Isaiah 40: Comfort, comfort my people

Isaiah 40 is the chapter that opens Handel's Messiah. Every Advent, somewhere, a choir sings "Comfort, comfort, my people." The text deserves the music it inspires.

Historical context

After 39 chapters of judgment, Isaiah 40 pivots. The voice cries comfort. The exiles in Babylon (still in the future from Isaiah's vantage) are addressed. The chapter establishes the themes of Isaiah 40-55: the LORD coming as shepherd-warrior, the unmatched sovereignty of God, the futility of idols, the renewing of strength. John the Baptist applies vv. 3-5 to himself.

Three sermon arc options

• Comfort, comfort. 40:1-11. The opening movement. Walk through the structure: comfort spoken, the voice of preparation, the herald of good news, the shepherd come. End on v. 11 — gently leading those that have young.
• To whom will you compare him?. 40:18-26. The middle of the chapter is anti-idol polemic. The LORD vs. the gods of the nations. Walk through the rhetorical questions. Apply: modern idols are different but the polemic still preaches.
• Mount up with wings as eagles. 40:27-31. The closing promise. Walk through the descending physical imagery (run, walk) and the ascending source (the LORD's strength). The famous verses earn their place in the chapter's structure.

Original language notes

Nachamu, nachamu ("comfort, comfort," v. 1) — the doubled imperative for emphasis. Comfort to Israel, repeated for certainty. Davar elohenu ("the word of our God," v. 8) — the durable promise, the durable text.

Five illustration hooks

• A herald announcing the return of a king — the OT's first gospel imagery.
• Mountains brought low, valleys exalted — the leveling required for God to come.
• Grass that withers, flowers that fade — the brevity of human achievement.
• A "word of our God" that stands forever — the durable thing among ephemeral things.
• Eagles' wings — the renewable strength promised to those who wait.

Cross-references

• John 1:23 — John the Baptist applying Isaiah 40 to himself.
• Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4 — All four gospels apply 40:3 to John.
• 1 Peter 1:24-25 — Peter cites 40:6-8 on the durable word.
• Isaiah 35 — The earlier comfort promise.

Pastoral application

For the second Sunday of Advent, this is the lectionary text. For the church in any season of exile or weariness, the chapter speaks directly.