Collectively, Isaiah 40-48 is known as the Book of Cyrus, a king of Persia who eventually authorized Judah’s release from exile. His name was referred to several times, thus these chapters have alluded to him. We have noted in the earlier chapters of Isaiah that Judah had gone through much at the hand of Sennacherib. We learned how they were severely dealt with by the Assyrians who had seized many of her fortified cities. Even Jerusalem was nearly captured. However, from Isaiah 39 we were told that their greater blow would be at the hand of Babylon. Under them, Judah’s goods and youths would be deported and taken into exile. As we come to Isaiah chapter 40, Isaiah began a series of positive prophecies. His purpose was for Judah to look to the future so that they could be comforted in their present sufferings. Anticipating their deliverance from oppression, and their deliverance from exile that would surely take place, Isaiah brought messages of consolation. Though his messages speak of deliverance from captivity, they carry a greater message of mankind’s deliverance from the dominion of sin.
Today, let us consider Isaiah 40:1-11 in our reflection. Activating our sanctified imagination, let us envision the feeling of the remnant of Judah who had returned from the exile. They were recalling the past and how as a nation, they had failed their God miserably. They were sorely in need of comfort and consolation. As they were reminiscing, four voices of comfort were given.
In verses 1-2, the first voice of comfort assured them that their past
was forgiven. Yes, as a nation they had indeed sinned against their faithful God.
But they were also chastised much. God had allowed them to go through much to
discipline them. But it was all because of His great love for them. Like them, we
need to know that those whom God loves, He chastens. We are told in Hebrews
12:11 that “…all discipline seems not to be
pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
The second voice of comfort is recorded in verses 3-5. It was a
voice of divine intervention. God, Himself would prepare the way for them. He
would send a messenger to assist them to
prepare the way for them to return to glory. Indeed God did it for them in their
return from exile. Cyrus literally prepared the way for them to return. Eventually, they could rebuild the walls and the temple, and restore worship. In the Gospels,
John the Baptist came to fulfill this voice. He came to prepare the way for sinners
to return to God. He came to prepare the way for the first coming of the Lord.
The third voice of comfort in verses 6-8 stresses the permanent Word
of God. Here we are shown how temporal everything truly is. Everything is like flesh
that would be here today and gone tomorrow. The Assyrians as well as the Babylonians
did not last forever. After they had executed God’s purposes, they all faded
away. But the Word of God will last through all eternity. It will stand
forever. We must take the eternal Word of God seriously. We must be diligent to
accurately handle the word of truth.
The fourth voice of comfort in verses 9-11 is the proclamation of the
message of peace. Here we see a picture of the coming of the Lord. He would
come not only as the mighty Conqueror, but he would also come like the gentle Shepherd.
We see both these characteristics in our Lord Jesus Christ. He will help us to
conquer our sin and circumstances, but He will also carry us gently in His arm.
With Him, we will find safety and security. Beloved, we have a God who forgives
and provides. Furthermore, He has given us His eternal word to guide us and in Him, we will be secure and safe. Hallelujah! What a God!
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