Comfort, Yes, Comfort My People

Speak Comfort to Jerusalem

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Paul told God’s people, “Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Long before Paul, God sent a message of comfort through the prophet Isaiah.

A prophet. A prophet is someone who speaks God’s message. Isaiah spoke God’s words to God’s people.

Comfort, yes, comfort. “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God (Isaiah 40:1). God says the word comfort twice, because He really means it.

My people. God calls them “My people.” They had been through hard times, but they still belonged to Him.

Your God. God calls Himself “your God.” The One who gives this comfort is their own God, who loves them.

Speak to the heart. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem” (40:2). In Isaiah’s language this means to speak to her heart. God wants His comfort to reach deep inside.

The hard time is over. God said “that her warfare is ended.” Warfare here means a long, hard time of trouble. God was telling His people it was finished.

Sin forgiven. God also said “that her iniquity is pardoned.” Iniquity means sin. Pardoned means forgiven.

The best comfort. God’s comfort is more than telling someone to cheer up. The deepest comfort of all is knowing that our sin is forgiven.

Hearts that hurt. When someone you love has died, your heart can hurt for a long time. God speaks to hurting hearts. You can tell Him how you feel, and you can talk to a parent or a grown-up you trust.

Real reasons. God’s comfort gave His people real reasons to hope: the hard time was over, and their sin was forgiven. His comfort is never pretend.

Still the same. God said comfort twice long ago, and He still cares that much about His people today. He speaks to us through His Word, the Bible.

How God forgives. We have all sinned. Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins, and He rose again. Everyone who trusts Him is forgiven.

Comfort to pass on. God told messengers to carry His comfort. He asks His people to comfort others too, just as Paul told the believers to do.

Kind words. A kind word, a note or a few minutes of listening can help a sad friend feel God’s care.

What this means for you. Think of someone who is sad. Ask God to show you how to speak kindly to that person’s heart.

Paul ends his teaching on the Lord’s coming with a command: “Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Isaiah 40 opens with a command to comfort as well.

The command (40:1). “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. The doubled word shows how much God wants His people comforted.

Words of belonging. “My people” and “your God” are the words of the covenant God made with Israel. The relationship had not ended, even after a long, hard time.

Looking ahead. Isaiah 40 most likely looks ahead to God’s people coming home after years away from their land. God speaks before the hard time is even over.

To the heart (40:2). “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her.” In Hebrew this is to speak to her heart, the way someone speaks tenderly to a person they love.

Warfare ended. “That her warfare is ended.” The word pictures hard service, like a soldier’s long duty. God announces that it is complete.

Iniquity pardoned. “That her iniquity is pardoned.” Iniquity is sin, the twisting of what is right. Pardoned means the guilt is taken away.

Comfort with a reason. God’s comfort is not vague. It rests on what He has done: the hard time is ended, and the sin is forgiven.

Comfort and truth. The two “that” lines of 40:2 give the content of the comfort. Comfort without truth would be empty; God speaks both at once.

The same God. The God who spoke tenderly to Jerusalem is the God who sent His Son. His heart toward His people has not changed.

Grief and God. Grief can last a long time, and God is patient with hurting hearts. Bring your sadness to Him, and talk to a parent or a grown-up you trust.

The deeper need. Every person has sinned. No amount of effort can pardon iniquity.

The answer. “Christ died for our sins” and “He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Because He died on the cross in our place, everyone who trusts Him is pardoned fully and freely.

Passed on. The command to comfort is spoken to messengers who will carry it. Those who receive God’s comfort are sent to comfort others.

Application. Write Isaiah 40:1 on a card. Give it, with a short note, to someone who is grieving or going through a hard time.

I Am He Who Comforts You

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Paul wrote, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The Lord Himself comes for His people. In Isaiah, God says that He Himself is the One who comforts them.

I, even I. “I, even I, am He who comforts you” (Isaiah 51:12). God says I twice. Nobody else can take His place.

Close, not far. God does not send comfort from far away. He comes close and comforts His people Himself.

Bigger than fear. In the same verse God asked His people why they were afraid of other people. The God who comforts them is far greater than anyone they fear.

A song (49:13). “Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains!”

All creation sings. Isaiah calls the sky, the earth and the mountains to sing. God’s comfort is such good news that even creation is told to celebrate.

The reason. “For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted.”

The afflicted. Afflicted means people who are hurting or having a hard time. God shows them mercy. Mercy is kindness to someone who needs help.

Still His. God calls them “His afflicted.” They belong to Him, even while they hurt.

Everyone joins in. If even the mountains are told to sing, God’s people can sing too. Praise helps a sad heart remember who God is.

Mercy right now. God does not wait for hurting people to feel better before He helps them. He shows mercy right in the middle of their pain.

Tears and joy. Your sadness never means God has left you. Tears can come first, and joy can come later.

Not alone. When you feel sad, God is near. Tell Him about it, and tell a parent or a grown-up you trust too.

The greatest comfort. We have all sinned. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. Everyone who trusts Him is forgiven and belongs to God.

Coming back. One day the Lord Himself will come for His people. That is a reason to sing.

What this means for you. Sing a song of praise this week. Thank God that He comforts His people.

Paul says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Isaiah shows the same personal God: the Lord Himself comforts His people.

I, even I (51:12). “I, even I, am He who comforts you.” The doubled pronoun is emphatic. God is the One, and there is no other.

No substitute. Friends and family comfort us, and God often works through them. But the source of all true comfort is God Himself.

Fear answered. In the same verse God asks why His people fear mere humans, who fade like grass. Knowing who comforts you puts every fear in its place.

Break out (49:13). “Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains!” Break out is patsach (say: pah-TSAKH), to burst open, like a song that cannot be held in.

The reason. “For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted.” The verbs are sure: He has comforted, and He will have mercy.

His afflicted. God calls the suffering “His afflicted.” They belong to Him in their pain.

Creation’s song. Heaven, earth and mountains are called to sing because God’s comfort is not small. It changes everything for His people.

Praise in sorrow. Worship does not deny grief. It sets grief beside the truth of who God is, and it lifts the eyes of the grieving to Him.

Sure promises. Isaiah speaks of comfort as already given and of mercy as still to come. God’s people can lean on both.

Honest grief. God does not ask the grieving to hide their tears. God meets His people in their sorrow, and joy comes in His time. Talk to a parent or a grown-up you trust.

The ground of comfort. Every person has sinned and stands in need of mercy.

The answer. Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). In Him God’s mercy reaches everyone who believes.

Comfort that lasts. Because Christ is risen and is coming again, His comfort does not run out.

Application. Read Isaiah 49:13 aloud this week. Then thank God for one way He has comforted you or someone you love.

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