Isa 40:3-5 | KingComments | STEP | The comfort of is not based on the good works of the people. It is also not because the exile has been long enough and the punishment has been sufficiently suffered. No, the comfort comes from the personal coming and intervention of the LORD: their God comes ( )! The return of a remnant from Babylon to the promised land is worked by the LORD ( ), so that the promised Messiah may be presented to His people. By a herald presented here as “a voice” that “is calling” the coming of the LORD can be announced, a coming by which the full blessing of God in the realm of peace can come to His people. That is what we see happening in the Gospels. The blessing that is announced is that the kingdom of heaven has come near ( ) because the promised King, the Messiah, has come and is about to appear in public. The herald is John the baptist. The four writers of the Gospels make this clear ( ; ; ; ). We see through the quotation of in the New Testament that the Godhead of the Lord Jesus is clearly taught here by the prophet Isaiah. “Clear” means ‘removal of obstacles’. The reception of the Messiah happens, in other words, not because the punishment is over, but by removing obstacles. “The way” is the way of salvation ( ) and is similar to the deliverance out of Egypt. It is the highway for the LORD, not a literal one, but a spiritual one. On this way the LORD will come with redemption and salvation. Their spiritual state is like “the wilderness”. It is the beginning of God’s work in the heart of the people when the people become aware of it. They are far from God and thirsty for Him ( ). However, the preaching of John the baptist has not been heard. Christ is rejected and therefore the promised kingdom of peace cannot be established. But He will “appear a second time” ( ). This will happen in the end time. “Every valley be lifted up” indicate all those who have been in the valley of humiliation and who will eventually be exalted in the realm of peace ( ). It also applies to those who now humble themselves voluntarily ( ; ; ; ). Every mountain and hill be made low has the opposite meaning. All those who lift themselves up will be humiliated. What is “rough ground”, uneven, will become “plain”, smooth and even. For example, there will no longer be speaking with double tongues. The intentions will be pure. What is “rugged terrain”, the rough places where nothing grows, will become a fertile “broad valley”. In places where no life is possible, everyone will be able to enjoy life as the LORD purposed. In the preaching of John the baptist recorded by the evangelist Luke, Luke refers to these verses from Isaiah ( ). Luke is the evangelist who shows that the grace of God has appeared to all men. In order to see that grace and share in it, there must be the right spiritual mind. 1. ”Every mountain and hill be made low” refers to the pride of the Pharisees and Sadducees ( ). All who exalt themselves will be humbled. 2. What is ”rough ground” refers to the tax collectors who walk crooked ways because of greed for money. They will become a plain, a straight road if they do not collect more than has been ordered to them ( ). 3. What is ”rugged terrain” or rough refers to the rough soldiers. John tells them how to become “smooth roads” ( ). In this changed situation, the glory of the LORD will become visible to “all flesh … together” in all creation, that is, to all who then live ( ; ). Then the words of the seraphim will be fulfilled: “The whole earth is full of His glory” ( ). Thus we see that 1. the return from Babylon is connected with 2. the time when the Lord Jesus comes to earth in humiliation, which because of His rejection is then connected with 3. His return in majesty to judge and rule. The closing line of , “for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken”, emphasizes the certainty of the things which are proclaimed here. These words are similar to the words of the Lord Jesus that we often hear in the Gospel according to John: “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

‏ Isaiah 40:3-5

Clear the Way for the LORD

The comfort of Isa 40:1 is not based on the good works of the people. It is also not because the exile has been long enough and the punishment has been sufficiently suffered. No, the comfort comes from the personal coming and intervention of the LORD: their God comes (Isa 40:3)!

The return of a remnant from Babylon to the promised land is worked by the LORD (Ezra 1:1), so that the promised Messiah may be presented to His people. By a herald presented here as “a voice” that “is calling” the coming of the LORD can be announced, a coming by which the full blessing of God in the realm of peace can come to His people.

That is what we see happening in the Gospels. The blessing that is announced is that the kingdom of heaven has come near (Mt 3:2) because the promised King, the Messiah, has come and is about to appear in public. The herald is John the baptist. The four writers of the Gospels make this clear (Mt 3:1-3; Mk 1:1-4; Lk 1:76-78; Jn 1:23). We see through the quotation of Isa 40:3 in the New Testament that the Godhead of the Lord Jesus is clearly taught here by the prophet Isaiah.

“Clear” means ‘removal of obstacles’. The reception of the Messiah happens, in other words, not because the punishment is over, but by removing obstacles. “The way” is the way of salvation (Isa 11:16) and is similar to the deliverance out of Egypt. It is the highway for the LORD, not a literal one, but a spiritual one. On this way the LORD will come with redemption and salvation.

Their spiritual state is like “the wilderness”. It is the beginning of God’s work in the heart of the people when the people become aware of it. They are far from God and thirsty for Him (Psa 63:1b ; Psa 42:1b-2).

However, the preaching of John the baptist has not been heard. Christ is rejected and therefore the promised kingdom of peace cannot be established. But He will “appear a second time” (Heb 9:28). This will happen in the end time.

“Every valley be lifted up” indicate all those who have been in the valley of humiliation and who will eventually be exalted in the realm of peace (Isa 40:4). It also applies to those who now humble themselves voluntarily (Jam 4:10; 1Pet 5:6; Lk 18:14; Job 5:11). Every mountain and hill be made low has the opposite meaning. All those who lift themselves up will be humiliated.

What is “rough ground”, uneven, will become “plain”, smooth and even. For example, there will no longer be speaking with double tongues. The intentions will be pure. What is “rugged terrain”, the rough places where nothing grows, will become a fertile “broad valley”. In places where no life is possible, everyone will be able to enjoy life as the LORD purposed.

In the preaching of John the baptist recorded by the evangelist Luke, Luke refers to these verses from Isaiah (Lk 3:4-6). Luke is the evangelist who shows that the grace of God has appeared to all men. In order to see that grace and share in it, there must be the right spiritual mind.

1. ”Every mountain and hill be made low” refers to the pride of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Lk 3:7-9). All who exalt themselves will be humbled.

2. What is ”rough ground” refers to the tax collectors who walk crooked ways because of greed for money. They will become a plain, a straight road if they do not collect more than has been ordered to them (Lk 3:5b ; 12-13).

3. What is ”rugged terrain” or rough refers to the rough soldiers. John tells them how to become “smooth roads” (Lk 3:5b ; 14).

In this changed situation, the glory of the LORD will become visible to “all flesh … together” in all creation, that is, to all who then live (Isa 40:5; Rev 1:7a). Then the words of the seraphim will be fulfilled: “The whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa 6:3).

Thus we see that

1. the return from Babylon is connected with

2. the time when the Lord Jesus comes to earth in humiliation, which because of His rejection is then connected with

3. His return in majesty to judge and rule.

The closing line of Isa 40:5, “for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken”, emphasizes the certainty of the things which are proclaimed here. These words are similar to the words of the Lord Jesus that we often hear in the Gospel according to John: “Truly, truly, I say to you.”