Isaiah 40 Study Notes

40:13-14 God does not need a teacher. He is inherently wise and gives advice to others (Jb 38:1-42:5). Paul quotes these words in Rm 11:34 and 1Co 2:16.

40:15-17 Babylon must have seemed invulnerable once Judah suffered defeat by the Babylonians and her leaders were carted off into exile, but no human power, not even Babylon, could compare with God. They were like a drop in a bucket. Lebanon was famous for its massive forests and its abundant wildlife, but they were not sufficient to produce a burnt offering before God. The message is that God could and would deliver Judah from Babylonian captivity.

40:18-20 God is nothing like the gods of the nations. Many thought otherwise, believing that Babylon was able to defeat Judah because the Babylonian gods were stronger than Yahweh, but the Babylonian gods were nothing but wood and metal—the creations of human craftsmen (41:6-7; 42:17; 44:9-20; 46:5-7; 48:5).

40:21-24 God is not only superior to the gods of the nations; he is far above the rulers of the nations as well (princes . . . judges). He is the ultimate ruler. His throne is not on earth, but above the circle of the earth. Like grass (vv. 6-8), they are fragile and short-lived and as easily disposed of as stubble carried away by a whirlwind. They are no match for God.

40:25-26 Nothing compares to God—not even the stars. The religions of the ancient Near East believed the stars were gods. Judah’s religion asserted that God created the stars. The fact that he knew them by name indicates that they were his creation and they were protected (not one of them is missing) by his power.

40:27 When Judah experienced God’s punishment, Isaiah anticipated that the people would ask why God had abandoned them. The following verses summarize the answer given in the first part of the chapter. God wanted to deliver his people, and he was fully able to do so.

40:28 God had the power and wisdom to bring about Judah’s deliverance.

40:29-31 God not only had strength, but he distributed that strength to his people. The criterion for receiving God’s strength was not youth but trust. Those who trusted God would have an unlimited source of strength.