Isaiah 40-49
LESSON #1 WHO IS LIKE HIM? (Isaiah 40)
TRUTH:
God is great enough to govern creation and near enough to carry us.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
There are times in our lives when God or Jesus Christ can feel almost too big to approach. We believe He created the universe, governs nations, and comprehends eternity—but does a Being that great really notice the details of my small, sometimes seemingly insignificant life? Isaiah’s answer is one of the most comforting portraits of God in scripture. The God who holds oceans in His hand also gathers lambs in His arms. His power is both immense and intimate. It makes Him capable of giving us the personal help we need. When our strength runs out, His doesn’t.
WHAT THE TEACHER SHOULD KNOW:
There is a noticeable shift in tone from Isaiah chapter 39 to chapter 40. In Isaiah chapters 1-39, the prophet speaks with more of a voice of warning, urgency, and correction—while chapters 40-66 speak with a much softer, more comforting tone. That tone is so different that some Biblical scholars even theorize that there were two Isaiahs—two different authors that were later combined into one and labeled Isaiah. I personally don’t believe that. Prophets can emphasize different messages at different times but that doesn’t make them different people.
So Isaiah 39 ends with the prediction that Judah will eventually be carried into Babylon. But chapter 40 begins with the words, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people.”
Isaiah is going to try and give hope and comfort to people who feel defeated, displaced, and perhaps forgotten by God.
In chapter 40 there seem to be two major qualities or attributes of God that Isaiah wants us to understand.
One of those qualities is God’s grandeur. His power. His majesty. And he’s going to do this with some really phenomenal visuals. Let’s pick it up in verse 12.
12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
God is so big, so grand, so powerful that he could just reach down and scoop up the Pacific Ocean and hold it in the palm of his hand. He could measure it—and tell you just how big it is.
and meted out heaven with the span,
To mete something out is to measure it and the span was the distance between the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger spread out. So it’s as if God is up there saying, “Oh, you want to know how big the universe is? You mortals down there haven’t figured that out yet? I could tell you. Here let me measure it for you.” And he just puts his hand up and starts counting spans and says, “It’s about this big.”
and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure,
So here he says, “Would you like to know how many specks of dust there are on the face of the earth, how many grains of sand on the seashore? I could tell you. The number’s too big for your mortal minds to comprehend, but my mind comprehends, I know the exact number. It’s not unmeasurable for me.”
and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
“So you want to know how much Mt. Everest weighs? Or the Rocky Mountains? Or the Alps? Let me tell you” And he reaches down and scoops up the Rocky Mountains in his hand and puts them on his heavenly scales and measures exactly how much they weigh.
Do you see what Isaiah’s doing here? He’s very poetically illustrating the majesty and power of God. Now verse 15
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
The earthly powers of the world are really nothing compared to him. The China’s, the Russia’s, the United States’s, with all their military, economic, and political self-importance, are like a drop in a bucket or so much dust that is easily blown away in the wind compared to him. They are a very little thing.
Now jump to verse 22
22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
Can you visualize that one?! Think of that picture of the earth that the astronauts took from the moon—where you can actually see the circle of the earth. Now can you picture God, just sitting down on it, his legs dangling over the side? That’s how immense he is! He looks down with a Google-earth type perspective at all of us grasshoppers. All the works and cities and affairs of men are spread out before him like a person surveying ants on an anthill.
Then, the big question. A rhetorical question. He asks it twice in this chapter. In both verse 18 and verse 25
18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
What’s the answer to that question? There is none like Him. There is none greater—no one as powerful.
And that’s an important truth for those that feel forgotten or hid by God. God has the power to help us. There is nothing in the universe that is above him. The purpose of the creation imagery isn’t there just to make God appear impressive. It answers the fear that’s expressed in verse 27:
“My way is hid from the Lord.”
And Isaiah’s answer is basically: How could your life be hidden from a God who knows and governs all of creation?
But that’s not the only quality he wants us to see. Now a different set of verses.
Verse 11
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Now that’s a comforting image, isn’t it? He’s a feeding, gathering, carrying in his bosom, gentle God. He’s a good shepherd. This is the way he leads his people.
Verse 26
26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
Do you understand that image? If you were to go out at night and look up at all the stars in the heavens, he would be able to call them by names. And he can do the same for each person on this earth. No one is beyond the gaze of God. No one escapes his care and knowledge. He knows every single one of the nearly 8 billion people that reside on this planet right now, as well as all the spirits of the Spirit World and all the spirits of the yet unborn. He knows them by name.
40:29-31
Now what comforting thing do we learn about our God in verses 28-31?
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
So, it’s not God that gets weary or faint even with all the work he has to do. He never gets tired. We get weary, we get faint, and he’s the one providing the strength and the power. And what can he give us the power to do? He can not only give us strength to walk, not only to run, but to fly as with the wings of eagles. He can help us do all three. Sometimes we just need enough strength to keep walking, to just endure, and he can give us that. Sometimes we try to run and push harder and further as his disciples. He can provide us with strength to do that. And if we trust in him enough, if we have the faith and the desire, he can even cause us to fly! We can do the impossible. We can mount up as with the wings of eagles. Have you ever felt God help you to fly! Those moments when everything just seems to come together. When you find success and accomplishment and triumph. He’s the wind beneath our wings.
So, isn’t it amazing that a being with the kind of power that can hold oceans and weigh mountains, you and I probably talked to casually this morning on our knees. The fact that a being with that omnipotence and ultimate authority over the universe is warmly and comfortably aware of who we are and all that we experience and go through. That may be one of the MOST comforting and wonderful things about him. The fact that he is so grand and so impressive, and yet so personal and so intimate. To whom then will ye liken God? Nobody. Nobody is like HIM!
ICEBREAKER:
Time: 4 Min.
For an icebreaker, I like to introduce the theme of this lesson by talking about phobias, or fears. Do this quickly though. Just quiz them by asking if they know what people with the following phobias are afraid of?
Acrophobia=heights
Arachnophobia=spiders
Achluophobia=the dark
Claustrophobia=confined spaces
Brontophobia-Fear of thunderstorms.
Glossophobia-fear of public speaking
Then transition to the scriptures by telling them that the people in Isaiah chapter 40 have a fear. And what is it in verse 27?
And you may need to help them interpret this, but they say, “My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God”. If they look at the footnote for the phrase “passed over from” they’ll see that it means, “disregarded by”. Make sure your students understand that the Israelites are afraid that God doesn’t see them. That their judgments or challenges are going unnoticed by Him. That their ways are hidden and that they are alone.
And then I might ask if they have ever felt that way. Have they ever wondered if God was really aware of them, if he cared about their problems, or if they’ve ever felt hidden from his eyes. Have their prayers ever seemed unheard or disregarded.
If they have, chapter 40 has a powerful message for those that feel that way.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
Time: 10 Min.
Great Enough:
There are two truths the prophet Isaiah wants us to understand about God. The first we’ll find in verses 12-26. We won’t read all those verses, but we’ll get the main idea by examining just a few. And for the first truth, which is the greatness and all-powerful nature of God images that we discussed earlier, this is where I suggest that you as the teacher do more of the heavy lifting. So I would read and explain the imagery found in verses 12, 15, and 22, and then show them the question repeated in verses 18 and 25: “To whom will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? Saith the Holy One.” Before you lead them through that explanation, the overarching search question should be: What quality of God does Isaiah seem to be emphasizing in these descriptions?
Possible responses: His power, his omniscience, his greatness, his glory.
Near Enough:
Now we’re going to get them more involved with the second key truth about God in this chapter. There’s something else Isaiah wants us to know about our God. Invite them to study the following verses and One: pick out their favorite line, Two: be ready to explain why they like it, and Three: Pick one word they feel best describes what quality these verses describe about God.
They will study verses 11, 26, 29-31.
Possible things they’ll bring up. He feeds his flock. Gathers his lambs. Carries them in his bosom, gently leads them. Knows them all by name. gives power to the faint, increases strength, renews strength, helps us to fly, run, and walk.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Time: 3 Min.
For someone that is struggling, how could both aspects of God’s nature be helpful?
Help them to understand how both sides of God’s character are crucial and can be comforting to someone that is afraid. God has power over all. He is the greatest influence and authority in the universe and has the ability to help us. But, he also has the compassion to use that power on our behalf and to listen to and care about the individual. Someone may care deeply but not have the ability to help. Someone else may have plenty of power but not care enough to get involved. Isaiah 40 gives us a portrait of a God who is both. He is great enough to help us and near enough to care about us.
TAKE IT TO HEART:
Time: 4 Min.
Has there ever been a time when you felt God did one of these things for you? When he carried you like a lamb, or gave you the strength to walk, run, or even fly?
Depending on time, you could invite one or two people to share their experiences, or, if no one does, be prepared as the teacher to share one of your own.
TAKEAWAY:
Time: 2 Min.
To conclude, display the takeaway slide and say something like this:
Isaiah has shown us a God who is great enough to measure oceans, weigh mountains, govern nations, and number the stars. But He’s also near enough to gather a lamb, carry it close to His heart, and give strength to one weary person. When you look at this picture, I want you to notice both parts of it. Look at the vastness of those heavens. Isaiah tells us that God brings out their hosts by number and calls them all by name. But then look at the lamb. That same God gathers His lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.
Maybe right now you don’t feel like you’re mounting up with the wings of an eagle. Maybe you don’t even feel like you’re running. Perhaps all you can do is keep walking. But your way isn’t hidden from Him. The God who holds the universe is close enough to carry you and strong enough to give you whatever strength you need for the next step.
I invite you to wait upon Him. Keep trusting, keep turning to Him, and keep walking. He is great enough to help you and near enough to care.
OPTIONAL LESSON IDEAS:
OBJECT LESSON:
For a possible object lesson, you could bring in a measuring cup, a ruler, and a kitchen scale. Display each one and ask what it measures.
Then read Isaiah 40:12 and observe that Isaiah places oceans in a hand, the heavens against a ruler, dust in a container, and mountains on a scale.
And explain that the point behind the demonstration isn’t the objects themselves. It’s Isaiah’s message about them:
What is beyond our ability even to measure remains completely within God’s understanding and control.
QUOTE:
A quote from Jeffrey R. Holland from a talk where he quotes this very chapter of Isaiah. He said:
“I have personally known in my own life the realization of the promise “that the everlasting God, … the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is [he] weary.” I am a witness that “he giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” I know that in times of fear or fatigue, “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
We receive the gift of such majestic might and sanctifying renewal through the redeeming grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has overcome the world, and if we will take upon us His name and “walk in His paths” and keep our covenants with Him, we shall, ere long, have peace. Such a reward is not only possible; it is certain.”
41
HANDOUT:
For a handout, if you wanted to make the phobias activity a little more interactive, you could have them try to match the phobia with what it represents and then correct their answers.
LESSON #2 COMFORT YE MY PEOPLE (Isaiah 41-46)
TRUTH:
The more clearly we see the character of Jesus Christ, the more confidently we can trust Him in our challenges.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
When we’re frightened or discouraged, sometimes people may try to offer us comforting words. But those words only carry as much weight as the person speaking them. “I’ll help you” means very little if the person doesn’t understand, isn’t capable, or won’t follow through. Jesus is the kind of being that can comfort AND help. Isaiah gives us a portrait of a Savior who holds our hand, treats bruised people gently, guides us through darkness, remains with us in fire and flood, blots out our sins, and carries us throughout our entire lives. The better we understand what Christ is like, the more confidently we can trust what He says.
WHAT THE TEACHER SHOULD KNOW:
Throughout these chapters, Isaiah gives us images that reveal His true character and His relationship with the children of Israel. Our role as teachers here is to familiarize our students with some of Isaiah’s most comforting images to create a portrait of Jesus Christ. So I’m just going to walk you through some of these.
Isaiah 41:10, 13–14 — The hand that holds us
The phrase “Fear not” appears three times in these verses. But each command is followed by a reason:
“I am with thee.”
“I am thy God.”
“I will strengthen thee.”
“I will help thee.”
“I will uphold thee.”
“I…will hold thy right hand.”
God doesn’t just wait for us from the other end of a frightening experience. He walks beside us and holds our hand. He experiences it with us. You might notice that Verse 14 refers to “worm Jacob,” but that’s not intended as an insult. The footnote connects it with humility and meekness. Israel may feel small and powerless compared with the nations surrounding it, but its weakness doesn’t prevent God from helping them.
Isaiah 42:2–4 —The bruised reed and smoking flax
These verses beautifully describe another aspect of his character.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
So He’s not going to lift up his voice against us. He’s a soft-spoken God—unobtrusive, peaceful. When it says a “bruised reed shall he not break”, that’s an image of gentleness. A bruised reed would be like a piece of grass or a stalk that already has a little contusion or weak section in it. But he’ll be a breeze so gentle, that even a bruised reed wouldn’t fold over or break from his force. A smoking flax would be a small spark on dry tinder. The kind that if you blew on it with even just a little too much force, it would go out. Jesus is the kind of Lord that will fan the flames of our faith so subtly, that he won’t blow us out with his breath.
And then in verse 4, “he shall not fail nor be discouraged.” That’s a very comforting message to me. Sometimes I wonder and worry if God is disappointed in me—if he ever gets discouraged with my progress or lack thereof. With all my faults and shortcomings. Isaiah tells us here that he will not get discouraged with us. We will only ever see the glimmer of hope and confidence and encouragement in his eyes.
Isaiah 42:16 — The guide for those who can’t see
The image is of blind travelers being led along an unfamiliar path. They don’t know the route and can’t see the dangers or obstacles ahead of them.
The Lord doesn’t promise that they will suddenly know everything He knows. He promises that He will lead them. He can make darkness light and crooked places straight. We don’t have to see the entire path if we trust the One leading us.
Isaiah 43:1–5 — Through water and fire
These verses contain a remarkable collection of personal assurances:
“I have created thee.”
“I have formed thee.”
“I have redeemed thee.”
“I have called thee by thy name.”
“Thou art mine.”
“I will be with thee.”
“Thou wast precious in my sight.”
“I have loved thee.”
The water and fire can represent overwhelming trials and dangers. There may also be echoes of Israel’s earlier deliverance through the Red Sea.
Be careful not to teach this as a promise that faithful people will never be physically injured, overwhelmed, or lost. Isaiah says, “when thou passest through the waters,” not “if.” The central promise is the Lord’s presence:
“I will be with thee.”
Christ may not always keep us from entering the water or fire, but we don’t enter them alone.
This is an interesting set of verses. There is a bit of a rebuke in it. The people have been weary with their God. They’re kind of getting tired of his demands on their time. Do we ever get that way? Weary with God’s requests? Oh boy, church again, every week. Do we really have to study our scriptures EVERY day? In the Jewish faith, the people were instructed to bring animal sacrifices to him. But here, they aren’t. What are they bringing him instead? They’re bringing him their sins. Instead of THEM laboring to honor HIM with sacrifices, HE is having to labor under the burden of THEIR sins. But, even then, he says, “That’s all right, I’ll accept them anyway. I’ll take upon myself your sins. I’ll accept that offering.” And he blots them out and will not remember our sins. Back then, if you were a scribe and you made a mistake in your writing, you couldn’t just pull out your eraser, or white out, or hit the delete button. No, you had to blot out your mistakes. Cover them up with ink so that what was behind it couldn’t be seen. Jesus can do this for our sins. He covers them. He covers them so well that he can’t even remember what was under the blot.
Isaiah 46:3-4 — The God who carries us
I know many of you are familiar with the poem “Footprints in the Sand” where a man has a dream that he is walking on the beach of his life, and he notices that there are two sets of footprints in the sand as he walks—His and the Savior’s. But then he notices that during the darkest times of his life there is only one set of footprints in the sand. And so he objects in frustration and disbelief. This is when the Lord reveals that it was at those times that he was carrying him. That’s why there was only one set of footprints—the Savior’s, not his. Well as beautiful as that thought is, I like Isaiah’s version of “Footprints in the Sand” even better. It’s an improvement on it. He says:
3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me (carried by me) from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs (or gray hairs) will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
So you see, In Isaiah’s version, there is only ever one set of footprints. He carries us from the womb to our old age. From our birth to our gray hairs. He never abandons his children. He’s a carrying Christ.
Now the main thrust of this lesson is to allow your students to go through and study and share their thoughts from these verses. But what we just went through should help you to be better prepared to facilitate that discussion.
ICEBREAKER:
Time: 3 Min.
As an icebreaker, I might begin by asking my students to think back to when they were children. Was there something that made them feel safe or comforted—a favorite blanket, stuffed animal, night-light, song, place, or maybe a particular person? I’d invite a few of them to share and then follow up by asking, “Why did that particular thing comfort you?” Maybe it was familiar. Maybe it helped them feel safe, reminded them that they weren’t alone, or reassured them that everything was going to be all right. As we get older, though, our fears and problems become a little more complicated. A blanket or night-light may not be enough to comfort us anymore. We need something deeper. And that’s what Isaiah offers us in these chapters. He gives us a series of comforting images that help us to see what Jesus Christ is really like. The better we understand His character, the more confidently we can trust Him when we’re frightened, discouraged, uncertain, or just plain worn out.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
Time: 12 Min.
To begin the lesson I would read Isaiah 40:1
“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.”
Then explain:
That verse aptly introduces us to the entire section that we’re studying today. Isaiah is speaking to people who are going to face captivity, scattering, fear, and discouragement. The Lord repeatedly tells them not to fear. But He also gives them reasons to trust Him. He’s going to show them what kind of God He is.
We’re going to build a portrait of Jesus Christ from six different passages. Your birth month will determine which passage you study. If you were born in January or July, you’ll study the first reference; February or August, the second; and so forth. Read the verses assigned to your birth month and be prepared to answer one question: What is the most comforting thing these verses teach you about Jesus Christ? I’ll give you three minutes to study, and then we’ll hear from at least one person from each reference.
JANUARY / JULY — Isaiah 41:10, 13–14
FEBRUARY / AUGUST — Isaiah 42:2–4
MARCH / SEPTEMBER — Isaiah 42:16
APRIL / OCTOBER — Isaiah 43:1–5
MAY / NOVEMBER — Isaiah 43:22–25
JUNE / DECEMBER — Isaiah 46:3-4
Then, as your students share, write their thoughts under this heading on the board:
THE CHRIST ISAIAH SEES
The finished portrait might look like this:
He holds my hand.
He’s gentle with the bruised.
He guides those who can’t see the way.
He knows my name and stays with me through fire and water.
He blots out my sins.
He carries me throughout my life.
Keep the reports moving. Affirm what each group discovered, add only the teacher insights that you feel can meaningfully deepen their understanding of the image, and then move to the next passage.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Time: 2 Min.
An optional discussion question you might consider if you have time near the conclusion of
“What do these passages collectively teach you about the character of Jesus Christ?”
Allow two or three responses.
TAKE IT TO HEART:
Time: 4 Min.
Invite learners to review the statements of the portrait on the board.
Then ask:
Which of these images do you need most right now?
Then give them a quiet moment to ponder how they would complete the following statement :
Right now, I’m grateful that Jesus Christ is the kind of Savior who __________.
Then add:
Because of that, I can __________.
For example:
Because He guides the blind, I can take the next step even if I don’t see the whole path.
Because He’s gentle with bruised reeds, I can come to Him even when my faith feels weak.
Because He blots out sin, I can repent without believing my mistakes have permanently defined me.
TAKEAWAY:
Time: 2 Min.
To conclude, you could show the following takeaway slide and say:
At the beginning, we decided that words would only be comforting if we trusted the person speaking them. Isaiah has now masterfully shown us who is speaking. This is the Savior who holds our hand, treats bruised people gently, guides us when we can’t see the path, remains with us through water and fire, blots out our sins, and carries us from the beginning of life to our gray hairs. Whatever image you chose today, hold on to it. When fear or discouragement comes, remember not only what Christ has promised, but who He has shown Himself to be. The more clearly we see His character, the more confidently we can trust Him.
OPTIONAL LESSON IDEAS:
VIDEO:
As an optional addition to the lesson, you could show the Church video called “Mountains to Climb.” It’s about five minutes long and beautifully illustrates how faith in Jesus Christ can give us the strength to endure life’s hardest experiences.
QUOTE:
A quote from Dallin H. Oaks:
“Isaiah teaches, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: … I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:10). All who suffer any kind of mortal infirmities should remember that our Savior experienced that kind of pain also, and that through His Atonement, He offers each of us the strength to bear it.”
(Conference Report, Apr. 2021 “What Has Our Savior Done For Us?”)
HANDOUT:
Another idea here would be to give each student one of these small take-home cards as a reminder of the lesson. Encourage them to place it somewhere they’ll see it often—perhaps on a mirror, beside their bed, or inside their scriptures. Then, when they’re feeling frightened, lost, discouraged, or forgotten, they can look at it and remember the kind of Savior Jesus Christ has shown Himself to be. Sometimes a simple reminder placed where we’ll see it can help us hold on to a truth when we need it most.
LESSON #3 GRAVEN UPON MY HANDS (Isaiah 49)
Now lesson idea number 3 is similar in theme to our previous two. That theme again is comfort. But that shouldn’t surprise us as that’s really Isaiah’s design in these chapters. Each lesson approaches that idea from a different angle and answers a different question. Lesson #1 answers “Is God powerful enough and close enough to help me?” Lesson #2 answers “What is Jesus Christ like when I’m frightened, bruised, lost, guilty, or weary?” Now lesson #3 will answer, “Has God forgotten me when His promises seem delayed?”
TRUTH:
Our circumstances may make us feel forgotten by God, but Jesus Christ never forgets His people or abandons His promises.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
Something that gives me a fire in the bones for this lesson is the realization that there are moments when God’s love seems obvious. But there are also times when prayers remain unanswered, promised blessings seem delayed, and circumstances appear to contradict everything we believe about Him. In those moments, a person may quietly wonder, “Has God forgotten me?” Isaiah 49 doesn’t shame us for having that feeling. Zion herself says it. The Lord responds by showing that what we can presently see isn’t always reliable evidence of what He remembers, what He loves, or what He’s still doing. Zion saw ruins, but Jesus saw someone permanently engraved upon His hands.
WHAT THE TEACHER SHOULD KNOW:
The setting
In Isaiah 49, Zion is personified as a woman whose city has been destroyed and whose children have been taken away. She appears abandoned, bereaved, and desolate.
But Verse 13 announces that the Lord has comforted His people:
“Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth…for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.”
Then verse 14 begins with an important word:
“BUT Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.”
Heaven says that God has comforted Zion. Zion looks at her actual circumstances and isn’t so sure.
That tension is the heart of the lesson. What God knows to be true and what Zion presently feels appear to be very different.
Zion makes two accusations: That she is forsaken and forgotten. The Lord doesn’t scold Zion for saying this. He answers her fear with a sequence of images and promises. And it’s important to know that this passage doesn’t mean we are minimizing someone’s pain or telling them that they shouldn’t feel abandoned. What it does, is it helps us to distinguish between a genuine feeling and a conclusion that may not be true.
A person can sincerely feel forgotten without actually being forgotten.
The nursing mother
The Lord begins:
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?”
A nursing child depends completely upon its mother, and the bond between them is both emotional and physical. The mother’s attention is naturally drawn toward the child’s needs.
But then the Lord acknowledges something painful:
“Yea, they may forget.”
Mortal love, even in one of its strongest forms, can fail. Some learners may know that from personal experience. The Lord’s promise therefore doesn’t depend upon everyone having had a loving or dependable mother.
His point is:
“Yet will I not forget thee.”
God’s covenant love is even more dependable than the strongest example of mortal love.
“Graven upon the palms of my hands”
To engrave something is different from writing it in ink. Ink can fade, smear, or be erased. Something engraved becomes part of the object itself.
The Lord doesn’t merely say that Zion’s name appears on a list He occasionally checks. She is engraved upon His palms—always present and always before Him.
For Christians, this image takes on additional meaning when we think of the marks the resurrected Savior retained in His hands. Christ’s wounds provide a powerful doctrinal connection. His hands permanently testify of the price He paid because He didn’t forget or abandon us.
“Thy walls are continually before me”
Zion may look at her ruined walls and see evidence that God has forgotten her. But the Lord says those very walls are “continually before” Him.
He sees the damage. He knows what has been lost. Nothing about Zion’s condition has escaped His attention. Now, He doesn’t immediately repair every wall. Delayed restoration shouldn’t be mistaken for divine inattention which may be one of the lesson’s most important distinctions:
God’s awareness of our suffering isn’t measured by how quickly our circumstances change.
Zion’s surprising restoration
In verses 17–23, the Lord invites Zion to lift her eyes and look again. The children she believed were permanently lost begin gathering home. The city she considered desolate becomes too small to contain them.
Zion responds in astonishment:
“Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?”
The Lord has been working beyond what Zion could presently see. Her circumstances in verse 14 were real, but they weren’t final. For Latter-day Saints this is an important promise. It’s a prophecy of the future gathering of Israel. He promises them that they are going to have so many children that there won’t even be enough room for them. The place will be too or narrow for them all. He says, “You’re going to need to arrange for more land for them to dwell in.” We’re going to have to split the stake, create a new mission, build more churches and temples to fit them all. Where did all these children come from? And I imagine you know what I’m talking about here. All these amazing and wonderful converts throughout the world that have been brought into the tent of Israel since the Church was restored in 1830. The gathering of Israel in the last days is an incredible miracle to behold. It may cause us to look around and ask with wonder, “Where did they all come from!” Go to a meeting in the conference center, attend a temple dedication, consider the number of saints that fill our chapels around the world every Sunday. Who hath begotten me these? These, where had they been?
Verse 23 summarizes the lesson:
“Thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.”
The broad personal message in this chapter is that God always remembers His covenants and what we perceive as His current silence shouldn’t be confused with abandonment or apathy.
ICEBREAKER:
Time: 3 Min.
For the icebreaker, ask:
Have you ever sent someone an important message, watched your phone for a response, and received nothing? As the silence continues, what conclusions are you tempted to make?
Possible answers might include:
They didn’t see it.
They’re too busy.
They don’t care.
They’re upset with me.
They’re deliberately ignoring me.
Then ask:
Does the silence actually prove any of those conclusions?
Then transition to the scriptures with this:
Sometimes waiting for an answer from God can feel similar. The longer the silence continues, the easier it becomes to interpret that silence as indifference or abandonment. Zion had been waiting so long that she finally said, ‘The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.’ But what Zion could see wasn’t the complete story.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
Time: 16 Min.
For this lesson, a brief study guide could be effective. Give each learner a copy of the study guide and introduce it this way:
Isaiah 49 introduces us to someone who sincerely believes that God has forgotten her. Rather than beginning with an explanation, I’d like to let you investigate the passage yourselves. Our lesson today will help you look at three things: what Zion could see, how the Lord answered her, and what Zion couldn’t yet see.
So let’s go over the questions on the guide.
1. Read Isaiah 49:14, 19, 21 and circle or underline words that Zion uses to describe her situation.
Things they may identify include:
· Forsaken
· Forgotten
· Waste
· Desolate
· Destroyed
· Lost my children
· A captive
· Left alone
2. Based on what Zion could see, why might she have felt forgotten by God?
Help students to recognize that it’s no surprise Zion felt this way because she was surrounded by evidence of loss. Many faithful people have had moments when their circumstances seemed to tell them the same thing: ‘If God remembered me, surely this wouldn’t still be happening.’”
3. Read Isaiah 49:15-16 and note the different images the Lord uses to answer Zion’s concerns.
Students will more than likely point out some or all of the following images.
· A mother and her nursing child
· Them being engraved upon His palms
· Her walls being continually before Him.
4. What do these images teach you about how God feels about his people?
Allow a few to share, but the conclusion should be made that waiting for the Lord doesn’t mean that every desired blessing will come immediately or exactly as we imagine. It means that His silence shouldn’t be mistaken for abandonment and that His timetable shouldn’t be mistaken for forgetfulness. You can help deepen their understanding of those images using what we discussed above.
For the third portion of this lesson, I would take a few minutes to explain verses 20–23 to the class.
TAKE IT TO HEART:
Time: 3 Min.
Display the three primary images from the Lord’s response:
The nursing mother
The engraved palms
The walls continually before Him
Ask:
If you could carry only one of these images with you into a difficult season, which would you choose?
Give learners a quiet moment to decide. Then invite them to turn to someone nearby and explain what that image teaches them about God.
You might conclude the activity by reminding them that Isaiah gives us more than just a doctrinal explanation for these kinds of circumstances. He gives us images that we can more easily remember when fear or discouragement makes God feel distant.
TAKEAWAY:
Time: 2 Min.
Show the takeaway slide and conclude with something like this:
When Zion looked at her circumstances, she saw plenty of evidence that she had been forgotten: ruined walls, an empty city, missing children, and promises that appeared unfulfilled. But the Lord invited her to look somewhere else. He invited her to look at His hands.
Those hands testified that she was permanently remembered. And for us, the marks in the resurrected Savior’s hands testify of something even greater. Jesus Christ hasn’t forgotten us. He has already carried our griefs, paid for our sins, and given His life to make our eventual restoration possible.
If you’re in a season when God feels distant or His promises seem delayed, don’t assume that what you can presently see tells the entire story. Your walls are still before Him. Your name is still upon His hands. Keep waiting upon Him, because feeling forgotten doesn’t mean that you have been forgotten.
OPTIONAL LESSON IDEAS:
GAME:
As an optional icebreaker, you could begin the lesson by playing a quick game of Pyramid. Divide the class into pairs and have one person give clues while the other tries to guess each of the lesson-related words displayed on the slide. Once they guess correctly, they move on to the next word, and the first pair to finish can raise their hands. They can’t say any part of the word or use clues such as “starts with” or “sounds like.” Here are the suggested words:
ROUND 1
1. Mother
2. Palms
3. Forget
4. Wait
5. Promise
6. Comfort
ROUND 2
7. Child
8. Walls
9. Home
10. Found
11. Remember
12. Gathering
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