How do you look at God? When you think about God, what do you think about? What characteristics about God come to your mind? How you look at God will change everything about how you live your life and how you will live before him. For example, in Matthew 25 when we read the parable of the talents, the man who received one talent and hid that talent in ground gave an explanation for why he buried his talent. He explained, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid” (Matthew 25:24-25). The one talent man proclaims that the reason he did nothing with what the master gave him was because of how he looked at his master. He saw his master as being harsh. Is this the way we think about God? Do we think about God being hard and harsh? The point I want us to think about as we start this series is to consider how we think about God. It is important to consider how we think about God. What do we see when we look at him? The prophet Isaiah is going to tell the people to take a good look at God. But what does Isaiah want his people to see and what does he want us to see?
The Preparation (Isaiah 40:1-8)
Before we can look at the character of God in this chapter, we need to appreciate the context in which Isaiah is speaking. Isaiah has told the people through his prophecy that judgment is coming and they are going to be exiled from the land. However, all hope is not lost. In fact, Isaiah 40 is a tremendous chapter recording God’s hope for his people. Isaiah 40 is an answer to the despair God’s people feel. You see this in Isaiah 40:27, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God?’” The people think that God does not care. When we are suffering, this is often a common way of thinking. When we hurt, we can be tempted to think that God does not care. This is what God’s people are thinking in Isaiah’s day. They think that God does not see what they are going through. They think that God has no regard to vindicate his people. Isaiah 40 is God’s answer to their view of God. So in this sermon series we are going to see the God of hope who cares for his people.
You will notice that this message is to offer comfort to God’s people. You see this in Isaiah 40:1. Even in the people’s misery and as they deal with the consequences of their sins, God is speaking words of comfort to his people. The first words of comfort are words regarding a voice in the wilderness. As you look at Isaiah 40:3 you will be able to know when Isaiah is looking for this hope to come. Matthew 3:3 quotes Isaiah 40:3 in referring to John the Baptizer. He would be the voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord. Prepare the roads, lower the hills, and raise the valleys because the Lord is coming. Your hope is coming to you. We understand this imagery living here in Palm Beach County. Every time the president comes to down, the airport is closed to all other flights so that Air Force One can land and take off. All planes are cleared out of the way. When the president is traveling to his home, the roads are made clear. The traffic is removed and all obstacles are cleared because of the president’s arrival. So John came with the purpose of clearing a path and getting the people ready for the arrival of the Lord. Look at the end of verse 5. All flesh will see the glory of the Lord because the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Why can we trust this comfort? Why can we trust that God will do what he says? This is what verses 6-8 put forward to the audience. Everything in creation is temporary and fades away. People are like grass that withers away. But the word of our God will stand forever. God’s word does not fade away. God’s word is certain. God’s word does not disappear or disappoint. This sets us up for the glorious proclamation in Isaiah 40:9-11.
Shout the Good News From The Mountains (Isaiah 40:9)
The message begins in verse 9 for the people to go up on a high mountain and shout the good news. Herald the good news from the tops of the mountains. What are the people supposed to say! What are they shouting? They are shouting, “Behold your God!” Your God is here! You will notice that the coming of the Lord was not to be a sight of dread. The people were not supposed to be afraid about the coming of the Lord. In fact, Isaiah specifically says this in verse 9. Raise your voice! Do not be afraid! The coming of the Lord is not supposed to be “Oh no!,” but “Oh, yes!” You will also notice that the place of the good news is beginning in Jerusalem. We see this fulfilled in Acts 1:8 puts forward that the good news of Jesus raised from the dead would begin in Jerusalem and then spread to the ends of the earth. But this is the nature of good news. We want to proclaim good news. We do not want to hide good news but share it. We want to tell everyone when there is something wonderful to share. This is what Isaiah is telling the people. You have good news that needs to be proclaimed for all to hear. There is no better news than to see that the Lord is coming for you. Behold the glory of the Lord! You need to see your God if you are going to see the comfort that is available to you. Further, there is a responsibility on God’s people to shout the good news for all to hear. Behold your God! What does Isaiah wants us to see?
The Lord Comes With Power (Isaiah 40:10)
When the people look for the coming of the Lord, here is what they will see. They will see the Lord coming with power and strength (Isaiah 40:10). Now an important picture is given to us. We are told that the Lord God’s arm rules for him. We do not really talk like this. We do not speak about having a mighty arm. But we can certainly understand the picture because the arm is a place of strength. But God uses is strong arm to save and deliver his people. As Moses reminds the people about the power and the unique nature of the Lord, consider what he says:
Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him. (Deuteronomy 4:34-35 ESV)
Notice the events of the exodus are described as God’s mighty hand and outstretched arm. God did this to show that the Lord is God and there is no one else but him. The purpose of God’s power is to save his people. Can you be amazed by this? The purpose of God’s power is to be a rescuer for his people. This is what Moses is teaching Israel and this is what Isaiah is also saying. Notice the prayer that is found earlier in Isaiah:
O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. (Isaiah 33:2 ESV)
Be our arm every morning. We need the arm of God’s salvation every day. Be our rescuer every day and during every moment of our trouble. What does this mean? The context of the verse helps us. God is gracious to us and our salvation in the time of trouble. The point is that our God does not stand back, watching from a distance. Rather, our God comes to his people with power. God is powerfully coming. Look at the rest of verse 10 and see how he comes. The rest of verse 10 tells us that the Lord is coming with his reward. Now look at verse 11 to see how the Lord is coming with his reward for his people.
The Lord Will Tend His Flock Like a Shepherd (Isaiah 40:11)
“He will tend his flock like a shepherd.” God is coming and he is going to care for his sheep like a shepherd would care for his sheep. Listen to the imagery. “He will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom.” Please appreciate this picture. The Lord is gathering his sheep into his arms. He carries his sheep close to him. He gently leads those who need special care (“those that are with young”). This description reminds us of how David spoke about the Lord. I will use a different translation since sometimes we do not think about well-known passages because we have it memorized.
The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD as long as I live. (Psalm 23:1-6 CSB)
Our Lord wants us to see him as our shepherd who is with us and has come to save us. Then Jesus comes, taking all of this expected imagery, and applies it to himself. In John 10 Jesus calls himself the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. The apostle Peter uses the same imagery proclaiming that we were straying like sheep but Jesus is the shepherd and overseer to whom we have returned (cf. 1 Peter 2:25).
The Saving Shepherd
Now there are two characteristics about God that I want us to think about from Isaiah’s prophecy. In verse 10 we are reminded about the power of God. See he comes in power and rules with his mighty arm. But then the picture almost appears to go the opposite direction, telling his people that when the Lord comes, he will come like a shepherd, gathering his lambs close to him, and gently carrying for them. Here is what I am wanting us to see. The Lord is powerful yet gentle. Our Lord uses his power to help his people. God is powerful and compassionate. In our culture today we don’t think that these two characteristics can work together. You are either powerful or you are gentle. But our world does not see a way to be both. In our world, power means being harsh and lacking compassion. Power means domineering and pushing to get your way. So then we practice this because it is what the world does. If we have authority at work, then we pushy, domineering, or harsh because we have the power. If we have authority in our family, then we act harsh and selfishly trying to get our way. We think we are in charge so we can do whatever we want. But I want us to see such a difference in our Lord which is so visible in the life of Jesus. Jesus called for people to come to him because he is gentle and humble (cf. Matthew 11:28-29). The Lord is powerful but compassionate. A great contrast to the way we think and the way our Lord thinks was exemplified in Luke 9:54. When the Samaritans did not receive Jesus, James and John ask Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven and consume them. In this thinking you see the problem. We think power means forcing our way. But of course Jesus did not have his disciples call down fire on the people but rebuked James and John instead. The reason is that Jesus came to be the saving shepherd.
The first picture from chapter 40 that Isaiah wants us to have when he tells God’s people to behold your God is to see your God as a saving shepherd. Our God is mighty to save. He is gathering his sheep and carrying them close to him in his arms. We need to see our Lord stooping down, desiring to gather us up and bring us close to himself. He will gather you to him if you will listen to him. Jesus’ sheep listen to his voice (John 10:3-4). This image is our encouragement to listen to him. God is trying to bring us closer to him. He has his reward in his hand. No one cares for you like God does. No one can care for you more than God does. Just as much as no one can care for your children like you do, your God cares for you more than you could ever know. This is such good news and it is the news God wants us to see from him. We cannot have the spiritual comfort we need from the Lord until we properly understand how God is coming to us.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36 ESV)
Jesus sees you and wants to be shepherd. Listen to his voice. Let him carry you.