Isa 40:1-11 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 40:1-2: 40:1–66:24 The rest of Isaiah provides a message of comfort and a revelation of God’s character and his purposes for Israel. As 39:6-7 predicted, Judah would experience judgment and exile after the time of Isaiah. Throughout chs 40–66 , Isaiah prophesied from the vantage point of the Exile having already become a reality. Therefore, the Babylonian exile provides the background for understanding these chapters. Summary for Isa 40:1-11: 40:1–55:13 This section announces the good news of God’s coming salvation. The Lord is coming to vindicate his own and to judge his enemies. Salvation would be accomplished through the arrival, suffering, and exaltation of the Lord’s servant—the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Summary for Isa 40:1-31: 40:1-31 This chapter introduces chs 40–66 . In this section, comfort refers to the result of God’s merciful way of dealing with people in the age to come. It includes encouragement, strength, and acceptance. God wants to rescue his people (40:1-11 ) and is more than able to do so (40:12-26 ). The exiles needed to believe God’s promises and wait on him for their rescue (40:27-31 ; see also 30:15-18 ).

Summary for Isa 40:1-2: 40:1–66:24 ^a The rest of Isaiah provides a message of comfort and a revelation of God’s character and his purposes for Israel. As 39:6-7 ^b predicted, Judah would experience judgment and exile after the time of Isaiah. Throughout chs 40–66 ^c, Isaiah prophesied from the vantage point of the Exile having already become a reality. Therefore, the Babylonian exile provides the background for understanding these chapters.
Summary for Isa 40:1-11: 40:1–55:13 ^d This section announces the good news of God’s coming salvation. The Lord is coming to vindicate his own and to judge his enemies. Salvation would be accomplished through the arrival, suffering, and exaltation of the Lord’s servant—the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Summary for Isa 40:1-31: 40:1-31 ^e This chapter introduces chs 40–66 ^f. In this section, comfort refers to the result of God’s merciful way of dealing with people in the age to come. It includes encouragement, strength, and acceptance. God wants to rescue his people (40:1-11 ^g) and is more than able to do so (40:12-26 ^h). The exiles needed to believe God’s promises and wait on him for their rescue (40:27-31 ⁱ; see also 30:15-18 ^j).
40:2 ^k Speak tenderly: The prophet’s message was to encourage Jerusalem with the good news of God’s forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration.

• From the prophetic perspective, Israel’s sad days are gone because the Exile is over.

• punished her twice over for all her sins: Israel experienced the full brunt of God’s wrath (51:19-23 ^l; cp. 61:7 ^m).
Summary for Isa 40:3-5: 40:3-5 ⁿ There is now a shift from the general announcement of the good news to the specific expectation of God’s coming. The good news (40:1-2 ^o) is grounded in God himself. Isaiah portrayed the Lord as coming on a highway through the desert (see ch 35 ^p), although the imagery is here reversed: In ch 35 ^q, the people were traveling to Zion, toward the Lord. Here, the Lord is coming toward his people (see also 52:8 ^r, where the two images are brought together). 40:3 ^s the voice of someone shouting: In Mal 3:1 ^t this person (possibly the Elijah of Mal 4:5 ^u) was God’s messenger who prepared the way for God’s coming. In the Gospels, this announcer was identified with John the Baptist (Matt 3:3 ^v; Mark 1:3 ^w; Luke 3:4 ^x; John 1:23 ^y).

• Clear the way ... Make a straight highway: The announcer’s message would expedite God’s coming (see Isa 35:8 ^z). As God made a way for Israel through the Red Sea (43:16 ^aa), so a way would be opened up for the Lord (see 52:11-12 ^ab).
40:5 ^ac The future revelation of God’s glory would include the return of Judah from exile but would also go beyond it. The New Testament confirmed that the revelation of God’s glory came in Jesus Christ (John 1:14 ^ad; Heb 1:3 ^ae).

• The Lord has spoken: The coming salvation and judgment would certainly occur because the Lord, who keeps his word, had declared it (see Isa 1:20 ^af; 58:14 ^ag).
Summary for Isa 40:6-8: 40:6-8 ^ah All humanity is mortal and fleeting. By contrast, God persists in his plans and succeeds. Time does not limit him from carrying out his will (see 14:24 ^ai). 40:6 ^aj Shout: So that all can hear.

• People are not worthy of the revelation of God’s glory because they are mortal.
40:7 ^ak The breath of the Lord refers to God’s spoken words of judgment (see 4:4 ^al).
40:8 ^am the word of our God stands forever: All of God’s words (his plans as well as the written word) will succeed. God might frustrate human expectations, but everything will happen according to his wise plan (see 14:24 ^an; 55:8-11 ^ao; see also Matt 25:34 ^ap).
Summary for Isa 40:9-11: 40:9-11 ^aq God is the good news. Although he comes like a warrior to rescue his people with power, he also holds them tenderly as a shepherd. 40:9 ^ar God is coming to save and restore human beings (see also 35:4 ^as; Rev 22:12 ^at).
40:10 ^au The Lord’s rule is not like that of the unjust and powerless rulers whom he will judge. It is compassionate, just, righteous, and powerful.

• with a powerful arm: God manifested his power in events such as the defeat of the Egyptians (63:12 ^av), the judgment of his enemies (30:30 ^aw; 48:14 ^ax; 51:9 ^ay), and the rescue of his people (59:16 ^az).
40:11 ^ba Isaiah used the familiar biblical metaphor of a shepherd to speak of God’s care for his people (see also 49:10 ^bb; Ps 23:1 ^bc; Jer 3:15 ^bd; 23:4 ^be; Ezek 34:11-17 ^bf; Matt 2:6 ^bg; John 10:1-18 ^bh).