Everyone seems to know Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  What should we consider about the whole preceding chapter [40:1 - 30]?  This can be the downside of emphasizing one verse out of a given passage.  What?  There is a downside?  Yes, there certainly can be a downside!  When we do not consider the context of the passage, we lose the meaning of the passage; or, at least, we feebly attempt to give meaning that was not intended by the LORD.

Over the next few posts, I would like to highlight some of the verses in Isaiah chapter forty.  There is too much to cover simply in one post; but let’s begin with verses one and two: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.”

Understanding the Time

Israel [both Judah and Israel] would ultimately go into captivity.  They would be taken to other nations, where they would serve.  They had rejected the LORD.  This particular passage looks to the time after the dispersion of God’s people.  These verses look forward to the time leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ.  We know this because in verse three, the Word of God shows to us a description of the message of John the Baptist.

Applying a simple Truth

A comforting message is going to be given.  Israel had been rewarded double for her sins, and now there was to be comfort.  For today, I would simply like you to see the statement at the end of verse two and consider one simple question.  The statement says, “…for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.”  Consider a few thoughts and one simple question:

-  Sin has a price tag.  You will reap more than what you sow.  If you were to plant a tomato seed, it would bring forth a plant that would generally yield more than one tomato.  So it is with sin.

-  The LORD keeps His Word.  God is not mocked.  Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

What grips me about the statement in the verse is the phrase “…for all her sins.”  Please ask yourself one question, “WHAT DO I DESERVE?”  This is a sobering thought.  ”WHAT DO YOU DESERVE?”  The truth is that we deserve eternal separation from God.  The truth is that without Christ, we are hopeless.  The truth is that what we deserve is not very pretty!  As we open up this chapter, ponder this thought.

There will be four other question presented in the next few posts.  I hope you will be able to put the pieces together so that we may understand what it truly means to wait upon the Lord for renewal of strength.  For today, live humbly knowing what it is that we truly deserve had it not been for the LORD Jesus Christ.