Isaiah 40:1-11

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.

2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned.

Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”

3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, "Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord!

Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!

4 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills.

Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.

5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”

6 A voice said, “Shout!”

I asked, “What should I shout?”

“Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord.

And so it is with people.

8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

9 O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!”

10 Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Israel's history records frequent failure. She was God's chosen nation - chosen to model faith and obedience - but she had frequently modelled faithlessness and disobedience and had suffered God's judgement as a result. Indeed, Isaiah had prophesied further suffering. The southern kingdom, Judah, would be conquered and the people taken into exile. The northern kingdom (Israel) had already experienced this.

However, in chapter 40 the mood changes. Isaiah speaks of judgement but he also speaks of God's grace and declares that God will fulfil His promises to His people. There would be judgement but there would also be deliverance. Isaiah had spoken words of warning but he also spoke words of comfort. The time of judgement would come to an end.

In a way, this is a message to the whole world as well. The world experiences darkness because of our sin but light will break into the darkness. As we have been saying, God had a plan to rescue the world.

Notice three things from this passage.

1. The voice crying out "Prepare the way of the Lord". In a few days we will see how this prophecy was fulfilled and who this voice would be. Then the glory of the Lord would be revealed.

2. Isaiah's message was to be that people are very temporary, here today and gone tomorrow, as transient as the grass that withers and the flower that fades. But God's word is eternal. God's promises are eternal. They will be fulfilled. God's good news of grace is eternal. There is always hope because of the faithfulness of God.

3. Your God is coming! He is both the powerful King and the tender Shepherd. God will intervene. This is an amazing promise and we are getting closer to seeing it fulfilled.

For Reflection

1. How do you feel about a God who declares judgement and mercy alongside each other?

2. How do you respond to Isaiah's message in this passage?

You could make a yule log - the type that holds candles. As you light them, talk about what the candles might represent.

Dear Father, we thank You again that, even in the midst of dark times, You promised a Saviour. And we thank You that Your promise was fulfilled. And thank You that You have always had people who have called people's attention to Your mercy.