The Preparation for the Savior
Isaiah 40
In your time we have the opportunity to move not only toward the rich society and the powerful society but upward to the Great Society.”
President Lyndon B. Johnson spoke those words at the
A rich society? They were refugees whose land and holy city were in ruins.
A powerful society? Without king or army, they were weak and helpless before the nations around them.
A great society? They had been guilty of great rebellion against God and had suffered great humiliation and chastening. They faced a great challenge but lacked great human resources.
That is why the prophet told them to get their eyes off themselves and look by faith to the great God who loved them and promised to do great things for them. “Be not afraid!” he admonished them. “Behold your God!” (40:9)
From Isaiah 40, we hear five ways that God can encourage us in our faith that he is the Savior.
We hear God’s voice through…
1. His Glory (3-5)
Exodus 16:6-10 (The Message)
6 Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, “This evening you will know that it is God who brought you out of
Habakkuk (The Message)
14 Meanwhile the earth fills up with awareness of God’s glory as the waters cover the sea.
What does it mean that the glory of the Lord will be revealed?
This may mean the end of time when God brings things to an end. And when He ends injustice and provides salvation for His people. So do we see glimpses of this in a world that is marred by abuse, violence, greed, lies, and deceit. Yes, I believe we are able to see the glimpses of God’s glory on a daily basis.
· It may take the form of a great conversation with a spouse or a friend. We catch a glimpse of God’s glory by enjoying a healthy relationship.
· It may be seeing a couple reconcile differences and come back together. That is a glimpse of God’s glory.
· Maybe it is watching a little child play with the dog or run and play in the yard. That may be a glimpse of God’s glory to come.
· Glimpses of God’s glory are all around us. We may not take the time to enjoy them.
2. His Word (6-8)
Look at Isaiah 55:11
1 Peter 1:22-25 (NLT)
22 Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts. 23 For you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 24 As the prophet says, “People are like grass that dies away; their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of wildflowers. The grass withers, and the flowers fall away. 25 But the word of the Lord will last forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
I can still remember learning those words at Maranatha Bible Camp growing up!
Earlier in the gospel accounts Jesus preaches a sermon calling for total surrender and everyone leaves, but the twelve disciples. Jesus says to them, “You don’t wan to leave too, do you?” Peter, the same person who wrote those words that we read earlier quoting Isaiah said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6.68).
Do you believe God’s Word has the power to change your life and provide you with the necessary guidance for life? Can I tell you something, there is a reason you show up here on Sunday mornings. One reason, maybe the main reason you come on Sunday mornings is to hear a word from the Lord. You believe the Bible is a reliable and life changing guide. When I get up to preach, you want to hear the Bible. What would happen if I got up some Sunday morning and did not read or quote one Bible verse? Maybe I found a neat thing in TIME magazine or the newspaper and spent the entire time on that with no reference to God’s plan to save the world through Jesus Christ. What would happen, well one, it would be a very empty worship service. In fact, I get queezy thinking about it. The elders would call an emergency meeting and confront me and/or fire me. You see God’s Word is one very clear area that separates us from nearly every other group in the world.
God’s power changes lives and provides encouragement. And we are blessed to have the opportunity to read it as often as we like. Please take advantage of the gift that God has given you through His word.
3. His Strength (9-11)
Forteen different contexts in Isaiah in his use of “arm.” While looking back describing the arm of the Lord saving people in the past, Isaiah looks forward to show that same arm will bring God’s people out a second time (DBI, p. 43, “arm).
See Isaiah 59:16-18. In this passage of Isaiah, truth is nowhere to be found (Is. 59:15), and no one is doing right. Thus, God takes matters into His own hands. Literally, by his arms, his strength He acts.
While God will do whatever necessary to right any wrongs and take action against sin and injustice, He is still maintains a tender strength when we read Isaiah 40:11, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lamps in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”
He is strong enough to reward those who follow Him.
Isaiah 62:11 (NLT)
11 The Lord has sent this message to every land: “Tell the people of
4. His Creation (12-14, 21-26)
From Isaiah 40:12-14, we are reminded that “We can’t do that.”
From Isaiah 40:21-22, we are reminded that “God is bigger than us.”
From Isaiah 40:25-26, we are reminded that “God keeps the universe going.”
[Visual Aid Needs: one grape or one marble, one grapefruit or one softball, and one beach ball]
How vast is God’s universe? Pretend the earth was the size of a grape or marble. In proportion, the sun would be the size of a beach ball and would be 163 yards away—a little less that 2 football fields.
The largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter, would be about the size of a grapefruit, and it would be about five blocks up the road. What about the nearest star? In our scaled-down universe, the nearest star would still be 24,000 miles away.
If the earth were a grape, the Milky Way, reduced to a proportionate size, would still be 55 billion miles wide. And the universe if filled with other galaxies. Who can imagine the size of the universe? (From Robert J. Morgan’s Stories, Illustrations and Quotes…, p. 156).
Ever think God doesn’t care about you? Think about the greatness of the universe, the vast size of the universe filled with galaxies upon galaxies. Then remember, God knows me, created me and loves me.
5. His Presence (28-31)
“I can plod,” said William Carey, the father of modern missions. “That is my only genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.”
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. The greatest heroes of faith are not always those who seem to be soaring; often it is they who are patiently plodding. As we wait on the Lord, He enables us not only to fly higher and run faster, but also to walk longer. Blessed are the plodders, for they eventually arrive at their destination!
Main Idea God encourages us daily in a variety of ways. This encouragement should remind us of our eternal destination and our Savior.
In looking at all five of these areas:
His Glory—We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only (John )
His Word—In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1)
His Strength—Jesus was full of grace and truth (John , as well as being involved in creation).
His Creation—Through Him all things were made (John 1:3)
His Presence—Jesus made his dwelling among us (John )
All involve the action of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.
God has been preparing for the Savior. While
