Isaiah 40: A New Day. A New Beginning. Starting Over. Soar Like An Eagle.
Isaiah 40 begins a major new section of the book. Isaiah is no longer addressing Judah in his own day. He is being projected by the Holy Spirit out into the future, like the Apostle John in Revelation. He is looking into his prophetic crystal ball, so to speak, seeing a future day and declaring the gospel to the Jews languishing in Babylonian exile. He is saying to them and to us, "God has not abandoned you. Your best days are still ahead. God has a purpose of grace for you better than ever. He is coming to save you. Believe it, and let this hope fill your sails." [Ray Ortland]
The Motive and Means of Servanthood is Grace (Isaiah 40-55). The dominant idea of Isaiah 40-55 is the undeserved grace of God. This is what will motivate people to trust God, just as was intimated in Isaiah 12. When God delivers his people without any deserving on their part, they will at last be willing to cast themselves on him without reservation. If Isaiah 7-39 were about trust as the basis for servanthood, Isaiah 40-55 are about grace as the motive and the means of servanthood.
Isaiah 40 has two main subdivisions: 1-11 and 12-26 with 27-31 as a summary conclusion. [John Oswalt]
Isaiah 40 begins a major new section of the book. Isaiah is no longer addressing Judah in his own day. He is being projected by the Holy Spirit out into the future, like the Apostle John in Revelation. He is looking into his prophetic crystal ball, so to speak, seeing a future day and declaring the gospel to the Jews languishing in Babylonian exile. He is saying to them and to us, "God has not abandoned you. Your best days are still ahead. God has a purpose of grace for you better than ever. He is coming to save you. Believe it, and let this hope fill your sails." [Ray Ortland]
The Motive and Means of Servanthood is Grace (Isaiah 40-55). The dominant idea of Isaiah 40-55 is the undeserved grace of God. This is what will motivate people to trust God, just as was intimated in Isaiah 12. When God delivers his people without any deserving on their part, they will at last be willing to cast themselves on him without reservation. If Isaiah 7-39 were about trust as the basis for servanthood, Isaiah 40-55 are about grace as the motive and the means of servanthood.
Isaiah 40 has two main subdivisions: 1-11 and 12-26 with 27-31 as a summary conclusion. [John Oswalt]
- 1-11 addresses whether God has cast his people away. Echoing Isaiah 12, where this event is anticipated, God speaks not judgment but comfort. He will deliver them, and they will be in a position to tell the world of the deliverance.
- 12-26 speaks of God's ability to deliver them. God is the incomparable God, like whom there is no other. The nations of the earth are nothing to him, so they need not fear that they have been abandoned.
- 27-31 says that God's people need only to wait in hope for God will do what he promised and deliver them.
- The long-awaited Lord (1-11).
- God the incomparable (12-31).
- The Creator (12-20).
- The Disposer (21-26).
- The very present help (27-31).
- The occasion (1-2). The gentle voice.
- The content (3-5). The herald's call.
- The certainty (6-8). The preacher's word.
- The spreading (9-11). The crier's news.
God's Uniqueness, Our Assurance (40:12-26) [Ortland] God is...
- The wise Creator (12-13).
- The immense Lord over the nations (15-17).
- God alone is God (18-20).
- The active Lord over world leaders (21-24).
- The watchful Creator (25-26).
God's Greatness, Our Renewal (40:27-31) [Ortland]
- Our despair (27).
- God's greatness (28-29).
- Our renewal (30-31).
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