Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
ISAIAH 40
Comfort for God’s People
1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak 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 Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.”
9 You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news 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!”
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He 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.
12 Who 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?
13 Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
or showed him the path of understanding?
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?
To what image will you liken him?
19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol that will not topple.
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25 “To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Application Notes
40:1-31 The book of Isaiah makes a dramatic shift at this point. The following chapters discuss the majesty of God, who is coming to. rule the earth and judge all people. God will reunite Israel and Judah and restore them to glory. Instead of warning the people of impending judgment as he had previously done, Isaiah here comforts them. Isaiah 40 points to the restoration after the Exile. Cyrus would be the instrument of their deliverance from Babylon. Secondarily, it looks to the end of time when “Babylon”—the future evil world system—will be destroyed and the persecution of God's people will end.
40:1-2 Judah still had 100 years of trouble before Jerusalem would fall and then 70 years of exile. So God told Isaiah to speak tenderly and to comfort Jerusalem.
The seeds of comfort may take root in the soil of adversity. When your life seems to be falling apart, ask God to comfort you. You may not escape adversity, but you may find God's comfort as you face it. In some cases, the only comfort we have is in the knowledge that someday we will be with God. Appreciate the comfort and encouragement found in his Word, his presence, and his people.
40:3-5 Preparing a straight highway means removing obstacles and rolling out the red carpet, so to speak, for the coming of the Lord. The wilderness is a picture of life's trials and sufferings. We are not immune to these, but our faith need not be hindered by them. Isaiah told people to prepare to see God work. John the Baptist used these words as he challenged the people to prepare for the coming Messiah (Matthew 3:3).
40:6-8 People are compared here to grass and flowers that wither away. We are mortal, but God's Word is eternal and unfailing. As we grow older, the vital bodies we had as young people begin to decline. As we fade physically, we can see the enduring quality of God's Word more clearly. This reminds us to count on him for eternal life and not on our own strength (see 1 Peter 1:23-25). God's Word remains constant. Only in God's eternal Word will we find hope, comfort, and eternal security.
40:11 The Bible often pictures God as a shepherd, gently caring for and guiding his flock. He is powerful (40:10), yet careful and gentle. He is described as a shepherd throughout Scripture (Psalm 23; John 10:11, 14; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4). Note that the shepherd in this verse cares for the most defenseless members of his society: the young and those caring for them. This reinforces the prophetic theme that the truly powerful nation is not the one with a strong military but rather the one that relies on God's caring strength as it places priority on caring for its people, especially the least of these (see Matthew 25:40).
40:12-31 Isaiah describes God’s power to create, his provision to sustain, and his presence to help. God is almighty and all-powerful; but even so, he cares generously for everything and everyone. No person or thing can be compared to God (40:25). We describe God as best we can with our limited knowledge and language, but we only limit our understanding of him and his power when we compare him to what we experience on earth. This passage is similar to Job 38:1-41:34. When we feel overwhelmed by life's struggles, these bold statements about our Creator God can remind us that he is in control and that his loving rule will ultimately prevail. He guides and sustains the universe and the circumstances of our daily lives. We can rest in the knowledge of that truth and find peace. Don't limit God's work in your life by underestimating him.
40:29-31 Even the strongest people get tired at times, but God's power and strength never diminish. He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel life crushing you and you cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength.
40:31 Part of hoping in the Lord is expecting that his promise of strength will help us to rise above life's distractions and difficulties. Do you believe God loves you and wants the best for you? Can you relax, confident that his purposes are right? Are you convinced that he has the power to control all of life—and your life as well? Though your faith may be struggling or weak, hold on tightly to it, and you will begin to experience the strength you need.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)