Isaiah 40-66

An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture

Gary V. Smith, Gary V Smith

The New American Commentary series is an exceptionally acclaimed resource for ministers and Bible students who want to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features in each volume include:

• Commentary based on the New International Version (NIV).

• NIV text printed in the body of the commentary.

• Sound scholarly methodology reflecting capable research in the

original languages.

• Interpretation emphasizing the theological unity of each book and Scripture as a whole.

• Readable and applicable exposition.

Gary V. Smith’s second volume on Isaiah looks deeply and in wonder at the God who is both intimate and compassionate (Isaiah 40:28: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak”) and larger than our comprehension of time and space (Isaiah 66:1: “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool”).

Section I, Part I

Section I, Part I Outline

1. 81The Only True God Will Restore His People (40:1-55:13)
   1. Prepare, for God Is Coming to Shepherd His People (40:1-11)
   2. God's Power Removes Fear; He Will Bring Justice (40:12-42:13)
      1. God's Incomparable Power Gives Strength to the Weak (40:12-31)
         • There Is No Power Stronger Than God (40:12-20)
         • God Is in Control of the Heavens and Earth (40:21-26)
         • God Will Strengthen Those Without Hope (40:27-31)
      2. Fear Not, God Is Stronger Than Other Nations and Gods (41:1-20)
         • Who Controls History? (41:1-7)
         • God Should Be the Source of Israel's Strength (41:8-16)
         • God Will Transform Nature to Affirm His Blessing (41:17-20)
      3. The Gods Are Impotent, but God Controls History (41:21-29)
         • The Challenge: What Can the Gods Do? (41:21-24)
         • The Challenge: What Are God's Acts? (41:25-29)
      4. God's Servant Brings Justice and Is a Light to the Nations (42:1-13)
         • God's Chosen Servant Will Establish Justice on Earth (42:1-4)
         • God's Servant Will Be a Covenant and Light (42:5-9)
         • Sing a Hymn of Praise to Glorify God (42:10-13)
   3. God Will Deliver and Forgive the Sins of His Blind Servants (42:14-44:23)
      1. Fear Not, God Will Deliver His Sinful Blind Servants (42:14-43:7)
         • The Blind Are Not Forsaken (42:14-17)
         • The Blind Servant's Sins Result in Punishment (42:18-25)
         • Fear Not, God Will Ransom and Redeem His People (43:1-7)
      2. Fear Not, the Blind Will Be Delivered and Forgiven (43:8-44:5)
         • You Are Witnesses That There Is No Other God (43:8-15)
         • God's Deliverance Transforms Life (43:16-21)
         • Burdensome Worship Brings Judgment (43:22-28)
         • God's Servants Belong to Him (44:1-5)82
      3. Fear God, Not Idols, and Be Forgiven (44:6-23)
         • God Proclaims His Uniqueness (44:6-8)
         • Satire on Trusting in Useless Idols (44:9-20)
         • Admonition to Remember and Return to God (44:21-22)
         • Concluding Hymnic Praise of God (44:23)
   4. God Will Restore Jerusalem, but Offers Salvation to All (44:24-45:25)
      1. God Will Direct History through His Shepherd Cyrus (44:24-45:13)
         • God Directs the Restoration of Jerusalem (44:24-28)
         • God's Direction of Cyrus Proves He Is God (45:1-8)
         • God's Sovereignty Should Remove All Doubts (45:9-13)
      2. One Day, the Nations and Israel Will Bow before God (45:14-25)
         • Some Will Be Saved; Some Disgraced (45:14-17)
         • Nations Will Turn to God, Be Saved, and Experience Justice (45:18-25)
   5. Trust God Who Humbles Babylon and Offers Salvation to All (46:1-48:22)
      1. Babylon and Her Gods Cannot Save Themselves (46:1-47:15)
         • God's Superiority Over Idols (46:1-13)
         • Nothing Can Save Proud Babylon from Humiliation (47:1-15)
      2. Trust God, Stubborn Israel; He Has and Will Fulfill His Word (48:1-22)
         • God Condemns Israel's Impiety to Defend His Glory (48:1-11)
         • If Only Israel Would Listen to the Words of God (48:12-22)

I. The Only True God Will Restore His People, Part One

The previous section of the book of Isaiah describes Rabshakeh's threats against Jerusalem (chaps. 36-39) and God's miraculous defeat of the Assyrian troops (37:36). During these events and in the years that followed, one can imagine that a host of questions arose about the present situation in Jerusalem as well as the future state of the nation of Judah. Is God strong enough to defeat all the foreign nations and prove that their gods were nothing? Will some83 foreign nation actually defeat Judah some time in the future (39:6-7), and what will Judah's political status be if that happens? How will the promised defeat of Babylon, Egypt, and other nations (chaps. 13-23) affect Israel's history, now and in the future? Will God totally forsake his people (40:27), or is there no need to fear about the future? Will God ever forgive the people for their sinful rebellion and be compassionate toward them again? Are God's earlier promises about the restoration of a remnant to Zion still true (2:1-4; 4:2-6; 10:20-22; 11:1-16; 14:1-3)? Will these new events prevent or delay the exalted son of Jesse from reigning on the throne of David forever (9:1-7)?

Some of the messages in chaps. 40-55 give hints about God's answers to questions like these and provide great comfort to the Israelite audience that was facing an unclear future. God claims that he is all-powerful, the Creator of the world, the Redeemer of his people, and stronger than any nation or pagan god (40:12-31). These messages of assurance and salvation verify that God has not forgotten his people in their time of trouble but will fulfill his promises and restore his people. God will have compassion on those he loves, and he will forgive the nation's sins. God's servant will bear the sins of the people (53:1-12) and restore them. These confirmations of God's plans were spoken to produce repentance (55:6-8) and trust in the hearts of these Israelites.

The Introduction has already dealt with the several different approaches to interpreting chaps. 40-55 as well as three key interpretive issues: (a) the geographic location of the prophet and his audience; (b) the problem of putting together numerous short oracles derived from different genres into unified longer messages; and (c) the difficult task of determining if prophetic statements refer to near-term events or eschatological circumstances.1

Many critical commentaries suggest that an exilic prophet (called "Deutero-Isaiah") wrote chap...

Table of contents

• Isaiah 40-66
• Editors' Preface
• Author's Preface
• Abbreviations
• Dramatic
• Section I, Part I Outline
• I. The Only True God Will Restore His People, Part One
• 1. Prepare, for God Is Coining to Shepherd His People
• 2. God's Power Removes Fear; He Will Bring Justice
• 3. God Will Deliver and Forgive the Sins of His Blind Servants
• 4. God Will Restore Jerusalem but Offers Salvation to All
• 5. Trust God Who Humbles Babylon and Offers Salvation to All
• Section I, Part II Outline
• I. The Only True God Will Restore His People, Part Two
• 7. God has Not Forsaken Zion
• 8. Exaltation and Joy Comes When Sin Is Taken Away
• Section II Outline
• II. The Destiny of God's Servants
• 1. The Just Will Experience God's Future Salvation
• 2. God Will Bring Salvation, Transform Zion, Destroy the Wicked
• 3. Lament and Response: The Destiny of Servants and Rebels
• Bibliography