gives way to humility, resentment gives way to forgiveness, rivalry gives way to partnership, and division gives way to unity. The church, and even churches in our towns and cities, will experience a transformation only dreamed of.
We pilgrims have a challenge to our faith. For example, is there an obstacle that we have assumed is impossible for God? Or perhaps there are relationships in our lives where Christ is calling us to pursue reconciliation. One thing we are often guilty of is trying to force open doors instead of waiting for God to prepare the way. But do we really believe that God is already working ahead of us? These are questions that we must face as we build up our faith in the One who is the Way to eternal life.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the God who makes a way where there seems to be no way. Thank You for removing the barriers of our sin through Jesus Christ and for opening the road home to You. Help us to trust You with the obstacles we face today. Teach us, we pray, to pursue peace with others and to walk confidently along the path You have prepared. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 