Isaiah: Lesson 11
Overview
From Law to Comfort: Isaiah 40–44
The first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah are weighted heavily with the law, exposing Judah's sin and warning of the coming Babylonian captivity. Chapter 39 closes that section with a sobering prophecy: everything in the king's house will one day be carried off to Babylon Isaiah 39:6. But beginning in chapter 40, the tone changes dramatically. Luther called these next chapters the place where "the prophet is most joyful of all, fairly dancing with promises." This is the Book of Comfort, and it is loaded with gospel. A simple key helps us read rightly: SOS—the law Shows Our Sin; the gospel Shows Our Savior. Without the first, we cannot rejoice in the second.
Isaiah's promise of return from exile is also something more. "A voice cries out in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord" Isaiah 40:3 is a dual prophecy—a word of release for captives in Babylon and a word fulfilled in John the Baptist preparing the way for Christ. When Isaiah declares, "the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all people shall see it together" Isaiah 40:5, John's Gospel echoes back: "the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory" John 1:14. The astonishing precision of Isaiah's prophecy—written some 700 years before Christ, naming Cyrus by name Isaiah 44:28 before Persia even existed as an empire—reminds us that the Word of our God stands forever, even as "all flesh is grass" Isaiah 40:6-8.
The exiles' deepest problem was not Babylon. Our deepest problem is not our circumstances either. Jesus warned us to fear not those who can kill the body, but the One who has authority over eternity Luke 12:4-5. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:19-23; the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 6:23. The Servant introduced in Isaiah 42:1-4—the One in whom God's soul delights, echoed at Jesus' baptism—does not abandon God's justice. He satisfies it at the cross, bearing our sin as the spotless Lamb so that we who are unholy can stand before the Holy One.
There is pastoral wisdom here for anxious hearts. In Isaiah 43:16-19, God tells His people to remember the Red Sea—and then to forget the former things, because He is doing a new thing. Remember His past faithfulness so you do not become tunnel-visioned by present trouble; then look forward in hope, because gratitude pushes anxiousness out the door. When the chaos of life or the weight of sin presses in, the Book of Comfort answers with the steady voice of a God who keeps every promise: "Here is your God." He has redeemed His people, He has spoken His Word, and He has sent His Servant. That is news worth dancing over.
Transcript
Gracious Heavenly Father, what a joy it is to be in your house on this year day. 4s
We thank you for the gifts that you have to give us word and sacrament. 9s
We pray, Father, that you will kindle the new, our faith, strengthen our faith and send us 14s
forth to be bold proclaimers of the gospel in Jesus' name. 23s
Amen. 28s
Well, we started last week taking a look at the second part of the book of Isaiah, and we looked 28s
at chapters 34 to 39. 35s
Chapters 34 and 35, they really strike an introductory cord here to chapters 40 to 66. 39s
And then in those four chapters before you get to 40, that really is an historical appendix 49s
that we see. 56s
You'll recall that in Isaiah's day, the chief enemy was Assyria. 59s
But most of the message of Isaiah is going to focus on the coming Babylonian captivity. 65s
That's that word of prophecy that Isaiah gives. 73s
And chapter 39 is an important chapter that we study in that. 77s
And that's the first reference here to how Babylon and Judah touched. 82s
So it's the first introduction of how they came into contact and at foreshadows then 89s
the Babylonian captivity to come. 95s
Today what I want to examine with you is chapters 40 to 44, and Luther said this sentence 99s
with regard to chapters 40 to 44. 106s
Luther wrote this, 109s
Here the prophet is the most joyful of all, fairly dancing with promises. 112s
The next four chapters prophesy the most joyful things concerning Christ and the church 120s
in our time. 128s
It's such a beautiful imagery there, isn't it? 129s
Where he says if Isaiah he's fairly dancing with promises. 132s
And that's what we're going to see in these four chapters today. 137s
And chapters 1 to 39, that might be called the law, half of the book of Isaiah. 142s
The law of course is incredibly important because you don't understand the need for 152s
the gospel unless you understand one's own sinfulness. 158s
And so if the law is skipped over, if the law is minimized then one does not understand 164s
the reason why we need a savior, why we need a Messiah. 174s
So that's why you see in Scripture those two very, very important legs here that one 180s
has to understand that's interpretive keys to be able to say is this law or is this 187s
gospel? 192s
And remember the little acronym that you can use for that is SOS. 193s
Sin or the law shows us our sin, SOS, the gospel shows us our savior. 198s
So law shows our sin, gospel shows our savior. 206s
And the question to ask then is this showing my sin or is it showing my savior? 211s
So those first 39 books of Isaiah, they were law heavy, weren't they? 219s
Then you switch over into 40 to 66 with that little interlude that we studied last week, 226s
40 to 66 is really what is called the book of comfort. 232s
And it is just loaded with gospel. 238s
So let's open up to Isaiah chapter 39 because Isaiah chapter 39 it ends with a prophecy of invaders 242s
that would take the people into exile. 256s
So chapter 39 and we'll look at verse, verse six. 259s
39 verse six. 268s
Days are coming when all that is in your house and that what your ancestors have stored up 272s
until this day shall be carried to Babylon. 279s
Nothing shall be left. 285s
Says the Lord. 289s
Isaiah warns Judah here of this coming judgment and God is going to use the nation of Babylon 293s
in his hands to execute the justice. 299s
Now what is so amazing here is Isaiah is writing these words about 700 years before Christ. 304s
Jerusalem here falls in 586 BC. 315s
Was Isaiah alive in 586 BC? 322s
No, he wasn't. 325s
He was dead. 326s
So he is prophesying. 328s
He is telling here in advance in 700 BC what is going to occur in 586 BC. 330s
And he records here this word of prophecy that God gives him. 340s
And in chapter 40 it's the announcement. 345s
It's the good news that God is going to bring the people back from exile. 348s
So Jerusalem is going to be flattened. 354s
The people are going to be led into exile in what we see in Scripture is called Babylonian 355s
captivity. 360s
It's a major demarcation point in the understanding of Scripture. 361s
God promises that he will bring the people back from exile. 367s
So let's look at chapter 40 verses 3 and following. 372s
A voice cries out in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. 380s
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 386s
Every valley shall be lifted up at every mountain and hill be made low. 392s
The other even ground shall become level and the rough places a plain. 397s
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all the people shall see it together 404s
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 410s
All nations then, if you want to put notes in your Bible, all nations will see the return 415s
here of the exiles going on into verse 6. 422s
A voice says, cry out and I said, what shall I cry? 430s
All people are grasped their constancy is like the flower of the field. 435s
The grass withers the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows upon it. 441s
Surely the people are grasped. 447s
This is God's judgment upon humankind. 451s
It reflects here the fact of our sinfulness. It reflects our mortality. 456s
It reflects our transience. To be cold here, the grass withers the flower fades when the 461s
breath of the Lord blows upon it. Surely the people are grasped. 468s
That is really quite an image here for us to hold before us, isn't it? 474s
Because though we may be tempted to deny it and be tempted to deny it quite often, 480s
the fact of the matter is, is we're all mortal. 486s
And if the Lord continues to Terry, the Lord will take all of us to be with him. 490s
And that point of transition of death where we're here and then we're immediately in the presence 497s
of the Lord, that will occur. That the bodies will wear out or something will happen and death 503s
will occur and we are reminded we are grass. Remember what God had said to our first 511s
parents, Adam and Eve, you eat of the forbidden fruit, you sink your teeth into that, you determine 518s
what is right and wrong, you take that upon yourself, you eat of the tree of the knowledge of 524s
good and evil, God said, this is what happens, you will die, you will die. We all reflect our first 530s
parents and death is a reminder of the fallen to sin, death is a reminder of our sinfulness, 538s
and Isaiah highlights this. That the fact that we are grass is because of our sinfulness, our 546s
in our society where we are taught in so many subtle ways to communicate an understanding of 560s
yourself as being almost superhuman, indestructible. I can do whatever it is that I want to do. 567s
I can determine my own destiny and all of that. And scripture continues to remind us 577s
that it is God who holds every every beat of the heart and blink of the eye, is God who has 585s
is in control of that. You remember beloved Hertha Jenkins, who's now with the Lord, 591s
many of you. Hertha Jenkins, a couple of times I'd say, well, I'll see you tomorrow or something, 599s
if I saw her in the office and she would say, Lord willing, the Creek don't rise. 605s
Now, what was that? That was an appropriate understanding that the Lord holds everything, 611s
including whether or not the Creek is going to rise. And it's that understanding here of how 618s
dependent we are on Him. And when a tragedy comes when an illness comes, when all of a sudden, 625s
all of our best laid plans here are absolutely thrown out the window, we are reminded, aren't we? 635s
Of how human we are, how human we are, and we are reminded of our mortality, we are reminded, 644s
we're grass. And that's what Isaiah here. God is speaking through the prophet and say, 653s
all people are our grass that reflects the fact that we have fallen into Senate reflects 661s
that we bear the image here of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all the way back to the garden. 670s
Here's the good news, verse 8. The grass withers the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand 677s
forever. And what is the word here for these people, this word of prophecy to this people that 689s
are going to be an exile in Babylon, but the word is, is that God will redeem them. He'll redeem them. 696s
He will bring them back. Can you imagine being in exile? And you're reading this word from 705s
the prophet Isaiah written around 700 years before Christ. Isaiah is dead here. You see this word of 718s
prophecy that indeed God will bring them back. Yet the exile of the people was not their most 728s
pressing problem. So here you have this word of prophecy to the exiles here as they're in 744s
Babylonian captivity, but it's not the most pressing problem. Let's keep our finger here, 753s
and let's go to the gospel of Luke, Matthew, Mark and then Luke. 762s
Chapter 12. 770s
We'll pick up in verse 4. 782s
In Jesus said, I tell you my friends, do not fear those who kill the body. 788s
And after that can do nothing more. But I'll warn you home to fear, fear him, 794s
who after he has killed has authority to cast it to hell. Yes, I tell you fear him. 801s
That's the most pressing problem of humanity. 813s
That we who are grass, how can we stand before God on judgment day? We who have sinned and are 818s
unholy, how can we stand before the holy one? That's not to minimize other problems. 826s
But when you compare eternity and where one will be for all of eternity, 838s
and you compare that to every other problem, 846s
this is the greatest problem, isn't it? Of where we spend and eternal. 852s
So the people are in exile in Babylon. Isaiah has prophesied this word when that comes about 861s
they're in exile to Babylon. But this scripture tells us that that's not their most pressing problem. 869s
Not the most pressing problem. Let's go to Romans the third chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 878s
can't act and then Romans. Romans chapter three. 887s
For there's no distinction, and of verse 22, for there's no distinction 903s
since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Okay, is that law or gospel? 910s
That's law, right? That's law. That shows the fact that all of us have fallen short of the glory 920s
of God. Let's jump back up into verse 19. 928s
Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth 935s
may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For no human being will be 940s
justified. Remember the meaning of that word, do we mean just as if you never sin? No human being 948s
will be justified in his sight by deeds prescribed by the law for through the law comes the knowledge 954s
of sin. What is Paul saying here? There's no amount of good things then that can make us as if we 959s
never sinned, right? But that what the law does, the law was never given as a vehicle unto salvation. 965s
The law shows us our sin and our need for a savior. 974s
Going on at a verse 20 again, then, for no human being will be justified in his sight by 981s
deeds prescribed by the law for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. Let's go to Romans 988s
the sixth chapter. Romans chapter 6 verse 23. 997s
But 1004s
for the wages of sin is death. It's that law or gospel. As low, isn't it? They didn't 1011s
you read? But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, law or gospel. 1021s
There is your gospel, right? All right. The most pressing problem then that these exiles 1030s
when that reality would come about their most pressing problem was not Babylonian captivity. 1039s
The most pressing problem for them and for us is how do we who are unholy stand before a holy 1046s
God? Because we can't. Because what we deserve is hell as hell. That is the most pressing problem. 1058s
See is there a word of comfort? Let's go back to Isaiah. Isaiah the 40th chapter. 1072s
Because what we see here in Isaiah is not just a word about the restoration of the people, 1086s
a return out of exile. It's not just a word of comfort to them here. It's not just a word of 1092s
prophecy with regard to this is how God is going to comfort you and bring you back. 1101s
It's also the comfort of the deliverance from our sin and the most pressing problem that we have 1108s
through the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Look at verse 2, please. 1118s
The voice cries out in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert 1172s
a highway for our God. Now in the New Testament, who do we see is the voice preparing the way? 1178s
It's John the Baptist. You see what Isaiah is doing here. This is what's called in scripture 1188s
a dual prophecy. It's a dual prophecy. It's speaking the word of deliverance to the people that 1194s
would be an exile in the Babylonian captivity and it is speaking to all of Helen kind of the 1201s
deliverance to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's what's called this dual prophecy. We see it then how 1209s
it's used in the New Testament where it's the reference to John the Baptist. It's the image right 1219s
here from Isaiah. So God that his magnificence here is giving not only the word of comfort to the people 1225s
that would be an exile but also the word of comfort to all of us. A dual prophecy. Look at verse 5, 1233s
then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all people shall see it together. 1243s
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Okay, let's keep our finger here and let's go to the gospel 1251s
of John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. John chapter 1, verse 14. 1258s
And the word became flesh and lived among us. Here it comes and we've seen his glory. 1280s
The glory as of a father's only son full of grace and truth. Back to Isaiah 40, verse 5 again, 1287s
then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all people shall see it together for the mouth 1298s
of the Lord has spoken. Jumping down into verse 9, 1304s
get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, 1312s
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear, say to the cities of Judah, 1318s
here is your God. It's good news. It's good news to the people that would be 1325s
in Babylonian captivity, speaking of their deliverance, it's good news for all of us 1334s
of the deliverance that is ours, who the Lord Jesus Christ and what you have in this glorious 1341s
chapter of Isaiah 40 is you have a dual prophecy and we understand, right, where Luther talks about 1347s
Isaiah's just a dancing here with these promises. It is such a good word. 1357s
Now remember when we were studying chapters 1 to 39, we could see how Isaiah would hang. 1368s
He would hang from addressing the present moment, he'd ping into a prophecy. He'd ping. 1376s
So where the interpretive keys to understanding Isaiah is to understand, is he pinging here or not? 1385s
Here, all right. Here comes a ping. So you've got a dual prophecy here and now he's going to 1391s
hang back instead of the dual prophecy, he's going to hang back to the prophecy of the people 1401s
that are going to be in exile one day. And look at chapter 41 verse 2. 1409s
Who has roused a victor from the east, summoned him to his service? 1421s
He delivers up nations to him and tramples kings under foot. He makes them like dust with his sword, 1428s
like driven stubble with his bow. This refers to Cyrus king of Persia. We're going to see his name 1437s
mentioned in chapters 44 and following. What Isaiah here is pointing out what God is pointing out 1450s
through the prophet Isaiah is this release from Babylonian captivity. Here's some details around it. 1459s
There's going to be this king and his name is going to be Cyrus. Now remember again, 1468s
Isaiah's writing when? 700 years before Christ. When was the fall of Jerusalem? The fall of 1473s
Jerusalem was 586. This is a word here then from the eighth century to the sixth century in Isaiah 1480s
saying, and it is how this is going to happen. It's going to happen when Cyrus here is going to 1491s
release you to go back to Jerusalem. Here's another fact here to keep in mind. When Isaiah is writing 1500s
this prophecy and he's naming the king Cyrus of Persia, Persia didn't historically exist 1508s
at this moment. It didn't exist. But God is telling through his prophet Isaiah exactly 1520s
what is going to happen. As we move into 42, chapter 42, God once again is bringing his word of 1530s
deliverance. Verse 1, here's my servant whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights. 1544s
I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the nations. Okay, here's part of 1558s
the richness of Isaiah. Verse 1, here, that's an allusion to the baptism of Jesus. Because what is 1568s
reported in Luke the third chapter, but you are my son, the beloved with you, I am well, 1581s
pleased. Understand the richness of this. And as you read Isaiah here, how you see how God is 1587s
addressing a people at the present moment, he's also addressing, he's also addressing up. Verse 4, 1598s
he will not grow faint or be crushed until he's established justice in the earth and the coastlands 1606s
wait for his teaching. See, now I say, I hear talking about the Messiah here to come. 1614s
And if the Messiah simply brings justice that you get just the just desserts here for what you've 1624s
done, that's not a good word, is it? But what does the Messiah do? He goes to the cross to satisfy 1632s
the demands of God's justice. A modern day understanding of God is a God who simply 1641s
wings at sin. God simply, a wing said it and says, you know, kids are going to be kids. You know. 1651s
And that makes God devoid of his justice. God will not be stripped of his justice. God is 1664s
absolutely just. God is a fervor with regard to sinfulness, some whore with regard to sin. 1671s
But the gospel, the good news is that our sin is placed upon the Savior and God's justice is 1680s
satisfied. It's satisfied because Christ died in our place because the blood of Christ has been 1690s
shed the spotless lamb of God for us, sinners. That's the glorious good news of the gospel 1698s
that God does not abandon his justice, no God satisfies his justice. 1709s
Okay, we pull the lens back then a little bit. And what are we seeing? We're seeing this word of 1716s
prophecy to this people 8th century to the 6th century. And God is bringing a word of 1724s
deliverance, a word of comfort amidst a chaos of that which would be. And God comes and speaks 1733s
amidst a chaos of the world amidst a chaos in which we live amidst a chaos of the manifest 1743s
station of sin in our world. And he comes and he brings the word of deliverance 1754s
that God has redeemed the world through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's that word here that Isaiah 1763s
is bringing that word of deliverance amidst the chaos. And amidst a chaos of the sinfulness of the world, 1768s
we can live in the surety and the knowledge of the graciousness of God. And what God has done 1783s
through Christ, to the people of God in captivity in Babylon, then God speaks through his prophet, 1795s
bringing a word of comfort into all of humanity. Comes this word of comfort. Let's go to 43 now. 1805s
Verse 16. 1818s
Verse 16. 1825s
Thus says the Lord who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, 1828s
who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior. They lay down, they cannot rise, 1834s
they are extinguished, quenched, like a wick. Do not remember the former things 1842s
or consider the things of old. I'm about to do a new thing. Now it springs forth, 1851s
do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 1859s
Here is a pain, right? Because now who is he addressing here? He is addressing those that are 1866s
going to be in the Babylonian captivity. And what is he referencing here as a word for them to 1876s
remember, to remember what event, what is he describing here? Crossing of the what? Crossing of the 1883s
referencing that action that he accomplished in his referencing event. But it's so fascinating here 1895s
that he tells them to remember it and then he says, now forget it. You know what I said? 1905s
Remember and forget. Why does he tell them to remember it? Because what facts will they focus on? 1914s
Will they focus on the situation that they are in in Babylonian captivity, or will they focus on 1925s
this is what God did in a really difficult time before? See what is our tendency? 1933s
And it's a difficulty. Our tendency is to focus not upon the faithfulness of God and what God has 1940s
done, but our tendency is to focus on the situation, right? Situation in front of us and God saying, 1946s
well here's the situation in front of you or the situation that will be, or then reading 1954s
it through the eyes of the people that are experiencing it. This is the situation that is. 1959s
But now remember what I did to the people of old when you crossed 1965s
crossed through the red sea anywhere on dry ground. Remember that? 1972s
So he calls them to remember the past, but he calls them not to focus solely in the past. 1978s
He calls them to look backward, but he calls them to not just look over their shoulder, 1989s
but to look ahead with hope of what God would do and God promises, I'm doing a new thing. 1996s
I'm doing a new thing. Same thing in our lives, right? Same thing. 2007s
We have a tendency to become tunnel visioned with regard to the situation of the difficulty or the 2012s
problem that is before us. God says, now look back and what did I do in the past? What did I do in the past 2017s
before you? Did you see my promises manifest? As we start to reflect back on that, we will see the 2026s
promises of God expressed because anxiety doesn't exist with gratitude. Gratitude pushes 2036s
anxiousness out. It pushes it out. And so God here is saying here, don't focus on the situation that 2049s
is the first anxiety, focus on what? What I did, which births what? Gratitude and gratitude pushes out 2058s
the anxiety. So you're feeling anxious about something? Well, are you going to focus on the 2067s
situation? Or do you say thank you God for who you are? Thank you for your omniscience and omnipresence. 2076s
Thank you for your great grace. Thank you for your incredible love and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank 2084s
you for how you helped me through that last difficult time two years ago. And I saw manifested 2090s
your grace in that. You see where there's gratitude, then what leads? It's a shoved right out the 2096s
door. Where there's gratitude, it pushes the anxiousness outside. God here is saying, look 2105s
backward. Remember, but now forget that. Look forward with hope. Look forward with hope. 2116s
All right, chapter 44 verse 24. 2125s
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb. I'm the Lord who made all things, 2138s
who alone stretched out the heavens, who by myself spread out the earth. 2145s
Who frustrates the omens of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns back the wise and makes 2150s
their knowledge foolish? Who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the prediction of his 2157s
messengers, who says of Jerusalem, it shall be habited in of the cities of Judah, they shall be rebuilt. 2165s
And I will raise up their ruins. Who says to the deep be dry, I will dry up your rivers. 2172s
Who says of Cyrus? He is my shepherd, and he shall carry out all my purpose. 2181s
And who says of Jerusalem, it shall be rebuilt in of the temple, your foundation. 2193s
Shall be laid. And there he references the one he alludes to before, and he names him, 2200s
names him by name. 2210s
A king who didn't exist in a kingdom that didn't exist, but would one day 2216s
exist? 2227s
There's also a fulfillment of a prophecy for the sake of time. It's the prediction with regard to 2233s
Hosea, in the first Kings 13th chapter, verses 1-2. And their scripture is revealing a fulfillment 2241s
of a prophecy here. Or is this prophecy of that which is fulfilled, and then you follow it 2253s
in scripture when you get to 2nd Kings 2316, and you see, that's 300 years later. 2259s
It's prophesied 300 years. And then you come to 2nd Kings 23 and said, oh, there's the fulfillment 2269s
of 1st Kings 13th 1-2. And what's been going on? Oh, 300 years. It's 100 years. 2277s
Comfort to people one day in exile. Comfort through the Lord Jesus Christ. 2286s
And the comfort of the reliability of scripture. 2297s
We have an amazing God, don't we? We'll continue, which is chapter 44-48 next week. 2306s