Isaiah 40
Go Tell it on a Mountain!
I love the African-American spiritual, “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” It is a beautiful Christmas song that was first published by John W. Work, Jr. in 1907. While its bulletin blurb does not include a reference to the ancient prophecies of Isaiah, I believe it could have been inspired by Isaiah 40:9-11:
Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
We are to proclaim the coming of the Messiah from not only Mt. Zion, but from every mountain top in every nation (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). “Go Tell It on the Mountain” describes the shepherds who first heard the angelic proclamation of the birth of Jesus Christ, but it also commands us to declare this good news. Powerfully, in Isaiah 40:3-5, right before this evangelistic call of the coming of the Messiah, Isaiah gave the promise which was fulfilled by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:2-3, who cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, ‘The voice of the one crying in the wilderness, “Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!” ’ ” Truly, John told it on a mountain, bearing the good news and lifted up the coming of the Messiah mightily, without fear of his own death.
Seize the moment and go tell it on a mountain!
God bless you!
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