Isaiah 40-41
If you are acquainted with G. F. Handel’s “Messiah”, you are sure to recognize Isaiah 40:1-5,9,11. (Go ahead, have a listen!) But even if you are not a fan of baroque music, I’m betting several verses here sound familiar, because we find them quoted in the New Testament. For example, all four Gospels quote Isaiah 40:3 in reference to John the Baptist’s preparing the way for Christ. (Mt. 3:3; Mk. 1:3; Lk. 3:4; Jn. 1:23) That should tell us that while the exiles of Judah may well find comfort in these words after the destruction of Jerusalem, the LORD ultimately has a wider audience in view.
Reading through today’s chapters (especially those bits that may not be so familiar) one thing that strikes me is that the LORD’s message of hope and salvation is rooted entirely in Himself. He depends on no one. He is without equal. All else is trivial before Him. Idols are utterly worthless. He is the One Who raises up another conqueror (whom we will later learn is Cyrus the Great — Isaiah 44:28) to deal with Israel’s captors. He is the One Who declares all this ahead of time. There is no one else. There is only the LORD, the LORD alone.