Welcome to Week 4 of our study in the book of Isaiah. This week, we are crossing a divide in the book. The first 39 chapters had a bit of history, a lot of warning, and some prophecies. From chapter 40 through the end of the book, it’s primarily prophecies concerning a future where God sends a Messiah who suffers for his people and eventually restores them.
Chapter 39 ends with Isaiah prophesying to Hezekiah about the Babylonian captivity. Now, God wants to comfort his people, so they know that whatever hardship comes upon them will not last forever.
This comfort comes in a number of ways. To begin the week, please read through the entire chapter at least once. Each day, we will choose a different comfort and meditate on it, which is likely to be just verse or three each time (don’t worry—we’ll have plenty of related verses). This is not an exhaustive list. If you read the chapter in its entirety, you will find additional things that bring you comfort when you think about them. Let’s get started!
Thank you to my wife Tracy, who once again contributed her wisdom to writing the prayer guides.
Index to Days 2 through 5
Day 1
Comfort #1 – We are pardoned
Observe
Chapter 39 ends with Hezekiah, an otherwise good king, having his moment of collapse. When told by Isaiah that Babylon would come and carry away all the wealth of Judah, and Hezekiah’s own sons would serve as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon, Hezekiah’s response was to say the word of the Lord was good, “because there would be peace and security in my days.” Even a good king isn’t a perfect king. Right on the heels of that, we have the first two verses of chapter 40, which tell us Jerusalem’s conflicts will end and then explains why.
Isaiah 40:1-2
Comfort for God’s People
40 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord‘s hand
double for all her sins.
Isaiah 51:12-13
12 “I, I am he who comforts you;
who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
of the son of man who is made like grass,
13 and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth,
and you fear continually all the day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
when he sets himself to destroy?
And where is the wrath of the oppressor?
Luke 2:25-26
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
2 Chronicles 36:22-23
The Proclamation of Cyrus
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’”
God speaks comfort, with tender words, to Jerusalem; her warfare is ended. Notice the phrasing “is ended.” We won’t bring an end to the struggles in our lives, nor do they stop on their own, but someone else brings them to an end for us. And why? Because someone else has paid for our sins. The Babylonian captivity ended after 70 years (as foretold in Jeremiah 25:12). The span of a human life is about that, albeit longer today with our better medicine. Then it ends, and in the presence of God we find comfort, the end to every struggle, because our iniquity is pardoned.
Notes for Bible nerds: What does it mean when it says received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins? Commentaries suggest several interpretations, with the two most common being: (1) as a cloth that is doubled over perfectly fits one half against the other, so the payment for our sins perfectly covers them, and (2) as a figure of speech to emphasize the certainty of the Messiah’s payment for sins by saying it was so overwhelmingly effective as to be twice what was needed.
- Why do you think God’s promise of comfort for his people looks ahead to a future time? Why didn’t he bring them comfort right away?
- What application can you make from that in your life?
Dear Lord, It is possible, even across ages and cultures, to imagine the initial response of King Hezekiah to the realization that even Jerusalem would fall, and that the Lord’s people would be taken captive. At each phase of life, I have realized that my life is not going entirely as planned. I have been disappointed, and I will probably be disappointed again. I have felt like a failure. But you send comfort, Lord. Your comfort is eternal, based upon your everlasting love and the wonder of your gift: the sacrifice of your only son, the forgiveness of my sin and the hope of freedom and restoration. True comfort indeed, as only you can give. Thank you for this wonder. Amen.
Day 2
Comfort #2 – God’s Word stands forever
Observe
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:6-8
The Word of God Stands Forever
6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
Isaiah 55:10-11
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Nehemiah 8:6-9
6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
This Day Is Holy
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Matthew 4:4
4 But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
God is infinite and all-powerful. He could have given his word to each one of us as individuals. But he’s given his word to us all. ONE word for all to read. Why? There is so much value in the eternal, never changing nature of the word of God. There is comfort in his word being the same today as it was for our parents, grandparents, and all the way back as far as you want to go. The same words that caused the ancient Israelites to worship God and weep with joy when hearing them read (Nehemiah 8:6-9) are in your hands today. The same word that our Lord Jesus Christ quoted to answer those who opposed him, we can quote in answer to those who oppose us. We read it together, we commit it to memory, we let it shape the desires of our heart, and it unites us as nothing made by man could. How important is the word of God? When Jesus tells Satan in Matthew 4:4 that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God, Jesus is quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3. The one who wrote the book, quotes the book.
- What do you like most about the scriptures?
- Give an example when the Lord has called something from the scriptures to your mind to help you in a time of need. What happened?
Heavenly Father, Thank you for your word, which you have preserved and which is available to me to read freely and share. So many believers through the ages have meditated upon these very words. Thank you for the testimony of these saints. Draw me daily to the scripture, and tune my ears to hear your truth. Prompt me and enable me to adjust my life, each day, to your eternal word. Amen.
Day 3
Comfort #3 – God is returning
Observe
God has prepared a place for us and is eager to receive us, whether we go to him or we’re still here when he returns to gather his children to himself.
Isaiah 40:9-10
The Greatness of God
9 Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
Isaiah 62:11-12
11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
“Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.”
12 And they shall be called The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
and you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.
Revelation 22:12-13
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
2 Timothy 4:8
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
John 14:1-4
I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life
14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
Matthew 24:27
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:30-31
30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 24:36-39
No One Knows That Day and Hour
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:44
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The Coming of the Lord
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
There are many references to the return of the Lord. It will be sudden and unmistakable. He will bring together those who have died in Christ and those living who belong to Christ, and all of us will be together forever with the Lord. Paul wrote to Timothy that the Lord was bringing a reward for all those who “love his appearing.”
- Would you say you are one who “loves his appearing” or would you prefer that he delay his return? Why?
- Jesus told us no man knows when the Lord is returning but we should be always ready. What do you think it means to be ready for the Lord’s return?
Father God, What an amazing thought, that you have prepared a place for me! You will gather me together with all your people, because you want me to be with you forever. I don’t live in a city of yours, that bears your name, with walls that will be overrun and rebuilt. I live in a world of fragile human beings where it seems that I am surrounded by loss. Thank you Lord that your people are not lost to you. I can’t imagine what your return and eternity will be like, but I know I will be with you, and that is more than enough. Amen.
Day 4
Comfort #4 – He will be as a shepherd to us
Observe
The Bible is filled with anthropomorphic images and analogies for God, each of which imparts some aspect of God’s majesty and power as well as how he relates to his people. Perhaps none communicates as much tenderness as God calling himself our shepherd.
Isaiah 40:11
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
Psalm 23
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
John 10:1-17
I Am the Good Shepherd
10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
1 Peter 2:24-25
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Being called a sheep has taken on a derogatory nature these days. It’s popular to characterize them as unintelligent animals who will follow anyone, but that’s far from the truth. Sheep are (and this is not a joke) extremely intelligent. They form lasting bonds with each other, especially their offspring, and have excellent memories proven to recognize other sheep and even humans years after meeting them. We’re sorry to ruin so many sermon illustrations, but ask yourself this question: wouldn’t the one who created sheep know all this about them? So, if God calls us sheep of his pasture and calls himself our shepherd, then we should reevaluate what that means. Jesus reveals one truth in John chapter 10. Sheep will not follow a stranger, in fact they will run from them, but they will follow the voice of the shepherd because they know that voice and have learned to trust it! Sheep do rely on their shepherd, but not because they are stupid. They rely on their shepherd because the shepherd does for them what they can’t do for themselves. The shepherd defends the flock, cares for them when they are wounded, provides shelter for them, and leads them to pastures they otherwise would not find (despite being intelligent creatures, sheep are terrible at using Google Earth to find green pastures). We should not resist being called the sheep of his pasture or having God as our shepherd, we should find comfort in the trusting nature of the relationship.
- How do you learn to trust someone?
- What has God done for you that leads you to trust him?
Shepherd of my soul, lead me. I act as if I can do this life on my own, but the truth is that I need you every step of the way. Only you can provide my needs and keep me safe. Only you can guide me to the peaceful place of your pasture. When I am most weary, vulnerable and afraid, you draw me close. Help me not to resist you and pull away in pride. Thank you for being my shepherd.
Day 5
Comfort #5 – He gives us his strength
Observe
God assures us that he is not unaware, tired, or lacking in courage. He offers to impart facets of own nature to those who wait for him.
Isaiah 40:27-31
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the Lord, O My Soul
Of David.
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Exodus 19:4
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
In the ancient world, it was common for gods to be viewed as having the same failings as human beings. They would grow tired or be unaware of something. This is not true of our God, he is never weary or unaware. Scripture uses some words in a way that doesn’t quite line up with how we use them in everyday speech, and wait is one of those words (as is the word hope, which scripture uses to mean “a confident expectation,” and not “a fervent desire for a specific outcome”). Similarly, to wait is to “anticipate with trust,” as opposed to “endure inaction.” The Lord promises those who wait for him will be given freedom (mount up with wings as eagles), endurance (run and not be weary), and courage (walk and not faint). These share one thing in common, they are not one-and-done events but rely on an unending flow of grace.
- In what circumstances (other than with God) have you learned to anticipate with a sense of trust?
- How did that come to be? What happened to build that trust, and what does that teach you about a relationship with God?
Heavenly Father, you know how tired I am and how discouraged I can become. You know that I feel so alone. But you alone are always strong. You alone never grow weary. But by your grace, you lift me up and carry me. Your wisdom never fails. By that grace you guide me in wisdom. Bring these glorious pictures of your strength to mind when I’m tired. I will wait on you and you shall renew my strength! Amen.