To Soar Like An Eagle (Isaiah 40)

Isaiah 40:1-31; 31

"But those who trust (wait, hope) in the Lord will find new (renew their) strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint" (Isa 40:31, NLT).

References:

1. God's Comfort Enables the Weak to Soar on Wings Like Eagles (Isaiah 40). My daily bread Dec 2010.
   
2. Webb, Barry G. The Message of Isaiah. 160-167.
• Overture (1-11),
• Majesty (12-31): The incomparable one (12-26). Strength for the weary (27-31).
  
3. Motyer, J. Alec. Isaiah. 273-283.
• The message of comfort (1-11).
• God the Creator, guarantor of his promises (12-31):
• The Creator in his wisdom (12-14).
• The Creator in his greatness (15-17).
• The Creator in his sole deity (18-20).
• The Creator in his role as King of kings (21-24).
• The Creator in his direct management of the cosmos (25-26).
• The Creator in his self-giving (27-31).
4. 50 sermons on Isaiah by Ray Ortlund.
• God's glory, our comfort (1-11).
• God's uniqueness, our assurance (12-26).
• God's greatness, our renewal (27-31).
5. ESV Gospel Transformation Bible. Isa. 40:1–55:13 Moving from the first part of Isaiah to the next major section (chs. 40–55), there is a shift in historical concerns and application. Much of the earlier section (chs. 7–39) presents consistent themes of divine judgment and confrontation, with vital but less extensive pronouncements of divine promises of hope. In the earlier section, the 8th-century Assyrian threat formed the context in which God's people were called to trust in him rather than in political and military power. Unfortunately, they consistently fail to believe. Thus they imitate the nations rather than imitating God.

   This failure to trust in Yahweh as King—the only one who can truly defend them—resulted in Israel's tragic exile to Assyria in 722 b.c., yet much of Judah had thus far been spared. From ch. 39 to 40 it is as if, in the blink of an eye, Isaiah moves from addressing the problems in his own day, to anticipating Judah's exile to Babylon (39:5–7). Then, when he opens his eyes again (chs. 40–55), he sees God's people anew, only now he addresses them after the deportation has already occurred (in 586 b.c.). In short, this section seems to address the people living in exile (after 586), whereas earlier in the book they were living in Judah but fearing exile (after 722 b.c.).

   As we move into Isaiah 40, the themes of comfort, deliverance, and the revelation of God's glory explode onto the scene. The exiles would be returning, for Yahweh never forgets his people. Yet the temptation to harden their hearts toward God and neighbor remains.

6. ESV Study Bible: Isa. 40:1–55:13 Comfort for God's Exiles: "The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed." The assumed addressees in these chapters are the exiles in Babylonian captivity; and yet this is a message for Isaiah's contemporaries (see Introduction: Date; and Purpose, Occasion, and Background). God comforts his exiled people by promising the world-transforming display of his glory. Isaiah's perspective moves forward from his own 8th-century setting to the Jews' 6th-century exile predicted in 39:5–7. Isaiah's tone changes from confrontation to assurance.