QT 06/04/2025 Sun. Isaiah 40. The Powerful Comfort. 强有力的安慰.

QT 06/04/2025 Sun. Isaiah 40
READ http://www.esvbible.org/isaiah40

Isaiah 40:1–5 [1] Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. [2] Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.

[3] A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. [5] And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (ESV)

Some scholars say that Isaiah 40–66 is part 2 of the book. Dramatically, the prophet pronounced "comfort" instead of the force of judgment. Readers must note God's tenderness and kindness in asking the prophet to pronounce these historical words. These are simple and homely words, not words from the courts' justice but words expressed to someone who has lost loved ones.

Even more directly, these words are for those who mourned for the lost spirituality of their past and their ancestors of the faith. More importantly, these words are spoken by "Your God" to "My people". These are clearly words of the covenant:-

A. Exodus 6:7–8 [7] I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. [8] I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.’” (ESV)

B. Leviticus 26:12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. (ESV)

C. Deuteronomy 26:17–18 [17] You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. [18] And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, (ESV)

Take comfort, because it was no longer "this people" that breached the covenant. Instead, however grievous the punishments suffered by the nation (including exile), the true descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph and all who walk in the similar faith of trusting The LORD—all these people need not fear Him. Why was that so? It was because this very same God is the one who would NOT forget His promises to these same ancestors.

In fact, Matthew 3:3 pointed to John the Baptist as the one who would pave the way for Jesus Christ,

Matthew 3:3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” (ESV, alluding to Isaiah 40:3)

APPLICATION: Would you rely on the famous passage to describe this feeling of power and liberation?

Isaiah 40:28–31
[28] Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
[29] He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
[30] Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
[31] but they who wait for 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. (ESV)

Have a comforting and powerful week to soar for The LORD!

QT 06/04/2025 星期日 以赛亚书 40.
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/isa/40

以赛亚书 40:1-5  你们的神说，你们要安慰，安慰我的百姓。2 要对耶路撒冷说安慰的话，又向他宣告说，他争战的日子已满了，他的罪孽赦免了，他为自己的一切罪，从耶和华手中加倍受罚。3 有人声喊着说，在旷野预备耶和华的路，（或作在旷野有人声喊着说，当预备耶和华的路），在沙漠地修平我们神的道。4 一切山洼都要填满，大小山冈都要削平，高高低低的要改为平坦，崎崎岖岖的必成为平原。5 耶和华的荣耀必然显现，凡有血气的，必一同看见，因为这是耶和华亲口说的。

有学者说以赛亚书 40-66 是本书的第二部分。具有戏剧性的是，先知宣告的是 “安慰”，而不是审判的力量。读者必须注意到上帝要求先知说出这些历史性话语时的温柔和仁慈。这些话简单而亲切，不是法庭上的正义之言，而是对失去亲人的人说的话。

更直接地说，这些话是说给那些为过去失去的属灵的信仰和信仰祖先而哀悼的人听的。更重要的是，这些话是 “你们的神” 对 “我的子民” 说的， 类似

A. 出埃及记 6:7-8 [7]  我要以你们为我的百姓，我也要作你们的神。你们要知道我是耶和华你们的神，是救你们脱离埃及人之重担的。8 我起誓应许给亚伯拉罕，以撒，雅各的那地，我要把你们领进去，将那地赐给你们为业。我是耶和华。

B. 利未记 26:12 我要在你们中间行走，我要作你们的神，你们要作我的子民。

C. 申命记 26:17-18 [17]  你今日认耶和华为你的神，应许遵行他的道，谨守他的律例，诫命，典章，听从他的话。18 耶和华今日照他所应许你的，也认你为他的子民，使你谨守他的一切诫命

相反，无论这个民族遭受了多么严重的惩罚（包括流亡），亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各和约瑟的真正后裔，以及所有本着同样的信仰信靠耶和华的人--所有这些人都不必惧怕祂。为什么会这样呢？因为正是这位上帝不会忘记祂对这些祖先的承诺。

事实上，《马太福音》3:3 指出施洗约翰是为耶稣基督铺路的人，

马太福音3:3 这人就是先知以赛亚所说的，他说，在旷野有人声喊着说，预备主的道，修直他的路。(暗指以赛亚书 40:3）

应用：你会依靠这段著名的经文来描述这种力量和解放的感觉吗？

以赛亚书 40:28-31
28 你岂不曾知道吗？你岂不曾听见吗？永在的神耶和华，创造地极的主，并不疲乏，也不困倦。他的智慧无法测度。29 疲乏的，他赐能力。软弱的，他加力量。30 就是少年人也要疲乏困倦，强壮的也必全然跌倒。31 但那等候耶和华的，必从新得力，他们必如鹰展翅上腾，他们奔跑却不困倦，行走却不疲乏。