The Book of Isaiah Survey Pt 2, comfort.
Pr Edi Giudetti
13-08-2017
Prophetic Comfort
Hiking, the Comfort and Consolation of coming Home.
Just before Easter this year my daughter Natalie and I did a three-day hike in Wilsons Promontory Victoria. It was supposed to be only two days, but Nats father was not doing too well after the first days 22km hike. When we started it was certainly not comfort that we were expecting, but some difficult yet rewarding journeying’s
The walk began with a nice steady down hill trek, nothing much to see. Eventually we had a steady climb and were rewarded with some nice views. There were times however that our hike took some painful tracks, steep climbs, difficult climbs, climbs I was not sure I’d be able to make.
By the third day however the only thing that truly kept me going was the comforting thought of a bus at the end that will take me home.
Life is very much like that, there are some long plain journeys, some steep and difficult climbs, some of which are rewarded with real highs. In the end, for those who know the Lord, there is the consolation of great comfort and peace at the end.
THE PROMISE OF PEACE
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
That her warfare is accomplished,
That her iniquity is pardoned:
For she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted,
And every mountain and hill shall be made low:
And the crooked shall be made straight,
And the rough places plain:
Just as the First thirty-nine books of the Bible conclude with a curse (Malachi 4:6), so too the first 39 chapters of Isaiah conclude with a promised condemnation of Israel for their sin (to King Hezekiah). And just as the 40th book of the Bible (Gospel of Matthew) begins with the proclamation of a promised comforter, so too the 40th chapter of Isaiah.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
That her warfare is accomplished,
That her iniquity is pardoned:
For she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
Historically Isaiah is writing about both a chastisement and a pardon, both yet to come. This is written during the days of Hezekiah; seven more kings will reign after Hezekiah before the people are taken into captivity by Babylon.
So this promise of a comforter and the recognition that the people have “received of the Lords hand double for all her sins” are yet to be accomplished in the history of this writing and yet Isaiah speaks of it in the past tense.
But in the present tense Isaiah says that “her warfare is accomplished” and “her iniquity is pardoned”, so sure is the promise of comfort for the people of God that Isaiah writes of it happening in that present.
We have the benefit of viewing this promise of comfort from the arm chair of history. Isaiah in the present writes so sure of its outcome, but it would be more than 150 years before it comes to pass, he writes looking forward.
Yet we see the accuracy of his prophecy looking back.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted,
And every mountain and hill shall be made low:
And the crooked shall be made straight,
And the rough places plain:
We know who this “Voice” is do we not? Not only was there a voice crying in the wilderness but even his name is ready and on our lips.
This is he that was yet to come in the days of Isaiah, he was to be the one who would prepare the way, to “make straight in the desert a highway for our God” but again Isaiah, so sure of its outcome, speaks of it in the present tense, looking forward.
We are in the fortieth chapter of Isaiah, consider the fortieth book of the Bible,
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John the Baptist, through the baptism of repentance, made straight a highway to Christ. The fortieth chapter of Isaiah tells us that it was “a highway for our God”. And the fortieth book of the Bible (Matthew) reveals him;
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
John knew his Baptisms where preparatory, as Baptisms of repentance, but he understood that God has nothing to be repented of and says I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And we look and read and marvel at the history of it all, but Isaiah saw the day as if it were present with him.
He proclaims to the people a PROMISE OF PEACE.
But the work will come from God and not from man and that is the point.
Consider: Isaiah 40:29-31
29 He giveth power to the faint;
And to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings as eagles;
They shall run, and not be weary;
And they shall walk, and not faint.
Though we might indeed be faint, it will be God who will renew our strength; we see the revelation of that which Isaiah spoke, we know through the comfortable arm chair of history that the word of the Lord stands true, and we “wait upon the Lord” to “renew our strength” in doing so we do indeed “mount up with the wings of eagles” we will “run and not be weary” “Walk and not faint”.
Throughout the Book of Isaiah, we must continue to remember that it is about the SALVATION OF GOD, both spiritual and physical. Only God can help man, man cannot help himself. David the King, David the man after Gods own heart proclaimed;
25 I have been young, and now am old;
Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his seed begging bread. (Ps 37:25)
The very beginning of that Psalm sets up for us the knowledge and the means of the blessing from the Lord;
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord;
And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord;
Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
It is when we trust him completely and show our trust by believing, his Law, his Testimonies, his statutes, his commandments, his judgements, his ways, his precepts, his word. But it is only in him and not in any other, he gave the PROMISE OF PEACE, we assume it is also he that is THE PROVIDER OF PEACE
THE PROVIDER OF PEACE
Behold my servant, whom I uphold;
Mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;
I have put my spirit upon him:
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up,
Nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break,
And the smoking flax shall he not quench:
He shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged,
Till he have set judgment in the earth:
And the isles shall wait for his law.
Immediately we see the nature of the servant, this Servant is that same one whom the voice crying in the wilderness made a way for.
He did not come to judge the world at this time, he did not cry or lift up his voice in the streets as Jonah did to Nineveh, but he did come to proclaim truth and set judgment in the Earth as all the world waited for his law.
This is seen practically today, the change Jesus made in those three years he ministered and walked among the people, wrought a change in the entire world who now had a law to abide in and to trust. A foundation from which every western country and dominion are the beneficiaries. Our nations are blessed by that judgment unto truth that he set in the earth, until now.
Now monuments of the ten commandments that were set in front of every courthouse is being lifted up and uprooted. Removed and permitted to be removed by the very courthouses who once based their laws upon those same commandments.
Both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the very recent yet powerfully well-funded Freedom From Religion Foundation are turning their country and even the world, against the laws the servant of God had set as a light in the hearts of men.
Speaking of his servant the Lord continues (v6)
6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness,
And will hold thine hand, and will keep thee,
And give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
7 To open the blind eyes,
To bring out the prisoners from the prison,
And them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
8 I am the Lord: that is my name:
And my glory will I not give to another,
Neither my praise to graven images.
Just as in the days of Isaiah, many today seek another form of comfort, they are looking to other judgments that cannot deliver, judgments that cannot bring in everlasting peace, yet that is what they believe motivates them to remove the judgments that DO BRING PEACE AND COMFORT.
Yet it seems that “Graven Images” are what the people today desire. Judgments and laws they make up according to their own vanities, but this is not new! Isaiah spoke of them in ancient times, in his own times, man has not changed! But God continues to remind them of HIM
6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel,
And his redeemer the Lord of hosts;
I am the first, and I am the last;
And beside me there is no God.
7 And who, as I, shall call,
And shall declare it, and set it in order for me,
Since I appointed the ancient people?
And the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid:
Have not I told thee from that time,
And have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.
Is there a God beside me?
Yea, there is no God; I know not any.
HE IS THE FIRST AND THE LAST, he is the one who calls and declares and appoints and not man. But take a look and where they go, consider how they fail when they look to ‘idolatry to give good judgment.’
(44:9)They that make a graven image are all of them vanity;
And their delectable things shall not profit;
And they are their own witnesses;
They see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
They reject the God who is there and replace him with gods of their own making.
They remove just judgments and laws and replace them with laws of their own making. To what profit?
‘They see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.’
- The Bible says that they dig a pit that they themselves shall fall into.
- They lay a snare that they themselves shall be ensnared by.
They receive in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. (Rom 1:27)
This is topical in today in Australia as they desire to remove the old landmark of Marriage and replace it with vanity, why?
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Rom 1:21)
But look at how far it goes for them;
14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak,
Which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest:
He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn:
For he will take thereof, and warm himself;
Yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread;
Yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it;
He maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
16 He burneth part thereof in the fire;
With part thereof he eateth flesh;
He roasteth roast, and is satisfied:
Yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha,
I am warm, I have seen the fire:
17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image:
He falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it,
And saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
18 They have not known nor understood:
For he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see;
And their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19 And none considereth in his heart,
Neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
I have burned part of it in the fire;
Yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof;
I have roasted flesh, and eaten it:
And shall I make the residue thereof an abomination?
Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
20 He feedeth on ashes:
A deceived heart hath turned him aside,
That he cannot deliver his soul, nor say,
Is there not a lie in my right hand?
No, they cannot come to know that they have believed a lie for the Lord is he who has shut their eyes; just as God deprives the Ostrich of wisdom (Job 39:17) so too does he remove wisdom from the vain idolatrous mind.
Brethren it will not be the righteous who trust in judgements that will suffer these removing of landmarks, it will be the Godless who have no god but those they make to suit themselves.
The wicked will continue to seek peace by rejecting the very Provider of Peace, The God of all comfort. The one who promises peace, provides peace and he makes sure we have no excuse to know it.
God declares further in Isaiah 44:24-25
Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer,
And he that formed thee from the womb,
I am the Lord that maketh all things;
That stretcheth forth the heavens alone;
That spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars,
And maketh diviners mad;
That turneth wise men backward,
And maketh their knowledge foolish;
Turn to Isaiah 45:20
20 Assemble yourselves and come;
Draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations:
They have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image,
And pray unto a god that cannot save.
21 Tell ye, and bring them near;
Yea, let them take counsel together:
Who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time?
Have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me;
A just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:
For I am God, and there is none else.
At the end of chapter 44 and the beginning of 45 Isaiah speaks of the promise of God for an interim deliverer in Cyrus the Great, a man who is a Persian who will deliver the people out of their captivity in Babylon, which will happen in about a century.
I refer to him as an Interim Deliverer, for he is not the Servant that will bring ultimate comfort, but he is one that God promises to bring the people to help prepare them for the true deliverer, servant, comforter and prince of peace.
He names him Cyrus by name, gives the account of his career and life and all he will do so the people will believe the Lord when it comes to pass. It did come to pass, it came about exactly as he said. Do you believe him?
If God is able to speak history in advance, not as one who “knows the future” but as one who directs it, will you believe him for your peace, for your comfort, for your provision?
25 I have been young, and now am old;
Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his seed begging bread. (Ps 37:25)
Turn to Isa 46:9-11
9 Remember the former things of old:
For I am God, and there is none else;
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times the things that are not yet done,
Saying, My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all my pleasure:
11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east,
The man that executeth my counsel from a far country:
Yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass;
I have purposed it, I will also do it.
THE PRINCE OF PEACE
God named an interim deliverer in Cyrus for the temporary peace of Israel, Now he will name The Deliverer, the Prince of Peace for all people for all time.
God gave the description and circumstances of a Prince who would deliver them from their physical and temporary state in Isaiah (three verses before the end of chapter 44 then chapter 45). And now he gives the description and the circumstance of The Prince of Peace who will deliver all people from their Spiritual and Eternal State. Three verses before the end of chapter 52 then chapter 53)
13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently,
He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
14 As many were astonied at thee;
His visage was so marred more than any man,
And his form more than the sons of men:
15 So shall he sprinkle many nations;
The kings shall shut their mouths at him:
For that which had not been told them shall they see;
And that which they had not heard shall they consider.
53Who hath believed our report?
And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of a dry ground:
He hath no form nor comeliness;
And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men;
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
And we hid as it were our faces from him;
He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs,
And carried our sorrows:
Yet we did esteem him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities:
The chastisement of our peace was upon him;
And with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned every one to his own way;
And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
Yet he opened not his mouth:
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,
So he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment:
And who shall declare his generation?
For he was cut off out of the land of the living:
For the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked,
And with the rich in his death;
Because he had done no violence,
Neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:
When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,
He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:
By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
For he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,
And he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
Because he hath poured out his soul unto death:
And he was numbered with the transgressors;
And he bare the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.
It would be seven hundred years before he appears on the shores of Galilee, but his life and career is not difficult to recognise. His purpose is made clear and the circumstance surrounding his suffering and death are very specific.
That he “shall grow up” tells us that he was born;
Turn all the way back to Isaiah 7:14 as we look to the sign which was spoken of to the house of David concerning him.
10 Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
11 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God;
Ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. 13 And he said,
Hear ye now, O house of David;
Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
And shall call his name Immanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat,
That he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good,
The land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
It was to be a miracle, that we can see, for it must have been a sign deeper that the deepest and higher than the highest, a sign the God alone can give.
It was a birth unique and never again repeated, that a virgin should conceive.
It would be a son, and his name will be “God with us”. (Immanuel)
This is that same God to whom John prepared in the wilderness a highway and desired to be baptised of him. It also gives a rough timing stating that the land will lose both Kings of the nation, the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. Both had occurred, both forsaken and never again to rise, all this done “before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good”
Turn forward to the ninth chapter for we are not only told that “he shall grow up” but that he would be a “tender plant” and given for a purpose; (Isa 9:6)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
And the government shall be upon his shoulder:
And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Again a child born, but now a son given, one with authority on his shoulder, the same one who gave judgment and truth to the isles.
Of interest are his names;
Wonderful, Not only from where he came from, for none knew, and herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, but also his miracles “and yet he hath opened mine eyes.” (jn 9:30)
Counseller, through whom came judgment and truth, and that in him was light and no darkness. He is indeed the light of men.
The mighty God, to whom the rough places where made plain and the crooked paths straight, a highway for him to the people.
The everlasting Father, a name difficult to comprehend unless the father and son are one.
The Prince of Peace. He that was promised by the provider of peace.
But put all of those names together and we are amazed as to whom it must describe! A child born, a son given, who has all authority and who is not only named Wonderful and Councilor, but THE MIGHY GOD? THE EVERLASTING FATHER? THE PRINCE OF PEACE? But who was to think that the Provision of the Prince of Peace would be ultimately attained by his death?
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Cor 2:8)
But there we have it;
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities:
The chastisement of our peace was upon him;
And with his stripes we are healed.
THE PROGRAM OF PEACE
Isaiah now having reached all the way from the birth of Christ to his death, moves quickly forward through understanding the PROGRAM OF PEACE; and how might true peace be ultimately attained?
The most difficult and yet most simple way ever;
REPENTANCE
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save;
Neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,
And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Here it is clear, though the way of peace is shown, though the way of understanding is given, the ears are heavy and they cannot hear, why?
There is a separation between man and God, sin that has hid his face from them.
59: 8 The way of peace they know not;
And there is no judgment in their goings:
They have made them crooked paths:
Whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.
9 Therefore is judgment far from us,
Neither doth justice overtake us:
We wait for light, but behold obscurity;
For brightness, but we walk in darkness.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind,
And we grope as if we had no eyes:
We stumble at noonday as in the night;
We are in desolate places as dead men.
11 We roar all like bears,
And mourn sore like doves:
We look for judgment, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far off from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before thee,
And our sins testify against us:
For our transgressions are with us;
And as for our iniquities, we know them;
13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord,
And departing away from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 And judgment is turned away backward,
And justice standeth afar off:
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
This describes the world even today, though God has made the provision, though the Prince of Peace has come and yet they the world has turned its back and TRUTH HAS FALLEN IN THE STREET.
Isaiah reaches not only through the life and death of Christ but deep into the Church age until we come to today and this is a picture of today. Turn forward to chapter 61 as we rush through these last scenes;
61The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me;
Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;
He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
To give unto them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they might be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the waste cities,
The desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
Some of this we recognise, we recall Jesus standing in the synagogue and reading that first portion in Luke 14:18-19 but we also notice that he stops abruptly at the end of the first line in the second verse;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
Where we have a comma in Isaiah, we have a full stop in Luke. Why?
Because Christ did not at that time come to proclaim “The day of vengeance of our God” but to proclaim liberty. From the day Jesus spoke those words to The day of vengeance of our God is separated by a comma. My dear friends that Comma has lasted almost 2,000 years.
But Isaiah reaches deeper and through that vengeful day, that day of tribulation and speaks about comforting them that mourn for it (v’s 2 & 3), building upon the old wastes and raising from the desolations, repairing the waste cities (v4) to the blessing that will come upon them as they are served by strangers (v5).
Isaiah touches on many things in the next few chapters of that time going back and froth between descriptions of tribulation to that which pertains to Gods people Israel.
And then Chapter 65 speaks to conditions during an age that follows that time of Jacobs trouble, that time of tribulation.
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days,
Nor an old man that hath not filled his days:
For the child shall die an hundred years old;
But the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them;
And they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabit;
They shall not plant, and another eat:
For as the days of a tree are the days of my people,
And mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labour in vain,
Nor bring forth for trouble;
For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord,
And their offspring with them.
24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer;
And while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
And the lion shall eat straw like the bullock:
And dust shall be the serpent’s meat.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.
Hiking revisit
Our hike through life has in it many wonderful times, times where we might rest and enjoy the scenery. But it also has times of trails, some of which leaves us exasperated.
But as those who trust in the comfort given by Christ alone, we have the consolation through our journey that it will end with him.
Many are the trials faced by the world and many we will see them suffer through, but in the midst the Lord has made a highway in the wilderness, a road that leads directly to him and his peace.
His provision was given in Jesus Christ, there is comfort in no other. God has shown himself able to fulfill all he has spoken, the world is evidence of all he has testified against them.
Therefore you have confidence that he alone is your Prince of Peace, comfort and consolation you will find in no other.
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