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Isaiah 40:6 - The word of the Lord stands forever - Day 159

We have arrived at the "upbeat" portion of Isaiah.  So far it has mainly been judgment.  But now there is comfort.  If you have never listened to Handel's Messiah, the first aria is a tenor singing v1-4.  You should give it a try.  Anyway, the rest of Isaiah is very Messianic and therefore very encouraging.

An example is the contrast between the message given to Isaiah in Chapter 6 and the one given here.  There, people will not hear, see or obey.  He is to preach until Judah goes into exile.  Now, the word of the Lord that has comfort endures forever.  Even though the glory of man will fade, the word of the Lord will not.

I think this is one of the things that makes the prophetic books so appealing.  In the midst of impending exile and 70 years of captivity, Isaiah is given a message of hope.  Before the sorrow actually begins, God gives a light of hope.  And Isaiah is obedient.  He records what he is told without really asking questions.  It seems that he would have noticed the difference in tone and wondered what was going on.  Had God "changed his mind" and Judah was not going to be judged after all?  Was all that I heard in the first 39 chapters correct?  Is the comfort that is being announced just my wishful thinking?

As a modern reader, I can't ask questions that the author didn't ask.  God breathed this out to Isaiah.  I can't make it say anything other than what God intended it to say.  

On a macro level, the authority of Scripture is recognized by the Church.  The Church does not give authority to Scripture.  On a micro level, the same is true.  I can only seek to understand what God says, not to "find myself" in the text.  It is His story of redemption, not my self help book.

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