Isa 40:3-5 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 40:3-5: 40:3-5 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 ) is grounded in God himself. Isaiah portrayed the Lord as coming on a highway through the desert (see ch 35 ), although the imagery is here reversed: In ch 35 , the people were traveling to Zion, toward the Lord. Here, the Lord is coming toward his people (see also 52:8 , where the two images are brought together). 40:3 the voice of someone shouting: In Mal 3:1 this person (possibly the Elijah of Mal 4:5 ) 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 ; Mark 1:3 ; Luke 3:4 ; John 1:23 ). • Clear the way ... Make a straight highway: The announcer’s message would expedite God’s coming (see Isa 35:8 ). As God made a way for Israel through the Red Sea (43:16 ), so a way would be opened up for the Lord (see 52:11-12 ).

Summary for Isa 40:3-5: 40:3-5 ^a 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 ^b) is grounded in God himself. Isaiah portrayed the Lord as coming on a highway through the desert (see ch 35 ^c), although the imagery is here reversed: In ch 35 ^d, the people were traveling to Zion, toward the Lord. Here, the Lord is coming toward his people (see also 52:8 ^e, where the two images are brought together). 40:3 ^f the voice of someone shouting: In Mal 3:1 ^g this person (possibly the Elijah of Mal 4:5 ^h) 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 ⁱ; Mark 1:3 ^j; Luke 3:4 ^k; John 1:23 ^l).

• Clear the way ... Make a straight highway: The announcer’s message would expedite God’s coming (see Isa 35:8 ^m). As God made a way for Israel through the Red Sea (43:16 ⁿ), so a way would be opened up for the Lord (see 52:11-12 ^o).
40:5 ^p 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 ^q; Heb 1:3 ^r).

• 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 ^s; 58:14 ^t).