Starting with chapter 40, the book of the prophet Isaiah reflects the time of the exile of Israel. Those who remembered the message of hope and faith delivered by the eighth century B.C. individual named Isaiah applied a similar message to the new situation in the sixth century B.C. The chapter begins with an image of God returning from exile to his own city, Jerusalem. “In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!” The Chosen People trusted that God was with them in exile but they yearned for a return to that sacred space where they could feel God’s presence. In our lives, we too can be confident God is with us whatever our circumstance.
