Isaiah 🫂

The book of Isaiah follows the Jewish people during their exile from Babylon. Times were tough: the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, and the Jewish people were enslaved for decades. In Isaiah 40, a light is at the end of the tunnel. The Jewish people are permitted to return to Jerusalem, ending their exile, but a long trek awaits them. With this context in mind, I believe Isaiah 40:11 begins to make a lot more sense.

What is the longest walk you have ever been on? How about the longest walk in the summer in the desert? Now imagine that you don’t know when you will arrive, what will be there when you arrive, and that each day brings you to a new place that you have possibly never been before. Imagine the fear you would feel, the insecurity you would be wracked with on a daily basis, and the anxiety you would feel towards the unknown you would encounter every single day. There is an answer, however, a guiding hope that will lead you when you are lost. It is the Lord our Shepherd. This imaginary exercise can only paint a very loose picture of what the exiles of Jerusalem were truly feeling. They were enslaved for decades, broken and tortured, split from their families and had their faith decimated. They continued to trust in God, and God never abandoned them.

FtThe verse has a joyful tone that portrays the feeling of relief and hope. The Jews who were wandering in the desert, exhausted and lost, are finally permitted to return home. Despite their wavering faith and testing will, God provided for them like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering and carrying them, and gently leading those with children. The intimacy between a shepherd and a baby lamb can be seen when the mother of the baby follows closely, making it one of the most gentle experiences that a shepherd can perform.