Instructions for Getting the Road Ready for the King of Glory 1
David W Palmer
In Malachi, the final book of the Old Testament, God said he would send Elijah the prophet before the “great and awesome day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5 APE). God’s angel said that John the Baptist would operate in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). John’s ministry preceded Jesus’s appearance in his glorious earthly ministry. But the “great and awesome day of the Lord” also refers to what’s just ahead of us—Jesus’s return, his judgments, and his glorious manifestation in revival and awakening. So, God has appointed some people from our generation to carry the spirit and power of Elijah like John the Baptist did.
John the Baptist revealed that one of the ministries of someone under this Elijah facet of the Holy Spirit’s anointing would prepare the way, road, path for the Lord. For his glorious manifestation in the earth right now in revival power, we need to have a smooth, straight, level path for the King of Glory to come out from our innermost being into the world. Let’s review the preparation instruction:
(Luke 3:4–6 EMTV) … “Prepare the way of the LORD, make His paths straight. {5} Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be humbled; the crooked roads shall become straight, and the rough roads shall become smooth; {6} and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”’
This Scripture is talking about how to get the path ready so our monarch can travel from his abode in us and reach his destination. Reviewing what we have discovered in these studies:
He wants to be manifested into the natural realm.
He wants the whole world to see his glory on us, around us, and through us.
The path his glory travels from “hope” to manifestation is from our heart out through our mouths.
If our path is prepared, and if we obey God’s instructions for the use of our mouths, his glory will eventually cover the whole earth.
What types of “road” challenges does the King of Glory have for traveling from his people’s hearts to the outside world? In the church today, we still have some who have:
(Habakkuk 2:4 NLT) “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”
With our cooperation, the Holy Spirit has several ways to counter these hindrances and to fix the inner road for our King’s glorious emergence.
1. Raise up the lowly
(Luke 3:5 EMTV) “Every valley shall be filled …”
(Luke 1:50–53 EMTV) “And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. {51} He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. {52} He has overthrown the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. {53} He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.”
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The next two passages show John applying this part of Isaiah’s instructions to the people of his day:
(Luke 3:11 EMTV) “He answered and said to them, ‘He who has two shirts, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.’”
(Luke 3:14 EMTV) “Likewise the soldiers also were asking him, saying, ‘And what shall we do?’ So he said to them, ‘Do not intimidate anyone or accuse anyone falsely’ …”
These passages that reveal John the Baptist’s ministry and preaching show God’s heart to exalt the lowly. Jesus said this was also the Holy Spirit’s focus through his ministry (of which we are an extension); Jesus ministry was similar:
(Luke 4:18–19 EMTV) “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; {19} To preach the acceptable year of the LORD.”
God brings Joy to the oppressed, depressed, and those in despair:
(Isaiah 61:3 KJV) “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
God exalts the humble:
(1 Peter 5:5 EMTV) “Likewise, younger people, subject yourselves to the elders. And all of you be subject to one another, and be clothed with humility, because ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”
(Mark 10:31 KJV) “But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.”
Are you depressed, in despair, oppressed? Have you been downtrodden, etc.? God’s good news today is that he sent the Holy Spirit to lift you up.
We do note, however, that even though God sent the Holy Spirit to lift us up, in Scripture, he directs us to prepare the path; it is our responsibility.
Today, the way you can cooperate practically with the Holy Spirit in this is:
(Philippians 4:8 LITV) … whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever of good report, if of any virtue, and if of any praise, think (meditate) on these things.
As you do this, and as you place your faith in God, and as you confess that part of your roadway is “lowly”; expect him to lift you up. God, his Spirit and his word, will raise up the lowly parts of your King’s highway today.