“Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it” (Isaiah 45:8).
GOD’S WORK
We read in the book of Job about the process of evaporation: “He draws up the drops of water, which distil as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind” (Job 36:27–28).
This is God’s work and we all stand amazed at the natural processes that take place on planet earth.
The 37.5 million billion gallons of water in the atmosphere around the planet is recycled 40 times each year in what is known as the hydrological cycle. This means a water vapor molecule has an average residence time in the atmosphere of only nine days: the sudden shower of rain you were caught in last week had evaporated into the atmosphere approximately nine days before.
The huge amount of water is processed through a cycle of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation all over the globe. The hydrological cycle is driven by solar energy. evaporating water does require energy; in fact it takes 577 calories of energy to evaporate each gram. The sun does a fine job in shining to help with the evaporation.
The Lord pours down rain from heaven and the earth produces beautiful flowers that bloom, trees that provide oxygen and wood, and all manner of life-enhancing vegetation.
But here in the verse from Isaiah we see another meaning—a deeper meaning. “Drop down, ye heavens, from above”. Christ Jesus came from above, “You are from below; I am from above” (John 8:23).
Christ came down and brought us life.
We then read, “let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together”. Christ was put into the earth. “The Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt 12:40).
Yet, just as rain from above causes the earth to brim with life, so too did Jesus come from the earth bringing his resurrection righteousness and life to all who received him. “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people” (Titus 2:11).
This is the divine “hydrological cycle” that brings life and righteousness to the earth.
“For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it” (Isa 55:10–11).