Space to Sing

Jock Stein September 23, 2026 3 1

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Isaiah 55: 12-13 (NIVUK)

12 You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn-bush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure for ever.’

The prophet takes the return from exile and makes it a metaphor for any kind of return to God and his ways. Isaiah sees the very earth shaking with merriment, the hills bursting into song when things go right, when people hear the word of God, and that word bears fruit.

In this chapter of Isaiah, the prophet calls the thirsty, everyone who knows they need to hear from God wisdom about things they cannot work out for themselves. Isaiah calls them to listen, to eat and drink, because what God offers is a feast for the soul which will change the very face of the earth as listeners begin to practise God’s ways. As Paul was to write much later on, the whole creation is waiting to be set free from its bondage to decay – and while there is a final part to that for which we still wait, our care for creation, our fight against forces which would destroy, our planting and watering is a little sign of what is to come.

But even in metaphor, creation sings in joy when the word is proclaimed and bears fruit. Someone once said that our task as beings who speak is to give voice to that which cannot speak, and certainly to follow the One who sang all things into being in the very beginning.

PRAY

God, we thank you for the space and time you give us each Lord’s Day to sing with others. Put a new song in our hearts today, and raise up prophets who will speak and sing words of wisdom over the world, for the sake of him who is our new David, sweet singer of songs to Israel, even Jesus Christ our Saviour, Amen.