God's People Comforted

INTRO

As we study Isaiah, it’s necessary to keep reviewing what we’ve covered so far. Before we go into Isaiah 40, we’ll need to review chapters 36—39. At the end of chapter 36, and the beginning of chapter 37, Hezekiah put on clothes of mourning and prayed to God. At the end of chapter 37, God replied to Hezekiah’s prayer and intervened in a miraculous way (185,000 Assyrians were killed in their camp, Hezekiah 37:36). In chapter 38, Hezekiah became terminally ill, and Isaiah told him to put his affairs in order. In response, Hezekiah cried out to God, reminding God that he had walked faithfully before Him. God responded by giving Hezekiah fifteen more years of life.

In Isaiah 39, things changed. The king of Babylon sent letters and gifts to Hezekiah on behalf of his recovery from his illness. Hezekiah accepted the gifts and showed the bearer (the king’s son) his treasure house with all his riches and his armory (vv. 1-2). When Isaiah found out the men were from Babylon, he told Hezekiah that the day would come when everything Hezekiah had shown these men would be carried off to Babylon (vv. 3-7). Hezekiah responded that it was good because there would be “peace and security” during his life (v. 8).

Charles H. Dyer compared the sections of Isaiah with these differences:¹

MacArthur explains, “The prophecies of chapters 40—66 address Judah as though the prophesied Babylonian captivity were already a present reality, though that captivity did not begin until 605–586 BC.”²

Wiersbe identifies three divisions within chapters 40—66: chapters 40—48; 49—57; 58—66.³ At the end of chapters 48 and 57, one statement is given that becomes the breaking place between the divisions: “There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.

TEACHING

Isaiah 40:1-11: Wiersbe describes Isaiah’s message in the first 11 verses as, “the circumstances behind us.”⁴ Isaiah’s message was for God’s prophets, encouraging them to provide comfort to those who would be taken into captivity (vv. 1-2a) (Romans 11:2a). Isaiah states that Jerusalem’s iniquity (chapter 39) had been pardoned. This may point to being set free from Babylonian captivity. Verse 3 refers to the end, when the highway is made straight for the Lord’s return, which foreshadows John the Baptist heralding the coming of Jesus (Matthew 3:1). Isaiah 35:8 refers to His second coming. Obstacles will be removed for His coming (v. 4). All of it will bring glory to the Lord’s appearance (v. 5).

Verses 3-5 are the key to this passage and can be really hard to understand with present, future, and then the second coming all referred to.

I’ve taught very little of chapter 40, but when you read verse 31, it all makes sense: “But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” When you know where the people of Judah and Jerusalem had been and you know they were headed into Babylonian captivity, then verse 31 documents that they would one day walk in freedom.

1 Charles H. Dyer., and Eugene H. Merrill. The Old Testament Explorer. Nashville: Word Publishing, 2001. Reissued as Nelson's Old Testament Survey. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001, p. 561; adapted in Thomas L. Constable, Dr. Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes; Isaiah, p 252; available online at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/isaiah.pdf.

CLOSING

I believe there is a “John the Baptist calling” on many of you to walk ahead and begin to prepare for the Lord’s return. Your job may be to remove obstacles, like false teachers and false teachings. If we want to prepare for the Lord’s second return, we need to be more like John the Baptist. We need to be more radical in our faith and our lives.