Bible Study: Isaiah/Psalm 40-41
OK Men,
“Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
‘Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’
For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, not understand with their hearts, nor turn - and I would heal them.’
Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.” (John 12:37-41).
Isaiah 40 begins an important pivot point in this book. Chapters 40-48 point to the promised Messiah! Now we will start to read about the glory of Christ that Isaiah saw. Some of these chapters are exactly what we’ve been waiting for!
Chapter 40:
What’s New: “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for,” (v2). After correction from the Lord comes peace and love. So much so, that even Isaiah is told to “speak tenderly” to the people. The time for wrath and warning is over, you don’t even need to speak boldly or harshly to them anymore. Jerusalem has paid their penance; their sin has been paid for. This is a testament to the goodness of the Lord. Once the sin has been paid for, it’s truly done and forgotten!
(Verse 3 points to John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus!)
Who is God: “Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?” (v13-14). No one. There is no one higher than our God. He is the one who sets the right way of understanding.
Some translations say, “Who can fathom the mind of the Lord” which makes me think of 1 Corinthians 2:11: “For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” It’s only through the Spirit, that we’ve been graciously given, that we’re able to understand anything Godly. Without his Spirit, we’re led by our own thoughts and feelings, not by a mind and heart that has been renewed by the One who created the righteous path.
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom,” (v28).
Psalm 40: “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you have planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare,” (v5). A simple reminder that the Lord has done great things for each of us individually! Not just humanity as a whole. God is deeply personal, and he has provided for you in too many ways to declare! Remember and praise his goodness today!
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Chapter 41:
What’s New: There are Scriptures that say, “If you bless Israel, I will bless you.” Well, sort of. Yes, that’s what they’re alluding to, but that premise comes from Genesis 12:3 and Numbers 24:9, which both say, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.” This was originally given to Abraham in reference to his descendants. His grandson was Jacob, would be renamed Israel by God, and his twelve sons would form the twelve tribes of Israel. So, when someone says, “I support the nation of Israel because the Bible says that God will bless those who do,” that’s not entirely Biblically accurate. Israel is not necessarily just the nation with physical borders in the middle east. The nation of Israel truly, is made up of the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think we see that here in Isaiah 41.
(I know there’s a lot of political fuel within this topic of Israel. That’s not what I’m trying to get into at all in this post. This is about the Bible and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and nothing else.)
“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and not rejected you,” (8-9). Israel, my servant. The descendants of Abraham are the ones who have faith in the One True God. Not those who rely on bloodlines and borders. I think we’ve seen enough in this book of Isaiah to know that the nation of Israel has a history of straying far from God, and receiving his wrath. He saved only a remnant because that’s all that was left of his people.
I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. That doesn’t sound like a singular nation. From all corners of the earth, I called you, meaning the Lord sought out his people from all lands. The Spirit of God was extended to the Gentiles and was revealed to the Apostle Peter in Acts 10. It would be a surprise to him, but it’s these Old Testament Scriptures that helped him realize that it was true.
Who is God: Therefore, if you acknowledge Jesus as Lord, you have access to God’s promise in the very next verse: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” (v10). The Lord blesses and protects those who have put their faith in him. He loves those who love him, but that love and faith must also extend to his Son because of what 1 John 2:23 says: “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
Psalm 41: “Have mercy on me, Lord; heal me, for I have sinned against you,” (v4). I appreciate David’s openness with God regarding his sin. It’s easy to think that David’s sin started and stopped at Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. (And that was a bad one!) Numerous times in these Psalms, David has admitted that he’s sinned. They don’t reveal details, but it does show us that Davd was a human who sinned from time to time and needed a gracious savior. Even the previous chapter, David says, “For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see,” (40:12). David was a man “after God’s own heart,” but he was also a sinner just like the rest of us. The biggest takeaway that we need to have is that after every sin, we can still seek the forgiving shelter of God!
***Men, today is Good Friday. Remember that today is only “good” for us because of how horrible it was for Christ. As we see the forgiveness David was seeking in these Psalms, remember the blood of Christ that was “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins,” (Matthew 26:28). I encourage you to take 5 additional minutes to read Isaiah 53. You will see how it points to Christ and the suffering he endured on this day.
Scripture Memorization: “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24.
OK Men - This is what I have seen in these great chapters. What is standing out to you? What’s new? How are you seeing the character of God? Leave a comment!
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Interestingly, when we look at the Septuagint we get a rather different rendering of Isaiah 40:2
"O priests, speak to the heart of Jerousalem;comfort her, because her humiliation has been fulfilled, her sin has been done away with,
because she has received from the Lord’s hand double that of her sins."
I find it interesting that this is addressed specifically to the priests rather than Isaiah, and the specific reference to humiliation paints the scene in a slightly different light. And that she received double from the Lord's hand OF her sins rather than FOR her sins.
And of course I have to point out the Psalm 40:6 disparity that slips right past a great many devout believers. In the Hebrew Psalm it says, "but my ears you have opened"
But both when it's quoted in Hebrews 10:5 and in the Septuagint version is says "a body you have prepared for me" (a clear prophetic reference to Jesus, though in fairness if we did into the connotations of " my ears you have opened" things get really interesting. Especially if we merge the two and view it as an integrated whole).