Grace Institute: Isaiah: God's Faithfulness to the Humble

God's Faithfulness to the Humble Isaiah 40 Fall 2008

Introduction

The Poetry of the Passage

This great chapter is probably the most poetic expression of theology proper in the Bible. With beautiful metaphors, the great transcendence, power and eternality of God is in clear and emotive terms. However, this is not merely a restatement of God's characteristics. One could approach this chapter by merely listing out the attributes to God as if this were a theology textbook. However, to strip the characteristics of God from the poetry of this chapter is to miss the emotion of the passage. Isaiah is not trying to inform our minds, but move our hearts. The writer is trying to evoke in us awe, wonderment, and encouragement as he describes our God.

The great majesty of God is primarily a message of comfort to a people who are under oppression. This great transcendent God has come to rescue His people. This omnipotent God has come to the transfer his power to those who are weak.

The Context of the Passage

The context of this passage is twofold. First, God has just rescued Judah from the invasion of Assyria. He has demonstrated his faithfulness to His people, and more importantly has proven that He alone is the one true God. The Assyrian Rabshakeh mocked God saying:

Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? (Isaiah 36:18 ESV)

King Hezekiah used this taunt in his prayer for deliverance:

So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD." (Isaiah 37:20 ESV)

When the Assyrians were defeated, the Lord had proved that He alone was the one true God, the maker of the heaven and earth.

However, the second contextual element places God's sovereignty back into question. In Isaiah 39:5-7, the prophet tells Hezekiah that someday Babylon would plunder Jerusalem and carry off the nation of Judah into exile. This raises a question. If rescuing Judah from the Assyrian army demonstrates the sovereignty of God, does not the coming plunder by Babylon negate the greatness and the goodness of God?

The Question of Suffering

The question Isaiah is addressing in chapter 40 haunts us even today. The question is phrased in a variety of ways. Why do the innocent suffer? If God is all-powerful, why does he allow suffering? Is God the author of evil? Often an event in someone's life will caused him or her to doubt God's existence. For example, the statement is made, “I could never believe in a God who allowed my child to die.” All of these questions come down to the same issue. How can a good and powerful God and evil exist at the same time?

This is the same argument used by Rabshakeh: if God cannot deliver us from pain and suffering, then He must not be the one true God.

Evil and suffering cause us to either call into doubt God's goodness or God's power. That is to say, either God wants to deliver us from suffering but does not have the power to do so, or God has the power to deliver us from suffering but does not have the compassion to do so.

Isaiah 40 is going to address both the goodness and the power of God. Verses 1—11 and 27—31 will demonstrate that the Lord is the faithful God of comfort. That is, He has the compassion and the will to deliver His people. Verses 12—26 will demonstrate that the Lord is powerful and sovereign. That is, He has the ability and the strength to deliver His people.

The God of Comfort (Isaiah 40:1—11)

Isaiah begins the chapter declaring the theme of the chapter. In the midst of the coming tragedy and suffering, God wants His people to be comforted.

This initial section is given in the form of a call. It is not clear whom God is calling out to proclaim His message of comfort. Nevertheless, God is calling out this voice to do the following:

• Speak tenderly to Jerusalem of her redemption (40:1—2).
• Prepare the people for the revelation of God's glory (40:3—5).
• Cry out the Word of God (40:6—8).
• Loudly proclaim the coming of the Lord of strength and comfort (40:10—11).

God Promises Restoration (40:1—2)

God calls on the voice to comfort his people by speaking tenderly to Jerusalem of her coming redemption. Her redemption is spoken of in three different terms.

First, her warfare has ended. The word warfare speaks of a pressing into service. In essence, the draft is over. The exile in Babylon is complete and just as a soldier returns home after the war, so now the exiles will return to Jerusalem.

Secondly, her iniquity has been pardoned. The salvation of the Lord is not just a physical deliverance but a spiritual one as well. Her sins will be forgiven.

Third, she shall receive from the Lord double for her sins. The term “double” is not meant to denote that they have been literally punished twice. Instead, it is showing that the grace of God is far greater than her sins. Not just will Jerusalem be forgiven of her trespasses, but she will be built up and exalted as well.

The Glory of the Lord Revealed (40:3—5)

“Prepare the Way of the Lord ”

An anonymous voice calls out, “prepare the way of the Lord .” The restoration of God's people comes as the glory of the Lord is revealed in the flesh. However, before this happens, the way must be prepared. The terrain must be made level.

This was the mission of John the Baptist. All four gospels declare that John was the fulfillment f this prophecy as he prepared the hearts of the people to receive their Messiah. When the religious leaders of the day asked John of his authority, he stated:

“I am the voice of the one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:23 ESV)

John had taken up the call of Isaiah 40. He spoke of the forgiveness of sins. He prepared the people for the coming Messiah. He proclaimed the coming of the Lord .

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ….And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29, 34 ESV)

“The Glory of the Lord shall be Revealed”

Once the way has been prepared, then the glory of the Lord will be revealed. This is not some mystical event. This is a physical event observable by everyone.

The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 40:5 ESV)

The first chapter of John affirms this physical event as the coming of Jesus. The gospel writer tells us first, that Jesus is the Word of God. He is the mouth of the Lord to which Isaiah refers here. Secondly, that Word was made flesh, showing everyone the glory of God.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 ESV)

John declares to us that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah 40. He is the one who will bring comfort and forgiveness. Jesus is the Lord who rules over the nations and other gods. Jesus is the creator whose strength and power will be given to the weary.

The Permanance of God's Word (40:6—8)

When the glory of the Lord is revealed, no nation and no human king shall be able to compare to the glory of the Lord . To demonstrate this, Isaiah likens humanity to the grass of the field or a beautiful flower. While it may have its moment of glory, it is transitory.

However, God's Word stands forever. The majesty of the Lord is now a second time compared to speech. In verse 5, when the glory of the Lord is made flesh, it is the mouth of the Lord . Here, when God's glory outlasts the transitory glory of humanity, it is the Word of the LORD that stands. John's gospel declares Jesus to be the Word made flesh.

Words are the first medium through which God has revealed himself. God has used the imperfect medium of human language. The Words of God were given to the prophets and the patriarchs as a means to explain the glory of God.

However, ultimately, Words were insufficient to explain the radiant glory of God. Therefore, the Word of God became flesh (John 1:14). Jesus came as God's final spoken word, revealing to us the glory of God.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:1-3 ESV)

Jesus affirms this of himself in the Sermon on the Mount:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18 ESV)

The word of Lord will stand forever (40:8), for Jesus has become the fulfillment of the Word of God. He is the ultimate revelation of the glory of the Lord (40:5).

The God of Strength and Comfort (40:10—11)

The call is made to proclaim this coming glory of God to the nation. From Mount Zion and from Jerusalem, the herald is to proclaim to the entire nation of Judah, “Behold your God! Behold the Lord God comes!”

The Lord comes with might and strength, and he brings reward and recompense. This is the coming of a judge who will now doll out justice to the world.

The Incomperable God (Isaiah 40:12—26)

The first eleven verses of chapter 40 answer the question of God's willingness to rescue His people. Indeed, God cares. He desires to restore His people and provide them with comfort. He is like a shepherd who cares for his flock.

However, as Judah finds itself in Babylonian exile, while God cares, maybe He is unable to deliver His people. Verses 12—26 answer the question of God's capability. He not only desires to rescue His people from their suffering, but He has the capacity to do so.

This is demonstrated through a series of rhetorical questions whereby God is compared first to the nations of the earth, and then secondly to the false gods. These comparisons are made in two cycles.

First Cycle (40:12—20)

The first cycle comparison is in verses 12—20, as Isaiah skillfully presents the question of who can measure up to God (40:12—14), and who can compare to God (40:18). The answer will be that neither the nations (40:15—17) nor the false gods (40:19—20) will be able to measure up or compare to the Lord .

Who Measures Up to God? (40:12—14)

Isaiah first asks the reader to attempt to compare God to His creation. Isaiah uses anthropomorphisms to describe the scale of God verses His creation. All the waters of the oceans fit into His hand. He measures the sky by the span of His hand. All of the land of the earth can be measured on His scale.

Secondly, Isaiah asks the reader to attempt to compare God's wisdom, justice, and knowledge. Who has shown God what is right and what is wrong? Isaiah is explaining that God is not held to some moral standard outside of himself. In other words, God is not just, but justice is what God is. God is not wise, but rather wisdom is what God is. God is not to be compared to our standard of justice or wisdom or understanding. Instead, our understanding of justice and wisdom are determined by the character of God.

Isaiah is stating that neither the physical universe nor metaphysical ideas provide an adequate comparison by which we can measure God. Neither science nor philosophy can adequately describe God. Therefore, rather than try to define God by our reality, instead we should try to define our reality by who God is.

The Nations Do Not Compare (40:15—17)

Having established the inadequacy of human knowledge to fully understand the greatness of God, Isaiah can then show how insignificant human power is in comparison to God. All the nations are a “drop in the bucket,” and are merely “dust on the scales.”

Judah has always been a small insignificant kingdom in the great world stage. Judah has been a pawn for the super powers of Assyria, Egypt and Babylon. However, the God of Judah is the ultimate super power. The greatness of Assyria and the greatness of Babylon are nothing to God.

Likewise, the greatness of the United States, Russia, China, or Europe is less than nothing in comparison to God. This means that there is no geopolitical situation that is ever outside of God's authority or ability to handle.

The False gods Do Not Compare (40:18—20)

Because God cannot be defined by the physical universe, how can one determine what God looks like? If you wanted to draw a picture of God or carve a statue of the Lord , what physical representation would you create to show what God looks like? The answer is that there is nothing in the physical universe that adequately describes God.

However, the false gods are easily described through physical representations. Idols are carvings from gold and silver that provide an appropriate representation of the false gods. Furthermore, it does not even take precious metals to show the narrow glory of the false god. Even a poor person can just choose some good wood to make an adequate carving of the false gods.

If the false gods can be defined and described by a woodcarving, how can this compare to a God who cannot be measured by the vastness of the cosmos?

The Second Cycle (40:21—26)

Beginning in verse 21, Isaiah reiterates these same points in a second cycle. Once again, he will begin with rhetorical questions (40:21, 25) and then compare the Lord first to the nations (40:22-24) and again to the false gods (40:26).

The Nations Do Not Compare (40:21—24)

In verses 21 through 24 God is contrasted with the rulers of this world. He sits above them and all the inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He brings the princes to nothing. They rise and fall, but when he blows on them they wither away. This is a great comfort to a nation tossed about by the kings of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. In comparison to the God of Israel, they are but chaff blown in the wind.

The False gods Do Not Compare (40:25—26)

To whom then will you compare Him? Is there any other god like Him?

This is the God who created, hold together and remembers all of creation. He is so great that it is by his power that all things are sustained. He did not just make the stars in the heavens, but He is actively holding it all together. God did not make the universe and then let it to exist and run by itself. Every moment of existence is sustained by the power of God. If God's ongoing sustenance were removed for even a second, the universe itself would disappear. To say it more poetically, God does not just make the stars, but He keeps them shining.

In stating it this way, Isaiah is drawing a sharp contrast between the Lord and the gods of Babylon. The Babylonians were great astronomers who saw authority and power in the heavens. The planets and the stars were seen to be gods who were directing and sustaining the events on the earth. Babylonian religion and astronomy were largely an attempt to understand the impact of these astronomical gods on the events of the earth.

Isaiah is declaring here that the planets and the stars are not gods. They are merely a part of the one true God's creation. They exist not just because He made them in the past, but also because he continually wills them to exist.

The Faithful God (Isaiah 40:27—31)

Imagine yourself a Jew in captivity in Babylon. You are far from your homeland, far from Jerusalem, and far from the temple to your God. Furthermore, that temple, in which the glory of God dwelt, had been destroyed by your captors. You would likely feel abandoned by God, outside of his vision, hidden and ignored by Him.

While probably not to the extent felt by a Judean captive, we all go through periods during which we feel abandoned by God. Our circumstances overwhelm us, and we reach out to God, but He does not seem to be there. In such times we might think,

…my way is hidden from the Lord , and my right is disregarded by my God. (Isaiah 40:27 ESV)

In this midst of such a circumstance, Isaiah calls us back to what we know about the Lord . “Have you not known? Have you not heard?”

He then reminds us of what we already know. Our God is great and powerful. He is powerful enough to get us through whatever circumstance we face. He has not forgotten us. He will sustain us. He will deliver us.

The Everlasting Strength of God (40:27—28)

Verses 27-28 provide one of the most concise statements of the transcendent nature of God. In these two short verses, we learn that God is:

• Omnipresent – “Why do you say… my way is hidden?”
• Eternal – “The Lord is the everlasting God.”
• Creator – “The creator of the ends of the earth.”
• Omnipotent – “He does not faint or grow weary.”
• Omniscient – “His understanding is unsearchable.”

God is outside space and time. He contains all power and all knowledge. These are the things that make the Lord definitionaly God. To be anything less than this would mean He is not the great uncaused cause, the one true necessary being. He stands outside of the observable and knowable universe, transcendent to all creation.

He Gives Strength to the Weary (40:29—31)

The transcendence of God might cause us to consider God as remote and unapproachable. He is too great, too far outside our realm of understanding to be involved in day-to-day affairs. However, Isaiah's point in declaring the transcendence of God is just the opposite of this.

Isaiah declares that it preciously because God is outside of space and time that He can be with us wherever and whenever we are. While we may think God is remote and has abandoned us, a God who exists simultaneously in every place and in every time cannot, by his very nature, abandon us.

Furthermore, Isaiah declares that because God has infinite strength, he can empower us when we are weak. God never runs out of energy, and so He can give us strength when our circumstances drained us of our energy.

God is not some distant remote, transcendent, and irrelevant god. He is also close, tender, and involved in the lives of His people. Therefore, the great power of God brings comfort to His people (40:1). He renews our strength. He takes the weak and the lowly and lifts them up by His power.

This is the consistent theme of the book of Isaiah. The kings and the nations who boast of their own power will be brought low by the incomparable strength of the Lord (40:23) . Those who think they are something will be revealed as less than nothing (40:17), like fading flowers (40:6-8), grasshoppers (40:22) and the dust of the earth (40:15).

However, those who humbly trust in the strength of the Lord will be lifted up. He will care for them like a shepherd who tends his flock (40:11). He will comfort His people (40:1), forgiving them of their sins (40:2). For those who patiently wait on the Lord through pain and hardship, God will give strength to endure (40:31).

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. (Isaiah 40:31 ESV)