A Voice Is Calling

The last section of the writings of Isaiah cover the many prophetic messages he received in the last 20 years of his life. He witnessed Hezekiah’s recover, his testing and pride, the birth of his sons, and the beginning of the reign of Manasseh. His life ends with wicked King Manasseh sawing him in two because he did not want to listen to the Word of the LORD and the warnings of Isaiah any more. Yet the messages are clear and focused on the judgment coming on Jerusalem by God, the nations that will be involved with that judgement, and the coming of God Himself to rescue and redeem Jerusalem and all mankind.

The Word of the LORD here in Isaiah 40 is directly targeted at the downfall of Jerusalem prophesied by Isaiah after Hezekiah showed the envoy from Babylon everything in his treasuries. Jerusalem would fall. Not once, but at least twice, maybe even more than that. The calamities promised by the covenant between God and Israel would surely come to pass in full strength, but that would not be the end. One day God would send comfort on His people. ‘Comfort, O comfort My people,’ says your God. ‘Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.’ Judgment would come and would be deserved, and then God would comfort His people.

There would be a voice calling in the wilderness to prepare the people for the LORD’s coming. He would call out, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness. Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, every mountain and hill be made low, and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley, then the glory of the LORD will be revealed and all flesh would see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’ This does refer to a literal highway that one day will be built, but it is also figurative language referring to the clearing out of every obstacle in each person’s heart and in society so they can receive the King when He arrives. 
The message was an important one - that mankind has a brief and short life. God can simply breathe on us and our life would be withered away like the grass. The Word of God stands forever. What a contrast, for we have a short span to live, but God’s Word will be fulfilled to the end of time itself and no man can stand in its way. This good news was to be shouted from the mountain tops to all who would hear. For God Himself would come at the appointed time.

The herald would call out, ‘Here is your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arms He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.’ The language reveals their God would come and lead them like a Good Shepherd caring for His flock. But make no mistake, the LORD God was not just a shepherd, He was the omnipotent, powerful Creator of all things. 
The many things God had planned from before creation itself would play out according to His Word. They were not to continue to think of their God in any way being the same as the false gods of the nations. ‘Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by a span, and calculated the dust of the earth by measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in a pair of scales? Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, and informed Him they of understanding?’ This rhetorical question reveals that God is the most powerful being to ever exist. He has no teacher, He is omniscient and knows all things, He is omnipotent and has no rival, He is omnipresent and fills all things.

The nations are like dust to God, just a speck of dust. The world itself is like a drop in a bucket. All the beasts of the earth are not enough for a burnt offering, the trees not enough to burn. The nations are regarded as nothing before God, less than nothing and meaningless. God is not like anything we can imagine, He is not like the man made idols people carve, set up in such a way that they don’t fall down, and worship. He sits above all of Creation as the One Who Created all things. Mankind is like insects before Him. He stretched out Creation. He reduces rulers to nothing. He makes the judges of the earth meaningless. Our lives are so brief that all it takes is a small storm to carry us away. 
God has no equal and no rival. He created all the stars, named them, and keeps them in their appointed places. This is by His great power and might. Nothing mankind does is hidden from His sight, not even the things that the people of Jerusalem thought were hidden. Nothing escapes His notice. As for mankind, we grow weary and tired, and then fade away. But God is the Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He never grows weary and tired, and His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary and power to those who lack it. 
This message was that God Himself would come and be with the people He created. He would come to Jerusalem and lead His people. That was the hope, that although Jerusalem would fall and be destroyed many times, one day the King of Israel would come in all of His power and might, and put down all the enemies so there would be peace. And that is the message the one calling in the wilderness was to share. Human life is short, but God has all the power and He can save. Not even the kingdoms that would come against Jerusalem could stop God from destroying them and reigning as King one day.