"Those Who Wait" Isaiah 40:28-31
Overview
Those Who Wait
Few of us enjoy waiting. Studies suggest the average person spends six months at stop signs, a year searching for misplaced items, and five years standing in line. Waiting tries our patience because it reminds us of our limitations—of how little we actually control. Yet Scripture takes this universal human experience and turns it into a posture of faith. The prophet Isaiah, ministering roughly from 739 to 686 BC, foretold that Judah would be carried into Babylonian exile and then, after a long season of waiting, be brought home again Isaiah 39:6. The opening words of the second half of his book—"Comfort, comfort my people"—were written for a people who would one day need to hear them in the middle of that long wait Isaiah 40:1-2.
The promise of Isaiah 40:28-31 begins with two questions—"Have you not known? Have you not heard?"—that drive us back to who God reveals Himself to be. He is the everlasting God; there has never been a moment when He did not exist. He is the Creator of the ends of the earth, who spoke and it was so (Genesis 1; John 1:3). He does not faint or grow weary—He neither slumbers nor sleeps Psalm 121:4. And His understanding is unsearchable, for His thoughts are not our thoughts Isaiah 55:8-9. By contrast, even the strongest among us grow faint; problems pummel, troubles tire, and disappointments drag us toward despair. Waiting exposes the gap between our weakness and God's inexhaustible strength.
That gap is exactly where the promise lands: "Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength." The Hebrew word for "wait" shares its root with the word for "hope." To wait on the Lord is not to kill time but to lean forward in expectation, confident that the everlasting Creator will act. Isaiah's hearers were given astonishing specifics—even the name of the king who would release them from exile, prophesied a century and a half before Cyrus reigned. The same God who kept that promise kept His promise of the Messiah, who came "when the fullness of time had come" Galatians 4:4-5 and died for the ungodly "at the right time" Romans 5:6. His timing is never late.
So how do we wait well in our own seasons of delay, difficulty, or uncertainty? We "be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him" Psalm 37:7, trusting that "blessed are all those who wait for him" Isaiah 30:18. We wait expectantly, joyfully, and confidently—not because waiting is easy, but because of the One we are waiting for. He will renew the strength of His people. They will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint.
Transcript
Let's open our Bibles, please, to the 40th chapter of the book of Isaiah for our study this morning. 0s
Isaiah the 40th chapter. 9s
A recent survey was done. 13s
Research was done and it came to these conclusions, conclusions about waiting. 16s
In an average lifespan, this research indicated that we spend six months at stop signs, 24s
eight months reading junk mail. One year of our lives looking for things we've just misplaced. 33s
Two years trying to return phone calls and five years waiting in line. 43s
Six months waiting at stop signs, eight months opening junk mail, one year looking for 53s
lost things, two years trying to return phone calls and five years waiting in line. 59s
Who of us likes to wait? Not of us likes to wait, right? 68s
Waiting can be hard, especially during this time that we're going through. 74s
I want to explore with you this morning from the prophet Isaiah. This incredible promise that 82s
was given to a people that were waiting. It is such an encouraging word. It is a word of hope. 89s
So let's study. We turned to the 40th chapter of the book of Isaiah. 101s
Just to send a little bit of background for you. Isaiah prophesied over the span of four kings. 108s
And so he prophesied from the years of 739 BC to 686 BC. The breath of his prophecy is amazing. 114s
It covers 200 years of Old Testament history. So 200 years of biblical history. 127s
That, by the way, also does not include the prophecies about the coming Messiah. 138s
It doesn't include the prophecies about the day of judgment. This doesn't include 200 years 143s
of biblical history. And the thrust of his prophecy was to the southern kingdom called Judah. 149s
There was Israel and there was Judah and so where Isaiah was prophesying to, 158s
who was prophesying, the thrust of his prophecy went to the kingdom of Judah. 164s
Judah had departed from the ways of the Lord. They had moved into idolatry. 172s
They were going through empty ritualism and God would bring judgment upon his people. 179s
Isaiah prophesied that, indeed, there would come a time of an exile. 189s
That the Babylonians would come, they would conquer the people and then they would lead the people 195s
into exile in Babylon. And then there would be a return. 200s
So Isaiah is speaking to them to a people that are going to go through a period of waiting, 208s
long waiting. As we come to the 40th chapter of Isaiah, 218s
this is where the second part of the book. Chapter 1 to 39 is one section and then chapter 225s
40 to 55 is really the second section of the book. And turn back a little bit with me to the 39th 233s
chapter of Isaiah verse 6. There we read, days are coming when all that is in your house and that 242s
what your ancestors have stored up until this day shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left 252s
says the Lord. So that's the prophecy then. The Babylonians are going to come, indeed they're 261s
going to conquer and they're going to pull the people into exile away from their homeland, 269s
this period of the Babylonian exile. Then you go to chapter 40. And chapters 40 to 55, 276s
they can really be summarized in the very first two verses of chapter 40. Turn there would you 285s
please. Chapter 40 beginning with verse 1, comfort. O comfort, my people says your God, 292s
speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her that she has served her turn, that her penalty is paid, 302s
that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. So here's Isaiah, 310s
he's prophesying right around about 700 BC. He's prophesying about this exile. It's going to start 320s
about a century from then. And then later he prophesies indeed about the return of the people. 328s
So there's the word of hope. In this prophecy, this word is going to be read by these people 338s
when they experience it. So the word of prophecy came not only to the people of Isaiah's 346s
day, but to the people that would then come as they were waiting for their return. These words 352s
would be given to them. They would read them a new. So let's jump now to our text and we'll pick 360s
up in verse 28. There are two questions are asked. Have you not known? Have you not heard? 368s
These two questions focus the people on the scriptures. If we want to know who God is, 382s
if we want to know his ways, if we want to know how God describes himself, we have to turn to his 391s
word. So that's exactly the purpose of these two questions. Have you not known? Have you not heard? 397s
Then comes a description of God, a description of God for a people that would be waiting. 408s
Look with me please, at verse 28, the next part. The Lord is the ever-lasting God. 418s
There's a first aspect of who God is that's lifted up. God is everlasting. There has never been 431s
a moment when God did not exist. Scripture tells us in Genesis in the beginning, 437s
God has always been because He is God. The Lord is the everlasting God. Then secondly, the 446s
creator of the ends of the earth. The fact that God is the creator speaks of His power. 457s
Why Genesis tells us that God simply said, let there be, and whatever He spoke, it came into existence. 468s
In John the first chapter, it tells us that everything that was made was made through the 477s
son, the second member of the Trinity, the whole eternity. God the Father, God the Son, 482s
God the Spirit, when one acts, they all act. One God, three persons. So He's never lasting God. 489s
He has always been. He is the creator. He has absolute power. He is omnipotent. He simply 497s
speaks and it comes into existence. We go on, in verse 28. He does not faint or grow weary. 504s
I think of Psalm 121. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. God never gets tired. 519s
God never says it's been a long day. I'm going to go to bed early. God is always awake. He's 532s
never sleepy. He never slumbers. He's never tired. He's everlasting. He's the creator. He's all 539s
powerful. He does not become weary. He does not tire. And then the last part of verse 28. His 548s
understanding is unserturable. Later in Isaiah 55, I recorded these words. For my thoughts 556s
are not your thoughts. Know our your ways, my ways, says the Lord. We can understand to a degree 569s
how God thinks when He reveals it in His Word. But our limited human capacity cannot comprehend 581s
the intricacy and the complicated nature of the thought processes of God. There are some things 591s
that are not revealed to us. You want to know who God is? We turn to the scriptures. Does that mean we 598s
know the totality of his thoughts or we can figure out how he thinks? Know we can't. We can know 606s
that which he has revealed to us. So his thoughts are beyond us. There's so much of his thoughts 614s
that we don't understand. It's a wonderful word, isn't it? This word of prophecy to this people 625s
that would be in Babylonian exile. This word that begins in this period of waiting for them 634s
and the word begins with this description of who God is. Everlasting? Create or? He is unchangeable, 643s
one cannot understand. His thoughts, he doesn't grow. Faint, he doesn't grow weary. Do this people that 657s
hate what is told is this description of God? Then there is a delineation between God and us. 668s
Look at the next verse, verse 29. He gives power to the faint and strengthens the 687s
powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary and the young will fall exhausted. 701s
How are we described as the faint? As the powerless, those that tire. We're not the 711s
brokenness of the world. It can weary us. Why indeed God is perfect. God is the creator 741s
and we are the creation that has fallen into sin. And so the very existence and who we are 751s
can be weary. Problems can pummel. Troubles can tire. This appointments can lead to despair. 760s
And when we wait, that reminds us of our limitations, doesn't it? It reminds us that there's 780s
very little in life that we can quote unquote, control. We're reminded of our humaneness. 793s
We're reminded that we are not God. Waiting reminds us of our limitations. It can be hard to 803s
wait. And so what does God call us to do? I think over in Isaiah, the 30th chapter. We read this. 823s
For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are those who wait for Him. Or Psalm 37. 838s
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret over those who prosper 850s
in their ways, over those who carry out evil devices. It's hard to wait. And what does God 858s
do here? This because God calls us to a certain type of waiting. Let's look back at our text, 879s
please. The 31st verse. There we read. But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. 894s
Catch that again. Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. So often we think of 906s
waiting as passing time. People might say, what are you doing? I'm just killing some time. I'm waiting. 921s
We can think of waiting as passing time. But that's not the Hebrew understanding here. The Hebrew 928s
word for wait. The same root for wait is the same root for the word hope. So wait and hope 935s
in Hebrew have the same root. That means when we wait for the Lord, when we wait for Him, 945s
we're not passing time. We are waiting, expectantly, on God. Remember who is He? He's the creator. 956s
Indeed, He has all power. His thoughts are so far above us. He is everlasting. This incredible 971s
expression of who God is, that is the one that we wait for. And we wait not past time. 982s
We wait, expectantly, for God Almighty to act. The verse once again. But those who wait for the Lord shall renew 991s
their strength with expectation, then we wait on Him. Think of the people of old. They have been 1006s
given the promise of exactly what would happen to them. Babylonian exile and then release. In fact, 1016s
Isaiah even mentioned 150 years before it happened in 539 BC, by the way. He even mentions 1023s
under the inspiration of God Almighty, the very king that is going to release the people to go back 1031s
to Jerusalem. And at the time that Isaiah was prophesied, that King, obviously, had not come into 1039s
existence yet and even the kingdom of Persia of which He would rule was historically not around. 1047s
So they could wait with the expectation and hope amidst their difficulties. Indeed, 1056s
of what God would do. Think of the prophecies and Isaiah about the Messiah. Isaiah prophesies that 1064s
the Messiah is going to be killed. He's going to rise again. You can preach the entire Easter story. 1073s
You can preach Easter morning and never have to go into the New Testament. You can just preach 1080s
from the Old Testament because it was prophesied from Isaiah centuries before it occurred and 1085s
then it is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. We expect then God to act on God's good time. 1092s
The people could expect that God would indeed free them on God's own time. 1102s
Indeed, the people of Old could expect that the Messiah would come on God's perfect timing. Those 1110s
who wait for the Lord will renew their strength. I think of the perfect timing of God 1118s
Galatians the fourth chapter. There we read. But when the fullness of time had come, 1128s
God sent his son born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the 1139s
law so that we might receive adoption as children. Did you catch that? But when the fullness of time 1147s
had come, in other words, waiting for the Messiah to come and at the exact perfect time, 1158s
the fullness of time, the Messiah comes. Romans the fifth chapter. For while we were still 1165s
weak at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Jesus came at the perfect appointed time 1175s
in accordance with God's plan in accordance with His thoughts. Jesus came, went to the cross, 1186s
he bore the punishment for our sin. It was the great exchange. God took our sin and we are given the 1193s
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the third day he is raised out of the tomb, overcoming death, 1204s
it happened exactly at the perfect time that God had decreed. Text tells us, 1212s
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like 1224s
eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint. So we wait for Him. 1234s
We wait for the one who was everlasting, the creator. We wait for Him. Who's thoughts are so much 1252s
greater than our thoughts. We wait for Him. We wait for Him because He is faithful to His promises. 1262s
We wait for Him. Not passing time, but expectantly, joyfully, confidently, 1277s
because of the one in whom we are waiting. We wait for Him with an expectancy. For the day that the 1290s
chapter that we are living through by His mercy and grace, according to His perfect timing, 1305s
He will bring to conclusion. I hate to wait. Don't you? But indeed God teaches us, 1314s
those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. 1334s
And so He teaches us His ways. He teaches us. He teaches us how to be strong. 1354s