God’s Salvation Proclaimed (Isaiah 40:1–11) ~ Set Free Through God’s Salvation and Greatness (Isaiah 40:1-31)

God’s Salvation Proclaimed (vv. 1–11)

“Comfort, yes, comfort my people,” says your God. ²“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and tell her that her sad days are gone. Her sins are pardoned, and I have punished her in full for all her sins.”

³Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a road for the Lord through the wilderness; make him a straight, smooth road through the desert. ⁴Fill the valleys; level the hills; straighten out the crooked paths, and smooth off the rough spots in the road. ⁵The glory of the Lord will be seen by all mankind together.” The Lord has spoken—it shall be.

⁶The voice says, “Shout!”

“What shall I shout?” I asked.

“Shout that man is like the grass that dies away, and all his beauty fades like dying flowers. ⁷The grass withers and the flower fades beneath the breath of God. And so, it is with fragile man. ⁸The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.”

⁹O crier of good news, shout to Jerusalem from the mountaintops! Shout louder—don’t be afraid—tell the cities of Judah, “Your God is coming!” ¹⁰Yes, the Lord God is coming with mighty power; he will rule with awesome strength. See, his reward is with him, to each as he has done. ¹¹He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will carry the lambs in his arms and gently lead the ewes with young.^[1] (Isaiah 40:1-11) 

God’s Greatness Proclaimed (Isaiah 40:12-31)

¹²Who else has held the oceans in his hands and measured off the heavens with his ruler? Who else knows the weight of all the earth and weighs the mountains and the hills? ¹³Who can advise the Spirit of the Lord or be his teacher or give him counsel? ¹⁴Has he ever needed anyone’s advice? Did he need instruction as to what is right and best? ¹⁵No, for all the peoples of the world, are nothing in comparison with him—they are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all. ¹⁶All of Lebanon’s forests do not contain sufficient fuel to consume a sacrifice large enough to honor him, nor are all its animals enough to offer to our God. ¹⁷All the nations are as nothing to him; in his eyes, they are less than nothing—mere emptiness and froth.

¹⁸How can we describe God? With what can we compare him? ¹⁹With an idol? An idol made from a mold, overlaid with gold, and with silver chains around its neck? ²⁰The man too poor to buy expensive gods like that will find a tree, free from rot and hire a man to carve a face on it, and that’s his God—a god that cannot even move!

²¹Are you so ignorant? Are you so deaf to the words of God—the words he gave before the world began? Have you never heard nor understood? ²²It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. (The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers!) He is the one who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. ²³He dooms the great men of the world and brings them all to naught. ²⁴They hardly get started, barely take root, when he blows on them and their work withers, and the wind carries them off like straw.

²⁵“With whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.

²⁶Look up into the heavens! Who created all these stars? As a shepherd leads his sheep,^a calling each by its pet name, and counts them to see that none are lost or strayed, so God does with stars and planets!

²⁷O Jacob, O Israel, how can you say that the Lord doesn’t see your troubles and isn’t being fair? ²⁸Don’t you yet understand? Don’t you know by now that the everlasting God, the Creator of the farthest parts of the earth, never grows faint or weary? No one can fathom the depths of his understanding. ²⁹He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. ³⁰Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up. ³¹But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.^[2] 

Set Free Through God’s Salvation and Greatness 

All Of Us Go Through Difficult Times in Our Lives. For some of us, the instances are few and far between, and the issues are not that serious. But for others of us, the difficulties are almost constant, and their nature is very serious, sometimes even life-threatening. When circumstances are overwhelming and the outlook is totally bleak, what can we do? To whom can we turn? Is there any hope? The resounding answer is “Yes!” 

In God’s Word, We Find the Most Wonderful and Encouraging News: God promises to set His people free from their world of hardships and heavy burdens, from their captivity and enslavements by the wicked of this world. He also promises to walk with true believers through every trial and misfortune they experience. But He not only walks with His people through their trials, but He also brings them through victoriously. So, no matter what grips a person’s life, he or she can be liberated by God’s salvation. God will rescue or deliver His people from whatever forces hold them in bondage or hold them down. This is the wonderful message of the present Scripture. 

At the time Isaiah wrote this wonderful message of salvation, he knew that the Jews were facing 160 plus very difficult years. For about 93 years, they would witness a stream of unparalleled wickedness flow through their nation, a stream that would gain momentum and rush madly to its inevitable end, the fall of their nation to Babylon. They would then be deported and spend 70 long years scattered throughout the Babylon Empire. They were to suffer the unbearable discrimination and hardship of a subjected, enslaved people. 

Thus, Encouragement—A Deep Sense of God’s Care and Comfort—Would Be Desperately Needed During These Long, Difficult Years. The people needed to trust God, to believe in His glorious promise of deliverance. They needed to live righteously and godly as they looked forward to the day of their redemption by the Savior. Within their hearts, they needed to keep alive the hope of God’s salvation, the hope that He would deliver them from their captivity and lead them back to Judah, the promised land of God. To keep their hope alive, the Lord stirred Isaiah to preach this much-needed message: this is, Set Free Through God’s Salvation and Greatness, 40:1–31. 

God’s Salvation Proclaimed (Isaiah40:1–11) 

God’s People Are Set Free Through the Proclamation of His Salvation. God will deliver His people from captivity. No matter what enemy holds them in bondage, He will set them free. Salvation is the wonderful message now being proclaimed by God Himself. And note this fact: four voices altogether proclaim the message of God’s salvation. A wonderful hope is being offered to those who are facing terrible trials and who are being held captive by cruel enemies. Note the four voices and the message each proclaims: 

A. The First Voice Is That of God. He Cries Out, “Comfort, Comfort My People” (V. 1). As His people walked through the coming hardships and captivity, the Lord wanted them to be comforted. He loved them from the depths of His being, so He reached out to them in empathy, with intense compassion. He wanted His people aroused to trust Him, confessing their sins and casting their lives totally upon Him. He wanted them to worship, obey, and walk-in fellowship with Him throughout their lives. True comfort of the soul comes only from the Lord. This comfort includes deep spiritual rest, a rest of assurance that one’s life is in God’s hands. To the righteous believer, God will give strength and courage to bear whatever lies ahead, working all things out for good (Ro. 8:28). Even if the righteous believer dies due to the trial confronting him, he knows (has assurance) that God will immediately transfer him into His presence—quicker than the eye can blink. 

The Jews Would Desperately Need This Deep-Seated Comfort of Soul in The Coming Years. Their suffering would at times be almost unbearable. Every discouraging thought and emotion that a person could experience would hit them. Imagine what it would be like to see the military defenses of one’s nation wiped out and all the major cities and land utterly devastated, as well as multiplied thousands of citizens abused, raped, and slaughtered. In addition to this horrifying sight, the Jewish survivors were to be taken captive and deported to other nations throughout the Babylonian empire. This was the terrible trial Isaiah foresaw lying ahead for the Jews. Understandably, facing such a dismal future would cause many to become deeply distressed and discouraged. They would lose all hope for the future. Even some righteous believers would question God, wondering why He would allow them to suffer so much. Some would even be tempted to distrust the Lord’s promises and give up their faith. 

Thus, to prepare His people for the coming trials, God cried out, “Comfort, comfort my people.” The double comfort stresses the importance and urgency of getting the message out, for the people would be desperate, suffering indescribable and terrifying trials. 

In Proclaiming the Comfort of God, The Prophets Were To “Speak Tenderly to Jerusalem,” Demonstrating God’s Compassion and Kindness. God’s heart reached out with tender feelings for His people. To speak tenderly means to speak to the hearts of the people, to place God’s comfort right next to the hearts of the people who suffer. Two words of comfort were to be shared with the people. 

1)      Their Warfare—Hardship and Demanding Circumstances—Was Complete (v. 2). The Hebrew literally reads warfare, which refers to the difficult trials the Jews suffered during their captivity. In predicting that the warfare was over, the Lord was promising the release of the Jews and their return to the promised land of Judah. Through Isaiah, the Lord predicted that the harsh rigors of the Jews’ captivity would soon be over. Just imagine what comfort this would be to the righteous believers who lived during the Babylonian captivity. Their struggle against the cruel Babylonians would come to an end. The day of their deliverance was at hand. God Himself gave them this assurance. They could rest in His Word and be comforted in this wonderful promise. 

2)      Their Sins Were Pardoned and Forgiven. What a glorious assurance for God’s people! Down through the centuries, the Israelites had committed terrible sins against the Lord. The cup of their iniquity was full, overflowing with horrible evil, the evil of …

Ø  immorality

Ø  drunkenness

Ø  pride

Ø  abuse

Ø  lawlessness

Ø  violence

Ø  idolatry

Ø  hypocrisy

Ø  empty formal worship (1:11–15)

Ø  unbelief and distrust

Ø  ridicule of God’s Word

Ø  mockery and persecution of God’s people 

Since The Days of Moses, God’s Prophets Had Warned the People: If They Turned Against the Lord and Walked in Unrighteousness, They Would Face His Judgment (see Le. 26:14–39, esp. 31–39; De. 28:15–68). God allowed the collapse of Judah and the Babylonian captivity as a means of judgment to arouse the Jews to repent. Isaiah was predicting that their suffering would stir some of the people to turn back to God, to cry out for His help. These would repent of their sins, and God would forgive them. 

In the future, when the Jews found themselves in the midst of captivity, they could remember the prophecy of Isaiah. They could take great hope in the promise of God: their captivity—warfare, hard service in Babylon—would end, and their sins would be forgiven. Of course, it was understood that repentance, turning back to God, was the prerequisite for forgiveness (Le. 26:40–42; Is. 55:7; Eze. 18:21).

V  “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (Jn. 8:34–36).

V  “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Ro. 6:16–18).

V  “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Ro. 6:20–23).

V  “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Ro. 7:23–25).

V  “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ep. 1:7).

V  “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Ti. 2:24–26).

V  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

V  “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and I will not remember thy sins” (Is. 43:25).

V  “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee” (Is. 44:22).

V  “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy” (Mi. 7:18). 

 

B. The Second Voice Is Human, Probably the Prophet Isaiah Himself (Vv. 3–5). The cry of this voice is wonderful news: prepare the way for the Lord, for He is soon coming. This is a picture of the Near East custom of sending ambassadors ahead of a king to announce His coming. A king’s visit to an area was a cause for great celebration. Enormous preparations would be made. Either a special road would be built or an existing roadway upgraded and readied for the monarch’s appearance. Preparations always included leveling the roadway by filling in the valleys, lowering the hills, and straightening out the crooked sections. All obstacles that lay in the roadway would be removed. 

With The Lord’s Announced Coming, The People Were to Make the Most Careful Preparations. Specifically, what?

Ø  They were to straighten out their lives and remove all crooked, unrighteous behavior.

V  “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:12–13).

Ø  They were to level out the paths of their lives: be faithful and consistent, riding smoothly over all the valleys and mountains, the ups and downs of life, with confident and righteous behavior.

V  “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (He. 12:12–17). 

A Wonderful Promise Was Given to Those Who Prepared for The Lord’s Coming: God’s Glory Would Be Revealed to Them (V. 5). All mankind would see His glory. Scripture applies this passage to the ministry of John the Baptist, saying that he is the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ. John is the one who prepared the way for the Messiah’s coming to earth (Jn. 1:19–34). But in reality, the prophecy applies to every human being of every generation. We all must prepare for the coming of the Lord. In Isaiah’s day, the Jews needed to prepare for the Lord’s coming to deliver them from Babylonian captivity. Whereas in John’s day, the people needed to prepare by doing exactly what he preached: repent and be baptized, for the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world was soon coming. Today, people need to prepare by staying alert and watching for the Lord’s return. We must be thoughtful, living righteous, godly lives, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Tit. 2:12–13).

V  “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Lu. 3:3).

V  “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Lu. 13:3).

V  “And said unto them; thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Lu. 24:46–47).

V  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Ac. 2:38).

V  “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Ac. 3:19).

V  “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chr. 7:14).

V  “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Is. 55:7).

V  “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Eze. 18:21). 

C. The Third Voice Is God Speaking to Isaiah Directly, Instructing the Prophet to Simply Cry Out (vv. 6–8). Somewhat puzzled, Isaiah asked what message he was to proclaim. In response, the Lord instructed him to contrast the difference between people and God. Isaiah was to proclaim …

Ø  that people and their glory, like grass and beautiful flowers, wither and fade away quickly

Ø  that God and His Word are eternal, strong, and unfailing 

With So Many Problems Confronting the People of Isaiah’s Day, The Future Looked Bleak and Hopeless. No person or body of leaders had the strength to save them from their enemies. But God could. All He had to do was speak the Word of judgment, and the very breath of His Word would blow away His people’s oppressive enemies. 

Whereas Human Life Is Ever So Short Compared to Eternity, God and His Word Stand Forever (Vv. 7–8). People age, deteriorate, fail, and die, but God’s promises are eternal: sure, enduring, lasting forever. God’s Word is imperishable, never withering. God’s Word will be fulfilled, proven, and verified through all the years of time and also of eternity. Consequently, God’s people can trust God’s Word. Far from being hopeless, they can have great hope in the future, for God will fulfill His wonderful promises. He will deliver His people from their captivity, their oppressors, and their hardships. The great day is coming when God’s people will be set free. No matter what they are facing, God’s people—those who truly trust Him and His Word—will be set free to return and live in the promised land of God.

V  “For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Mt. 5:18).

V  “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away” (Lu. 21:33).

V  “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Co. 1:9).

V  “But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away” (Js. 1:10).

V  “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away” (1 Pe. 1:24).

V  “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations” (De. 7:9).

V  “Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: there hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant” (1 K. 8:56).

V  “For He remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again” (Ps. 78:39).

V  “Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth” (Ps. 90:5–6).

V  “Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, forever” (Ps. 93:5).

V  “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more” (Ps. 103:15–16).

V  “The works of His hands are verity and judgment; all His commandments are sure” (Ps. 111:7).

V  “I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass” (Is. 51:12).

V  “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Is. 64:6).

V  “For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God” (Eze. 12:25). 

D. The Fourth Voice Is That of Righteous Believers, All Within Jerusalem (Zion) Who Truly Believe and Follow the Lord. They Are to Proclaim the Good News of God’s Salvation, His Deliverance (Vv. 9–11). The message is so important that it must be shared with everyone. True believers must climb the mountains so their voices will be carried far and wide as they proclaim the good news. And they must not fear rejection of the message or persecution.

Ø  They must not be cowardly by shrinking back from proclaiming the good news.

Ø  They must not tone down or soften the demand of God for true belief and repentance in order to be saved and rescued by Him. 

The Good News Is Not to Be Twisted into A Lie, Making Everyone Acceptable to God. God declares that only those who genuinely believe and follow Him will be saved. Three facts about God are to be loudly proclaimed. 

1)      The Righteous Believer Is to Fearlessly Proclaim the Coming of God to Save His People from Their Captivity (V. 9). In Isaiah’s day, the Lord had come to His people in a marvelous way, rescuing them from the terrifying threat of the Assyrians (36:1–37:38). But here Isaiah is giving a wonderful promise to all of God’s people. In the future, when they are held captive by oppressive enemies, the Lord will come to the rescue. He will step forth, appear in their midst, and deliver them. Based upon Scripture, Isaiah’s prophecy has a fourfold application. 

First, the Lord was promising to come to deliver the Jewish believers from the Babylonian captivity. Although this event lay out in the future, Isaiah foresaw God’s wonderful deliverance of His people from their bondage (Is. 52:7–11; 2 Co. 6:17–18). 

Second, the Lord was promising to come in the person of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Through Christ, God promised to rescue His people from Satan, setting them free from sin, death, and hell. Isaiah foresaw the salvation of God coming in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (Is. 9:6–7). 

Third, the coming of the Lord also refers to the second coming of Christ, the time when He will return to set up God’s kingdom on earth. In that day the Lord will establish righteousness and justice on the earth. He will deliver His people from all the wickedness and injustices of evil people and nations (Is. 11:1–5; 16:5; Ps. 67:4). 

Fourth, the Lord was promising to come to rescue His people when they face a trial or threat from any enemy. His presence will guide His people through the trial, and His strength will empower them to withstand all hardships. God also assures His people of victory. He will make them more than conquerors. They will be triumphant, even over death itself (Ps. 44:5; Ro. 8:35; 8:37; 1 Jn. 5:4–5; He. 2:14–15). 

2)      The Righteous Believer Is to Be Fearless in Proclaiming Not Only That the Lord Is Coming, But Also That the Lord Is Coming in Power. The Lord will raise His arm in a symbol of glorious power and strike down all the enemies who defy God and oppose His people. God’s mighty power will rescue the people who truly believe and follow Him. As a mighty conqueror, the Lord will use His power to redeem His people. Most likely this is a picture of the future Messianic kingdom, the time when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to set up the kingdom of God on earth. In that day He will defeat all the enemies who stand opposed to God and His people. Through the exercise of His mighty power, the Lord will remove all unbelievers from the face of the earth. Only the righteous will be left as citizens of God’s kingdom. The Lord will reward all His people with the blessings of God’s kingdom. But the wicked will be rewarded with judgment (Is. 43:10; 62:6; 63:7; 2 Ti. 1:7–10). 

3)      The Righteous Believer Is to Fearlessly Proclaim God’s Tender Care for His People (V. 11). God is the shepherd of all who belong to Him (Ps. 80:1). And Jesus Christ is the good shepherd (Jn. 10:11).¹ The Lord is not only the God of justice and judgment, but He is also the God of love, compassion, and mercy. As a shepherd cares for the sheep of His flock, so the Lord cares for His people. He gathers them in His arms and holds them close to His heart. He feeds them, providing nourishment and growth. And He leads them, protecting and showing them the way to go.

V  “And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning” (Jn. 15:27).

V  “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Ac. 4:20).

V  “Go, stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought” (Ac. 5:20–21).

V  “And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him” (Ac. 5:32).

V  “And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard” (Ac. 22:14–15).

V  “We having the same spirit of faith, according to as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” (2 Co. 4:13).

V  “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Ti. 1:8).

V  “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee” (Tit. 2:15).

V  “Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me, there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me” (Is. 43:10).

V  “I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He hath bestowed on them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses” (Is. 63:7).^[3]

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^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^a 40:26  As a shepherd leads his sheep, implied.

^[2] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

v. verse

¹ Matthew Henry. Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Vol.4. (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Co., n.d.), p. 214.

^[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 

https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ISA.40.1-31.NLT

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