Isaiah 40:1-11

We ‘’emerge in 40:1 in a different world from Hezekiah’s, immersed in the situation foretold in 39:5-8,which he was so thankful to escape. Nothing is said of the intervening century and a half; we wake, so to speak, on the far side of the disaster, impatient for the end of captivity. In chs. 40-48 liberation is in the air; there is the persistent promise of a new exodus, with God at its head; there is the approach of a conqueror, eventually disclosed as Cyrus, to break Babylon open; there is also a new theme unfolding, to reveal the glory of the call to be a servant and a light to the nations. All this is expressed with a soaring, exultant eloquence, in a style heard only fitfully hitherto (cf. e.g. 35:1-10; 37:26-27), but now sustained so as to give its distinctive tone to the remaining chapters of the book.’’ Derek Kidner: The ‘New Bible Commentary’, p.655

So Isaiah’s vision leaps ahead 150 years. The exile was coming to an end and the Jews were about to be led home to Jerusalem by the Lord Himself. Hence this word of double ‘’Comfort, comfort…’’ (1, 2). The people had been amply punished for their sins, and the time of chastening was about to end. We might say that the sentence had been served and it was time to leave the jail. The words ‘’Speak tenderly’’ were often used in contexts of reassurance. It literally means ‘’speak to the heart’’. ‘’Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem, but also make it very clear That she has served her sentence, that her sin is taken care of – forgiven! She’s been punished enough and more than enough, and now it’s over and done with.’’ The Message. The crisis, the pain, the heartache are all at an end. What a relief!

The Lord was about to defeat the Babylonians (by means of the Persian army) and lead His people back to Jerusalem. There is the idea of a second ‘exodus’ by means of the ‘’wilderness’’. God’s glory would be revealed in and through this liberation (3-5). One hundred and fifty years after these words were written they came to pass, but only in a preliminary way. The gospels show that the real fulfilment occurred when Jesus came into the world and began His ministry. John the Baptist was the ‘’voice of one calling in the desert’’, preparing the way for Christ (see Mark 1:1-5). Above, all the people of John’s day were called to prepare for the Messiah by repenting of their sins (Matthew 3:1-3). Still today repentance makes the ‘’rough ground…level’’ (4) and removes spiritual obstacles out of the way so that we can come to Jesus and be saved by Him. There is a sense in which (5) is still to happen in the fullest sense, when Jesus comes back to the earth.

In (6-8) you find a contrast between the frailty of men who ‘’fall’’ (7a) and ‘’the word of our God’’ which ‘’stands for ever’’ (8). Something of that endurance is seen in the ‘staying-power’ of the book of Isaiah, and the fact that we are still studying it today, rejoicing in its truth, and marvelling over its fulfilments. Here Isaiah seems to hear another voice. No one can preach without first hearing the ‘’voice’’ above all voices. This voice tells him to tell the people that all men (and that would include the Assyrians and the Babylonians) have only a short time on earth. Their glory soon fades. But it is not so with God’s Word. The plans of even the mightiest empires cannot prevail against the Lord (see 1 Peter 1:23-25). Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word will endure forever (Mark 13:31). So will those who obey His Word (1 John 2:17).

What a beautiful gospel we have of a mighty God and loving tender Saviour (10, 11). May we ‘’lift up’’ our voices without fear to declare the ‘’good tidings’’ (9)

Prayer: Help me to come out of hiding and boldly proclaim your truth to all.