WEBVTT - Isaiah 40

0:00:02.730 --> 0:00:06.730
<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

0:00:06.790 --> 0:00:13.320
<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening

0:00:13.360 --> 0:00:17.060
<v Speaker 1>to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge

0:00:17.620 --> 0:00:21.919
<v Speaker 1>and today we're in Isaiah chapter 40 and we'll be

0:00:21.980 --> 0:00:27.570
<v Speaker 1>reading from the New English Translation. Comfort, comfort my people,

0:00:27.650 --> 0:00:31.670
<v Speaker 1>says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem and tell her,

0:00:32.070 --> 0:00:36.030
<v Speaker 1>that her time of warfare is over, that her punishment

0:00:36.229 --> 0:00:39.909
<v Speaker 1>is completed. For the Lord has made her pay double

0:00:40.010 --> 0:00:44.350
<v Speaker 1>for all her sins. A voice cries out, In the

0:00:44.390 --> 0:00:47.730
<v Speaker 1>wilderness clear a way for the Lord, construct in the

0:00:47.800 --> 0:00:53.300
<v Speaker 1>desert a road for our God. Every valley must be elevated,

0:00:53.720 --> 0:00:57.940
<v Speaker 1>and every mountain and hill leveled. The rough terrain will

0:00:57.980 --> 0:01:02.040
<v Speaker 1>become a level plain. the rugged landscape, a wide valley.

0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:06.039
<v Speaker 1>The splendor of the Lord will be revealed, and all

0:01:06.140 --> 0:01:09.060
<v Speaker 1>people will see it at the same time, for the

0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:14.320
<v Speaker 1>Lord has decreed it. A voice says, Cry out. Another asks,

0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:19.000
<v Speaker 1>What should I cry out? The first voice responds, All

0:01:19.080 --> 0:01:22.640
<v Speaker 1>people are like grass, and all their promises are like

0:01:22.690 --> 0:01:26.550
<v Speaker 1>the flowers in the field. The grass dries up, The

0:01:26.630 --> 0:01:30.020
<v Speaker 1>flowers wither when the wind sent by the Lord blows

0:01:30.140 --> 0:01:35.800
<v Speaker 1>on them. Surely humanity is like grass. The grass dries up,

0:01:36.260 --> 0:01:40.440
<v Speaker 1>the flowers wither, but the decree of our God is

0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:46.250
<v Speaker 1>forever reliable. Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion.

0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:52.270
<v Speaker 1>Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem. Shout, don't be afraid.

0:01:52.830 --> 0:01:57.330
<v Speaker 1>Say to the towns of Judah, here is your God. Look,

0:01:57.750 --> 0:02:02.250
<v Speaker 1>the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior. His military

0:02:02.310 --> 0:02:07.170
<v Speaker 1>power establishes his rule. Look, his reward is with him.

0:02:07.550 --> 0:02:11.910
<v Speaker 1>His prize goes before him. Like a shepherd, he tends

0:02:11.990 --> 0:02:15.230
<v Speaker 1>his flock. He gathers up the lambs with his arm.

0:02:15.870 --> 0:02:19.170
<v Speaker 1>He carries them close to his heart. He leads the

0:02:19.410 --> 0:02:24.150
<v Speaker 1>ewes along. Who has measured out the waters in the

0:02:24.230 --> 0:02:28.330
<v Speaker 1>hollow of his hand? or carefully measured the sky, or

0:02:28.389 --> 0:02:32.070
<v Speaker 1>carefully weighed the soil of the earth, or weighed the

0:02:32.169 --> 0:02:36.810
<v Speaker 1>mountains in a balance, or the hills on scales? Who

0:02:36.889 --> 0:02:40.870
<v Speaker 1>comprehends the mind of the Lord, or gives Him instruction

0:02:41.030 --> 0:02:46.280
<v Speaker 1>as His counselor? From whom does He receive directions? Who

0:02:46.340 --> 0:02:49.440
<v Speaker 1>teaches Him the correct way to do things, or imparts

0:02:49.540 --> 0:02:54.160
<v Speaker 1>knowledge to Him, or instructs Him in skillful design? Look,

0:02:54.860 --> 0:02:58.419
<v Speaker 1>The nations are like a drop in a bucket. They

0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:02.430
<v Speaker 1>are regarded as dust on the scales. He lifts the

0:03:02.490 --> 0:03:06.790
<v Speaker 1>coastlands as if they were dust. Not even Lebanon could

0:03:06.850 --> 0:03:11.570
<v Speaker 1>supply enough firewood for a sacrifice. Its wild animals would

0:03:11.610 --> 0:03:16.609
<v Speaker 1>not provide enough burnt offerings. All the nations are insignificant

0:03:16.669 --> 0:03:21.750
<v Speaker 1>before him. They are regarded as absolutely nothing. To whom

0:03:21.870 --> 0:03:25.740
<v Speaker 1>can you compare God? To what image can you liken him?

0:03:26.700 --> 0:03:31.100
<v Speaker 1>A craftsman casts an idol. A metalsmith overlays it with

0:03:31.190 --> 0:03:36.590
<v Speaker 1>gold and forges silver chains for it. To make a contribution,

0:03:36.750 --> 0:03:40.070
<v Speaker 1>one selects wood that will not rot. Then he seeks

0:03:40.130 --> 0:03:42.869
<v Speaker 1>a skilled craftsman to make an idol that will not

0:03:42.970 --> 0:03:47.570
<v Speaker 1>fall over. Do you not know? Do you not hear?

0:03:48.410 --> 0:03:51.390
<v Speaker 1>Has it not been told to you since the very beginning?

0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:55.920
<v Speaker 1>Have you not understood from the time the earth's foundations

0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:59.440
<v Speaker 1>were made? He is the one who sits on the

0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:04.740
<v Speaker 1>earth's horizon. Its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. He

0:04:04.820 --> 0:04:07.160
<v Speaker 1>is the one who stretches out the sky like a

0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:10.640
<v Speaker 1>thin curtain and spreads it out like a pitched tent.

0:04:11.580 --> 0:04:14.800
<v Speaker 1>He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing. He

0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:21.270
<v Speaker 1>makes the earth's leaders insignificant. Indeed, they are barely planted. Yes,

0:04:21.350 --> 0:04:25.630
<v Speaker 1>they are barely sown. Yes, they barely take root in

0:04:25.650 --> 0:04:28.790
<v Speaker 1>the earth. And then he blows on them, causing them

0:04:28.890 --> 0:04:33.099
<v Speaker 1>to dry up. And the wind carries them away like straw.

0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:37.800
<v Speaker 1>To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble,

0:04:37.900 --> 0:04:41.560
<v Speaker 1>says the Holy One? Look up at the sky. Who

0:04:41.620 --> 0:04:45.210
<v Speaker 1>created all these heavenly lights? He is the one who

0:04:45.310 --> 0:04:48.970
<v Speaker 1>leads out their ranks. He calls them all by name.

0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:52.980
<v Speaker 1>Because of his absolute power and awesome strength, not one

0:04:53.020 --> 0:04:57.370
<v Speaker 1>of them is missing. Why do you say Jacob? Why

0:04:57.400 --> 0:05:00.430
<v Speaker 1>do you say Israel? The Lord is not aware of

0:05:00.470 --> 0:05:03.410
<v Speaker 1>what is happening to me. My God is not concerned

0:05:03.450 --> 0:05:09.190
<v Speaker 1>with my vindication. Do you not know? Have you not heard?

0:05:09.710 --> 0:05:13.750
<v Speaker 1>The Lord is an eternal God, the creator of the

0:05:13.810 --> 0:05:17.630
<v Speaker 1>whole earth. He does not get tired or weary. There

0:05:17.670 --> 0:05:21.030
<v Speaker 1>is no limit to his wisdom. He gives strength to

0:05:21.070 --> 0:05:24.190
<v Speaker 1>those who are tired. To the ones who lack power,

0:05:24.270 --> 0:05:29.690
<v Speaker 1>he gives renewed energy. Even youths get tired and weary.

0:05:30.350 --> 0:05:34.770
<v Speaker 1>Even strong young men clumsily stumble. But those who wait

0:05:34.850 --> 0:05:38.890
<v Speaker 1>for the Lord's help find renewed strength. They rise up

0:05:39.070 --> 0:05:43.620
<v Speaker 1>as if they had eagle's wings. They run without growing weary.

0:05:44.260 --> 0:05:52.330
<v Speaker 1>They walk without getting tired. Let's pray. Lord, we thank

0:05:52.370 --> 0:05:54.909
<v Speaker 1>you for your word, and we thank you for the

0:05:54.970 --> 0:05:57.130
<v Speaker 1>privilege of being able to look at this portion of

0:05:57.230 --> 0:05:59.880
<v Speaker 1>Scripture today. We thank you for the things that are

0:05:59.920 --> 0:06:04.000
<v Speaker 1>prophetically revealed to us about your Son, Jesus Christ, when

0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:06.760
<v Speaker 1>we take a look at this particular passage. We even

0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:10.219
<v Speaker 1>see references here to John the Baptist as that voice

0:06:10.460 --> 0:06:14.470
<v Speaker 1>in the wilderness calling out to the people and reminding

0:06:14.510 --> 0:06:18.740
<v Speaker 1>them of their need for you. Lord, we pray that

0:06:18.940 --> 0:06:21.000
<v Speaker 1>we would be reminded of that as well, that when

0:06:21.020 --> 0:06:23.240
<v Speaker 1>we look at your word, that our minds and our

0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:25.500
<v Speaker 1>hearts would be attuned to the fact that we need

0:06:25.540 --> 0:06:28.760
<v Speaker 1>your son, Jesus Christ. And we're grateful, Lord, for the

0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:31.370
<v Speaker 1>reminders that you give to us from portions of scripture

0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:33.830
<v Speaker 1>like we just read. Thank you, Lord, for giving us

0:06:34.050 --> 0:06:35.930
<v Speaker 1>access to it. Thank you for being the one who

0:06:35.970 --> 0:06:40.270
<v Speaker 1>gives us strength and energy and wisdom and counsel and

0:06:40.650 --> 0:06:43.100
<v Speaker 1>You don't need those things from us, but we need

0:06:43.140 --> 0:06:46.020
<v Speaker 1>those things from you. And we're grateful that you're eager

0:06:46.060 --> 0:06:48.930
<v Speaker 1>to supply those things to all who trust in your Son,

0:06:49.310 --> 0:06:51.910
<v Speaker 1>Jesus Christ. So we thank you for this all. We

0:06:51.950 --> 0:06:54.290
<v Speaker 1>thank you for your presence with us today. And we

0:06:54.350 --> 0:06:57.580
<v Speaker 1>pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.