Isaiah 40 Summary & Study Guide

Isaiah 40 opens the "Book of Comfort," transitioning from the threats of judgment to the herald of a new age. The setting is a world weary of exile, where a voice cries out to "prepare the way of the Lord" in the wilderness. This starts with the grand command, "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God," declaring that Jerusalem’s warfare is ended and her iniquity is pardoned. It establishes that the Word of our God stands forever, contrasting the fading grass of human glory with the eternal reliability of the divine promise.

The story follows a comparison between the Creator of the ends of the earth and the worthless idols of the nations. Isaiah portrays a God who "measures the waters in the hollow of his hand" and before whom the nations are "like a drop from a bucket." This portrayal of divine transcendence shows that the return from exile is not too difficult for the One who brings out the starry host by number and calls them all by name. It highlights the promise that those who "wait for the Lord shall renew their strength," mounting up with wings like eagles and running without becoming weary.

Theological meaning is found in the "Good News" proclaimed from a high mountain. It reveals that the ultimate comfort for a broken people is the revelation of their God: "Behold your God!" This chapter is fundamental for understanding that the greatness of God is the only sufficient foundation for the hope of man. It highlights that the "Shepherd" who carries the lambs in His arms is the same "Warrior" who rules with a strong arm. The call of the wilderness now gives way to the court case of the nations.

Jesus Christ is the "Glory of the Lord" revealed to all flesh, the one whose coming was heralded by John the Baptist in the wilderness. He is the Good Shepherd who gathers the lambs and the eternal God who does not faint or grow weary, offering His own strength to those who are exhausted. While the world's comforts are transient, Christ’s comfort is the "everlasting word" that brought us home to God. The herald’s voice now summons the silent idols to trial.