Comfort Ye
Start
The first word God speaks in this part of Isaiah is “Comfort,” and he says it twice.
Read Together
In chapter 39, Isaiah warned King Hezekiah that Babylon would one day carry away his treasures and his descendants. Chapter 40 is written for the people who would live through that loss.
1Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
What It Teaches
In Hebrew, “speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem” reads speak to the heart of Jerusalem. It is the way you talk to someone you love when they are hurting.
Then a voice calls for a highway through the desert, with every valley raised and every hill brought low, so the Lord can come to his people. All four Gospels say John the Baptist was that voice, preparing the way for Jesus. The comfort in Isaiah 40 is Jesus Christ himself, the Shepherd in verse 11 who carries the lambs close to his chest and walks slowly with the mothers.
Verse 4 also shows our part. When we repent, we lift up what is low in us and bring down our pride, and the road is ready for him.
Talk About It
Think of a time someone comforted you and it helped. What did they do, and who could we do that for this week?
Take to Church
When his people are hurting, the Lord’s first word is “comfort,” and Jesus Christ is the one who brings it.