“A voice cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Mar-Yah, make straight in the desert a highway for our Alaha.” (Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:3)
This utterance was not uttered in vain, neither was it confined to the days of old. It speaks from the breath of prophecy and it enters the soul of those whose hearts are soft before the very Presence of Alaha. It is not the cry of one man alone, but the cry of a people formed in the furnace of affliction, purified by obedience, and consecrated by the Word which is living and active.
In its first context, this voice came forth as the herald of restoration to Judah, exiled and bowed under the weight of transgression. The wilderness symbolised the desolation of the people’s hearts and their exile from the presence of Alaha. Yet the command was given to prepare the way. This preparation is not with stones or roadways, but with repentance, humility, and the realignment of one’s life to the Torah and the teachings of the Nevi’im.
When Yokhanan the Immerser, the son of Zechariah, lifted up his voice in the wilderness by the Jordan River, he did not speak a new thing. He echoed the sacred word already written. He did not make a proclamation on his own authority. He cried as the chosen forerunner of Mshikha. He spoke of one greater than he, whose sandal he was not worthy to loose. (Luke 3:16) He called for the people to make straight the paths—to remove the crookedness of their ways and to return to the fear of Alaha.
This voice finds its fulfilment in Yeshua Mshikha; He is the Highway of Alaha through the desolation of this world. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) In Him the Word took on flesh, and the Glory of Alaha tabernacled amongst men. He walked in the wilderness of our corruption, yet without sin. He did not only call out to others to prepare, but He became the preparation. In His suffering and death, He removed the stumbling-blocks. In His resurrection, He paved a road of righteousness by which the humble may draw near to Alaha.
Yet this prophetic voice does not end with the days of Yokhanan. It must now resound through our own lives. We, the children of the covenant, the tiny remnant not swallowed up by the defilements of this world, must live as that voice. It is not enough to quote the Scriptures while our hearts are estranged. It is not enough to enter the mikvah while remaining unclean in thought, word, and deed. The true washing is not of the body alone, but of the conscience, by the Rukha d’Kudsha—the Spirit of Holiness.
The majority of Netzarim have returned to the language of the fathers. Many have embraced the ancient Peshitta. Many wash and eat with care and mark the Sabbaths. Yet the fullness has already come, and they do not perceive Him. Mshikha stands in their midst, and they recognise Him not. He is hidden in plain sight, veiled not by the absence of truth, but by the hardness of hearts which refuse to yield. Why is this? We are called to be a highway in the desert, a path upon which others may travel toward the Face of Alaha. We are called to lift up our voices and not be silent. We are called to live lives of unbending integrity, of true humility, and of deep and fervent love for the Name of Mar-Yah and for His Mshikha.
This is not the time to be silent. The wilderness is still wide. The desert still swallows many. The voice must still cry out. If we do not cry out, the stones will. But blessed is the one who takes up the cry and lives it.
Prepare the way of Mar-Yah. Make straight in the desert a highway for our Alaha.
Are you walking in the Way, or are you one who waits while the voice passes you by?
Chayim bar Ya’aqub
4 May 2025