Isaiah 40:1-5 (TLV)

Sharing these notes from my son Tim Beaird. 

40 “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.

God is speaking to His people.  He’s communicating comfort and giving His people comfort.  This is the same God that spoke all of creating into existence, so when He speaks comfort it’s not without power or purpose.

² Speak kindly to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed. For she has received from Adonai’s hand double for all her sins.

We are given an example of how to speak and proclaim to our city, state, nation, and capital.  He said, “speak kindly to the heart”, which could mean the physical capital, or the heart could be her people.  Then, “proclaim to her that her warfare has ended”.  Warfare is defined as including “engagement in conflict” and the opposite of this would be not engaging in conflict…which would be peaceful.

³ A voice cries out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of Adonai, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

God speaks intentionally and He always has multitudes listening to hear and obey His direction.  Creations like angelic, human, or anything else that lives respond to His voice.  When creation recognizes Him for who and all He is then the words He says are worth listening and the direction He gives worth obeying.  You learn He never says a careless word…that every whispered word from Him has great value & purpose.  When someone worth listening to and obeying speaks you don’t miss a single word…it makes you put more value in it.  The verse in TLV says “A voice cries out in the wilderness”.  Wilderness is defined as a region that is uncultivatable, uninhabitable, and inhospitable. 

Hospitable is defined as “friendly and welcoming to strangers or guests.”  We can live in the wilderness spiritually, affecting our natural life also, because we aren’t friendly and welcoming to someone that might seem strange…a guest called the Holy Spirit.  If we aren’t hospitable to the Holy Spirit, then we aren’t hospitable to Jesus.  If we aren’t hospitable to Jesus, then we aren’t hospitable to God.  The intimacy He desires and created us to have stops and can’t proceed any further. 

But if we are open, friendly, and welcoming to the Holy Spirit then we are hospitable and can then be habitable also.  The Holy Spirit needs us to be habitable for what needs to happen next.  Habitable is defined as “suitable or good enough to live in”.  We can’t be suitable or good enough if we aren’t friendly and welcoming to guests that might seem strange to us.  So, if He whispers or guides and we don’t react properly then He weren’t hospitable and won’t be habitable. 

But if we are hospitable then we can be habitable.  If we are habitable then we can be cultivatable.  Cultivatable is defined as “capable of being farmed productively”.  The definition for Cultivate includes “improving, preparing, plowing, fertilizing, promoting growth, developing, and being productive”.  So, if we can’t be friendly & welcoming to the Holy Spirit then we can’t have Him live in us, and we won’t see the results that God desires for our lives.  

⁴ Every valley will be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low, the rough ground will be a plain
and the rugged terrain smooth.

This verse describes everything that you see and have known being flipped or reversed.  What you’ve seen with your eyes and thought was how the world and your environment are becoming different.  It starts with having the type of relationship with the Holy Spirit that God desires for us.  Jesus knew the significance of the Holy Spirit, even describing the reason He was leaving earth was to allow the Holy Spirit to come.  The entire purpose of the Holy Spirit is the make the highway for Jesus to return.  He does that through relationship and development of each of us on a personal and intimate level.  When you live with someone that are friends with you, learn a lot about them and if they are a good influence then you benefit and grow personally.  You begin to work together, talk alike, think alike, and react the same way…people notice how similar you and your friends have become. 

⁵ The glory of Adonai will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together.”
From the mouth of Adonai has spoken.

So, when we are hospitable, habitable, and cultivatable then we are developed & productive in the Kingdom and our lives because of our relationship with the Holy Spirit.  When that happens then the Glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh (every living thing) will see it.  The second part of this verse says something very specific, “For the mouth of Adonai (the Lord) has spoken”.  Remember that God never speaks a careless word.  God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are unified and work as one.  So, when we hear the Holy Spirit speak to us it’s as if Jesus and God spoke to us.  This is the same God that spoke all of creation into existence, and now He has said…

When you’re hospitable to my Holy Spirit your hospitable to me. 

When you’re hospitable then you can be habitable, so my Holy Spirit will live in you.  You’ll have me living in you.

When you let me live in you then I can develop and cultivate you, you’re cultivatable, so I’ll make you productive and develop you in ways you can’t. 

When you let me cultivate you then I can honor the words I’ve already spoken and reveal my glory to every living thing. 

I share this from my youngest son, Timothy. May God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day He has made!