Good News for All
Nations
Isaiah 40
The Book of Isaiah
is divided into 66 chapters and we know this was done by man. As we
begin our study in chapter 40 we will see a great transition in the
prophecies of Isaiah.
We could say that
the Book of Isaiah is divided into two divisions. The first division
we studied last quarter. If we remember Isaiah spent a lot of time on
the coming of the Messiah and Israel's past.
In this second
division, we will see Isaiah prophesy of Israel's deliverance.
The Bible has 66
books and is divided into the 39 books of the Old Testament and the
27 books of the New Testament.
We will see that the
Book of Isaiah is roughly divided the same, with 39 chapters teaching
the coming of Christ, the Messiah and 27 chapters dealing with the
deliverance of Christ and the promise of eternal freedom.
As we begin we will
see it has been many years since the time of Hezekiah. Israel
returned to idol worship and God allowed the Babylonians to capture
Israel, even Jerusalem but as Jeremiah prophesied they would only be
in captivity for 70 years.
This was not only
the time of Isaiah but also of Jeremiah and Daniel and some others.
Even while Israel
was in captivity, Isaiah was preaching of comfort and freedom that
was coming to this nation!
Again, the truth is
God's redeeming power is clearly pictured in these words of Isaiah!
These things still
called for repentance and a return to the Lord!
Let's Begin:
*****Isa 40:1
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
God's instructions
to His prophet was to comfort the Jews in this terrible situation
that they were in!
Isaiah was not
speaking to the inhabitants of Jerusalem nor of Judah in this day, he
was speaking to the Jewish exiles in Babylonia.
Jerusalem and the
Temple lay in ruins which will be referred to as the "old waste
places".
Isa_58:12 And they
that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt
raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be
called, the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell
in.
Notice this also
refers to the Second Coming of Christ and His work on Mount Zion.
At this time, it is
Babylon that is the dominating power in the world but even that would
not last very long. Babylon over thru Nineveh and the Assyrians in
about 606 BC and Babylon was overthrown by Cyrus in 538 BC, only 68
years. It would be Cyrus who would allow the Jews to go home and even
finance the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Of course, Isaiah
could not have known these things but he did know what God said would
be the truth and he knew God would deliver his people from this
captivity.
It is the voice of
God that now directs His prophet to comfort His people.
God as a tender
Father, will always reach out to His people and as His people suffer
the Lord also feels that suffering Himself!
The people needed
comfort and they needed a double amount.
Isaiah would have to
change the way he delivered his message from the time of Hezekiah,
which was a bold message of repentance and now be gentle in his
message as these Jews had been humbled and were being humbled by
captivity again.
It was time to reach
into the hearts of these people with the love that God had for them,
even when they had rejected His message.
They were in Babylon
because of sin and they were beginning to realize this truth.
*****Isa 40:2 Speak
ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is
accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of
the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
The first need of
every soul, is forgiveness!
Our soul can endure
suffering when that suffering comes from our own mistakes but being
unforgiven is a life of misery!
Before God can
repair our mistakes and allow us to learn from them, we must be
assured of forgiveness!
The Promise to the
Church:
1Jn 1:9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say
that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in
us.
The Promise to the
Jews:
Mic 7:18 Who is a
God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the
transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his
anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
Mic 7:19 He will
turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our
iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the
sea.
We must also realize
that even when we are forgiven and God has issued His pardon, we must
still reap what we have sown.
It was now Isaiah's
job to convey this message to those Jews in captivity!
According to the
prophet Jeremiah, these Jews would have to serve 70 years in
captivity and the Lord would also honor this prophecy.
Jer_29:10 For thus
saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I
will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you
to return to this place.
When these Jews were
made aware of the promises of God, they then had great hope that
their suffering would end but it did still required repentance.
Repentance is always
required before forgiveness can come!
And then another
great prophecy.
*****Isa 40:3 The
voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the
LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4 Every
valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made
low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places
plain:
Isa 40:5 And the
glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it
together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah prophesied
that before the Lord would come He would send some human to prepare
the way.
The message to these
Jews was that Jehovah had already put the necessary forces in motion
to bring about the return of these captives.
There would be a
revelation of Divine Glory for all the world to see!
1) First, we see
that this relates to the deliverance of these Jews out of Babylon.
They would have to
repent and straighten out their lives and remove all crooked, and
unrighteous behavior.
We do know that
after this time in Babylon the Jews never became idol worshipers
again even in our day.
2) Second, we should
know that this applies to John the Baptist.
Mat 3:1 In those
days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Mat 3:2 And saying,
Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 3:3 For this is
he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one
crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his
paths straight.
Before the Lord
Jesus would reveal His ministry, His way must first be prepared for
Him!
The way of the Lord
is by the way of "Holiness".
Today this seems to
be forgotten!
Again, the message
of John was to repent.
What was John's job?
Luk 1:15 For he
shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine
nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even
from his mother's womb.
Luk 1:16 And many
of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
Luk 1:17 And he
shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the
hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the
wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
And why was John to
be in the power of Elias (Elijah)?
Because this
prophecy has a third meaning.
3) Third the return
of the Messiah.
Isa 35:8 And an
highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of
holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for
those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isa 35:9 No lion
shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall
not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isa 35:10 And the
ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and
everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Why was John the
Baptist in the power of Elijah?
Mat 17:10 And his
disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must
first come?
Mat 17:11 And Jesus
answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and
restore all things.
Mat 17:12 But I say
unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have
done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of
man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13 Then the
disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Here the Lord Jesus
Christ is speaking of His Own Second Coming.
Elijah will also
return in person to make way for the return of the Messiah.
Rev 11:3 And I will
give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand
two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4 These are
the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God
of the earth.
Rev 11:5 And if any
man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth
their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner
be killed.
Rev 11:6 These have
power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:
and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the
earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
Rev 11:7 And when
they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth
out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall
overcome them, and kill them.
One of these two
witnesses are Elijah and though there is great debate, the other
would be Enoch because according to the Word of God every man must
see death and Elijah and Enoch are the only two in the Bible who have
not yet seen death.
Even the Lord Jesus
Christ saw death!
Heb 9:27 And as it
is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ
was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look
for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
It is when the Lord
Jesus Christ returns that He will make everything straight, every
valley will be exalted, every hill made low, the crooked will be made
straight, and the rough places plain!
Therefore, these
words came from the mouth of the Lord to His prophet!
When all the
preparations are made, then there will be a complete revelation of
the "Glory and the Might" of the Lord!
Why do we know this
refers to the end times of the Tribulation Period? Because "all
flesh will see it together"!
Rev_1:7 Behold, he
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which
pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.
Even so, Amen.
This still has
nothing to do with the calling out of the Church that was formed by
His first coming!
1Co 15:51 Behold, I
shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed,
1Co 15:52 In a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed.
1Th 4:13 But I
would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this
we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are
asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore
comfort one another with these words.
There would not be
much comfort of the Saints, knowing we would have to go through the
Tribulation and see the wrath of God which He said we would not see.
1Th 1:10 And to
wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even
Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
The thing that we
should see clearly is that when we repent and return to the Lord, we
can level out the paths of our lives and when we are faithful and
consistent in our Christian life, we will ride smoothly when we are
on the mountain top and when we pass through the valleys of life with
confidence.
We can fill secure
knowing that we will see the Lord in all His glory and He will
welcome us with open arms!
Getting back to
these Jews, we can be sure that by no longer having a home, being a
stranger in a foreign country, ruled by a ruthless and unmerciful
king, their future did not look very promising. They knew that no one
on this earth now had the power to save them.
Isaiah's message was
that no matter what they thought, there is a God, the One true God
who can do all things.
*****Isa 40:6 The
voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass,
and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
Isa 40:7 The grass
withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth
upon it: surely the people is grass.
Isa 40:8 The grass
withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for
ever.
When we focus on
this world, nothing in this life seems very promising. The voice of
reason teaches us that we have only a few years to live and in fact
we do not know what tomorrow will bring!
God says if we would
just awaken to His truth, we could rest in our spirit and life would
be tolerable knowing that there is really a life after the death of
this flesh!
Compared to the
glory of God, the glory of the human(flesh), a creation of God, is no
more than common grass!
Like the grass, we
are subject to all the tragedies that happen to grass. The glory of
the grass is short lived until it withers away and is gone. Even when
a blade of grass is at its full strength it can be trampled upon, or
parched by the Sun, plucked by some other flesh, or even mowed down
to nothingness.
If the grass has any
glory at all, it is when it is flowering which may be the only time
that it is noticeable as no one really pays attention to common
grass!
Unlike the grasses,
the Word of God has a life that compares to the God who gave it, it
is eternal!
The doctrines of the
Word of God abide forever. They are not just theories as those of
philosophers but are eternal truths!
The promises of God
are sure! The punishments and the rewards are real!
To those who are
"Born Again" into the family of God, all things have
changed!
1Pe 1:23 Being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1Pe 1:24 For all
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1Pe 1:25 But the
word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you.
The Word of God does
not contain the "Gospel", the Word of God is the "Gospel"!
Any false doctrine
of man will fade, as will the grasses of all flesh, that have not
been "Born" into the family of God!
All corruptible seed
will perish!
When we trust the
truth of the Word of God then hopelessness disappears. The knowledge
of a great future is enduring because God will fulfill His promises,
because every promise is God's guarantee!
The Word of God is
incorruptible because it was given by the Holy Spirit!
2Ti 3:16 All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
2Pe 1:19 We have
also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day
dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing
this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the
prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
We serve a Great Big
God who is also Mightier than any power on this earth!
*****Isa 40:9 O
Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with
strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah,
Behold your God!
This Scripture may
be from Isaiah to all the prophets of his time to go to Zion and
proclaim the "good tidings" of God but in truth this is a
command for not just all Pastors, and all Missionaries, but to all
the children (the Saints) of God to proclaim the "good news"
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
God says go to the
highest mountain and proclaim the salvation of God with all the
strength we possess!
The message of
salvation is so important that it must be declared to everyone.
Luk 24:46 And said
unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer,
and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luk 24:47 And that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48 And ye
are witnesses of these things.
1Ti 3:16 And
without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up
into glory.
Salvation is no
longer a mystery to the Church but most of this world still live
believing salvation is only a mystery that cannot be solved and it is
our only job to see that these who are lost get the opportunity to
know the Lord and His salvation plan!
We must not be
cowardly by shrinking back from proclaiming the "Good News"
of the Gospel!
We must not fear
rejection and we must not fear persecution!
We must not tone
down the message of God, it still requires true "faith" and
real "repentance" to be rescued!
The "Good News"
must not be twisted into a lie, making everyone acceptable by their
own beliefs or their own works.
The "Good News"
is not to be treated like it is some secret that the world does not
need to know.
The Word of God will
always do what it was intended to do!
Isa_55:11 So shall
my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto
me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
There is still only
one truth and only one way to reach the glory world of Heaven and
have eternal life!
Joh 14:6 Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me.
The truth is, the
Lord is coming in a marvelous way just as He came the first time in
the virgin birth.
1) He is first
coming, as a thief to remove His Church so that the Church will not
see His wrath upon this earth full of unbelievers!
1Co 15:23 But every
man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are
Christ's at his coming.
2) Then He is coming
to show His wrath to all unbelievers and then to fulfill the promises
made to King David.
1Co 15:24 Then
cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all
authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he
must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last
enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Notice that God
says, without a doubt, that He will return as the Messiah!
*****Isa 40:10
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall
rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before
him.
Behold our God will
come with all His Might and all His Majesty, His Beauty!
It is the Lord Jesus
Christ who is the arm of God.
Psa 80:17 Let thy
hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou
madest strong for thyself.
His reward is with
Him and His work is before Him:
Joh 5:21 For as the
Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son
quickeneth whom he will.
Joh 5:22 For the
Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
Joh 5:23 That all
men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that
honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Joh 5:24 Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Joh 5:25 Verily,
verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall
live.
Joh 5:26 For as the
Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life
in himself;
Joh 5:27 And hath
given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son
of man.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not
at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the
graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall
come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;
and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Joh 5:30 I can of
mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is
just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father
which hath sent me.
God promised to
rescue His people from Satan, Jesus did that on the cross on Mount
Calvary. That work is finished:
Joh_19:30 When
Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished:
and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
When the Lord
returns, He will complete all the remaining work that needs to be
done:
Rev 21:5 And he
that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he
said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6 And he
said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the
water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that
overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son.
What is the Lord
doing right now?
1) Joh 14:2 In my
Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you
unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And
whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
2) Rom_8:34 Who is
he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by
him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
The Lord will not
stop His work until He has redeemed every believer and brought
justice to this world by striking down all His enemies!
Then all the
redeemed will see a side of God that we have only read about and only
dreamed about!
*****Isa 40:11 He
shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with
his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those
that are with young.
The Lord who will
show no pity in His destruction of all unbelievers and His enemies,
will become a tender Shepherd to those who love Him.
Joh 10:11 I am the
good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:14 I am the
good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15 As the
Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life
for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 And other
sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and
they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one
shepherd.
Rev 7:15 Therefore
are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his
temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16 They shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light
on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17 For the
Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall
lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes.
All those from the
time of Adam until the day the Lord calls out His Church and those
that are saved during the Tribulation years and that remnant of
Israel, who have answered the call of God, are all the flock of the
Lord, and will have eternal life through the redeeming power of Jesus
Christ.
As always, those who
are weak will be carried in the bosom of the Lord, and the Lord will
lead His flock at the pace of those who are young!
It is true that the
remnant of the Jews had this picture of the Lord, which was a true
picture but it will also be true for that remnant of the Jews during
the time of Jacob's trouble.
And the Lord our
King will also be the Shepherd who calls His Church home.
The picture we
should all see is that the Lord holds each of His flock close to His
heart!
The Lord will never
forsake His children!
Where ever our
Shepherd leads, we are content to follow!
How great is our
God? Here is just an example:
*****Isa 40:12 Who
hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out
heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a
measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a
balance?
Notice the reference
to the hand which in fact only the human has and it is wonderfully
constructed as is every part of our bodies.
It is the hand of
God that refers to God power and authority!
It is the arm of God
that gives leverage to God's hand!
We read in another
place where the heavens are the work of God's fingers.
We know that Jehovah
spoke our world into existence but we would be fools to not see that
we are all shaped by the hand of our Mighty God!
This hand is so
powerful that once we are in His hand there is no power on earth or
in Heaven that can take us out of God's hand!
Joh 10:28 And I
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My
Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able
to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my
Father are one.
Who can do such
things but our God, Jehovah?
Questions?
Let's Pray!
