Third Sunday in Advent (2025)

Isaiah 40:1-11

My Brothers and sisters in Christ, what a great passage we have here in our Old Testament Lesson as the Prophet Isaiah speaks of the hope that God has for Israel and the promise of her restoration, through the promised Messiah that would bring peace to the world. This blessing is only understood in the light of sin, and the debt that we owed to God for without the Law there was no need of restoration or healing or for the price to be paid for our sins. Let us understand the context of Isaiah’s prophecy and why the people longed to see this prophecy fulfilled, and the comfort they hoped for in a land torn apart by war and rebellion.

The Northern Kingdom

This Kingdom fell first.

They had fallen more grievous and had fewer kings that abided by the Word of the Lord, and so Isaiah prophesied and warned them, along with other prophets of the fate that was to come, but they did not heed the word of the Lord.

It was a nation at war.

There had been a split years ago because of Solomon’s sins, and God took away the Kingdom that had been given to David, and so you had this division between the north and south, but both were plagued with problems. The northern Kingdom more so and found themselves in conflict before long. So was taken captive. To be clear,

They had made this mess.

God had longed warned them about what would if they forsake Him and if they return to the ways of the people who used to inhabit the land and they decide to walk that path willingly. While both the northern and southern kingdoms fell into sin, the rulers of the northern kingdom fell more grievously. So the Lord was coming to fulfill his promises. So what were their sins?

Their Iniquities

They went after idols.

The human heart remains ever an idol factory, for we look and chase after the things that I want, and I desire and are willing to sacrifice just about anything to get it, and anything that helps us attain our dreams we are more than willing to sacrifice for, even if God has said no. So how does an idol get made?

It happens when faith is misplaced.

We were just covering the issue of the New Age movement, and there remains this temptation to seek our own desires, and our own goals apart from God’s Word and a willingness to lay it aside so that we can achieve what we want and set aside what God has said. We all have to be on guard for this, just as they did in the days of Israel. For there is a temptation to determine that we know better than God.

Why forsake the Lord?

Think about who God is, Israel knew what God had accomplished and done through the Exodus, and how with a mighty hand he had brought them out of Egypt. He had fed them in the wilderness and exalted and lifted up their nation during the days of David and Solomon, and yet after all of that they wandered away from Him. What they found is that the Lord would not join them in their sin, but began to fulfill his promises of what would happen if they forsook his ways.

God Restores His People

It is scary to be under God’s wrath.

The Egyptians knew that, the Philestines and Canaanites had discovered that, and even though the Israelites had suffered during the time in the wilderness, they did not take it to heart, and it had to come before them and be placed under their nose for them to realize. When God speaks

It’s not only nations but personal.

We can’t expect that because they belong to Israel or the local church, or to a family that salvation is ours. We can’t then abandon God’s word and do what ever we want. Think that we are immune to what God has spoken.

God’s word addresses you.

Which means the creator of the universe expects you to heed His Word. When it is the Law, that brings with it some terrifying implications that make us wonder what will happen to us? It forces us to realize our sins and confess them. For we are all poor miserable sinners, but we also know that God’s Word speaks words of comfort and hope to us personally as well, and that is why we hope for redemption.

Our Comfort and Hope

We ought to learn from Israel

Israel, ignored God’s Word, and did so to their own peril. The Northern Kingdom fell first, and about 100 years later the southern kingdom fell as well, for they did not heed the Word of God. The Law condemns us all, but it paves the way for redemption, that we might lay down our sins, and recognize the idols that we have set up. Idols of money, health, family, work, and fleshly desires, and instead

Let us be in the word.

Let us here what our Creator has promised and be reminded of the great love that He has for us. For we find in the OT and in the NT that God desires our salvation, that we might find peace in his Everlasting Kingdom and finally be in a world that is free from sin. We see that here in our Isaiah text, for

For God has promised double for our sins.

Now as I kid when I heard that I was going to double for my wrongs, that was terrifying! That is not what this passage is referring to, Jesus not only paid our debts and settled them, which would mean that the balance was returned to 0, but He gave us more than we needed, that we might enjoy the riches of heaven. So Jesus has more than covered our debts, but given to us the

The Eternal Reward

Jesus has ended the hostility.

The wrath that existed between God and man, by going to the cross there for us. That’s why He came that the division that existed between us might be brought to an end and that we might find peace with our Creator through life, death, and resurrection. We know this because

Jesus has given us His word.

He does not go back on His Word but fulfills it, and keeps it that we might be forgiven. This is why it is good for you to know God’s WOrd and to cherish it.

Let us not turn to idols.