Isa 40 | MHM | STEP | Evangelical Predictions This chapter begins a new section where God gives comfort and hope to His people. The message is not only for Isaiah, but for all prophets and ministers. God wants His messengers to encourage His people, especially when they feel afraid or discouraged. Even when things look bad, God promises that He has mercy and restoration planned for those who trust Him. Ministers today should also remember their job is to give hope and comfort to God's people. v. 1 : God commands His prophets, Comfort, comfort my people, says your God . God wants His people to be comforted, even in the hardest times. It is the work of ministers and leaders to bring encouragement and remind believers that they belong to God. Even after warnings and discipline, God follows with words of hope and healing.

‏ Isaiah 40

Evangelical Predictions

This chapter begins a new section where God gives comfort and hope to His people. The message is not only for Isaiah, but for all prophets and ministers. God wants His messengers to encourage His people, especially when they feel afraid or discouraged. Even when things look bad, God promises that He has mercy and restoration planned for those who trust Him. Ministers today should also remember their job is to give hope and comfort to God's people.

v. 1: God commands His prophets, Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. God wants His people to be comforted, even in the hardest times. It is the work of ministers and leaders to bring encouragement and remind believers that they belong to God. Even after warnings and discipline, God follows with words of hope and healing.

v. 2: The message is for Jerusalem: Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned. Tell her that her suffering is over, and her sins are forgiven. God promises that the punishment has been enough—He has given double for all her sins. This means the time of discipline is finished, and now comes comfort and restoration. God’s forgiveness is greater than our failures, and He is ready to bring His people back to Himself.

Evangelical Predictions.

This section talks about how God was preparing to show favor to Zion. The people needed to get ready for this blessing through repentance and faith. The passage mentions a “voice crying in the wilderness.” This voice was first heard among the prophets who encouraged the Israelites during their captivity, telling them to prepare for their deliverance. More importantly, this prophecy points to John the Baptist, whose job was to prepare people’s hearts for the arrival of Jesus Christ and his gospel. The main message is that when God is about to bless his people, he also prepares them by working in their hearts (Psalm 10:17 ^a).

v. 3: The “voice crying in the wilderness” is a call for people to get ready for God’s coming. In history, it meant that God would remove all obstacles when the Israelites returned from captivity. Spiritually, it means preparing our hearts for Jesus. John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy by preaching repentance to the people (Matthew 3:2, 5 ^b). We need to remove anything in our lives that could stop Jesus from coming in. This means humbling our pride, letting go of doubts, and being open to God’s word. As Prepare the way of the Lord says, we should make our lives ready for him, just as people prepared roads for a king to travel.

v. 4: The prophecy describes “valleys being lifted up” and “mountains being made low.” This means that all obstacles, whether they are feelings of unworthiness (the valleys) or pride and self-importance (the mountains), must be dealt with so that everyone can receive God’s salvation. Crooked and rough places represent stubbornness and resistance to God’s ways, which must also be changed. When the gospel is truly heard, people’s lives are changed and prepared for Jesus.

v. 5: When people are prepared, God’s glory will be revealed for everyone to see. This happened when the Israelites were set free from captivity, and later, when Jesus began his ministry, performing miracles and showing God’s love. The prophecy also says, All flesh shall see it together—meaning that not just the Jews, but all people, will see God’s salvation. God’s promises are always fulfilled, because The mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

v. 6–8: The passage teaches us to trust in God’s word and not rely on people or things that do not last. All people are like grass—fragile and temporary—but God’s word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8 ^c). This means we should not be afraid of powerful enemies, or trust in human help, because only God’s promises are sure. God uses difficult times to show us that only he can truly save us. Peter later quotes this when he writes, The word which by the gospel is preached unto us… lives and abides for ever (1 Peter 1:23-25 ^d). We must realize that everything in this world is temporary, but God’s promises give us eternal hope.

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Evangelical Predictions.

This section continues the message of hope for God’s people. It explains how God’s glory, promised earlier (Isaiah 40:5 ^e), will be revealed to them. The focus is on both announcing and witnessing God’s salvation. The message is for the people of Zion and Jerusalem, whether they are in the land or still in captivity. It also points forward to the time when the apostles would boldly preach the gospel to everyone, starting in Jerusalem. The good news is not just that God is coming, but that he has come—so everyone should pay attention and rejoice.

v. 9: The announcement of God’s glory is to be spread everywhere. Those in Zion and Jerusalem are to tell the good news loudly and without fear. They should say, Behold your God, so everyone knows that it is God himself who is bringing deliverance. When God’s people see his work, they should give him the credit and invite others to join in worship. This message is for all, not just those who are already free but also those still waiting for freedom. Later, the apostles fulfilled this by preaching about Jesus, saying, Behold the Lamb of God (John 1:29 ^f).

v. 10: God will come with great power like a strong ruler. His hand is too strong to be stopped by any enemy. He will rule over all, and his plans will succeed. God will reward everyone according to what they have done. His reward is with him, and he knows exactly what needs to be done. Jesus showed this power by overcoming all opposition, even defeating Satan, the “strong man” (Isaiah 40:10; Luke 11:22 ^g).

v. 11: God will also show kindness and care, like a shepherd with his sheep. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, giving them what they need and keeping them safe. He takes special care of the weak and the young, gathering them in his arms and carrying them close to his heart. He leads them gently, making sure they are not given more than they can handle. Jesus, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11 ^h), fulfills this by caring for his followers with both strength and tenderness.

Evangelical Predictions.

This section reminds us how great and powerful the Lord is. He is Israel’s God and Savior. These verses are here to encourage those who were captives in Babylon. They should trust God even if they are weak and their enemies are strong. No other god can compare with him. We should respect and honor God because he is so much greater than anything else. Even when God shows kindness, like a shepherd, we must remember his greatness and glory.

v. 12: God’s power has no limit. He measures all the water in the world in his hand. He marks out the heavens with a simple span. He gathers up all the dust of the earth as if it is nothing. He balances the mountains and hills like someone using scales. This shows that God created everything with wisdom and strength, and he controls it all easily.

v. 13–14: God’s wisdom is beyond our understanding. No one can teach God or give him advice. When he made the world by his Spirit (Job 26:13 ⁱ), no one was there to guide him. God never needs help from anyone, unlike human rulers who need counselors (Esther 1:13 ^j). He knows everything perfectly, both what has happened and what will happen. When Christ planned our salvation, it was decided before the world began (1 Corinthians 2:7 ^k).

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v. 15: All the nations in the world are nothing compared to God. Even the greatest kingdoms are like a drop in a bucket or a speck of dust on a scale. God can pick them up and throw them away as if they are very small. They add nothing to God’s greatness. In his eyes, all nations are less than nothing and emptiness .

v. 16: Even the best offerings we could give cannot add to God’s greatness. If we burned all the wood from Lebanon and sacrificed all its animals, it would not be enough. God is far above all our praise and sacrifices .

v. 17: All nations together are nothing before God. They are counted by him as less than nothing and as vanity . We should have high thoughts about God and not trust in people or nations. Even though the world means so little compared to God, he still loved it enough to give his only Son for our redemption (John 3:16 ^l).

Vanity of Idols.

This section warns against the foolishness of idol worship. The prophet points out how wrong it is to compare the living God with anything created. Some people make images and call them gods, while others love, fear, or trust in created things more than in God. Both actions are serious mistakes. Nothing can be compared to the Holy One, and to do so is not only foolish but dishonors God, who is above all.

v. 18: The prophet asks, To whom will you liken God? (Isaiah 40:18). This question shows that it is impossible to compare God to anything else. He is unique and holy.

v. 19–20: Idols are described as worthless and shameful. Rich people make idols from metal and cover them with gold, but they are only man-made objects. Poor people use wood that does not rot, but even these are just lifeless statues. People go to great effort to make sure their idols will not fall over, but these things have no power. Idolaters waste money and effort on things that cannot help them, while they ignore the true God who is living and powerful (Hosea 8:6 ^m).

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v. 21–22: The prophet reminds everyone that God is far greater than anything made by people. He asks, Have you not known? Has it not been told you from the beginning? (Isaiah 40:21). Everyone should know that God rules over all creation. He sits upon the circle of the earth (Isaiah 40:22). He stretches out the heavens like a tent. People are like grasshoppers compared to him. He manages the universe with complete control and power (Psalm 104:2 ⁿ).

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v. 23–24: God brings down the mighty rulers of the earth. Even powerful leaders and judges are nothing before him. If they gain power, it does not last long—God can blow on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble. Those who seem important are easily humbled by God’s power (Isaiah 40:23-24 ^o).

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v. 25: God himself repeats the question, To whom will you liken me? No one and nothing can be compared to him, the Holy One. He is above all and cannot be matched or rivaled in any way.

v. 26: The prophet tells the people to look up at the stars. God created them all and leads them out like an army. He knows each one by name and makes sure none are missing (Psalm 147:4 ^p). The stars obey God perfectly, so it is foolish to worship them or anything else in creation. Only the Creator deserves our worship and trust.

Jehovah's Grandeur and Compassion.

This section addresses people who feel discouraged and abandoned by God, especially those in exile or trouble. The prophet challenges their doubts and reminds them of God’s power and care. We see that sometimes God’s people lose hope and think God has forgotten them. But the truth is, the Lord is both the Almighty Creator and a compassionate helper. He never grows tired and always gives strength to those who trust him.

v. 27: The prophet asks the people, Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? (Isaiah 40:27). He corrects them for doubting God’s care and thinking he does not notice or cannot help them. The prophet reminds them of their special names—Jacob and Israel—names that should remind them of God’s faithfulness in the past.

v. 28: He reminds them of what they should already know: Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding (Isaiah 40:28). God is eternal and powerful. He never gets tired or confused. He made everything, so of course he can help his people at any time.

v. 29: God gives strength to those who are weak. He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength (Isaiah 40:29). When people are tired and feel powerless, God is able to help them and make them strong again.

v. 30: Even strong young people, like youths and young men, will eventually become weak and exhausted. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall (Isaiah 40:30). Human strength is limited and can fail.

v. 31: But those who wait on the Lord—who trust him and look to him for help—will always find new strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). God gives his people the energy to rise above their troubles, to keep moving forward without giving up. If you rely on God, he will renew your strength again and again.