Lesson #34

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RETURN TO THE LIST OF LESSONS

ISAIAH 40
Lesson #34
THE FIRST AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

• MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 40:31

• READ ISA 40:1-2 COMFORT
  • THE FINAL SECTION OF THE BOOK (ISA 40-66) IS LIKE A TOTALLY NEW BOOK. IN THIS SECTION WE WILL SEE JESUS CHRIST, THE SUFFERING SERVANT. INSTEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD. WE WILL CONCENTRATE MORE ON THE GRACE OF GOD. CHAPTER 40 SETS THE TONE FOR THE REST OF THE BOOK. IT IS ABOUT COMFORT AND JESUS CHRIST. THE JUDGMENT FOR ISRAEL’S SIN AND THE SIN OF OTHER NATIONS IS IN THE PAST. THE PROPHET LOOKS PAST HIS DAY TO THE FUTURE.
    • “SHE (ISRAEL) HATH RECEIVED DOUBLE FOR ALL HER SINS” (2)
      • A MORTGAGE ON A HOUSE WAS WRITTEN OUT AS A LEGAL DOCUMENT. THEN IT WAS PUT ON THE DOORPOST OF THE PROPERTY SO EVERYONE COULD SEE IT. A SECOND COPY WAS KEPT BY THE PERSON WHO HELD THE MORTGAGE. WHEN THE MORTGAGE WAS FINALLY PAID OFF, THE SECOND COPY WAS NAILED TO THE OTHER DOORPOST. EVERYONE COULD SEE THAT THE DEBT HAD BEEN PAID.
        • VERSE 2 HAS THIS PICTURE IN MIND. THE SINS OF ISRAEL ARE ISRAEL’S DEBT NAILED TO THE DOORPOST. CHAPTER 40 WILL TELL US ABOUT THE MESSIAH WHO PAYS THE DEBT SO THAT THE SECOND COPY CAN BE NAILED TO THE DOORPOST. IN OTHER WORDS ISAIAH LOOKS INTO THE FUTURE TO SEE THE TIME WHEN ISRAEL WILL RECEIVE THE SECOND COPY MARKED “PAID IN FULL”.
  • ISAIAH LOOKS FORWARD TO THE DISTANT FUTURE WHEN THE BEARER OF THEIR BURDENS, THE MESSIAH, HAS COME.
    • READ MAT 11:28.
    • 2COR 1:3-4
    • JOH 14:16
  • IN WHAT WAYS DOES THIS CHAPTER TELL US ABOUT JESUS CHRIST AND HIS MINISTRY?

• READ ISA 40:3-5 THE PREPARATION FOR JESUS’ FIRST COMING (3-5)
  • READ LUKE 3:4-6
    • “HIM THAT CRIETH IN THE WILDERNESS” (3) =
      • JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD A SPECIAL MISSION FROM GOD TO USHER IN A NEW ERA IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. HE WOULD LIVE IN THE WILDERNESS, HE WOULD CALL FOR REPENTANCE IN PREPARATION FOR THE COMING OF JESUS CHRIST.
    • “A HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD” (3) =
      • GOD WAS PREPARING A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO GOD AS IT IS GOD’S WILL THAT ALL COME TO KNOW THE LORD. (1TIM 2:3-6)
    • “EVERY VALLEY SHALL BE FILLED” (4) =
      • BECAUSE ALL MANKIND IS UNDER THE CURSE OF SIN, MAN’S CONDITION IS ONE OF A LOW ESTATE. THIS PHRASE REFERS TO THE LIFTING UP OF THE SIN DEPRAVED SPIRIT OF MAN, FILLING IN THAT GOD’SHAPED VACUUM WITHIN EACH HEART. BY AN ANNTITUDE OF HUMILITY IN REPENTANCE IS THE ONLY WAY MAN CAN BE LIFTED UP.
      • “EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL SHALL BE BROUGHT LOW” (4) =
        • MAN’S PRIDE IS HIS HIGH MOUNTAIN. THOSE WHO ARE PROUD AND THINK THEY CAN HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH THEIR OWN GOOD WORKS OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE DEVEASTATED WHEN THEY STAND BEFORE GOD IN THE FINAL JUDGMENT AND JESUS CHRIST SAYS, “I NEVEN KNEW YOU.”
        • “THE CROOKED SHALL BE MADE STRAIGHT” (4) =
          • HYPOCRISY AND CORRUPT WAYS OF THE RELIGIOUS HIERARCHY OF JUDAISM AT THAT TIME WOULD DISCOVER THEY DID NOT HAVE THE ANSWER OF MAN’S ACCESS TO GOD.
        • “THE ROUGH WAYS SHALL BE MADE SMOOTH” (4) =
          • THE WAY TO GOD IS EASY, BUT MAN MAKES IT DIFFICULT WITH RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS THAT HIDE THE TRUTH. (Isa 57:12-15)
        • “ALL FLESH SHALL SEE IT (THE SALVATION OF GOD” (5) =
          • THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS FOR ALL JEWS AND ALL GENTILES THAT COME BY WAY OF REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN.
• READ ISA 40:6-8
  • MAN IS COMPARED TO THE GRASS OF THE FIELD. RELATIVELY SPEAKING BOTH HAVE A SHORT LIFE SPAN COMPARED TO THE ETERNAL GOD AND HIS WORD.
    • READ 1 PET 1:23-25

• READ ISA 40:9-11
  • “GOOD TIDINGS” (9) =
    • THE GOOD NEWS OF THE COMING OF THE LORD.
  • “BEHOLD YOUR GOD” (9) =
    • THEY WERE NOT JUST TO SEE JESUS, BUT THEY WERE TO BELIEVE IN HIM AS GOD.
  • “THE LORD WILL COME WITH A STRONG HAND” (10) =
    • SUDDENLY ISAIAH SWITCHES FROM THE FIRST COMING TO THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST. HE WILL DO THIS FREQUENTLY IN THE LAST HALF OF HIS BOOK, MIXING THE TWO COMINGS OF THE LORD EVEN WITHIN THE SAME VERSE.
    • IT IS AT THE SECOND COMING THAT JESUS WILL COME WITH A STRONG HAND. HE WILL COME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON TO FIGHT THOSE THAT TRY TO DESTROY ALL THE JEWS ON EARTH.
    • “HE SHALL FEED HIS FLOCK LIKE A SHEPHERD” (11) =
      • AFTER THE JEWS RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR, CHRIST WILL SET UP HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH AND REIGN IN PEACE OVER HIS PEOPLE FOR 1000 YEARS.

• READ ISA 40:12-14 CREATION IS A REVELATION OF GOD: THE CREATOR
  • VERSE 12 TALKS ABOUT CREATION AND THE CREATOR.

• READ ROM 1:18-20 CREATION REVEALS GOD TO US
• READ COL 1:15-17 WHO IS THE CREATOR?
  • JESUS CHRIST.
• “WHO HATH DIRECTED THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD?” (13) =
  • READ JOH 16:7

 

• READ ISA 40:15-17 RULER OF ALL NATIONS
  • AGAIN ISAIAH JUMPS TO THE SECOND COMING WHEN CHRIST WILL RULE ALL NATIONS IN THE MILLENNIUM.

• READ ISA 40:18-26 WHAT IS THE LIKENESS OF GOD?
  • MANY PEOPLE MAKE GOD IN MAN’S IMAGE AND CREATE IDOLS TO WORSHIP. HOWEVER, AN IDOL IS NOT THE IMAGE OF THE ONE TRUE GOD.
    • “IT IS HE WHO SITTETH UPON THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH…” (22) =
      • THE PICTURE HERE IS A SOVEREIGN GOD WHO CONTROLS ALL THINGS, AND REVEALS HIMSELF THROUGH HIS CREATION.
      • WHO IS THE SOVEREIGN GOD, THE RULER, AND THE JUDGE?
        • READ ISA 9:6
    • INCIDENTALLY, THE WORD “CIRCLE” IN VERSE 22 LITERALLY MEANS “SPHERE” IN HEBREW. IT’S MARVELOUS THAT THE WORD OF GOD TOLD MAN THAT THE EARTH WAS ROUND WHEN FOR CENTURIES DURING THE MIDDLE AGES SCIENTISTS BELIEVED THE EARTH WAS FLAT. THAT WAS THE BELIEF IN COLUMBUS’ DAY WHEN HE SET OUT FOR AMERICA.

• READ ISA 40:27-31 THE CALL OF GOD TO YOU
  • MEN THINK THAT GOD PAYS NO ATTENTION TO ONE PERSON. ISAIAH SAYS THAT GOD DOES NOT GET TIRED LOOKING AFTER US. HE CAN QUIET THE STORMS OF LIFE. HOWEVER, WE MUST LOOK FOR LESSONS OF UNDERSTANDING IN THE TRIALS WE ENCOUNTER IN LIFE BECAUSE HE IS THE ONE WHO GIVES US STRENGTH TO GET THROUGH THEM.
    • THE THREE DEGREES OF POWER AND THE THREE STAGES OF CHRISTIAN GROWTH:
      • READ 1JOHN 2:12-14
  • THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN (LITTLE CHILDREN) SHALL MOUNT UP AS AN EAGLE.
  • THE ADULT CHRISTIAN (YOUNG MEN) SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY.
  • THE MATURE CHRISTIAN (FATHERS) SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT.
    • THEREFORE, THERE IS POWER IN JESUS CHRIST FOR EVERY STAGE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
      • “THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD” =
        • THE WORD “WAIT” INHERENTLY MEANS = TO STRETCH AND TWIST LIKE A ROPE HAS STRANDS TWISTED TOGETHER WHICH MAKES IT STRONGER. THE PICTURE HERE IS TO WRAP THIS ROPE AROUND THE LORD AND LEAN HEAVILY ON HIM.
      • “EAGLES” =
        • THE MOTHER EAGLE MAKES THE NEST UNCOMFORTABLE TO ENCOURAGE THE YOUNG TO LEARN TO FLY AND LEAVE IT.
      • “RUN” =
        • STRENGTH FOR THE DAILY CHRISTIAN RACE.
      • “WALK” =
        • A SUSTAINING STRENGTH IN TIMES OF SEVERE TRIAL.
    • WHICH ONE HAS THE MOST ENERGY?
      • THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN.
    • WHICH ONE HAS THE MOST STABILITY AND STAYING POWER?
      • THE MATURE CHRISTIAN (FATHERS)
    • WHERE DO YOU OFTEN SEE PEOPLE DROP OUT OF THE RACE?
      • THE ADULT CHRISTIAN (YOUNG MEN) WHO OFTEN GETS WEARY OF THE RACE.

• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
  • CHAPTER 40 IS A MARVELOUS PICTURE OF CHRIST, HIS MINISTRY AND HIS EQUALITY WITH GOD, THE FATHER. WE SEE THE GREATNESS OF JESUS CHRIST REVEALED THROUGH CREATION. IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, WE WILL SEE THE GREATNESS OF GOD REVEALED THROUGH GOD’S HISTORICAL DEALINGS WITH MAN.

HOMEWORK
ISAIAH 41 AND 42
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF ISA 40
  • WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT JESUS THAT YOU NEVER KNEW BEFORE?

• IN YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, IN WHICH STAGE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
  • THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN (LITTLE CHILDREN) ?
  • THE ADULT CHRISTIAN (YOUNG MEN) ?
  • THE MATURE CHRISTIAN (FATHERS) ?
• WRITE YOUR REASONS WHY YOU THINK SO:

• HOW DOES WHAT YOU LEARNED IN THIS CHAPTER GIVE YOU STRENGTH TO COMPLETE THE RACE?

• PREPARATION FOR ISA 41 AND 42
  • READ ISA 41
    • READ GEN 15:5-18
      • GOD CALLS ABRAHAM “FRIEND” IN ISA 41:8 BECAUSE OF A COVENANT IN GEN 15. WHAT UNIQUE THINGS DO YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE MAKING OF THE COVENANT?

• WHY DO YOU THINK GOD MENTIONS THIS COVENANT HERE IN ISAIAH?

• READ ISA 42 SERVANT SONG #1
  • WHO IS THE SERVANT IN VERSE 1?

• WHAT DO YOU THINK VERSE 3 MEANS (AN ADVANCED QUESTION)?
  • (A CLUE: READ MAT 12:17-21)

• WHO IS THE SERVANT IN VERSE 19?

• MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 41:13