Fruit of the Spirit: JOY

Welcome back to gardening class. We are talking in these weeks about spiritual fruit. And this week we are up to the spiritual fruit of joy. And the Bible passage we are looking at today also talks about a garden. We are going to see today how those things all connect together.

Isaiah 35:1–10 NIV

1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. 8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. 9 No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, 10 and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

This chapter in Isaiah gives us a rather unusual perspective to think about joy. It might take a little bit of unpacking for us to see the complexity of how joy is expressed in these verses. So, let’s start out this way; I am going to begin by pointing out a few of the unique features of this passage, and from there we will make a few observations about the spiritual fruit of joy in light of Isaiah 35.

Features of Isaiah 35

“bookend” theme of joy

First thing: a theme of joy is wrapped around Isaiah 35 by the bookend repetition. The chapter begins with a mention of joy and rejoicing in verses 1-2. And the chapter ends by repeating joy and rejoicing in verse 10. This tells us something. It tells us that everything happening in this chapter is framed in joy and rejoicing. The activity being described in Isaiah 35 is a depiction of what joy looks like for the people of God. We’ll get back to that when we get to talking about the spiritual fruit of joy in just a bit.

mirror between chapter 34 & 35

Second feature: Isaiah 35 is a mirror of Isaiah 34. This section in the writing of Isaiah all comes as poetry. In fact, let’s notice the big picture of how these chapters fit into the book of Isaiah as a whole. Isaiah 35 concludes a long section of poetry which begins all the way back in chapter 6 where Isaiah sees a vision of the throne room of God and receives his commission from God. Most of the following chapters are pronouncements of various kinds of judgement upon Israel and the surrounding nations. And all of that is summarized in the poetic vision of Isaiah 34-35.

34 — lush and fertile garden land which becomes a desolate and barren desert wasteland 35 — desolate and barren desert wasteland which becomes a lush and fertile garden land

Here is the snapshot image of how those two chapters are mirror images of each other. Isaiah 34 describes a lush and fertile garden land which becomes a desolate and barren desert wasteland. And Isaiah 35—which we read for today—describes how this desolate and barren desert wasteland becomes a lush and fertile garden once again. Chapter 35 is the poetic undoing of chapter 34. We cannot fully understand Isaiah 35 without seeing it in its context right against Isaiah 34, and the culmination of all the poetry in Isaiah which begins back in chapter 6.

four stanzas — what God does and the result which occurs

Third feature: Isaiah 35 describes first what God does, and then the result which occurs because of what God does. let’s look closely at the breakdown of this chapter; the separations are captured in the English translation as well. We had to take the line breaks out in the print bulletin so that it would all fit in. But if you have this passage open in an NIV Bible, you see the line breaks that give the four stanzas of this poem. The stanzas go two verses, two verses, three verses, and three verses. The couplet of two-verse stanzas describes what God does (verses 1-4). And the couplet of three-verse stanzas describes what occurs as a result of what God does (verses 5-10). And remember what we saw in the beginning, that this whole thing is framed in joy. Let’s take a look.

stanzas 1 & 2 — God’s presence transforms the wilderness into a blooming garden — gives strength and encouragement to his people

Verses 1-4 show us a desert wilderness which God transforms into a lush and fertile garden. And within this revived wasteland God provides renewed strength and energy for his people there. Look at what God does. God comes to the desert wilderness and makes it into a blooming garden. God does not wait outside of the desert for his people to come and find him. God does not pull his people out of the desert to come be with him. No. God is the one who moves to be with his people in the desert. God goes to them where they are. And by going to the desert wasteland, God’s presence transforms this wilderness into a blooming garden. God does not take his people out of the desert and bring them into a garden. God comes to his people and he brings the garden with him.

stanza 3 — reverse order: result of people being strengthened and result of desert becoming garden

Stanza three begins to describe what occurs as a result of God coming to his people in the wilderness. It is described in reverse order of what we see in verses 1-4. Verse 5-6a gives further description of what happens when God strengthens and encourages his people. And verse 6b-7 gives further description of what happens when the desert becomes a garden.

stanza 4 — garden as passage for the redeemed

The final stanza marks out an interesting distinction. Not everyone in this wilderness will participate in the joy of the garden. And those who do participate will find passage to follow God to full restoration. Notice: in the Old Testament context of Isaiah during the time of exile, full restoration of the covenant meant a return to the promised land; this is why the poem ends with people returning to Zion.

The Desert and the Garden Today

Alright; that’s step one – we look at the features of Isaiah 35 in its original context of the Old Testament. Now let’s move on to consider how that context of Isaiah 35 fits with us in the church today.

The God who came to rescue and redeem Old Testament Israel from the wilderness of exile is the same God who comes to rescue and redeem us from the wilderness of a broken and sinful world

We often see ways in which Old Testament passages preview forward to the coming Messiah. It is Jesus who comes into the barren wasteland of a broken and sinful world. It is Jesus who brings with him the resurrection of new vibrant life into a world that is desolate and lost. It is Jesus who redeems God’s people, and through the Holy Spirit gives strength and encouragement to follow him. The God who came to rescue and redeem Old Testament Israel from the wilderness of exile is the same God who comes to rescue and redeem us from the wilderness of a broken and sinful world.

God does not transport his people out from desert God transforms the desert itself into a place that can be a garden

It seems to me that the most prominent feature to note about the desert and the garden is that these passages in Isaiah 34 and 35 present it as the same place. It is not an either/or scenario. These are not two separate places in these chapters. It is not that the desert is one place, and the garden is another place. They are the same place. In Isaiah 34 it is the garden that becomes a desert. And in Isaiah 35 it is the desert that becomes a garden. This is why that feature is important. There may be those among us here today who experience life as a desert wilderness. Maybe there has been a period of struggle in your life that has you feeling like you are stuck in a dry and desolate place. And often in that place our prayer and desire is for God to come and take us out of this wilderness and bring us into the lush and thriving garden of God’s goodness. We pray for God to transport us from surroundings of wilderness and place us into surroundings of gardens. Isaiah reminds us that God does not transport his people out from desert. Rather, God transforms the desert itself into a place that can be a garden.

garden has a purpose

not an oasis

Maybe this doesn’t seem very helpful yet; keep going with me. Because of life feels like a wilderness right now, it may not be very helpful for me to stand here and tell you that God will make your desert into a garden. The key here is to understand that in Isaiah 35 the garden has a purpose. There is a reason for God to do what he does in Isaiah 35. You see, I sometimes think we confuse the garden in Isaiah 35 for an oasis. You know what an oasis is. An oasis is a little slice of flourishing land in the middle of a desert. An oasis is a place which provides refreshment for those who come to that place. An oasis is a place where you can find some provision and reprieve from the harsh conditions of the surrounding desert.

Isaiah does not intend for the garden he is describing in chapter 35 to be like that—to be an oasis. The garden is not a retirement plan in which we flip open a lawn chair, crack open a cold one, and kick back to relax. This is not the purpose of the garden that Isaiah is describing here. Maybe the reason we sometimes experience disappointment in experiencing the garden of God’s redemption is because we are missing the purpose of the garden. Maybe we are holding expectations for what we think God’s garden ought to be, but those expectations don’t line up with what Isaiah is telling us about this garden. The garden in Isaiah 35 has a purpose. We shouldn’t miss that.

garden is a passage (Way of Holiness)

needed for God’s people to follow him when before, in the wilderness, such a journey was impossible

Jesus does not pull us out of the desert of this broken world — he provides a way for us to follow him through the desert of this broken world

What is the purpose Isaiah tells us for God to provide the garden? It is not to kick back and relax. It is not to lounge about in comfort and luxury. The purpose of the garden according to Isaiah 35 is to provide a passage. Isaiah calls it the Way of Holiness in verse 8. He says only the redeemed will walk upon it in verse 9. In Isaiah’s Old Testament context, the garden was meant to be a means for people to return to Zion—the promised land. It provided the passage needed for God’s people to follow him when before, in the wilderness, such a journey was impossible. In a desolate world of violence and war, Jesus comes and calls us—his disciples—to follow him. And Jesus provides for us a way to follow him. He does not pull us out of the desert of this broken world. He provides a way for us to follow him through the desert of this broken world. Isaiah describes this way as a blooming garden. And in this garden there is fruit.

The Spiritual Fruit of Joy

Greek chara = character or quality of gladness

Hebrew shimchahin = outward expression of rejoicing

That is what brings us back to theme which bookends this chapter at the beginning and end: joy. The people of God who reside as exiles out in this desert wilderness respond with joy for the way of salvation God brings into their midst. They exhibit the spiritual fruit of joy. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit named by the apostle Paul in Galatians 5. It is the Greek word chara and does not refer to an emotion of happiness or gladness as much as it refers to a quality or character trait of gladness. It is not so much a person who feels joyful as it is a person who embodies the character of joyfulness. In Isaiah 35 it is the Hebrew word shimchahin which joy is an action. In Hebrew, Joy is not an inward emotion; it is an outward expression.

inner quality we possess which results in outward expression acknowledging what God does to provide the way for his people to follow him in faith

What does it mean, then, for us to be people who bear the spiritual fruit of joy? The spiritual fruit of joy is an outward expression of acknowledging the working of God in providing the way for his people to follow him in faith. That’s different than just feeling happy. It is an intentional decision to be joyful. And it is more than just a decision to be joyful about me and my own life. It is a decision to be joyful whenever I see evidence of God working and moving in anyone’s life. This is what allows the spiritual fruit of joy to blossom and grow even in the desert wilderness of a broken world. It is the reason why James can open his New Testament letter with these words.

James 1:2 NIV

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

The apostle Peter puts it this way.

1 Peter 4:12–13 NIV

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Do you see around you examples in which God is providing the way for his people to follow him in faith?

notice God doing something in our world around us (in our own lives or in the lives of others) and take time to name it and express it

To give an outward expression of thanksgiving and praise whenever we see the moving of God in this world to bring people closer to him in faith, that’s the spiritual fruit of joy. Do you see around you examples in which God is providing the way for his people to follow him in faith? Name it. Call it out. Give expression to it. When you do, you are bearing the spiritual fruit of joy. It is the Monday morning text I get from the ladies in this church expressing appreciation for something that was part of the Sunday worship. (You know who you are.) You are bearing the spiritual fruit of joy. It is the note or card sent in encouragement to another. It is the phone call or visit that checks in someone else. It is the testimony or faith story which is shared from one to another. Whenever we notice God doing something in our world around us, in our own lives or in the lives of others, and we take time to name it and express it, whenever we do that, we bear the spiritual fruit of joy.

Jesus provided himself to come into the desert wilderness of our world and create a garden path for us to follow him

Jesus provided himself as a way to come into the desert wilderness of our world and create a garden path for us to follow him. You and I bear that spiritual fruit of joy whenever we give expression and share that garden with others. Be looking this week for examples of God being evident in the world around us and in the lives of others. And find a way to name it and give expression to it for others to see and hear. Be joyful this week.