Isaiah 40:1-11.  So today we start a new section of Isaiah.  Most people familiar with Isaiah recognize a difference between what is in Isaiah 1-39 and Isaiah 40-66.  Some also see a difference between Isaiah 40-55 and Isaiah 56-66.  I think it is important to remember that the book begins “the vision of Isaiah about Jerusalem and Judah which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.”  Although different scholars over the years have doubted that verse for different reasons there really is no reason not to take the authors word for that this is his (Isaiah’s) writing, all the way through.  Of course it has been arranged and contains parts that may have been earlier messages by Isaiah, but it would seem that he had one reason for putting it all together when he did, notice he calls it, “the vision”, it’s not “my visions”.  So why are the later chapters different from the earlier ones?

Sometimes when people go to a doctor, especially for the first time, they meet with him, ask him where he went to school, ask what kind of experience he has.  People also look for references from other patients.  I work on peoples houses and they do the same kind of thing with me, they want to know my experience, they want to know that I am qualified.   I think that is part of what Isaiah 1-39 was about.  Now the original messages had their specific points when they were originally given.  And the collection in chapters 1-39 may have even had a second point, to get Hezekiah to trust God in the Assyrian situation.  Maybe even a third point, to get Hezekiah to trust God in his personal life more or with more of his personal and professional life.  But when taken together with the rest of Isaiah (40-66) I think it works kind of like a diploma on a doctors wall or a list of successful patients or in my case pictures of work I have done.  I think Isaiah 1-39 gives specific examples of prophecy that was or would be fulfilled so that we can believe what we read in chapters 40-66.  Those chapters seem to be more about the distant future (though some of the stuff has already happened so now it works like the earlier chapters for us).  Remember it was about Jerusalem and Judah, in the beginning.  But as ZI said above, we can learn from it too.

Right away we see that this part of the book should give us comfort.  Why?  Because all the work has come to an end, God has taken care of sin.  Verses 3-5 were quoted by John the Baptizer as he began his ministry preparing the way for Jesus (Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, and John 1).  Verses 6-8 tell us what the one crying out was saying and they agree with what John said.  Mark 1:4 tells us that John’s baptism (a Greek word which means to dip or dunk.  I those days baptism was a way of identifying with someone or something) was about repentance (a word that means to turn around and go another way).  Isaiah 40:6-8 give a picture of mankind’s temporariness, we wither and fade, and of the permanence of what God says.  In verses 9-11 we see the people of Jerusalem being told to spread the good news God is coming, God is strong, and God has rewards.  There may be a hint of judgment in v. 11 but overall these verses point to a day when God will come and take care of his “little sheep”.

This part of Isaiah is going to be all about God coming and dealing with sin.  For the most part it’s good news (unless you chose to keep walking away from God).  But it is good news to all who would turn (repent) to God for help.  We will learn more about that help in the coming days.  But see here right away that God is coming, God is powerful and that God cares.  That should give hope to all of us, to Judah back then, and to us here and now.  Lord, thank you for having a plan to fix our broken relationship.  Thank you for telling us about it.  Thank you for proving that your messengers really were from you.  Help me understand your plan and be comforted by it.  Help me patiently wait while you work it all out.  And help me get up on a high hill and lodly tell others about you.