1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,060 Speaker 1: to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge 4 00:00:17,620 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: and today we're in Isaiah chapter 40 and we'll be 5 00:00:21,980 --> 00:00:27,570 Speaker 1: reading from the New English Translation. Comfort, comfort my people, 6 00:00:27,650 --> 00:00:31,670 Speaker 1: says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem and tell her, 7 00:00:32,070 --> 00:00:36,030 Speaker 1: that her time of warfare is over, that her punishment 8 00:00:36,229 --> 00:00:39,909 Speaker 1: is completed. For the Lord has made her pay double 9 00:00:40,010 --> 00:00:44,350 Speaker 1: for all her sins. A voice cries out, In the 10 00:00:44,390 --> 00:00:47,730 Speaker 1: wilderness clear a way for the Lord, construct in the 11 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:53,300 Speaker 1: desert a road for our God. Every valley must be elevated, 12 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,940 Speaker 1: and every mountain and hill leveled. The rough terrain will 13 00:00:57,980 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: become a level plain. the rugged landscape, a wide valley. 14 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: The splendor of the Lord will be revealed, and all 15 00:01:06,140 --> 00:01:09,060 Speaker 1: people will see it at the same time, for the 16 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: Lord has decreed it. A voice says, Cry out. Another asks, 17 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: What should I cry out? The first voice responds, All 18 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: people are like grass, and all their promises are like 19 00:01:22,690 --> 00:01:26,550 Speaker 1: the flowers in the field. The grass dries up, The 20 00:01:26,630 --> 00:01:30,020 Speaker 1: flowers wither when the wind sent by the Lord blows 21 00:01:30,140 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: on them. Surely humanity is like grass. The grass dries up, 22 00:01:36,260 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: the flowers wither, but the decree of our God is 23 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:46,250 Speaker 1: forever reliable. Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion. 24 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:52,270 Speaker 1: Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem. Shout, don't be afraid. 25 00:01:52,830 --> 00:01:57,330 Speaker 1: Say to the towns of Judah, here is your God. Look, 26 00:01:57,750 --> 00:02:02,250 Speaker 1: the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior. His military 27 00:02:02,310 --> 00:02:07,170 Speaker 1: power establishes his rule. Look, his reward is with him. 28 00:02:07,550 --> 00:02:11,910 Speaker 1: His prize goes before him. Like a shepherd, he tends 29 00:02:11,990 --> 00:02:15,230 Speaker 1: his flock. He gathers up the lambs with his arm. 30 00:02:15,870 --> 00:02:19,170 Speaker 1: He carries them close to his heart. He leads the 31 00:02:19,410 --> 00:02:24,150 Speaker 1: ewes along. Who has measured out the waters in the 32 00:02:24,230 --> 00:02:28,330 Speaker 1: hollow of his hand? or carefully measured the sky, or 33 00:02:28,389 --> 00:02:32,070 Speaker 1: carefully weighed the soil of the earth, or weighed the 34 00:02:32,169 --> 00:02:36,810 Speaker 1: mountains in a balance, or the hills on scales? Who 35 00:02:36,889 --> 00:02:40,870 Speaker 1: comprehends the mind of the Lord, or gives Him instruction 36 00:02:41,030 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: as His counselor? From whom does He receive directions? Who 37 00:02:46,340 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: teaches Him the correct way to do things, or imparts 38 00:02:49,540 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: knowledge to Him, or instructs Him in skillful design? Look, 39 00:02:54,860 --> 00:02:58,419 Speaker 1: The nations are like a drop in a bucket. They 40 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,430 Speaker 1: are regarded as dust on the scales. He lifts the 41 00:03:02,490 --> 00:03:06,790 Speaker 1: coastlands as if they were dust. Not even Lebanon could 42 00:03:06,850 --> 00:03:11,570 Speaker 1: supply enough firewood for a sacrifice. Its wild animals would 43 00:03:11,610 --> 00:03:16,609 Speaker 1: not provide enough burnt offerings. All the nations are insignificant 44 00:03:16,669 --> 00:03:21,750 Speaker 1: before him. They are regarded as absolutely nothing. To whom 45 00:03:21,870 --> 00:03:25,740 Speaker 1: can you compare God? To what image can you liken him? 46 00:03:26,700 --> 00:03:31,100 Speaker 1: A craftsman casts an idol. A metalsmith overlays it with 47 00:03:31,190 --> 00:03:36,590 Speaker 1: gold and forges silver chains for it. To make a contribution, 48 00:03:36,750 --> 00:03:40,070 Speaker 1: one selects wood that will not rot. Then he seeks 49 00:03:40,130 --> 00:03:42,869 Speaker 1: a skilled craftsman to make an idol that will not 50 00:03:42,970 --> 00:03:47,570 Speaker 1: fall over. Do you not know? Do you not hear? 51 00:03:48,410 --> 00:03:51,390 Speaker 1: Has it not been told to you since the very beginning? 52 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: Have you not understood from the time the earth's foundations 53 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: were made? He is the one who sits on the 54 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:04,740 Speaker 1: earth's horizon. Its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. He 55 00:04:04,820 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: is the one who stretches out the sky like a 56 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: thin curtain and spreads it out like a pitched tent. 57 00:04:11,580 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing. He 58 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:21,270 Speaker 1: makes the earth's leaders insignificant. Indeed, they are barely planted. Yes, 59 00:04:21,350 --> 00:04:25,630 Speaker 1: they are barely sown. Yes, they barely take root in 60 00:04:25,650 --> 00:04:28,790 Speaker 1: the earth. And then he blows on them, causing them 61 00:04:28,890 --> 00:04:33,099 Speaker 1: to dry up. And the wind carries them away like straw. 62 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble, 63 00:04:37,900 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: says the Holy One? Look up at the sky. Who 64 00:04:41,620 --> 00:04:45,210 Speaker 1: created all these heavenly lights? He is the one who 65 00:04:45,310 --> 00:04:48,970 Speaker 1: leads out their ranks. He calls them all by name. 66 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,980 Speaker 1: Because of his absolute power and awesome strength, not one 67 00:04:53,020 --> 00:04:57,370 Speaker 1: of them is missing. Why do you say Jacob? Why 68 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,430 Speaker 1: do you say Israel? The Lord is not aware of 69 00:05:00,470 --> 00:05:03,410 Speaker 1: what is happening to me. My God is not concerned 70 00:05:03,450 --> 00:05:09,190 Speaker 1: with my vindication. Do you not know? Have you not heard? 71 00:05:09,710 --> 00:05:13,750 Speaker 1: The Lord is an eternal God, the creator of the 72 00:05:13,810 --> 00:05:17,630 Speaker 1: whole earth. He does not get tired or weary. There 73 00:05:17,670 --> 00:05:21,030 Speaker 1: is no limit to his wisdom. He gives strength to 74 00:05:21,070 --> 00:05:24,190 Speaker 1: those who are tired. To the ones who lack power, 75 00:05:24,270 --> 00:05:29,690 Speaker 1: he gives renewed energy. Even youths get tired and weary. 76 00:05:30,350 --> 00:05:34,770 Speaker 1: Even strong young men clumsily stumble. But those who wait 77 00:05:34,850 --> 00:05:38,890 Speaker 1: for the Lord's help find renewed strength. They rise up 78 00:05:39,070 --> 00:05:43,620 Speaker 1: as if they had eagle's wings. They run without growing weary. 79 00:05:44,260 --> 00:05:52,330 Speaker 1: They walk without getting tired. Let's pray. Lord, we thank 80 00:05:52,370 --> 00:05:54,909 Speaker 1: you for your word, and we thank you for the 81 00:05:54,970 --> 00:05:57,130 Speaker 1: privilege of being able to look at this portion of 82 00:05:57,230 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: Scripture today. We thank you for the things that are 83 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: prophetically revealed to us about your Son, Jesus Christ, when 84 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: we take a look at this particular passage. We even 85 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,219 Speaker 1: see references here to John the Baptist as that voice 86 00:06:10,460 --> 00:06:14,470 Speaker 1: in the wilderness calling out to the people and reminding 87 00:06:14,510 --> 00:06:18,740 Speaker 1: them of their need for you. Lord, we pray that 88 00:06:18,940 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: we would be reminded of that as well, that when 89 00:06:21,020 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: we look at your word, that our minds and our 90 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:25,500 Speaker 1: hearts would be attuned to the fact that we need 91 00:06:25,540 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: your son, Jesus Christ. And we're grateful, Lord, for the 92 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,370 Speaker 1: reminders that you give to us from portions of scripture 93 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,830 Speaker 1: like we just read. Thank you, Lord, for giving us 94 00:06:34,050 --> 00:06:35,930 Speaker 1: access to it. Thank you for being the one who 95 00:06:35,970 --> 00:06:40,270 Speaker 1: gives us strength and energy and wisdom and counsel and 96 00:06:40,650 --> 00:06:43,100 Speaker 1: You don't need those things from us, but we need 97 00:06:43,140 --> 00:06:46,020 Speaker 1: those things from you. And we're grateful that you're eager 98 00:06:46,060 --> 00:06:48,930 Speaker 1: to supply those things to all who trust in your Son, 99 00:06:49,310 --> 00:06:51,910 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. So we thank you for this all. We 100 00:06:51,950 --> 00:06:54,290 Speaker 1: thank you for your presence with us today. And we 101 00:06:54,350 --> 00:06:57,580 Speaker 1: pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.