Bible Passage: Isaiah 40:1-31

I. Introduction:

1. Judah was in Babylonian captivity
2. Jerusalem, their capital city, was no more a proud city
3. It had become an embattled city that remained in a state of rubbles
4. There was no king, no commercial or political significance to it
5. People probably became skeptical, because their situation was not changing
6. This passage has at least three stages of fulfilment: Exile and Exile return, the first coming of Jesus the Messiah, and the second coming of the Jesus the Messiah

II. The Overall Mood of the People

1. “The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me, My God is not concerned with my vindication”

a. Skepticism “The LORD is not aware of what is happening to me”
b. Feeling divine abandonment: “My God is not concerned with my vindication”
c. Low morale and a sense of rejection

2. God visits with them at their lowest point (verse 1)

a.“Comfort, comfort”
b. “my people”
c. “says your God”

III. God’s “comfort” has three dimensions

1. Hope of divine deliverance

a. Israel’s exile was coming to an end, punishment for their sin was over, and they would return to Jerusalem imminently (verse 2)
b. The LORD was determined to restore Jerusalem (verse 2-11)
c. The people of Judah need to be ready to meet the LORD
d. This is fulfilled in Jesus: Mark 1:3 A voice cries out, “In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord; construct in the desert a road for our God”

2. Hope of divine provision of a Shepherd

a. For a long period, the people of Judah lacked real Shepherd care
b. They were harassed, ignored, and exploited by foreign powers
c. The LORD is soon going to extend Shepherd care to the weak and neglected  (verse 11)

i. He tends his flock like a shepherd
ii. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart
iii. He gently leads those that have young

d. Jesus is the fulfilment of Isa 40:11 cf. John 10:14-15

i. I am the good shepherd
ii. I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father
iii. And I lay down my life for the sheep

3. Hope of divine restoration and new life

a. With His strength, the LORD is going to revive the weak and fatigued (verses 29-31)

i. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak
ii. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength
iii. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint

b. The promise of the LORD’s restoration is based on Who He is (verses 12-28)

i. Everlasting and Eternal (v. 28): The LORD is the everlasting God who spans all of time, never growing tired or weary
ii. Incomparable (v. 18, 25): There is no one and nothing in creation that can be compared to God; He is uniquely majestic and without equal
iii. Omnipotent and Sovereign (v. 10, 12, 15): He rules with a mighty arm, weighs the mountains on scales, and holds the oceans in the hollow of His hand
iv. Creator (v. 12, 26, 28): He is the maker of the heavens, the ends of the earth, and all the starry hosts
v. Omniscient and Wise (v. 13, 14, 26): His understanding is unfathomable, He knows the answers to all questions, and He calls each star out by its name
vi. Caring Shepherd (v. 11): He gently tends His flock, gathers the lambs in His arms, and carries them close to His heart
vii. Compassionate Sustainer (v. 29): He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak
viii. Transcendent and Holy (v. 22): He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; His character is beautiful and separate from all finite creation
ix. Immutable and True (v. 8): While human beings and the physical world wither and fade, the word and promises of God endure forever

4. The purpose of listing His attributes (verse 31)

a. The people of Judah must stop striving their own methods to fix their predicaments, but they must latch on to the strength of their God
b. The word for “wait” is qavah which means “braiding a thread with a bunch of stronger ones” or “substituting one’s strength with the other”
c. i.e., to substitute your strength with the strength of God who listed His strengths as attributes
d. Human weakness needs to be replaced with God’s strength
e. It gives power to rise above the present situation

Takeaway:

1. Meet your King Jesus
2. Enjoy Jesus’ Shepherd care
3. Wait on God to ward off your hopelessness