Isaiah 40-43

 Click HERE to read the passage.

Get excited! We are now beginning to move into that section of the book of Isaiah that tells us MORE about "who" God is, His character, His love, His compassion for His people, how He thinks, and the hope He so desperately wants us to know about when tragedy strikes! You'll learn MORE about God in the next 26 chapters than perhaps the entire New Testament as we see God sharing His heart through His prophet Isaiah and through the characters and events that make up the rest of the book. Put your seatbelt on and get ready for an eye-opening ride!

150 Years Later Comes Chapters 40-66

Some 150 years has past since the prophecies of the first 39 chapters of the book of Isaiah. Judah and the surrounding nations have been in exile a long time. The exile first developed under the Assyrian Empire which took place a few years after the death of King Hezekiah (701 B.C.). Now, the Babylonian Empire has control of the entire world. Before long, as we start reading the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, and the rest of the minor prophets throughout the Old Testament we'll learn exactly what happened during the exile, the incredible miracles God performed, the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, and many more insights into God's amazing character! The stories yet to come are nothing short of AMAZING!

Remember, the first 39 chapters have been prophetic warnings of impending disaster, not only to the nation of Judah and Israel, but for the rest of the world due to their sinful and unrepentant ways. However, as we move through the rest of the book of Isaiah (40-66), we see God providing hope, comfort, consolation, and the exciting news of a future whereby His Son will one day reign in Jerusalem causing the entire world to love Israel and realize God is the Only True God of the universe!

In summary, Isaiah 40 is designed to take your focus away from everything else and consider the one true, living God. Everything written is to persuade you to trust God, that His heart is as tender as it is strong. He is no less willing than able to save: “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him,” (Psalm 103). 

NUGGETS OF TRUTH from chapter 40:

As we move through chapter 40, we can see a multitude of truths the Lord wants us to know. I'll share them in brief bullet points...

1) Though man's life is extremely brief, God's Word is eternal! (40:6-8) 

2) Jesus is coming in glorious power and strength to rule on earth! (40:9-10)

    - When He comes, he'll bring "his reward" with Him. Remember, we (as Christians) are to rule and           reign with Christ for 1000 years. During that time, we will be given responsibilities. It could be           that "his reward" is referring to those responsibilities. I wonder what yours will be?

3) God is All-Powerful, larger than the universe, and infinite in knowledge and wisdom! (40:12-15)

4) We could NEVER worship God enough! (40:16)

5) Nothing in the universe can compare to God! (40:17-25)

6) God is interested in every detail of what's going on in our lives and within the universe! (40:26-31)

    -  Out of the billions of stars in our galaxy, The Milky Way, and the billions of galaxies whereby               each contains billions of stars, I find it fascinating and beyond comprehension that HE HAS A               NAME FOR EACH STAR!!! And He makes sure that none of them are lost or go unnoticed!               (40:26)

    -  Our loving God can "see your troubles." (40:27)  I find it fascinating that Jesus tells us in Matthew        10:30, "And the very hairs on your head are all numbered."  God wants us to know how important          He finds the details of our lives. 

    -  If, in the latter years of your life you feel weary...He desires to give you strength! (40:28-31)

God Directs Nations And All That Happens On The Earth!

Many Christians (and the rest of the world for that matter) don't realize just how involved God is in the matters going on here on earth.  In chapter 41, God shares with us how He works with nations. In this example, He shows how He often uses nations to punish others!

“Who has stirred up this king from the east, rightly calling him to God’s service? Who gives this man victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot? With his sword, he reduces armies to dust. With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind. He chases them away and goes on safely, though he is walking over unfamiliar ground. Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the Lord, the First and the Last. I alone am he.” (41:2-4)

If you'll remember, God told Judah and even evil Sennacherib that is was "HE" was the One who allowed the Assyrian and Babylonian empires to rise and take over the world. Sadly, God has to resort to the use of wicked nations to punish the righteous if He can't get their attention any other way.  Go back and read the following to see what He says about this - 1:21-26 ; 7:17  ;  9:8-13 ; 13:4-5 ; 37:24-29 ; 41:4

Throughout the rest of chapter 41, God encourages His people that He loves them, He wants to help them, and reminds them that the idols they worship can do nothing to help them. He reminds them that only through Him can they find peace and shelter.

Fulfillment of Isaiah's Prophecy!

As we begin with chapter 42, we see some familiar verses!  In fact, Jesus says that 42:1-3 was fulfilled when He came to earth and began His ministry. These three verses prophecy of Jesus' first coming and how He will bring justice to the nations during His 2nd coming!

In the following verses, 42:5-8, God reminds His people that He's the creator of the universe and that His purpose in creating the nation of Israel (based on His promise with Abraham) was to be a beacon of light to the world so that the whole world would come to God! 

Notice 43:10 - "But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God—there never has been, and there never will be. I, yes I, am the Lord,  and there is no other Savior. First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord."

Sadly, Israel did NOT fulfill their call to be God's evangelist to the world. He was hoping that through the nation of Israel ALL mankind will one day worship Him. Fortunately, that will happen one day in the future when Jesus comes to reign on earth during His millennial reign from Jerusalem!

The rest of chapter 42 and chapter 43 tell of the 2nd coming of Christ. But before we get into that, we read a horrible testimony against the nation of Israel.  Let's examine how deeply hurt God is over the sinfulness of His people Israel and what they've done to hurt him so badly...

His People Are Spiritually Blind!

“Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind! Who is as blind as my own people, my servant!?Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the Lord?"

His People Refuse To Obey Or Even Listen!

"You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.”

His People Are Punished Because Of Sin!

"Therefore, he poured out his fury on them and destroyed them in battle. They were enveloped in flames, but they still refused to understand. They were consumed by fire, but they did not learn their lesson."

How often are WE just like the nation of Judah and Israel?  How often does God have to punish us before we begin to listen? Or even obey?  Think about it!

Powerful Statement By God!

Listen to this powerful statement made by God to the people of Israel - "For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia[g] and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me."

God has caused others to die in order to protect His people Israel! What do you think God has done for you? He loves you! One can only imagine and only in Heaven will we know ALL that God has done for us, to protect us, to guide us, to bless us, and to prove His love to us.

Do you think anyone has had to die so that you could live?  Sobering thought, isn't it?

As we finish chapter 43, we see God "why" Israel has encountered SO MUCH PAIN throughout the annals of human history - even the Holocaust.  Notice this striking admission by God about "why" the nation of Israel has endured (and will continue to endure) shame, punishment, and reproach by the rest of the world...

"Let us review the situation together, and you can present your case to prove your innocence. From the very beginning, your first ancestor sinned against me; all your leaders broke my laws. That is why I have disgraced your priests; I have decreed complete destruction for Jacob and shame for Israel." (43:26-28)

Even to this day, the nation of Israel doesn't recognize God's Son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior of the world and the Messiah they've been praying for so many years. They hear, but they don't listen. If only they would take great interest and diligence to review the prophecies concerning Jesus within the Old Testament, I believe they would open their arms to receiving Him as their Lord and Savior!

One day Israel will see that Jesus is their Messiah, especially once the rapture of the Church takes place. The Bible tells us in Revelation that 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel (144,000) will finally recognize how wrong they've been and will immediately convert to Christianity and become evangelists to the world. This happens just prior to Jesus' 2nd coming.