Isaiah 40

Bible study with Pastor Terry Gray

Isaiah 40 is one of the most comforting chapters of Isaiah. The chapter breathes deeply and speaks to the heart.

Key point: How do we stay comforted? Keep our eyes on God.

Isiah 40:3-5
This speaks of John the Baptist, who came preaching about the greater one who will come after him, one who would baptize with not just water but with the Holy Spirit!

Like John the Baptist, we should bring comfort to others not just by telling them what they want to hear but by guiding them to God.

I wholeheartedly agree with the above message. I have run into many situations where I am so frustrated that I cannot make things better, because there is simply nothing else I can do. For example, if a person is feeling a lot of grief, there is nothing real I can do for them other than comforting words that do very little to solve the actual problem. At times like this, my thoughts turn to God. Only God can change hearts, and only God can provide comfort and warmth that emanates from the inside out. Guiding people to Jesus is THE solution to EVERY problem. Because once we can see things from God's perspective, we receive peace. 

Isaiah 40:6-8
Life is short; we are here only for a little while. God is eternal. God looks at things from the perspective of eternity. When we can begin to understand that view, we can begin to understand the meaning of our life here. We are not here to make trillions or the amass power. We are here because we are sons/daughters of Adam, the man who was deceived by Satan and allowed sin to corrupt mankind. We do not belong here. We were not made to be in this state. We are God's children, made in God's image, meant to rule as kings and priests with Jesus in Heaven.

This is why John taught us that we are not of this world (John 15:19).

How do we return to the world that we do belong to? Receive Jesus as our savior. He has done it all on the cross. Adam, the first Son of God lost the title deed of Earth to Satan. Christ, both Son of Man and Son of God, reclaimed that title deed and redeemed us with His blood.

Our time here on Earth, it is but a passing. See this from God's eternal perspective! What is a millennium when we look at it from eternity? What is wealth when we see what God creates with just a breath?

Realize how ephemeral this world is. Understand the view from God's eyes. We are not made for this corrupted world. We are here because Satan corrupted us (Genesis 3). We are here because we chose to be corrupted (Genesis 3). Jesus came to cleanse us. Jesus came to restore our righteousness. Jesus came to take us back to Heaven, where we belong! So, why be infatuated with anything that this world has to offer? Look to God! Look to His eternal being! Look to our future with God!

Isaiah 40:10-11
God is our shepherd. He guides us to safety. He takes care of us. He protects us from wolves.

Isaiah 40:12
God is amazing! God is the Creator. Who else but Him can measure all the waters of Earth in the palm of His hands?

Isaiah 40:13-24
This passage gives us a breathtaking view of just how magnificent God is. He is so big, we cannot fully comprehend or understand.

I have been doing science for a solid decade now, and never do I cease to be amazed by God's work. We can spend years trying to tease out one tiny aspect of how a cell survives an infection, and yet, God made all of this with one breath. Science is really a wonderful method to discover the intricacies of God's creation!

I can understand why Isaiah would say, "Who has understood the mind of the LORD" (Isaiah 40:13). Think about it. Do we really understand? We can try to see things from His perspective, but even then, that's only because we study His Word. Through His Word, we can some understanding. But, do we understand it all? I am certain we do not.

The simplest example I can think of is the brain. We have done some amazing things trying to understand how the brain works. We have some idea how information is processed and how memories are formed. But, at the end of the day, it is still a huge mystery. And frankly, I don't know if we will ever be able to solve it. We need to have at least several more technological breakthroughs before we might even have a chance! And this is just to understand the human brain! Think of all the other amazing things that happen around us that we have yet been able to explain or understand! And this is just God's creation! 

I hope my exclamations above showcase the breadth of God's knowledge and power -- and this is just the things we can see and feel! How many layers of thoughts does God have? This is just the beginning of the number of questions that I can think of to ask God. And the exciting thing is, one day, I will have that chance. In the mean time, I'm extremely happy I can use science to make tiny discoveries while I wait for the return of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 40:22
In 750 BC, God had already told Isaiah that Earth was round (circle)!

If we study the Bible, we will find that every detail is there by design. Every word, down to the tittle, are there for a reason. This is why as go through the Bible, we gain new insight with each go -- because we are more likely to pick up a new gem here and there.

Note that serious word studies should be done by referring back to the original texts: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Given our technology today, we do not need to be linguistic scholars to understand those ancient texts.

We must remember that no matter which edition we use, as long as they are in English, they are all TRANSLATIONS. They all have pros and cons, and that is why they sometimes lead to a lot of confusion -- because they do not perfectly reflect the original text. Thus, I always stress, when in doubt, refer back to the original text. God means what He says and says what He means. A careful study of His Word leads to awesome discoveries that take scientists billions of dollars and decades of work to figure out.

Isaiah 40:26
God made all the stars and named every single one of them.  Again, another example of how great God is.

Isaiah 40:27-28
God knows what's going on in our lives. He knows us. We cannot hide from him.

When we are troubled and wonder if He hears us, be encouraged by this phrase: God hears us. He knows us.

When we think no one is looking and think we can get away with cutting corners, be warned by this phrase: There is no hiding from God.

Isaiah 40:29-31
We all ought to actively seek the Lord and depend upon Him, serving Him. And this is how we stay comforted -- by keeping our eyes on God!