Aria: Every Valley (From Handel's Messiah Texts)

 Aria: Ev'ry Valley Isaiah 40: 4 by Pastor Kevin Hartley Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain. Isaiah 40: 4 Text Explained Obstacles stood in the way of comfort's path. The land of Canaan spelled rest for the Israel of God. Israel would find themselves cast forth, expelled from a land, scattered far in distant lands. Every known obstacle would fence the road back to Canaan. Hills, mountains, valleys, cliffs, gullies, would guard the land. All of the barriers that once forbid Israel's entrance into Canaan would again bar them re-entrance into the Promised Land. When Isaiah prophesied of the coming captivity of the nation of Israel, he began the message of comfort with a promise of God's desire to clear Israel's path back unto her rest. As sure as the Lord was needed to clear the obstacles in Israel's way, as she sought entrance into her rest, so would the Lord be needed to make a way again for the people of God. For the obstacles this time for Israel's entrance were of a different sort than before. Now the landscape was chiseled with dreadful memories. For the Hebrew reader of the text of Isaiah 40: 4, the pleasant labreto of Air, the third movement of Handel's Messiah, would not immediately speak comfortably unto God's people. For the words would ring in their ears most unpleasantly, as though it were set to a lamentable tune. The opening phrase would pierce through their castaway hearts with lamentable anguish. Gehy, valley, was a specific type of valley. "It was a valley elongated with a flat bottom (TWOT)." It was a long and graven depression. "Perhaps the most famous (gehy) valley, of this description was, just south of Jerusalem, here Moloch was worshipped with immolations of children. Josiah abolished this practice and desecrated the valley, it came to be associated with the judgement of sinners (Jer 7: 32; 19: 6). Later the place was made a garbage dump. The NT writers transliterated it gay' hinnom (via Aramaic) into Greek and applied the term geenna to the place of eternal punishment (TWOT)." It is the place Christ would point towards when speaking of the worm dying not and the flame that is not quenched. These words had clear meaning to Israel, it spoke of hell's own wrath for her foul and detestable practices of old. Tears, sorrow, and grief would first accompany the listener, as he was reminded of a vile place of sin. The shrill of unpleasant words though would give way to comfort. God would raise his people, bringing them forth from the fires of gheena itself. But not before the next phrase reminded them of their insubordination. "The OT uses mountains with theological intention in at least four ways. First, the Lord is greater than the mountains: he establishes them (Ps 65: 6; 90: 2), weights them (Is 40: 12), breaks them in pieces (I Kgs 19: 11; Hab 3: 6), grinds them (Is 41: 15), sets them on fire (Deut 32: 22; Ps 83; 14), melts them (Mic 1: 4) and removes them (Job 9: 5). Mountains are symbol of power as Babylon is called a destroying mountain (Jer 51: 25); the opposition to Zerrubabel is likened to a mountain that will become a plain (zech 4: 7). In Isa 14: 12ff and Ezk 28: 11 - 19 the pagan kings of Babylon and Tyre respectively are described as seeking to become gods by ascending the mythological divine mountain (TWOT)." God, who met Moses upon the mountain, that set Zion upon a high mountain, God that was spoken of as a mountain over and against the nations of the earth, like Babylon, that tried to scale the heights of God's glory, was blasphemed among the nations by his people. But wherein was that blasphemy contained? The phrase wegivah yishpalu gave evidence of the great heights of the pride of men that sought to cast down God from heaven. "Hill lower than a mountain, used 60 times in the OT, it may refer to a natural eminence smaller than a mountain but most often, it becomes a place of illicit worship. Of the 60 uses, the heaviest clusters are found in the prophets (Is 13, Jer 9, Ezk 8). Particularly interesting here is the use of the phrase 'on every high hill (gib'a) and under every green tree,' or its variants, as a reference to the location of fertility cult practices in Israel in Judah. This phrase occurs 16 times, each reference condemns Canaanite practice which has been adopted by the Hebrews. The Israelites had adopted immoral cultic rites, popular among groups who worshipped Baal and Asherah (TWOT)." Idolatry, apostasy, and unbelief, this phrase would bring the limbs of the Hebrew listener of our oratorio to tremble at the hearing of this air. The comforted soul is raised from gheena's fires and the height of idolatry and pride is abased in the coming of God to Israel's rescue. In the second stanza of our Air comes forth further evidence of Israel's crimes, further shame as the chorus repeats. For the opening words, wehayah heaqov lemiyshor, literally spoken, Jacob shall be made straight. Heaqov, from the root of the word Jacob, supplanter, heel-grabber, comes forth this adjective meaning crooked. As a topography its speaks of a crag or hilly cliffs, that which is jagged. Figuratively it speaks of injustice. For the next word, lemiyshor, means straight and just. "Level country, table-land, plain: antith.; specifically of the elevated plateau or table-land between the Arnon and Heshbon. A level place (free from obstacles), fig. for place of safety, comfort, and prosperity. Uprightness (cf. rv;yme ), in government. Uprightness, straightness in justice; lawfully. It is the Lord who declares "justice" (Is 4: 19) (TWOT)." Habakkuk cried out, "O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth (Hab 1: 2- 4)." A people of law, a people of justice, a people of equity, like unto the righteous Lord, they had again brought anything but honor to the name of God. The comforted soul is assured of equity and righteousness. Finally, the words, (weharcasim leviqah), are sung. Weharcasim, "roughness or bound up, impeded, the impassable or mountain chain, rough place, meaning dubious," and "leviqah, another word for valley (TWOT)." Though similar, the phrase is not identical to the first of our verse. This words literally means "binding knot." It gives the feeling of being surrounded by a vast mountain chain without hope of passing. Often in film, you will see pictures of an explorer standing amidst a great and high mountain chain, distraught that there is no pass through the chain. Such hopeless is brought from this word. North of Canaan are very high mountains, passable only through two valleys. Surely this would be brought to their memory. For God said he would make a valley through it. The binding chains of sin, idolatry, and hell itself would be torn asunder, as God would make a comfortable way for his people. Doctrine. The text today lends forth the proposition that the path to comfort is through sin's landscape, but the Lord through the Messiah has made a way. Though we understand the actual fulfillment of this passage was realized in the days of Cyrus, as a forlorn people of exile would enter the land, a land destroyed by sin, evil, great violence, and God's wrath, still God made a way of restoration. Undoubtably the verse speaks of greater comfort to the days of Jesus. For we have noted that verse 3 was quoted of the evangelists of the last of the prophets, John the Baptist, and verse 4 is but a commentary upon that verse. But where do we see such pathways made? In the heart; yes, in the heart of a people, in the coming of the kingdom of God. Thus, when we declare that God has made a path through sin's landscape, and that way is through the Messiah, we understand that this verse speaks comfort unto the church. In order to further illustrate this truth, from our text we shall note the following: 1. The comforted soul has had all of hell's fire's raised 2. The comforted soul has seen the Lord's name exalted as High 3. The comforted soul has had all idols abolished 4. The comforted soul has had righteousness restored 5. The comforted soul has had the impasse of bonds removed Doctrines 1. The Comforted Soul has had All of Hell's Fire's Raised The coming of Messiah meant an end to the promised journey of the soul through gheena's valley. Isaiah wrote, "And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound (Is 30: 25 - 26)." Such was the day when the earth shook upon Calvary's hill. Fear of hell fire does not remain for the ransomed captives of Babylon, to whom Jesus has healed the stroke of our wound. Jesus said unto Peter, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt 16: 18)." Jesus assured the church, a people of exile gathered from the four corners of the earth, that hell's gates would not prevail against her, he assured her that every valley of gheena would be raised. What proof do we have of the surety of his words? Peter declared, "Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption (Acts 2: 26 - 27). The risen Christ is proof that the valley's of hell have been raised. When Nehemiah upon his first night went forth to spy out the walls of Jerusalem that lay in ruins, coming to the east of the city we read, "And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal's well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire (Neh 2: 13)." Here the sore heart of Nehemiah begins his perusal at the valley gate, that place of abominations. When we see Christ Jesus walking the streets of Jerusalem, like Nehemiah, he comes forth to view the rubble of sin's destruction. Ah but once the walls are rebuilt, joy is restored. For later in Nehemiah 12: 31 we read, "Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate." "The choirs probably began near the Valley Gate that gate to gheena, which interestingly is the place where Nehemiah began and ended his nighttime inspection of the ruined walls months earlier (2:13-15)." Jerusalem, our Lord's heavenly abode, is seen spied out by John in Revelation, who writes, "On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Rev 21: 13 - 14)." Jesus, like Nehemiah, has brought forth a message from heaven; gheena's valley is raised up. Hell has not prevailed. The walls are restored. Thus, we sing later in Handel's Messiah, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in (Ps 24: 7 - 9)." Fear is vanquished, joy is restored, and hell's grip upon the troubled soul is abolished. Our first understanding of this text for the Christian is that the valleys of fear within our soul have been raised to joy at the cross. 2. The comforted soul has seen the Lord's name exalted as High The coming of Messiah meant an end to the great heights of the soul's proud blasphemy. The vile pride of our wretched hearts has been lowered with great humility. Thus Christ begins his Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5: 3)." Jesus, having gone up into the heights of the north of Canaan, into the land of Tyre and Sidon, he was met by such a creature of poor spirit. We read, "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour (Matt 15: 22 - 28)." Here the mountain's and hills of a self-righteous people, the Jews, are laid low, in a gentile's humility. For the high places of our hearts are torn down, when entering into the kingdom of heaven. Christ exalts the humble, and lays low the proud. It is said of our God, "Who is like the Lord our God, Who is enthroned on high, Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in the earth? He raises the poor from the dust, And lifts the needy from the ash heap, To make them sit with princes, With the princes of His people. He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord! (Ps 113: 5 - 9)" In this illustration we see Jesus, the Lord incarnate, do just that; he raises the beggar from the dust and sets her with the princes. The gospel has done just that, as Jesus has taken and laid low the wisdom of pride and exalted the name of the Lord in our hearts. 3. The comforted soul has had all idols abolished The coming of Messiah meant an end to the heart's idolatry. The great love for this world has for the redeemed been abolished. Christ Jesus has destroyed the heart's adultery. For Israel, God gave her what she wanted, her lovers. For we read in Hosea 2: 13, "And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD." Every lost soul, from Adam hence, has adorned itself in fools costumes, seeking its lovers in this world. And, like a foul woman of the night, a wretched harlot with no home, she has found the cold judgement of God has left her barren. But God has said, "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt (Hos 2: 14 - 15)." We have perhaps never considered the great importance of John four before. Have we considered that the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan harlot yes a harlot by any stretch of the word, was but a revisit of a similar occurrence long ago? For a man once met a woman at a well, looking for a bride for his master's son. There, Rebecca would be found of the Lord, fetched, and wed to Isaac. In this instance it is no stretch of the imagination to consider that Christ that day had met such a bride. Our Lord did meet His own bride, a woman of seven men, of no husband, a woman of disdain. She was nothing pleasant to behold; she was only a poor and foul Samaritan of unrighteousness. Yet Jesus looked upon her with compassion. For she possessed the dowry of faith that made her amiable unto our Savior. She possessed nothing worthy of herself, but chosen of the Lord as a display of his own salvific glory. Hosea wed a harlot, as did Jesus. We, we are that harlot, we that the Lord in earnest has betrothed. Who can know it! And in our betrothal he has set our heart's love from off this world upon himself, having removed our reproach. Yes, the hills of our hearts, those high hills of our adultery with the gods of this world, have been torn down. 4. The comforted soul has had righteousness restored The coming of Messiah has brought righteousness and equity to the disobedient exile. Jesus has written His law upon our hearts. The crooked places, those high jagged mountains of the law that hedged us in with sin's great heights, have been made straight. Justice and equity have come in as Christ has established righteousness. Thus we are told, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (Matt 5; 6)." We are filled, clothed in righteousness, who reign with Christ, and shall come forth with him in justice, as we read, "And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty (Rev 19: 14 - 15)." Christ rules with a rod of iron and with justice he has smitten the nations, and his poor saints on earth are a righteous people clad in holiness. For we read that he has written on our hearts his law and we are a lawful people. Where Israel reigned in outward show of righteousness, the saints of God now reign in true righteousness. What has Jesus' coming then done? It has ushered in equity and justice, as He has given a people on earth to live in righteousness. Where shall the redeemed soul ever cry 'violence' as Habakkuk? For among God's people righteousness abounds. "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14: 16)." A new heart of flesh, a new will of delight and pleasure in God's holiness, the Lord has straightened the jagged evil intention of our souls, having made the crooked places straight in justice. 5. The comforted soul has had the impasse of bonds removed The coming of Messiah has brought an end to sin, and death is no more a sting, as the impasse of bonds that could not be traversed. For He arose first fruits from the grave. Thus when Jesus arose we were taught, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin (Rom 6: 6 - 7)." Sin was like a mountain range impasse. Everywhere we looked up to God, we were reminded of the heights of sin, saying, "we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others (Eph 2: 3)." But now, we who were the slaves to sin are free; our Lord Jesus Christ has made a passage through death at the cross. There, "you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Col 2: 13 - 15)." It is said of G. F. Handel, that the first 50 years of his life were quite morose. "He had many arguments with his singers, had a hot temper, was known to go into long bouts of depression, liked to consume lots of food and drink, swore like a sailor in three different languages, boastful. Handel was hesitant to give up Italian opera even when he began to lose money on it. His opera company suffered great financial loses but still he churned out new operas adding ballet and hoping the public would have a change of heart. When it didn't, he gradually became depressed and reclusive, strolling the dark streets at night and remaining locked inside his house during the day. He even suffered a stroke in these days (BSF -Source Unknown)." "After presenting two rather unremarkable operas to indifferent London audiences, feeling dejected, empty and alone, handel prepared to return to his native Germany. But then he received a new libretto drawn from the texts of the English Bible. It explored the birth, life, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was full of passion and prophecy, tender moments followed by soul-stirring passages. It was the story of Jesus as the suffering servant. and it was called Messiah. He immediately threw himself into the work. Day and night, he worked feverishly, often ignoring the meals brought to him by servants. He could be heard weeping as he worked, moved to tears over the saga of the Savior's death and suffering. And after only 24 days and nights of constant labor, Handel, on the verge of exhaustion, had made his Messiah a reality(David Park)." It is believed Handel was converted through the oratorio. Perhaps, the bonds of sorrow met freedom in the words of Christ. Perhaps the hurdles of life, the great mountains of a vile soul, where laid low by the Messiah's words. Messiah, having come, has made a way through the impasse of our hearts. To this we then turn to the use of this text. Uses 1. Comfort Comfort remains the chief message of the Messiah. Our text today, though noteful of Israel's sin, we have seen are not given for the use of despair. The repetitious word reminds us of the surety of the Lord's salvation. Comfort then is first given the child of God for living. We live in a peaceful land. Great obstacles have fallen in our path. Great places of remembrance of sin have been torn down. We are a people of righteousness, of every heritage, gathered from afar, fetched by mercy, we are brought forth in Jesus. Our comfort in living is in our words today. Just as Israel hearing this text would have wept for their sins, their adulteries, their idolatries, their hatred and pride, their injustice and wickedness, it all was changed to choral praise at Zion's rebuilt gates. Church, redeemed of the Lord, come and gather with me this morning at Jerusalem's rebuilt east gate. There, turn your heart from mourning, your loins from sin's inflammation, and your shame into chaste choruses. As if the gates themselves could sing join with me in the chorus of the Messiah this day singing. Second for dying here is taught death's final requiem. When the shadows of sins' vestige grip your final glimpse, when the days ebb into nothing but night, sing forth this Aria unto your soul. Gaze upon the dark of night and weep with joyful tears. Gather round with those at your bedside that shall close your eyes in death, that shall remain when all but your lifeless frame remains, and sing this oratorio. They that know the Messiah, herewith can sing; When I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyelids close in death, When I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgement throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. Augustus Toplady "Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two great choirs, the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward the Refuse Gate (Neh 12: 31)." Perhaps this is what they sung, "I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30: 1 - 4 Hell's vanquished, a righteous kingdom is ours, idolatry in our hearts is destroyed, every path to God is removed in Christ. We are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Terror Last, might I speak to the use of our text of terror. For I can think of no greater sorrow than the sorrow of the man that knows not the Lord. His soul knows no lasting comfort. What terror are these words if they are not spoken in mercy? Spurgeon preached a sermon on Matt 22: 5, about those who made light of Christ and went their way. O listener, be not unbelieving, but believe. The same Messiah that is for the Christian soul a comfort is to your unregenerate heart terrifying. Spurgeon said, ""They made light of it." How many of my hearers to-night, I ask again, are making light of Christ? Many of you are, no doubt. I will give you, then, just one warning, and then farewell. Make light of Christ, sinner! let me say, again, to thee, and thou wilt rue the day, when thou comest on thy death-bed. It will go hard with thee when the bony monster has got the grip of thee, and when he is bringing thee down to the river, to steep thee in the lake of death. It will go hard with thee, when thy eye-strings break, and when thy death-sweat stands upon the brow. Remember, last time thou hadst a fever; ah! how thou didst shake. Remember, last night, how thou didst quake in thy bed, when flash after flash of lightning came through thy window; and how thou didst tremble when the deep-mouthed thunder spake out the voice of God. Ah! sinner, thou wilt tremble worse then when thou shalt see death for thyself, and when the bony rider, on his white horse, shall grasp his dart and plunge it in thy bowels. It will go hard with thee if thou hast despised Christ, and shalt die a despiser. See that flying angel? his wings are made of flame, and in his hand he grasps a sharp two-edged sword. O angel, wherefore dost thou wing thy speedy flight? "Hark!" says he, "this trump shall tell you." Look! the sheeted dead have started from their graves. Behold, the cloudy chariot of wheeled along by cherub's hand. Mark! there upon the throne there sits the King-the Prince. O angel, what in this terrible day must become of the man that has thought lightly of Christ? See there, he unleashes his sword. "This blade," says he, "shall find and pierce him through. This blade, like a sickle, shall reap each tare from the wheat, and this strong arm shall bind him up in his bundle to be burned; and this great arm of mine shall grasp him, and hurl him down, down, down, where flames for ever burn, and hell for ever howls." It will go hard with you then. Mark this man's word to-night; go away and laugh at it; but remember, I say to you again, it will be a solemn thing for you when Christ shall come to judgment, if you have made light of him, and worse than all, if you should ever be locked up in the caverns of despair, if you should ever hear it said, "Depart ye cursed," if you should ever mingle your awful shrieks with the doleful howls of lost myriads, if you should see the pit that is bottomless, and the gulf that has walls of fire. It will be a fearful thing to find thyself in there, and to know that thou canst ne'er get out again! Sinner, this night I preach the gospel to thee. E'er thou goest, hear it, and believe it; may God grant thee grace to receive it, so thou shalt be saved. "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. He that believeth not," so saith the Scripture, "shall be damned." To believe, is to put your trust in Christ; to be baptized, is to be plunged in water in the name of the Lord Jesus, as a profession that you are already saved, and that you love Christ. "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." O may you never know the meaning of that last word. Farewell! (New Park Street Pulpit; sermon 98, Aug 17, 1856)"