Isaiah 40 transitions from the declarations of judgment against Israel, Judah, and pagan Nations (brought on by sin and disobedience) in the first 39 chapters, to the return of Judah and Israel from captivity, speaking words of comfort and peace, the ultimate of which would be experienced under the reign of Messiah, with the rest of the book dealing primarily with these. These experiences of natural Israel and Judah parallel those of spiritual Israel – the whole human race that call upon the Lord and receive Messiah as their Savior. Past iniquity is pardoned, “… their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12; 10:17), and the inner quest for peace is satisfied, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you … the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (John 14:27 and Philippians 4:7). We are lifted out of the valley, mountains that have appeared as obstacles will come down, and He will prepare a straight and smooth path for us to walk upon. No longer do we seek help, peace, and satisfaction from our foolish imaginations fashioned by the work of men’s hands, but from God the creator who cannot be equaled by any of these, “… From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth” Psalm 121:1-2. All this is not to say there will be no more battles to fight or no more times of weakness to overcome; walking through this world battling with our flesh and Satanic forces tends to weaken us (Isaiah 40:29-30), but God will renew the strength of those who wait on Him (verse 31), “… the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16), and we will cross the finish line in victory (Isaiah 40:31)!
Trust Him
-By Rose Hill
This is not a little thing,
God says comfort He will bring.
There is a voice from the wilderness crying,
Deliverance is for those who are dying
Straight shall be the crooked place,
And the rough way blessed with grace.
The Lord shall reveal His wonderful glory,
And all flesh will hear the story.
The word of the Lord people will know,
For the breath of His mouth upon it will blow.
The Lord will come with a strong hand,
And His arm will rule the land.
Have you not known how mighty He is?
Our everlasting God always lives.
His understanding we can’t search out,
About His power we sure can’t doubt.
So we trust in Him that He knows best,
And commit our way to Him and rest.