There is a road to travel. It's a way of freedom. It's the Exodus way. It's the road out of slavery, the road through the wilderness, and the road into inheritance and blessing. We've been tracing this theme of the way. And today, we look at the prophet Isaiah. In his time, Israel is living in the promised land,

but it's become a land of oppression and slavery because of enemy threats on the outside and

idolatry and injustice on the inside. Yet, Isaiah prophesies of a day when the land will truly be

at peace, when there will be a final road in.

And the imagery in Isaiah gets cosmic.

When all humans and all creatures and all life is in a relationship of intimate knowing with Yahweh.

For this promised new creation to come, God himself must make the way.

And so, Isaiah envisions a new road through the wilderness.

So a voice cries out.

In the wilderness, y'all should prepare the way of Yahweh.

Y'all make straight in the desert a highway for our God. The only way this highway's coming is for God

to make it and for God to lead the way. This highway through the wilderness isn't a road we

travel on with our feet. This is a road we travel by changing our hearts. They're back in the land

and there's all kinds of poor Israelites suffering,

and there won't be a safe passage through the wilderness

until you start doing right by your neighbor

and dealing with the injustice within Israel.

So the call to leave Egypt is now a call to repentance.

Today, Tim Mackie and I explore the narrative theme of the Exodus and the scroll of Isaiah,

finding all of these story beats, the road out, the road between, and the road in.

Thanks for joining us. Here we go.

Hey, Tim.

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