Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:1

Isaiah: God controls the nations God promises comfort to his people An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Isaiah chapters 40 to 48 www.easyenglish.info Norman Hillyer This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

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Chapter 40 This chapter begins the second half of the Book of Isaiah.

 In Chapters 1 to 39, God warns his people about judgement for *sins. In these chapters, Assyria is the enemy. Isaiah himself is living during the events of this period.

 In Chapters 40 to 66, God promises comfort to his people. (The word ‘comfort’ appears 13 times.) In these chapters, Babylon is the enemy. God’s people are prisoners in Babylon. The chapters refer to the situation two centuries after Isaiah’s time. But unlike in chapters 1 to 39, Isaiah does not mention any actual events from the history of that period. Words to encourage v1 Give comfort, yes, give comfort to my people! This is what your God says. v2 Speak gently to the people who had been inhabitants of *Jerusalem. Tell them that their time of hard labour is over. God has forgiven them. The people from Judah have received double for all their *sins.

Verse 1

The *Lord’s words are to ‘my people’. They are the *Lord’s own special people. They belong to him by a personal *covenant (see Exodus chapter 24).

Verse 2

Enemies had ruined *Jerusalem 70 years earlier. But now the people will be able to build it again (see Isaiah 44:28).

 The final words of this verse may seem to mean ‘double punishment’. However, this would be neither ‘comfort’ (verse 1) nor *justice (see Genesis 18:25).

 The word ‘double’ has two meanings (in the original language, as well as in English). ‘Double’ can mean ‘twice as much’, as in ‘double punishment’. But ‘double’ can also mean to ‘fold in two’ (see Exodus 26:9). For example, if I fold a piece of paper in two, I double it. Isaiah is using this second meaning here.

 The verse refers to an ancient custom. If poor people were quite unable to pay a debt, they could become slaves (see 2 Kings 4:1). There were no national funds to help them. But there was one thing that a poor person could do. He could fix the final demand (bill) for the money in a public place. He hoped that some generous rich person would fold the demand in two. That is, that he would double it. Then he signed his name on the back of the demand (like a modern cheque). That meant that he would kindly pay the poor man’s debt. And everybody knew it.

 So God forgives his people because of his great kindness. They could not earn their freedom by their hard labour. But God himself acts to rescue them. Prepare the way for God v3 Listen! Someone is shouting: ‘Clear a way through the desert for the *Lord! Prepare a straight road through the desert for our God. v4 Fill every valley with soil. Make the hills level like a plain. Make rough ground smooth. v5 Then everybody will see the *Lord’s great *glory. The *Lord himself has promised this.’

Verse 3

The *New Testament declares John the *Baptist to be the person who is shouting (see Matthew 3:3 and John 1:23). Of course, John’s message was not about freedom from Babylon. He lived several centuries after the *Jews returned from Babylon. But John’s message was similar. His message was about the arrival of the *Messiah. And the *Messiah would bring about freedom from *sin (verse 2).

Verses 3-4

The *Lord’s road is to be straight and level. And it is to be free from blocks in the way. When the road is ready, the *Lord will definitely arrive. He will be able to travel without difficulty or problems.

 The arrival of the *Lord to come to his people’s aid (see Judges 5:4-5; Psalms 68:7-8) combines with a word picture. It was an ancient custom to construct special ways for the arrival of an important visitor. Or for the gods (that is, *idols) to use as people carried the gods’ images in a procession.

Verse 5

The *Lord promises that all nations will see him in his great *glory. This is the subject of Psalms 95 to 100 in particular. God’s word lasts always v6 Listen! Someone is shouting, ‘Announce a message in public!’ I replied, ‘What message shall I announce?’ The answer came: ‘Declare that all *human beings are like grass. Like wild flowers that last only a short time. v7 Grass becomes brown and flowers fall. Because the *Lord sends a hot wind to blow on them. Truly, people are no stronger than grass. v8 Grass becomes brown and flowers fall. But God’s promises always remain true.’

Verses 6-7

*Human beings come and go. Their words and actions are never enough.

Verse 8

Only God’s words and actions are always permanent and always perfect. The *Lord himself leads his people v9 People in *Jerusalem, climb a high mountain and announce the good news! Shout loudly, people in *Zion! Call out the good news! Do not be afraid to speak! Tell the inhabitants of the towns in Judah, ‘Look, your God is coming!’

v10 Yes, God the Master is coming to rule with immense power. He is bringing with him the people whom he has rescued. v11 The *Lord will look after his people, like someone who looks after sheep. He will pick up the young sheep that have just been born. He will carry them close to his heart. And he will gently lead their mothers.

Verses 9-11

The *Lord is coming to *Jerusalem (verses 3-5). He comes as far more powerful than any nation’s king. He is bringing with him the people that he has rescued from a foreign country. Although the *Lord is so powerful, he is very tender (gentle) towards his special people.

Verse 9

The phrase ‘do not be afraid’ appears nine more times in the later chapters (see Isaiah 41:10; 41:13; 41:14; 43:1; 43:5; 44:2; 44:8; 51:7; 54:4). Each time the words are to encourage God’s servant to do some task. The servant is not to worry whether he will be capable. God’s power will help him.

Verse 11

The *Lord looks after his people like someone who looks after sheep. The Bible often uses this description, for example: Psalms 23; Zechariah 11:7; John 10:11. Nobody can be like the *Lord God v12 No *human being can measure the seas in the cup (centre) of his hand. But God can. No *human being can measure the sky by the width of his hand. But God can. No *human being can put all the dust of the earth into a box. But God can. No *human being can weigh mountains or even hills. But God can.

v13 Nobody can understand the mind of the *Lord. No *human being can teach God anything. v14 God did not gain his knowledge from any *human being. No *human being taught God wisdom in how to live rightly. No *human being helped him to understand everything.

v15 To God, even powerful nations seem as small as a little water in a bucket. To God, great nations weigh no more than a little dust.

v16 Even the vast forests in Lebanon cannot provide enough trees to be fuel for God’s *altar. Nor are there enough animals to burn as a worthwhile gift to God. v17 To God, all the nations together amount to less than nothing.

v18 There is nobody who is like God. And no *human being can describe what God is like. v19 God is not like an *idol that a workman shapes. A worker in metals covers the *idol with gold. And he makes silver chains for it. v20 If somebody cannot afford gold or silver, he chooses a piece of hard wood. Then he looks for a skilful worker to make an *idol that will not fall down.

Verse 12

The greatness of God is very different from anything that exists. Anyway, God himself created everything (see the Book of Job, chapter 38).

Verses 13-14

God is completely self-sufficient. In other words, he does not depend on anyone else.

Verses 15-17

Neither the political power nor the military power of the greatest of nations means anything to God.

Verses 18-20

A man may try to make his own god. But an *idol cannot live. And it has no possible use. Its maker even has to fix it firmly in position. Otherwise it will fall.

 The *Lord God is spirit. He is not like the physical things that exist in this world. So any effort to represent him by means of a model is stupid. But it is also dangerous. *Idols of any kind turn one’s attention away from God himself.

 For Isaiah’s opinion about people who are foolish enough to trust in *idols, see Isaiah 44:9-20. God rules the world v21 You must surely know. You must surely have heard. Someone must surely have told you from ancient times. You must surely understand who made the earth in the beginning. v22 It is God who lives above the skies. In God’s sight the inhabitants of the earth seem as tiny as insects. God stretched out the heavens as one stretches a curtain.

God spread the heavens like a tent in which to live. v23 God reduces the great rulers in the world to nothing. He makes the leaders of the nations to be like empty boxes. v24 They are like young plants that one has set out in the ground. They have hardly any roots yet. So when the *Lord sends a hot wind, the plants quickly become dry. They die, and the wind blows them away. v25 Nobody is like the Holy God. v26 Look up at the sky! God created all the stars that you see.

It is God who leads them all out like an army. And he knows exactly how many stars there are. Because God’s power is so great, not one of them is ever missing.

Verses 21-22

It was God who created the world. And God created all that is in the world (see Genesis chapter 1).

Verses 23-24

Nothing in human society is as temporary as political power. God can take it away in a moment.

Verse 25

Nothing can ever compare with God’s power (verse 12); his wisdom (verses 13-14); his greatness (verses 15-17); his control (verses 22-23); his authority (verse 24); or his *holiness (verse 25).

Verse 26

To give honour to the stars in the heavens was of great importance in *Babylonian life. The practice became attractive to God’s people. They could see the bright stars. They could not see the *Lord.

 God created the stars. He remembers them all by name. So the God of Israel will certainly remember his own special people. The *Lord gives strength v27 The descendants (later family) of Jacob should not continue to complain. The people in Israel should not continue to feel sorry for themselves. In fact, the *Lord does see when his people suffer unfairly. v28 You must surely know this. You must surely have heard that the *Lord has always been God. It was he who created the world and everything in it. God never gets tired.

He never wears himself out. No *human being can fully (completely) understand God’s ways. v29 God gives strength to anyone who feels weak. He gives new energy to those who have worn themselves out. v30 Even young people may feel weak, when they get very tired. Even young people may fall down because they have worn themselves out completely. v31 But those people who put their trust in the *Lord will gain new strength. Like great *eagles, they will rise high, as if they had wings. If they run, they will not get tired.

If they walk, they will not become weak.

Verse 27

Sometimes God’s people suppose that he has left them. They think that he does not still care about them. It is still a common experience. But it is not true. In fact, God continues to care about his people when they suffer. And he will bring comfort and aid.

Verse 28

Both God’s patience and his perfect knowledge are greater than *human beings can ever imagine.

Verse 29

God’s own strength is without limit. He is always ready to give new energy to weak and tired people who trust him.

Verses 30-31

God’s gift of new energy will help his people to a better knowledge of his ways.

© 2007 Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

July 2007

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