Comfort For God’s People (Isaiah 40:1-2)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
15 December 2019
“Location, location, location” is the language of real estate agents. The language of God is “Comfort, comfort, comfort.”
God desires the comfort of people; not their condemnation. We are already under God's condemnation just as Israel of old was. God's message to Israel was “Comfort, yes, comfort my people!”
(Isaiah 40:1,2). God lifts condemnation and replaces it with comfort.
His comfort is unlike human comfort. We can be comforted, for instance, by friends, or music, or a change in environment, but ultimately it is God who alone can comfort our inner being. He reaches where no one else can reach - the soul.
How does God’s comfort come to us?
It comes through the medium of his messengers. In Isaiah 40:1 the Lord tells his prophets to speak comfort to his people. Similarly, we are comforted today by Christ Jesus, God’s most holy prophet. He is the Word of God who speaks to us. He speaks through the Bible ministered to us by the Holy Spirit.
Israel was in need of comfort. She was discomforted by belligerent neighbours. God promised that her warfare was to end. It ended when the Jews came out of the Babylonian captivity.
We also are in need of comfort. We live in a hostile, fallen world. The Lord has promised a new heaven and earth. Our warfare will eventually end but in the meantime the Lord gives us grace to cope.
The Lord speaks of Israel’s iniquity being pardoned. We, like Israel, have our iniquities pardoned. This is because when Jesus Christ died on the cross his death was altogether sufficient for our pardon or as Isaiah puts it we have “received double for all our sins” (v.2). There is no need, actual or symbolic, for any further offering. Christ’s offering is once and for all sufficient.
Israel of old was given ceremonial sacrifices which foreshadowed the coming of Christ. By looking forward in faith they could have their iniquities pardoned.
Israel looked forward to the coming of Messiah. We can look back to the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and know Messiah has come. By faith in his offering up of himself on our behalf we receive forgiveness of sins.
This liberating truth of forgiveness which Isaiah speaks of, continues to be received by God’s people through the ages.
Aged Simeon, some 700 years after Isaiah, was waiting for the consolation - the comfort, of Israel (Luke 2:25). He lived to see God’s comfort - Jesus.
And Jesus himself spoke of comfort. He promised his disciples the coming of the Comforter who is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, 27). This promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.
In a world of tumult be assured that there is comfort available. But this comfort does not come from the world. In this world we shall have tribulation but be of good cheer Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). He will give you comfort in your trials.