Isaiah 40:12-31

Isaiah 40:12–17

- The first 4 rhetorical questions Isaiah asked in verse 12 are as follows:

1.   Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?

2. Or, with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?

3.  Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket?

4.  Or, weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?

The answers to these questions all point to God, our Father.

- The next 6 questions Isaiah asks are as follows:

1. Who has understood the mind of the LORD?

2. Or, instructed him as his counselor?

3. Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him?

4. Who taught him the right way?

5. Who was it that taught him knowledge?

6. Or, showed him the path of understanding?

The answers to these questions point to no one but God himself.

- Isaiah, through the above 10 questions, are pointing out that no one but God has the power to do the things that God alone can do. God is the creator of all, and no one is above God.

- The attribute of God mentioned in verse 12 reveals the magnificence of God, for example, the ability to measure water with His hand, to hold the dust of the earth, to weigh the mountains, etc.

- The power of the nations, when compared to God’s, are meager. Before God, all nations are nothing.

Isaiah 40:18–20

- The kind of people described by Isaiah is that of those who believes in other gods and idols as opposed to the one and only God.

- Idols of silver and gold are made by the hands of men. These idols cannot speak, cannot see, cannot hear, cannot smell, cannot feel, cannot walk. Idol-makers will thus resemble such idols. People who trust in these idols will also resemble them.

Jeremiah 10:8–16

- People who believe in idols are senseless and foolish, taught by the worthless wooden idols. But only the Lord is the one true God, a living God, our eternal King. No idol can ever measure up to God. These idols are frauds and worthless. The Lord is the one and only God who made the earth, founded the world. God will destroy such idols and the people who believe in them.

Habakkuk 2:18–19

- Idols have no value, for it is created by man. Man, as we all know, are not perfect, and therefore, idols created in the image of man cannot possibly teach man anything he does not already know. How can such idols provide any guidance? They cannot. They have no life. They have no wisdom.

- God is different from these idols because God was not created by the people, and God was certainly not created in the image of man. In fact, God is the creator of all and created man in His image. God thus is the source of the life that we have in us, and He provides us with the guidance we need to grow in Him. Since we come from God, only God can grant us the wisdom we need to move past the difficulties that we face in life. Nothing we make can ever provide us with any profound inspiration that surpasses our meager intellectual capacity.

Isaiah 40:21–26

- Isaiah reveals that God’s Word has been “clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Romans 1:20). God’s place in the world, His power, His love, His magnificence, etc. have all been told from the beginning, from the day that earth was founded. Consequences of straying away are all revealed in the Word of God, nothing are hidden. And so, come Judgment Day, man has no excuse for his choice in leaving God, in ignoring God’s ignorance, and every man will answer to such a choice.

- Isaiah tells the people to look to the Heavens to understand the greatness of God, for God created all things. “He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.”

- There is no comparison to God; there is no equal to God.

Isaiah 40:27–31

- From verse 27, exiles in Babylon may complain about how their way is hidden from the Lord, that their cause is regarded by the Lord.

- Isaiah, in response, comforts these exiles by telling them that the Lord is our everlasting God, one who will never grow tired or weary, one who will, instead give strength to the weary. Those who place their trust in the Lord will therefore be renewed in their strength by God and soar like eagles.

- In order to receive the promises of strength and power, we need faith, as defined in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” From Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” I believe this is so because if we do not sincerely place our faith in God, if we do not wholeheartedly trust God, how can we expect to receive anything good from God? If we do not believe in what we do not see, yet at the same time, we expect such an unknown power to grant us all the good that has been promised, is this not the perfect example of self-centeredness, of absolute selfishness? If we wish to be sheltered by God, we must therefore first choose to return to Him, to fully trust Him. Only when we form a strong bond with God, can we then understand the significance of our receipt of the promises of strength and power.

- Because God is the Creator of the ends of the earth, because God is our everlasting Lord, God’s promise of strength and power will allow His people to soar like eagles forever.

Isaiah 40:1-11

Isaiah 39:1–40:2

- According to Merriam-Webster, comfort means 1) to give strength and hope to; 2) to ease the grief or trouble of

- These words were spoken tenderly to the Israelites. These words are comforting because God is telling them that all their sins have been paid for, and that “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.”

- These people need words of comfort because they have been tested for centuries. Isaiah has prophesied that the Israelites will not hear the word of God until the end of days. These people have thus been without God for a very long period of time, living a very hard life. Words of comfort from the Lord would thus be critical in welcoming the Israelites home.

Isaiah 40:3–5

- The messenger called the people to prepare the way for the Lord, because the Lord is coming, and “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.” The glory of God will be revealed, and all will see it.

Matthew 3:1–5

John 1:23

Isaiah 40:3–5

- We are told to prepare the way for the Lord. This means, we should confess our sins and bear in mind that God will be our judge.

Exodus 24:17

- The glory of the Lord looked like a “consuming fire on top of the mountain” to the Israelites.

Luke 2:9

- The glory of the Lord was revealed as a ray of light in the form of an angel.

Matthew 17:1–8

- The glory of the Lord is Jesus, who was transfigured. “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”

Hebrews 1:3

- Again, the glory of the Lord is Jesus, His Son. 

- The people can see the glory of the Lord in the Word. The Word is Jesus. The Word is the Bible.

Isaiah 40:6–8

- People are like flowers and grass because, like flowers and grass, our bodies (and even our spirits) wither and fall.

- People make mistakes. People are not perfect, and therefore, we all fall and err at one time or another. God, however, is perfect. His Word, therefore, is perfect and will never wither and fall like people.

Isaiah 40:9–11

- The messenger brings good tidings should go up to a mountain, lift up his voice with a shout, and not be afraid. The messenger is instructed to say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” Essentially, the messenger is to proclaim the good news to all the people, to tell them of the God that loves them and protects them.

- According to Merriam-Webster, “reward” means “to give an award to someone or something for something good that has been done.” “Recompense” is a similar concept to reward, and it is defined as, “to give something to by way of compensation (as for a service rendered or damage incurred); to pay for.”

- “His reward” and “His recompense” is Jesus Christ, His one and only Son. The death and the blood of Jesus Christ is the price to pay for our sins. Because of Jesus, we can now return to God’s side. And thus, to be a follower of Christ, to place our trust in God, redemption is our reward.

Isaiah 36-39

Isaiah 36

2 Kings 18:1–16

- The main events of Hezekiah’s reign prior to the events of Isaiah 36 are as follows:

- He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also broke the bronze snake Moses had made, because the Israelites had been burning incense to it.

- Hezekiah placed his trust in the Lord and was the greatest king known to man. He was faithful to God and never ceased to follow God’s commands.

- He rebelled against the King of Assyria.

- He defeated the Philistines.

- King of Assyria went to war with Samaria and defeated it.

- In Isaiah 10:5-11, Isaiah prophesied that Assyria would capture Jerusalem because of Jerusalem’s lack of trust in God.

- The overall theme of the Assyrian field commander’s message is to have Hezekiah follow Assyria. Assyrians do not believe in the Lord and mock the Lord’s ability to protect His people. The commander thus urges Hezekiah to give up his trust in God and to follow King of Assyria.

- Hezekiah’s officials ask the field commander to speak in Aramaic and not in Hebrew so that the conversation could remain only between themselves.

- The field commander speaks to Hezekiah’s men hoping to diminish their trust in King Hezekiah and their faith in God.

Isaiah 36:14–15

- The field commander taunts the people that Hezekiah cannot deliver his people and that no one should trust in the Lord.

Isaiah 36:16

- The field commander taunts the people that Hezekiah will not be able to save them. The only person who could save them is the King of Assyria. If they choose to follow King of Assyria, these followers would live in peace and prosperity.

Isaiah 36:18

- The field commander taunts the people that Hezekiah misled them all when he told them, “The Lord will deliver us.” The field commander puts doubt into these people minds by asking them, “Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the King of Assyria?” 

- Hezekiah’s men either had to surrender and follow King of Assyria or die.

Isaiah 37:1–20

- Hezekiah was extremely distressed and saddened when he heard the news from his officials. He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth, signifying a great tragedy has occurred, and he is mourning. He then went into the temple of the Lord, suggesting he was in deep prayer in search for God’s guidance.

- Isaiah reassured King Hezekiah. Isaiah shared with them God’s message, which essentially tells the people not to be afraid. What the Assyrians have said is not true, and for blasphemy against God, the Assyrians will be punished. God will cut them down with the sword.

- Sennacherib also taunted King Hezekiah. Assyria had a notorious reputation for conquering nations, and all other nations fear it. Sennacherib thus warns Hezekiah to side with Assyria. To think that they will not fall is ridiculous. They should not place their trust in God, because not once has Assyria failed to conquer a nation!

- When Hezekiah heard such a message, he did not panic like all the leaders of other nations did. Instead, Hezekiah held fast to his faith in God; he continued to place his trust in the Lord. At such times of chaos and great stress, Hezekiah thus prayed. Hezekiah never once forgot that God is the only ruler over Heaven and Earth. No matter how bad a situation is, God will always be able to protect His people, because God is the ruler of all! Hezekiah acknowledges that Assyria has destroyed the gods of other nations. Leaders of these nations thus fear Assyria because they saw that their gods could not protect them from Assyria. However, Hezekiah knew better. Hezekiah knew that these gods were nothing but “wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. But Hezekiah knew there is only one God, and that God is watching over His children. Knowing all this, Hezekiah thus prayed to God to set things right.

Isaiah 37:21–38

- God’s message through Isaiah reconfirms that God will deliver His people. For those who spoke against God, who blasphemed against God, they will be severely punished. This revelation encourages us to trust God because God is a loving father who protects His children from harm. God is above all. Nothing is impossible for Him, and no human thing can ever overcome him. When facing humanly enemies and obstacles, it is thus very easy to place our trust in the Lord, because even though these things will be extremely difficult to overcome by ourselves, we know that with God’s guidance and protection, we can easily overcome them.

- God promised to give Hezekiah the following sign: “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” God then interprets these signs for Hezekiah, “Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.”

Hence, what was prophesied by Isaiah would all come true. Jerusalem was punished for its lack of faith in God. It would be cut down by Assyria as prophesied. However, a remnant will remain and will grow eventually to be God’s people.

- God spoke also of His plan for the King of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city.” God thus went on to defeat the Assyrian army by sending an angel to put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. And just as God said, “By the way that he came he will return,” King Assyria was cut down with the sword by his own sons.

  

Isaiah 38–39.

2 Kings 20:7–8

2 Chronicles 32:24–26

- Hezekiah was saddened by the coming of his death and so he prayed to God. God heard Hezekiah’s prayers and gave him an extra 15 years of life. God also promised to deliver them all from King Assyria and that He will defend this city and His people.

- The general concept is that when we disobey God, we will be punished. When we follow God, we will reap the benefits. We will be protected, and things will proceed smoothly.

To many people, this doesn’t sound like a loving God. This sounds more like a tyrant who forces people to listen to him, because if they don’t, then he will use his powers to inflict pain and to use that pain to force people to do what he asks.

But having spent so much time studying the Bible, we ought to know that scenario is simply not true. Parents discipline their children. Why? Because children don’t start immediately aware of what’s right and what’s wrong. Parents must protect their children from harm while teaching them to do the right thing at the same time. Many times, conflicts arise because children think they are mature enough to go out and do their own thing (prideful), whereas parents forbid them to do so because they know the children would get hurt. God is exactly like that. He must discipline us when we become too proud, yet as long as we continue to follow His guidance, we will be able to benefit from His powerfully protective love.

- The Lord warned Hezekiah that because of his reception of the Babylonian envoys, his kingdom will one day fall into the hands of the Babylonians.

2 Chronicles 36:15–20

Daniel 1

- The Babylonians, under the leadership of King Nebuchadnezzar, indeed besieged Jerusalem and carried to Babylon “ all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the king and his officials.” (2 Chronicles 36: 18-19)

Isaiah 34-35

Isaiah 34:1–7

- Isaiah is speaking to God.

- God’s judgment extends from Heaven to Earth.

- God will judge evil by completely destroying all that is evil.

Genesis 25:24–34; 27:41

Numbers 20:14–21

Obadiah 8–12

- The relationship between Edom and Israel and Judah begins with the brothers Esau and Jacob. They are twins, with Esau being born first. However, Jacob eventually cunningly forces Esau to give up his birthright. Ever since then Jacob has been aided in gaining the favor of the convenant with God made through Abraham to Isaac. Esau thus holds a grudge and has vowed to kill both his mother and Jacob. And God has announced His plan to destroy Edom due to such violence against Jacob.

Israel and Judah are descendents of Jacob, whereas Edom is the descendent of Esau.

- God shows extreme anger toward sinners and their sins, as it has been said, “He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood.” (Isaiah 34:3)

- God is perfect. Sin is an imperfection, and anyone who has sinned cannot be in the presence of our perfect Father.

- We are often told that we are punished for our sins. Well, what does that mean exactly? God speaks of many punishments, and it has been well documented throughout the Bible that any nation or any people or any person who disregards God’s guidance would be destroyed. This, I believe, is the major type of punishment people think of when they think about God’s punishment.

Well, I’d like to look at it from another perspective.

God is perfect. It’s not like He tries to be perfect or aims for perfection. God just is perfect. God is perfection. And so, anything that is in His presence must also be perfect. This is the main reason why after Adam and Eve have sinned, we humans have not been able to return to Heaven, to our Father’s side—because we carry the Sin they have committed, making us also imperfect and not good enough to enter God’s Kingdom. In a sense, not being able to return to God is a punishment in itself. I would argue that’s the biggest punishment of all—the punishment that stemmed from the Original Sin.

- The 4 gospels especially focus on how Jesus Christ saves us from our past, present, and future sins.

Isaiah 34:8–17

- God’s vengeance is to right any injustice but welcomes home His children as long as they choose to (hence, the concept of grace). Human vengeance often spurs from revenge.

- God’s vengeance against Edom will result in Edom burning in sulfur, her land burning to a pitch, with smoke rising forever. Edom will be desolate forever, with no one to occupy the space ever again.

- The day of the Lord’s vengeance is as certain as any of God’s promises, for it has been documented in the Scroll.

Isaiah 35:1–7

- God’s restored world will be a place of joy, blossom, and splendor.

- Isaiah 35:3-6 encourages those who are weary or gripped with fear that God will come, and He will come with vengeance to save those who are righteous and have been wronged.

Matthew 11:1–6

- Jesus uses Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 35:5-6 to show that He has fulfilled the prophesy spoken by Isaiah, that He makes the blind see, the lame walk, the diseased cured, the deaf hear, and the dead raised.

Isaiah 35:5–6

- The 4 gospels documents how Jesus often emphasizes the importance to faith. As long as the people believe in Jesus and that He is the Christ, our savior, their faith will save them, including physical handicaps.

Isaiah 35:8–10

- According to Merriam-Webster, “redeem” means “to buy back,” “to win back,” “to release from debt,” or “to atone for.”

1 Peter 1:18–19

- Jesus Christ is a Redeemer because His sacrificial death and His blood atoned for our sins. Because of Jesus, we are able to be made perfect again and return to God’s side. (Perfect, not in the sense of our inherent perfection, but in the sense of the amazing power of Jesus’ blood that can redeem us from our sins—not just past sins, but present and future sins as well.)

- The “Way of Holiness” is a path for the clean. It is a path that follows the Way as dictated by God, a path that wicked fools will not be able to follow. On this path, there will be no beasts, for it is a safe path for those who have been redeemed by the Lord. This path leads to Zion, a place of everlasting joy.

- God’s final day of wrath is saved for those who stubbornly refuse to follow His Way.

Before I became a Christian, I have always been a bit uncomfortable with this concept—in fact, a bit insulted. To me at that time, Christianity seemed like an insurance policy, with God as its ultimate salesman: Trust in me, and you will not die a horrible death. (Please forgive me for this very crude and disgusting analogy, but there is a point coming.)

However, as I continued to understand Christianity, that’s really not the way to view Christian redemption!

There is a battle for souls since the day Satan betrayed God. Satan seduced Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, causing Adam and Eve to sin, tainting the entire human race with sin forever and ever. We were casted out of Heaven because only perfect beings can be in Heaven. However, since then, God has fought hard to guide His children home—“Guide” and not “coerce,” as this is a significant difference. To protect our free will, God has chosen not to reveal Himself. (If we see Him, we no longer have an actual free will to choose to believe in Him.)

And obviously, Satan continues to “recruit,” thus fighting against God, seducing as many souls onto his side as possible.

Yet, God is omniscient. God knows all of this was going to happen, and He knows what is going to happen. And thus, God has made it be known through prophesy that a day of Wrath is coming. This day MUST come because He will get rid of Satan once and for all (see Revelation). This day is not yet here because God is giving humans the time to hear His Message, to guide His people back Home. He so love us, His children, that He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, to wash away our sins with His perfect blood, so that humans can once again set foot in Heaven.

With such a loving Father, One who forgives us even though we are not perfect and will never be perfect, even though we have sinned and will continue to sin, how can we turn away from His shelter?

Hear the message: The Day of Wrath will come. It will come, not “just” to punish the unbelievers. No. It will come because God will put an end to Satan’s evil deeds. Those who stubbornly refuse God’s shelter will be left out on the battle field and will unfortunately be destroyed along with Satan’s legion.

Christianity is not life insurance. Christianity is a choice to eternal Life, a defiant choice against Satan and his eternal Death.