Chapter 40 Part 2 - Bringing Our Eyes Back

The last lesson helped explain: 

Isaiah - The first application

Judah's 70 years of desolation under the Babylonian empire

Judah's iniquity being removed through death - (70 years of desolation)

The LORD setting Judah on the strait path by the 70 years of desolation

The Lord being gracious through judgment - His judgment was never to destroy Judah but to bring them back to the strait path. Isaiah 30:18-21 (The Jews never associated God's grace with His chastening)

Isaiah - The second application

The same as above but instead of the 70 years of desolation The LORD brings to mind the 7 years of tribulation upon His people like they have never seen before so so He could remove their iniquity and set their path strait. - His grace applied.

Isaiah 40:1 begins with Comfort being declared through Isaiah - In the next chapters the desolation, captivity, the tribulations of Judah are not seen.

Isaiah 40:5-8 The LORD setting Judah (and Israel) on the strait path is not for their glory but for His glory - so the whole world will know the everlasting character of His Word. Isaiah 30:18-19

The LORD will be exalted through Abraham's seed as He promised: the whole world will be blessed through Abraham's seed,  the earth will be filled with Abraham's seed. The LORD's promise to Abraham was not for Abraham's glory but because he loved Abraham He chose to allow Abraham's seed to be the vehicle to carry His Glory to the world.

So why do we know The Book Isaiah is not about the Church replacing Israel - The Gospel goes to individual souls (whosoever) - Israel was to be the nation all other nations would want to be like. Isaiah 1:9 nine mentions a small remnant the remained that kept Judah and Israel from being completely destroyed.

:"that day" will come

Isaiah 40:9-11 They are told to go to the mountains and boldly and loudly proclaim Behold your God! - coming with a strong hand to set things right and feed and nourish his people. Isaiah 49:10; Mic 5:4, 

John 10:11-15 - Comfort ye, Comfort my people - the shepherd is coming. what a difference in the way verse 11 ends and and Luke 21:23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

Read Lamentations 1:1-3 & 4:10-12 - Comfort ye, Comfort my people the death has ended.

Compare That Day Chart

*When in Ezra 1:1  Cyrus orders Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple - They should have seen and proclaimed their God - promise of life after the death of Jerusalem

*When Jesus was hanging on the cross the Jews should have proclaimed their God who gives life after death

*When The LORD returns to the earth (Revelation 19:11-16 - The LORD brings an end to the great tribulation the Jews should shout Our God who brings life after death

Isaiah 40:12-30 Can be summed up in verse 18 - To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? There is no standard by which you can used to describe God or compare Him to: He is the standard! See Job 38-41, Isaiah 6:5

Job 38:4 ¶ Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee

Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

Verses 40:17-25 reminds us that all the great rulers, kings (including David, Solomon Hezekiah), presidents and other men we call great who have ever lived or ever will live are nothing compared to the one who sets them up and tears them down.

*Isaiah 40:27-28 with Isaiah 29:15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

The Verses 40::12-30 are intended to bring Isaiah's attention back upon the object that he should be focused upon - THE CREATOR the One he saw in Isaiah 6:1-4 - The LORD, The Holy One Of Israel. If we are not careful we too can get caught up in the history of the Jews, the prophesy of their future, the wickedness of the nations, The judgment He is going to bring this earth and the comfort His will bring to the Jews and the glorious eternity promised to us. - We do have many wonderful promises to focus upon, BUT THEY ARE INSIGNIFICANT WHEN COMPARED THE GLORY DO HIS NAME!!! It is not about the Jews, The Gentiles or the Christians it is about the CREATOR - nothing was done or promised for any other reason but to show the world that The Lord God Of Israel, HE IS GOD!  We must never lose perspective: Isaiah was just a man who was used by The LORD to write about HIMSELF. (See) Isaiah 49:26

But He Does Offer Comfort Here is the comfort to those who believe

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint - Isaiah 1:9 -

Remember the Faithful Four in Daniel