{"id":25645,"date":"2023-03-20T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-21T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/isaiah-39-copy\/"},"modified":"2023-03-14T17:00:03","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T00:00:03","slug":"isaiah-40_1-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/isaiah-40_1-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Let the King of Glory Come In"},"content":{"rendered":"

Isaiah 40:1-14 \u00a0 \u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Isaiah 40:1-14.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Here in chapter 40 we come to one of the most beloved chapters in all of Isaiah.\u00a0 Some early church fathers (like Eusebius of Caesarea, Ephrem of Syria and Cyril of Alexandria) seem to have interpreted Isaiah 40 as an immediate response to Isaiah 39 where Hezekiah unwittingly reveals his nation\u2019s top secrets to the Babylonians.\u00a0 This would have happened before 701 B.C. However, in the more recent centuries, Christian commentators have interpreted Isaiah 40-55 to be Isaiah talking about a much later event in the future, namely, the time from about 580 to 540 B.C. when the Jewish people were exiles in Babylon and how one day God was going to bring them back to their homeland of Judah.\u00a0 I will approach Isaiah 40 with this Babylonian exile in mind as the historical background for these verses.\u00a0 With this approach, I think you\u2019ll find that, like a flower blooming, Isaiah 40 opens up in some beautiful and powerful ways.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 40:1 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 1: The first half of Isaiah was very much about the judgment of God.\u00a0 But here at the start of the second half of Isaiah, the tone is very different: it\u2019s about the comfort of God.\u00a0 Having judged and disciplined His people by sending them into exile in Babylon, God, like a loving father, is now in the mode of comforting them.<\/p>\n

God is not only full of wrath toward sin.\u00a0 He is also full of tenderness toward His children.\u00a0 He is not only the just judge; He is also the compassionate comforter.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

(By the way, Pastor David Pawson notes that \u201ccom-fort\u201d literally means \u201cwith strength\u201d.\u00a0 The comfort of God is not so much about coddling (\u201caw, poor you\u201d); rather, it\u2019s more about strengthening the person who is going through a tough time.\u00a0 God is less about coddling you and more about comforting (strengthening) you.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 40:2 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the\u00a0LORD’s hand double for all her sins.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 2: What is the comforting message that God wants His people to know?\u00a0 It\u2019s that their sins have been paid for and the punishment they deserved is done.\u00a0 For the Jewish exiles in Babylon, this was a hopeful message.\u00a0 This was God telling them that the punishment they received for their sins is completed and their time in exile will soon be at an end.<\/p>\n

For us today, this verse is also a reminder that\u00a0in Jesus Christ our punishment has been satisfied, our sins have been paid for and what we now receive is not God\u2019s wrath but a double portion of God\u2019s mercy and favour<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 40:3 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the\u00a0LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 3:\u00a0 Historians say that, in the ancient Near East, nations would build roadways and highways for their kings to travel on and to make an entrance into their most important cities.\u00a0 Those roads and highways needed to be level, broad, and smooth so that the king could travel into a city with as much ease and pomp as possible.\u00a0 (Apparently, this concept would not be lost on Italy\u2019s Mussolini in the 20th<\/sup>\u00a0century, who tried to build such a road into Rome for himself.)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s with this in mind that Isaiah writes of a voice calling, \u201cIn the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God\u201d.\u00a0 Isaiah is saying that in the middle of a difficult wilderness season for God\u2019s people, their king, the LORD Himself, was coming.\u00a0 God wanted His people to build a highway in their hearts for their King to enter in.<\/p>\n

Likewise, the New Testament gospel writers saw this verse being fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist as he prepares the way for Jesus, our King of kings (Mark 1:3; Matthew 3:3; Luke 3:4).<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Even when we find ourselves spiritually in a desert or wilderness, God the King wants to come in and fill our lives.<\/strong>\u00a0 That\u2019s the incredible love, mercy and compassion of God.\u00a0 The verses that follow show us how we can build a highway for God to come in.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 40:4-5 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And the glory of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0has spoken.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 4-5:\u00a0 When a road was being built for a king, valleys would be raised up, hills made low, and rough ground made level so that the road for this king would be as smooth as possible.\u00a0 The same goes for God the King when He enters our lives.
\nIf we want God to have easy access to us, to fill our lives and to reveal His glory, we need to do the work of repentance.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0That means bringing up that which has been too low (whether it\u2019s our lack of thanks and praise to God, or the way we look at God or ourselves), bringing down that which has been too high (like our pride), smoothing out our rough edges and confessing our sins \u2013 so that the Lord our King can come in.\u00a0\u00a0Repentance is the road to experiencing more of the King in your life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Isaiah 40:6-8 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0blows on them. Surely the people are grass.
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 6-8:\u00a0 Jeremiah had predicted that the Jewish people would be captives in Babylon for 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10).\u00a0 During this time, the Jewish exiles would have seen at least a couple generations of their leaders and elders pass away.\u00a0 God\u2019s comforting message to His people is that while leaders in our lives will come and go and people will fall, the word of God stands firm forever.\u00a0 Heaven and earth will pass away but God\u2019s word will remain.\u00a0\u00a0So don\u2019t put your hope in people.\u00a0 Place your hope in God and His God\u2019s Word.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

One hundred years from now, if Jesus hasn\u2019t yet returned, I will likely be gone, but the Word of God will remain and will be strength and hope for all who trust in Him.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 40:9 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 9:\u00a0 God gives the Jewish exiles a mission which is: when you return to Jerusalem from Babylon, declare who God is to the people there (\u201clift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid\u201d.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a reminder that when we were exiled from God and separated from Him because of our sin, through Jesus Christ God rescued us and brought us home into His kingdom.\u00a0\u00a0Now we are not just saved, but we are called to share and declare this good news of who God is.<\/strong>\u00a0 As 1 Peter 2:9 says, \u201cBut you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isaiah 40:10-11 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0See, the Sovereign\u00a0LORD\u00a0comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 10-11:\u00a0 And who is this God that the people are to proclaim?\u00a0 What is He like?\u00a0 On one hand God is a strong and powerful king (v10).\u00a0 On the other hand, God is also a tender and gentle shepherd (v11).\u00a0\u00a0Praise God that He is both powerful and gentle.\u00a0 He is velvet and steel.\u00a0 That\u2019s what makes the LORD the best leader.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Isaiah 40:12-14 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Who has understood the mind of the\u00a0LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Whom did the\u00a0LORD\u00a0consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 12-14:\u00a0 Isaiah reminds the people that God is so great He is beyond our capacity to grasp how great He is.\u00a0 So whatever problem they were facing, their God is greater still.<\/p>\n

Likewise, there is no way we today could fathom just how big, powerful and wise God is.\u00a0 His thoughts and plans are so vastly higher than our thoughts and plans, and He is able to do far more than all we could ask for or imagine.\u00a0 And\u00a0whatever situation you may be facing today, it\u2019s not too much for God; God is greater still<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Father You are strong yet gentle, powerful yet tender, and Your mind is far beyond our ability to comprehend.\u00a0 Thank You that in Jesus Christ my sin is forgiven, my punishment has been paid for and now I have a double portion not of Your wrath but of Your mercy and favour.\u00a0 Since You have saved me, I declare Your praises.\u00a0 In my life may You have a smooth, broad and level highway by which You can enter.\u00a0 Come fill me today.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Isaiah 40:1-14.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Here in chapter 40 we come to one of the most beloved chapters in all of Isaiah.\u00a0 Some early church fathers (like Eusebius of Caesarea, Ephrem of Syria and Cyril of Alexandria) seem to have interpreted Isaiah 40 as an immediate response to Isaiah 39 where Hezekiah unwittingly reveals his nation\u2019s top secrets to the Babylonians.\u00a0 This would have happened before 701 B.C. However, in the more recent centuries, Christian commentators have interpreted Isaiah 40-55 to be Isaiah talking about a much later event in the future, namely, the time from about 580 to 540 B.C. when the Jewish people were exiles in Babylon and how one day God was going to bring them back to their homeland of Judah.\u00a0 I will approach Isaiah 40 with this Babylonian exile in mind as the historical background for these verses.\u00a0 With this approach, I think you\u2019ll find that, like a flower blooming, Isaiah 40 opens up in some beautiful and powerful ways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25647,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25645"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25648,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25645\/revisions\/25648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}