“Good” is kinda of a “blah” word, isn’t it? We use it when something is good but not great. We use it to describe a pleasant day, a nice meal, or a book we’d recommend. When we talk about “good” people, we usually mean someone who does the right thing...most of the time. But, every good role model we’ve looked up to or friend or family member we’ve relied on has let us down and fallen short. And we all know, too well, the darkness that hides in our own hearts. Our sinful natures spill out through our words and actions every day. But, God is not like us. God’s character is so beyond our usual standard of goodness, we can hardly begin to comprehend it. The goodness of God is completely different from anything we’ve ever experienced.
Over the next few months, we’re going to be looking at what Isaiah 40 has to say about God’s character, starting with his goodness. This chapter of Isaiah was written at a time when God’s people had long been split into a northern kingdom, called Israel, and a southern kingdom, called Judah. Israel had endured many wicked kings who had led them to worship idols. Finally, God had allowed Israel to be taken into captivity as punishment for their unfaithfulness. The people of the Judah had seen this happen. They had had more more of a mixture of wicked kings and a few godly ones, so, up to that point, they had remained safe, even though Judah was filled with corruption and idolatry too. But, in chapter 39, Isaiah shared a prophecy with the King of Judah. Because of the sins of the people, Jerusalem was also going fall to foreign invaders. Within just a few generations, their capital, Jerusalem, would be overtaken by the Babylonians. God’s temple--the place where his glorious presence had descended like a cloud and dwelled with his people--it would be plundered and burned to the ground. The people of Judah would be taken captive and dragged away to a foreign land, just as the people of Israel had been. No doubt, they were devastated and afraid. They probably felt like God had abandoned them. Have you ever felt that way too? Isaiah 40 is God’s message of hope to his people, then and now. Through the prophet, Isaiah, God assured them, and he assures us now, that deliverance will come. He began by telling the people of his goodness, painting a picture of himself as a mighty, yet loving king who would faithfully rescue his people and lead them home. In this passage, his goodness is shown as perfect justice, mercy, and compassion. Let’s look at Isaiah 40: 1-11
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
9 Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
Beginning in verse one, God tells Isaiah to give his people a message of comfort. Even though the message was first given about a century before the exile, it’s addressed as though God is speaking to the future exiles as they return home to Jerusalem. “1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” Notice the language here: the word, “comfort” is repeated to emphasize God’s loving concern for his people in their distress. He also calls them “my people” and describes himself as “your God”--a reminder of the covenant promise God had made with them to be their God and to claim them as his own people, with whom he would dwell forever.
The message continues: “2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.” By God’s hand--through his power and authority--the Israelites received a just punishment for their sins by being taken from their homes to a foreign land. God displayed his goodness to his people by justly disciplining them when they refused to turn from their sin.
Through Isaiah and the many prophets before and after him, God had warned the people. He had pleaded with them to change their ways: to turn from their sins and worship God alone. But they did not listen. They loved their sin more than they loved God. So, he finally put an end to their rebellion, using the Babylonians to punish them as they deserved. Proverbs 3:11-12 says,
“11 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.”
Just as parents earnestly discipline their children to teach them right from wrong, God lovingly corrects his wayward people. Hebrews 12: 10-11 also reminds us that “...[God] disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Although the punishment the Jews received for their rebellion was painful, it was necessary to turn their hearts back to God. It may seem like an extreme punishment to us, but God’s standard of justice is not like ours, it’s better. It’s perfect. It is never too harsh, or too lenient. “Double for all her sins” is not intended to mean that God punished them too much (that would be unjust). Instead, it’s hyperbole, or an exaggeration, that’s meant to show that the extent of their punishment was perfectly full and complete. This perfect justice applies to us as well. God does not turn a blind eye to evil in this world. Every sin will be answered for, because It would be wrong for God to ignore sin and allow it to continue without consequence. For that reason, he allowed his people to be taken into exile in Isaiah, but, he also provided the means by which they would return. He made a path, for them and for us, to be reconciled to himself, because God’s goodness is also merciful.
God does not break his promises. He remains faithful to his people, even when they are unfaithful to him. Here in Isaiah, God told the Jews in exile that the time of their punishment would come to an end. God would mercifully pardon his people for their sins and receive them with forgiveness. He would ransom his people back, and lead them home safely as a triumphant king. Let’s look at verses 3 and 4: “3 A voice cries: ’In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.’” An announcement is made: “Get ready! Clear the way! God’s glory is coming back to Jerusalem!” Jerusalem is actually settled in a mountain range and the terrain around it is really rough, with lots of deep valleys and steep hills. So, God is going to cause those valleys to rise up and the mountains to flatten out to make a smooth, level path to Jerusalem. Obviously, the Israelites couldn’t change the terrain to clear this kind of path. Even today, with modern construction equipment, it would be crazy! No, this is a metaphor for how God himself is going to clear a way and make a path for his people to return to the place where he had promised to make his home with them forever.
With power and authority, God would make a way for the Jews to return from their exile in Babylon, but, even more, he was going to make a path for all people to return from the exile of sin, overcome the wilderness of temptation, and dwell in God’s presence forever. This act of abundant mercy and goodness would reveal God’s glory to a watching world: “5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Hundreds of years later, a man named John would call himself “‘...the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord”’” (John 1:22) as he preached to the people to repent of their sins and be baptized. He was preparing the way for Jesus to begin his ministry. Jesus, through whom God’s glory was revealed to us, and to the whole world. Through his perfectly sinless life, his death on the cross, and his resurrection, he made a way to forgiveness and eternal life for all people. He carved out a path to righteousness and relationship with God that we could not have attained for ourselves any more than we could flatten Mt. Hood out into a perfectly level plain. TItus 3:4-7 puts it this way, “4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Jesus is the perfect expression of God’s merciful goodness to us. He is merciful in saving us, and he leads us with compassion for our trials and weaknesses.
We’re actually going to skip over verses 6-8 here, but, don’t worry, we’ll be coming back for them next month when we discuss what it means for God to be unchanging.
Continuing in verse 9, “9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “‘Behold your God!’ 10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” This is really good news! So good, everyone needs to hear it! “Shout it from the rooftops! Tell everyone! God is leading his people back to Jerusalem!” This is a picture of God returning to Jerusalem as a mighty, conquering king, and we’re reminded again that he is just. He’s bringing with him payment for the righteous and for the wicked, parading it ahead of himself like the spoils of war. But, there’s no reason to be afraid of his coming, because he is as gentle as he is powerful: “11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Remember, the shepherd was not a weak, baby-faced Precious Moments figurine snuggled up next to a cute lamb. A good shepherd was tender and gentle with his sheep, but was also fierce in defending them against robbers and wild animals. When he was a shepherd, David killed a lion and a bear that tried to go after the lambs in his father’s flock. In the same way, God is fierce with his enemies but tender with his people. God will lovingly care for his people, guiding them home to safety with kindness and compassion. He carries the weak and guides the weary along safe paths. God’s son, Jesus, is a perfectly compassionate shepherd. John 10 describes Jesus as the “good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep.” Jesus gave his life for our good, taking the punishment we deserved to give us new life in him. Through him, we have hope for eternity, and for this life as well. He is a Psalm 23 kind of shepherd, who provides for his sheep, guiding them through treacherous valleys and leading them to food and rest in lush meadows near quiet streams. Whether we are experiencing a season of rich joy and security, or of deep pain and uncertainty, we can rest in the knowledge that he is with us, and he will lead us safely home. We have hope, just as God’s people did here in Isaiah, because we know that God is good.
Now, you might be sitting there thinking that it’s too simple, obvious, or inadequate to describe God as “good.” Or maybe you’re in a season where God doesn’t seem very good to you at all. And I get that, because I’ve been there too.
For my part, I guess I used to think that God’s “goodness” meant that, as long as I did the right “Christian” things, God would bless me with a comfortable, happy life, just the way I’d always imagined it. So, that’s what I tried to do. That’s what I put my hope in. But then, I was laid off from my two part-time jobs in two months and I didn’t know how we were going to pay our bills; I wondered if God really was good. Later, as all my friends started having children, and, meanwhile, months turned into years and the little strips never turned pink for me; I wondered why God’s goodness was for other people, and not for me? And, when 12 moms decided that, no, we weren’t the right parents to adopt her child; I wondered how God’s goodness fit with my breaking heart.
Maybe you’ve asked questions like this too. Don’t we all, at times? Maybe not in so many words, but our fears and insecurities all seem to boil down to these same questions. Is God really good? Is he good to me? Is he good, even when I can’t make sense of my circumstances? Not the kind of good that is indifferent and impartial, like a judge sitting high up on a bench in a courtroom. I need the kind of good that gets down in the dirt with me in my sin and sorrow and knows every tear that I have shed. How can I “taste and see that the Lord is good” when all I taste is the bitterness of heartache? And how do I keep the reality of his goodness steadfastly at the forefront of my mind when seasons of contentment threaten to draw me into spiritual indifference? Isaiah 40 points us in the right direction: we must behold our God.
If you’re going to really “behold” something, you have to observe and consider it. It’s not a quick glance. It’s a long, thoughtful gaze. To behold God, we contemplate his character, consider the things he has done, and hear what he has to say to us through his Word.
When we are tempted to doubt or become disinterested in God’s goodness we must meditate on who he is and allow that knowledge to permeate our hearts. You can fill your home or even your car with beautiful artwork or even little Post-It notes that remind you of the different attributes of God. Read and reread them as you wash dishes, brush your teeth, or drive around running errands. You can even memorize them! There are so many attributes of God to meditate on to give us hope for each day. The study we’re doing on God’s character is only going to cover three of them, but there are so many more! I’d encourage you to learn more about them on your own. Books like Knowing God by J.I. Packer, The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer, and None Like Him by Jen Wilkin are all excellent resources for learning more about God’s character. And, if you don’t have much time to sit and read, I can help direct you to an app where you can listen to audio versions of all three books for free! These books have inspired and encouraged me, and deepened my understanding of the scripture, so I’d definitely encourage you to check them out.
We can also behold God by remembering what he has done. The whole Bible is filled stories of God’s faithfulness to his people, and those should be a great encouragement to us, but there’s also plenty of evidence of God’s goodness right in front of us. We can see it in our lives and the lives of our fellow believers. Pray and ask God to open your eyes to how he is at work here and now. Seek out fellow believers and encourage one another with reminders of God’s goodness in hard and in joyful seasons. His abundant goodness is evident in ordinary blessings that we often take for granted: like the perfect peace of holding a sleeping child in your arms, or the beauty of a sunny day in January, or the comfort of an unexpected note of encouragement from a friend. Take time to thank God for his everyday goodness.
Most of all, meditate on God’s Word regularly to see the abundant evidence of his goodness. Trace the story of his justice, mercy, and compassion toward his people, to us, that spills out on every page and reaches its culmination in Jesus. In times of joy or trial, we can look to Christ and know that we are secure because of his sacrifice on our behalf. Dive into God’s Word for yourself and see the story of God’s goodness unfold. A great way to do this would be to join one of the James study groups that is starting next week. The author of the study, Jen Wilkin, is an excellent Bible teacher. She is all about giving women the tools needed to understanding the Bible rightly for themselves, regardless of their level of education or church background. If you join one of the studies, I’m sure you’ll come away from it with a greater understanding of God’s message to us through James, and be better equipped to understand the rest of the Bible as well.
I can tell you from personal experience that learning to behold God’s goodness day-by-day is not an easy process or a quick fix. It’s a life-long journey that I’m just beginning. It doesn’t solve all your problems or make you perfectly happy and kind at all times. What it offers is hope: hope like God’s people needed back in Isaiah’s day, and like you and I need right now. Hope that is built on God’s perfect goodness, which is just, merciful, and compassionate, richly poured out on us through Christ. Through him, God has blessed us immensely, far beyond what we deserve, and beyond what we could ever fully comprehend.