Isaiah 40:6-11 - All men are like grass

"A voice ...". This is the second of three "voices". This voice tells Isaiah to cry out. Not surprisingly, Isaiah asks what he is to cry out. 

"All men are like grass .." Babylon was the superpower, she seemed to be totally dominant, and Israel certainly could do nothing against her. Israel was tightly held in captivity. But all human power is like grass. It will wither very quickly. Human faithfulness is equally fickle. Men can sometimes be united in a cause, but unless this is a godly cause the faithfulness will not last. At the start of the second world war Germany and Russia were allies, yet two years later they were seeking to destroy each other. 

And why does the grass wither? Because the Lord blows upon it. It is the Lord who has the last word, it is His will that prevails. It is only the word of God that lasts forever.

Now we get the third voice. This was to be proclaimed to Jerusalem. When Babylon would conquer Jerusalem many would be taken off into exile, the rest would be left behind in Jerusalem. Jerusalem would be a much reduced city, and under the authority of others.

"You who bring good news" Humanly the situation would seem hopeless, yet the good news is to be proclaimed loudly and clearly. The same applies today. 

Why can this be done? Because the Lord comes with power. He comes to reign and to restore the fortunes of His people. Yet this power is mixed with tenderness. This is what we need. It needs power to set us free and heal us. Yet our hearts are fragile and we need the tenderness to restore our souls.