When I considered last week’s readings, I focused my comments on how the themes of each chapter would seem to veer from one extreme to another — Isaiah would write of the judgment of God falling on unfaithful Israel or its enemies in graphic, sensationalistic terms, with the next chapter suddenly shifting to a focus on God’s mercy, and how there was hope for the faithful remnant of God’s people. But here, after a brief pause for some narrative history in chapters 36-39, we find a complete change in tone and theme for the book of Isaiah.
When examining any lengthy literary work, it’s often illuminating to step back and try and consider the concept as a whole, whether a book, poem, or stage play. We can try to learn what a group of people is like by studying the region where they live. If we have a map of the small town they call home, it certainly helps us to get a sense of what it's like to live there, perhaps discover the details of a family’s life. Get a sense of what the neighbors are like. Begin to understand their day-to-day lives, their hopes, their dreams. But if we can widen the lens, unfold the map, we understand the small town is part of a larger region. Understanding the town’s place in the cultural construct of the region gives us a better picture of who the people really are as we see how they are similar, and how they are different from the people of the rest of the region. And that lens can continue to get wider; we start to that small town situated as part of a county, or a state, or a multi-state region, and ultimately, of the United States. If we want to truly understand everything about that small town, we need to see it in the context of each of these ever-larger circles that have an impact on its culture and history.
It’s the same thing with the Bible. Particularly with such a massive work as the book of Isaiah, we need to “fly over” in order to get a “50,000 foot view,” so to speak.
If you look at the entirety of Isaiah, it can clearly be divided into two parts. The first 39 chapters are often referred to by biblical scholars as the “Book of Judgment,” and chapters 44-66 are the “Book of Consolation.”
Like me, I’m sure as you read through the first 39 chapters, it seemed like Isaiah couldn’t make up his mind. Two divergent concepts vied for prominence, and we went back and forth — the commitment of God to harshly judge Israel and the nations around it, contrasted with the promise of redemption through the coming of the Messiah.
But looking at chapters 1-39 as a whole, a theme does emerge. The bouncing back and forth between harsh judgment and hopeful redemption shows us that Isaiah’s vision is forward-looking. For the most part, the judgment he speaks of is yet to occur. God’s justice demands that the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem be judged for the people’s unfaithfulness to God, and they must be cleansed of evil. Isaiah sees devastating destruction coming in the form of invading armies, the city burning, the people slaughtered. But the repeated reference to the awful “day of the Lord” also has a ray of hope, that after all the destruction, there will be restoration for Jerusalem, for Judah, even for all the nations under the rule of a coming king, the Messiah. Through most of the first 39 chapters, Assyria is the major threat. But in chapter 39 there is the warning to King Hezekiah of a coming, unavoidable judgment — the rise of Babylon, the destruction of the temple, and the exile.
Chapter 40 sets the tone for a complete paradigm shift. This change is not as jarring as the whip-saw shifts between promises of first judgment and then blessing that sometimes seemed incompatible. But part of the confusion in those difficult shifts in tone comes from a lack of reality. The prophecies laid out in much of the first 39 chapters had not yet occurred. Judgment had not yet come. But the language that opens chapter 40 indicates that God’s people are on the other side of that judgment.
In the millimeter of space on the page of your bible that goes from the end of chapter 39 to the beginning of chapter 40, 170 years or so have passed. The prophetic warning Isaiah presented to King Hezekiah regarding his descendants has been fulfilled in spades. The fiery and ferocious judgments Isaiah projected in all the passages where he lamented about the “day of the Lord” have actually come to pass — the temple has been destroyed, the walls of Jerusalem are breached, the city lies in ruins, the countryside is a wasteland. The majority of the people of Judah were taken captive and have lived in exile in the heart of the pagan empire that had brought the nation so low. Although Isaiah would not live to see any of this, his predictions that Judah’s sin would result in the Babylonian captivity would indeed come true. Beginning in chapter 40, Isaiah gives us a new prophetic vision and theme, and it’s God’s restoration AFTER this horrible, horrible judgment.
The concept of Isaiah’s prophecies having multiple applications also remains. In the first 39 chapters, the prophet’s predictions of fiery judgment had immediate application — his warnings to King Ahaz in chapters 7 and 10 about the threats from Syria and the Northern Kingdom of Israel were realized when the Assyrians swept in and destroyed those nations. But those same prophecies also foretold of the eventual destruction of Assyria after Isaiah’s time, the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile by the Babylonians a generation later, yet also foreshadowed the nation’s return from exile, the coming of the Messiah in Jesus, and his ultimate victory through his death and resurrection — thus, even seeing into our lives today, and the future return of Christ at the end of the age.
Even the prophecies about the Messiah seemed to have both current and future implications in the same vision. For example, in Isaiah 7:14, the sign Isaiah promises to King Ahaz is a virgin will give birth to a son named Immanuel. Immediately following in chapter 8, Isaiah’s wife gives birth to a son, who also received a prophetic name that had implications for God’s people. Many biblical critics see Isaiah’s son as the fulfillment of 7:14. In light of the immediate circumstance, I don’t think they’re wrong. But we know that because the gospels specifically connect the prophecy to the birth of Jesus, Isaiah’s vision meant much more.
Starting in chapter 40, the same concept repeats. Before it even happens, Isaiah is seeing the return of the exiles and the beginning of the restoration of Israel. As we shall see, Isaiah also indicates the Messiah is coming, but the implication is much more immediate — there is a sense that the Messiah is connected to the immediate restoration. And I have to give a spoiler alert — there will indeed be the kind of immediate application of these messianic prophecies like the one we saw back in chapters 7 and 8. The coming chapters speak of how God will make Jerusalem the center of his worldwide rule through a royal savior/Messiah who will destroy the oppressor. The immediate application is the Persian King, Cyrus the Great. In chapter 45, he is identified as the Lord’s “anointed” (the same term used to describe the Messiah). He is the agent God will use at that time in history to punish Babylon, bring about the return of the exiles, and the rebuilding of the Jerusalem and the temple. But of course, the language Isaiah uses indicates a much more far-reaching meaning, as the New Testament testifies that these prophecies all are ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
Chapter 40 opens with one of the most beautiful phrases in scripture. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Side note: For me, as a lover of classical music, whenever I read this, it conjures up the beautiful setting of these words by George Frederick Handel in his oratorio, “Messiah,” which uses a light, lovely sustained orchestral arrangement beneath the tenor soloist. I performed that aria back in my college days, and that music, combined with the word of God, leaves a deep impression on my soul.). Isaiah’s repeat of the word “comfort,” as a double imperative, is saying “comfort greatly,” that is, give as much comfort as can be given. In v.2, the words translated as “speak tenderly” also mean to greatly encourage. I envision a parent with an infant in their arms, gently and lovingly conveying their love for the child, providing both physical and emotional comfort, with the reality of that love providing encouragement.
Verse 2 also indicates that the horrible judgments Isaiah spoke of in chapters 1-39 have already occurred. The “hard service” (implying the bondage of the exile) has “been completed.” “Sin has been paid for.” The people have already received “double” the punishment for their sins. And while there is an immediate fulfillment of this prophecy for the returning exiles, there is application for all of us in the here and now, as this describes the restoration any one of us comes into in a relationship with Jesus the Messiah.
Verse 3 starts with “a voice,” a metaphorical concept Isaiah will repeat in verses 6 and 9. Verse 3’s voice is in the wilderness. This implies a word that comes as the exiles are on the journey home, as they pass through the desert wastelands between Babylon and Israel. When the voice says “prepare the way of the Lord,” it literally means to clear the obstacles away. The language in verses 3-4 are presented in the style of ancient Near Eastern cultures for the sending representatives ahead to prepare the way for the visit of a monarch. It is a picture of preparing a processional highway for the Lord’s coming to Jerusalem.
Verse 3’s mention of a highway harkens back to other references to the same sort of thing we’ve already seen in Isaiah. 11:16 speaks of a highway that will serve as a pathway of deliverance from the Assyrian oppression and compares it to the path Israel took coming out of Egypt. 35:8 has a more royal and messianic tone, telling of a highway that will serve God’s people as the “Way of Holiness.” I have always pictured this highway that this “voice” is calling to “make straight in desert” as being like a newly minted, fully paved, modern interstate type highway that cuts through what otherwise would be impassible desert territory.
The Gospels connect the “voice” of verse 3 to John the Baptist, and the setting of the “wilderness” had the people of Christ’s time who were impatiently waiting for the Messiah (a clear indication that the Jewish people never believed Cyrus was supposed to be the Messiah!) looking for a sign, for the “voice,” in desert settings. John the Baptist fit the bill.
(Side note: As John the Baptist ultimately fulfilled this prophecy, it cannot be avoided that the key element for “preparing the way for the Lord,” for clearing a path to get to the Messiah, is repentance!!)
Verse 5 tells us that “the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.” At one level, God fulfills this through King Cyrus, who serves as the means for Babylon to be defeated and brings the people of Israel home while the rest of the world is watching. Ultimately the glory of the redeeming God, expressed so lovingly towards his people here, would be seen in the coming of Jesus Christ, both in the unfolding of his birth, life, death, and resurrection, but also when he comes again at the end of age.
Verse 6 gives us the second “voice,” a herald that proclaims that the worldly powers like Assyria and Babylon will ultimately fail; only God’s word stands true forever (This is quoted in 1 Peter 1:24-25.)!
The third voice begins to sound in verse 9. This is different, though. The first voice (the one we identify with John the Baptist) is basically saying “get ready, the Lord is coming!” The second voice speaks to how the Lord’s coming will overcome all opposition. But starting in verse 9, it seems the Lord has now come!
The context in which the first two voices are presented indicate there is only one person speaking. But here, the command to speak is aimed at the multitude, who will join in the loud acclimation that welcomes the Messiah! This makes it all so very, very personal, as each one is a witness to and can be a receiver of the amazing things described in vv. 10-20.
Then, in v. 21, the concept of listening to a voice is again emphasized. “Have you not heard?” “Has it not been told?” Then the majesty, authority, and power of the Lord is laid out, first as creator and keeper of the earth (v.21-22), and then his oversight of humanity (vv. 23-24). God declares to his people that the proof of the reality of God has always been right before their eyes. In the creation, yes, but also in his tenderhearted care of the creation (v.26).
Verse 27 shows us the people of God in the aftermath of all the judgment Isaiah said would come. They have no hope. “My way is hidden from the Lord, my cause is disregarded.” While this is a hopeless complaint relating to the people’s plight, the judgment laid upon them was just. They are languishing in exile because of sin and disobedience, so the fault is theirs, not God’s.
But then in v. 28, the Lord’s comfort, the tenderness, the restoration expressed by the first voice here in Chapter 40 begins to be poured out. This is a foundational part of the change in tone and focus. In the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, the current good-standing and future restoration of God’s people seems tied to the covenant; that is, to obedience and compliance with God’s law. Starting in Isaiah 40, we still have the covenant, but the outpouring of God’s comfort and the restoration of his people seems based solely on his LOVE for them. Even those who have violated the covenant, and, as we shall see, even the foreign nations, even the former enemies of God, are all brought into the Kingdom under the reign of the Messiah.
The chapter closes with v. 31: “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” The word for “renew” here can also be translated as “exchange.” I’ve always interpreted this concept, in light of the reference to the stamina of “youths” and “young men” in v. 30, that this “renewal” of our strength would be like an older man having the stamina of his youth restored. The reference to the eagle helps confirm that — the eagle lives a lot longer than other wild animals and keeps its strength into old age. But when “renew” also means “exchange,” this means something more. It’s not just finding the vigor of youth again, or even sustaining it (for those of you who are young and find it difficult to imagine your energy waning with age), but we trade our weakness and weariness for the strength and vitality of the Lord! Its supernatural renewal! That’s how you and I can soar like an eagle!
I’ll leave the commentary to chapters 41 and 42 to you folks. But I want to say one more thing about this shift in tone and theme from the first 39 chapters to the rest of the book of Isaiah. In my commentary, I always presume that Isaiah is the author of all 66 chapters of the book that bears his name. Bible scholars, over the last 250 years or so, have taken the sudden change starting in Chapter 40, which includes a change in writing style, to conclude that somebody other than Isaiah wrote chapters 40-66. Some go so far as to parse things out even more, and figure that as many as 5 or 6 different authors contributed to the book. The time of the writing is also debated. While most scholars might give in and admit that the first 39 chapters were likely written during Isaiah’s lifetime, they insist that the obvious recognition of the events of the exile, something no one who lived during Isaiah’s time would have known, means that chapters 40-66 had to have been written either at the end of the exilic period, or after the Jewish people had returned from exile.
I used to take a very flippant attitude about this sort of thing. When I was in college, and several of my roommates, who were studying to eventually become ministers in the Methodist Church, would debate what they were learning about the Bible with me, I said that I might be willing to accept the concept that the second half of Isaiah was written by someone else, but only if that person was Isaiah’s son “Duetero” (Isaiah 1-39 is often referred to by scholars as “Proto-Isaiah” and 40-66 is often referred to as “Duetero-Isaiah.).
But now, in the tiredness of my old age, I don’t think this debate matters much. If we believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, it shouldn’t matter whose name is on the book, and who wrote it. I actually find it more faith-affirming to believe that the different viewpoints of multiple authors are brought together under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to create a comprehensive whole. The other thing is that some folks insist that things are what they seem to be, and to even consider the concept that perhaps there is more than one author for the book of Isaiah (or any biblical book) is the first step on the slippery slope to declaring the Bible isn’t true. But from the cultural standpoint of Isaiah’s time, the religious leaders did not regard it as inappropriate to supplement an existing work while remaining anonymous to honor and protect the memory and tradition of the person whose name is attached to the work. I think this was true of the first 5 books of the Bible, traditionally attributed to Moses. Specifically, Deuteronomy 34:5-6 reports on the death of Moses and his burial. If all of Deuteronomy is attributed to the authorship of Moses, I don’t think you can argue that Moses wrote chapter 34. As for Isaiah, scholars note that during the time the people were in Babylon, there was a movement among the exiled priests of the temple to preserve the messages and preaching of Isaiah (who is traditionally considered to have been of priestly lineage himself). So, it's quite possible that these anonymous priests took concepts originally attributed to Isaiah and incorporated them into a post-exilic narrative. Regardless, I believe it's all Holy Spirit inspired, and part of God’s eternal and holy word.
