Isaiah 51:3 (NKJV)

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Bible Commentary

Isaiah 51:3 is a Bible verse from the Old Testament that reveals a great promise of the Lord’s comfort and healing to our land. First, let’s clarify who the Lord is talking to here. Isaiah 51:1 says,

“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord:

The promise is for those who follow after righteousness and seek the Lord, plain and simple. The first line of Isaiah 51:3 says, the Lord will comfort Zion. Zion is not just a group of people or inhabitants of a geographical place, but it is the lands of those who follow after righteousness.

Our Spiritual Estate

When we purchase a home and accumulate assets through the course of our lifetime, we form an estate—whether big or small. In the spiritual realm, each one of us also has an estate. Not necessarily seen with the human eyes, our spiritual estate consists of our well-being and the well-being of our family, and all He has entrusted to us—our home, work, business, ministry, calling, etc.

The first part of Isaiah 51:3 refers to the “estate” of those who follow after righteousness and seek the Lord.

For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord;

Waste places in Hebrew means: drought, desolation, decayed place, waste. Can you identify a drought in any particular area of your life, past or present? Do you find yourself afraid of wasting things—your money, your days, your time, your energy, food, etc.?

Of course, we all have. This is part of the curse upon the earth because of sin. Isaiah 54:16 (KJV) says, “Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.”

Jesus Christ Restores

We must identify the rough places of our spiritual estate so we can seek and receive the comfort and restoration God offers through Christ.

Next, can you identify with the word “wilderness”? Ever felt isolated from the group and all alone? Sometimes the Lord takes us into a wilderness of some capacity, so that we can be still and hear His still small voice. What seems like punishment is actually a faith opportunity. Embrace it!

Next is the desert. The Hebrew meaning states: sterile valley of the Jordan and its continuation to the Red Sea. Sometimes it feels as though we are not producing anything of value in our work or daily routine. A desert is dry, dusty and hot. Sound familiar?

All of these very unpleasant places or phases in our lives are meant to point us to our Heavenly Father, for help and for the truth. He in turn, points us to His Son, Jesus Christ, the greatest gift ever offered to mankind.

Coordinates to the Promised Land

It is important to diagnose the current condition of our spiritual estate, so we can seek the only treatment available. And that is Jesus Christ.

If we have rejected Christ, then we are wasting the greatest gift ever offered to us. God sent His precious and perfect Son to redeem the world, to heal, bless and prosper us, to quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger, to set us free from bondage, and most importantly to reconcile us to God the Father.

He sent His Son to be tortured and crucified in a shameful and open display upon a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. All for us. He is our oasis in the desert.

But man rejected Him.

What a heartbreak for our Father. His precious gift was wasted on those who reject Him. We can only begin to imagine the fury and pain in His heart.  And so yes, the waster was sent to destroy.

But there is hope.

Jesus is Enough

Jesus Christ is the way back to the good graces of our Heavenly Father. When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we thrilled the heart of God and we were given the coordinates to the Promised Land. Jesus is the way (John 14:6).

Isaiah 51:3 For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

Maybe you can picture yourself traveling over a dry, cracked desert land for a long period of time, and just about when you’re ready to give up, over the very next hill you find an oasis of crystal clear water and beautiful shade trees loaded with fruit.

Christ came to save us, to rescue us from the wilderness of the parched and decayed desert land. The thirst of our spiritual estate is quenched with the pure water of Jesus Christ and its wounds are made well with the healing ointment of the Holy Spirit. Drink it up and breathe it in!

Jesus Christ is the comfort for our spiritual estate. He comforts all of our waste places and makes our wilderness like Eden and our desert like the garden of the Lord. And then He establishes us–anchors us–there. Praise the Lord!

Study the Bible verse of Isaiah 51:3, and find your way to the Promised Land through Jesus Christ. Amen!