Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
You who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem,
You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
And aHis arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, bHis reward is with Him,
And His1 work before Him.
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.
Measured heaven with a1 span
And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales
And the hills in a balance?
And ataught Him in the path of justice?
Who taught Him knowledge,
And showed Him the way of understanding?
And are counted as the small dust on the scales;
Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.
And bthey are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
The goldsmith overspreads it with gold,
And the silversmith casts silver chains.
Chooses a tree that will not rot;
He seeks for himself a skillful workman
aTo prepare a carved image that will not totter.
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who astretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a btent to dwell in.
Scarcely shall they be sown,
Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,
When He will also blow on them,
And they will wither,
And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.
And see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number;
aHe calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.
And speak, O Israel:
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
And my just claim is passed over by my God”?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
aHis understanding is unsearchable.
bShall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
| << Isaiah 40:8 | Isaiah 40:10 >> |
What Does Isaiah 40:9 Mean?
Isaiah 40:1-10
This may also be part of the message of the Two Witnesses. They will preach comfort to Jerusalem—that the end is about to come, that she's been repaid for her sins, but a time is coming that will be far better for her. They will also prepare the way of the Lord, an obvious aspect of their ministry. In addition, they will proclaim that the Day of the Lord is coming, a time when all flesh is grass—when many will be simply wiped out for their sins. They will also preach a message to the church, leading its part in bringing good tidings of the coming Kingdom of God and giving them encouragement to do it with strength and boldness in Judah (evidently where most of them are at this late date). Finally, of course, they will boldly announce the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His government.
This passage, in a way, encapsulates the witness or the testimony of the Two Witnesses—to the world and to the church. Theirs will be true evidence that brings a conviction. One could say that the Two Witnesses are the two star witnesses of an end-time trial in which God judges that the world must be punished, that He must send His Son back, and that His must rule mankind. The Two Witnesses will give their evidence, and God will pass judgment.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Two Witnesses (Part Three)
Isaiah 40:9-18
God commands Zion (a type of the church) to lift up its voice to reveal Him to the people. In His ensuing description of Himself, God proclaims Himself as the almighty, all-wise Creator. He has such incomparable power and wisdom that the combined might and intelligence of all nations are as nothing before Him. In our childish vanity, we think of ourselves as being of some account, but we are so insignificant that, compared to Him, all humanity combined is less than nothing and worthless! Considering this testimony, whose law should take precedence—God's or man's?
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Sixth Commandment (Part 2): War! (1997)
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Isaiah 40:9:
| << Isaiah 40:8 | Isaiah 40:10 >> |
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God commands Zion, a type of the church, to lift up its voice and reveal Him to the people, proclaiming "Behold your God" to Judah. In describing Himself, God declares Himself the almighty, all-wise Creator, possessing incomparable power and wisdom. The combined might and intelligence of all nations are nothing before Him. Though human vanity imagines itself to be of some account, all humanity combined is less than nothing and worthless compared to Him. Considering this testimony, God's law should take precedence over man's. A series of contrasts between this God and other gods, along with questions, stimulates thinking about His majesty. Isaiah 43:6-12 shows that the church members are His witnesses that He is God.