Isa. 40:1-11
AOTII 21,
Isa.
•I
1929
40:1-11
1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith vour God. 2. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins. II The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. 4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: 5. And the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for ;he mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it. 6. The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. 7. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. 8. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. 9. O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; 0 thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God! 10. Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their • young. What is the Holy Spirit ? The Holy Spirit is the feminine or mother principle in the Godhead. It is recorded in Genesis that God "created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Both the male and female principles in the Godhead are emphasized here as the source of ideal or spiritual man. The central theme of our lesson today is the "Comforter." In what respect does the Holy Spirit appear as "Comforter" ? In the natural world one of the offices of the Holy Spirit is to comfort, to mother, to forgive, to show mercy, to care for, to nurture, to bind up, and to heal. It is in this respect that God, the principle, appears as God, the personal, in creation. God as principle is of too pure eyes to behold iniquity, but God as Holy Spirit "forgiveth all thine iniquities" and "healeth all thy diseases." What is the meaning of the words, "the wilderness" and "the desert"?
"The wilderness" signifies the wild, uncultivated thought realm that must be disciplined and trained in righteousness; "the desert" refers to belief in the sense of lack and barrenness. Under divine law the understanding of omnipresent, all-producing substance must be established in mind. What is the meaning of verse U: "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain"? "Every valley" represents overhumble, servile, inferior, complex thoughts. The phrase "Every mountain and hill" represents pride, arrogance, haughtiness, and self-sufficiency. Under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit these are to be equalized, making "the uneven . . . level, and the rough places a plain." According to our lesson today "the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it." What does Jehovah represent? The name Jehovah in Hebrew is "Jah-veh," representing the male and female qualities of being in manifestation. "Elohim" is the name of the unmanifest God, and "Jah-veh" is the name of the manifest God. What shall be the manifestation of the work of Spirit? The work of Spirit shall be revealed in all its glory and even the flesh shall radiate the perfection of Spirit. As Job said, "Yet in my flesh shall I see God." Jesus' body was transformed in the resurrection and transmuted in the ascension, and now exists in the omnipresent ether as God's idea of perfect man in spirit, soul, and body. What symbology is in the cry, "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field" that "withereth" and "fadeth"? This symbol of the perishable grass points direct to the body of flesh before it is quickened by Spirit. How is the quickening of the flesh accomplished? The quickening is accomplished by the word of God, through spiritual man. "But the word of our God shall stand forever. 0 thou that tellest good tidings to Zion . . . lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!"
Apr i l 2 3 , 1 9 4 0 3bfriew habits is part of the preparation Isa. 40:1-11 3i>f a highway in the 'wilderness"' or. 1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,1 subconsciousness of man. ; saith your God. What is the second voice heard by 2. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; the prophet? and cry unto her, that her warfare is accotn- I s a i a h discerned that m a n must know • s s a t - a s w f i s i f i *= - ? * * « & » « » « ? » * " » - - » ne for all her sins. " l e d o u t t n a t a " " e s n 1S as " * gt^s, 3. The voice of one that crieth, Prepare but that the "word of our God shall ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; stand forever." make level in the desert a highway for our lion Wnat are t „ e gQod t;dj„gs t0 ' 4. Every valley shall be exalted, and evI ' ery mountain and hill shall be made low; T h e s e ^ t h e announcement that and the uneven shall be made level, and the those who attain to Spiritual consciousrough places a plain: ness (Zion) and peace (Jerusalem) 5. And the glory of Jehovah shall be re- shall s e e God ("Behold, your God!") v 'the X mouth ^ ^ f ^of t Jehovah f t T ' hath * ? spoken * ^ ' 'it.* * *nd will feed , . n * a. t ,..God is, love , ,("He , „ , ., 6. The voice of one saying. Cry. And one ^ s flock l l k e a shepherd, he will gather ; said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, the lambs in his arm, and carry them in and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower his bosom, and will gently lead those -of the field. that have their young"). , 7. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon nyny is Jerusalem said to have reft; surely the people is grass . y, f; d , y d „d $M>? ! . 8. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; , , , ;but the word of our God shall stand forever. Jerusalem, the consciousness of peace 9. O thou that tellest good tidings to in man, is disrupted when man sins or Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; O falls short of the divine law. When he thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, c e a s e s t 0 $-m he continues nevertheless lift up thy voice with strength; Uft it up, be ^ ^ h ^ ^ f not afraid; say unto the aties of Judah, Be»""»•* hold, your God! memory of past sins by a change or i- 10. Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come mind or "repentance." as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for What is the first voice that Isaiah Turn: Behold, his reward is with him, and aears cryjn* }„ this lesson?
• ^ r 2 ^ b £ ? a t f c c k like a shep- ™* voice of good judgment and herd, he will gather the lambs in his arrn, common sense cries to man to prepare and carry them in his bosom, and will gen- himself to follow the way by which his tly lead those that have their young. good will come to him. Preparation is
What is the source of man's deepest "desert" mentioned in this lesson? and most lasting comfort? Both these words represent the sub; Man finds enduring comfort only in conscious side of man's nature. Spirit. Jesus Christ described the "Com- What is the great leveling and ; forter" as the "Spirit of truth," which smoothing out process spoken of by the "shall be in you." prophet? In matters of comfort is man suf- The process of forming new thought ficient unto himself? habits to replace the old ones that were The Spirit of truth is sufficient to full of error levels all inequalities and comfort him when he appeals to it and permits it to help him balance his life according to the divine standard. How do we express the mental or 'spiritual quality that Jesus called the "Spirit of truth"? We call it spiritual understanding.
November 6, 1949 Isa. 4)t27-31 27. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and the justice due to me is passed away from my God ? 28. Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, f ainterh not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding. 29. He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath 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 for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. Is the nature of God such that He loses sight of the individual and his well-being in the vastness of the whole? No. God provides for the individual and his well-being with the same care that He designs the corolla of a flower, according to a definite pattern or law peculiar to each species. H e does not withhold the justice due to us in the cosmic scheme, but we do not always recognize the law under which it is meted out. Why do we have to keep reminding' ourselves that "The Creator of the. ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither, is weary"? [ The Creator is unhurried, and our: patience is finite; therefore we do notj always comprehend or see the out-* working of the divine law in our affairs. W e expect immediate relief on change regardless of the fact that causes usually work slowly, unseen, and unsuspected by us. j
r
; Why if there no "searching" of the understanding of God? Since the finite cannot comprehend the Infinite there can be no complete understanding of the mind of God. Sense consciousness cannot comprehend the nature of God. How do we gain strength from
God? Through expecting divine help and taking it when it comes. "They that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength." To wait is confidently to expect and then to go forward as though we had received. In going forward or in acting on our faith we gain strength. Is the strength we gain through faith in divine power more sustaining than mere physical strength? Yes. Spiritual strength is always more sustaining than physical strength, because it connects its possessor with the source of all strength, God. "To him that hath no might he increaseth strength."
January 1 1 , 1948 I s a . 40:28-51 28. Hast thou not known ? hast thou not heard? The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding. 29. He giveth power to the faint; a
Isa.
•I
1929
40:1-11
1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith vour God. 2. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins. II The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. 4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: 5. And the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for ;he mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it. 6. The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. 7. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. 8. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. 9. O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; 0 thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God! 10. Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their • young. What is the Holy Spirit ? The Holy Spirit is the feminine or mother principle in the Godhead. It is recorded in Genesis that God "created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Both the male and female principles in the Godhead are emphasized here as the source of ideal or spiritual man. The central theme of our lesson today is the "Comforter." In what respect does the Holy Spirit appear as "Comforter" ? In the natural world one of the offices of the Holy Spirit is to comfort, to mother, to forgive, to show mercy, to care for, to nurture, to bind up, and to heal. It is in this respect that God, the principle, appears as God, the personal, in creation. God as principle is of too pure eyes to behold iniquity, but God as Holy Spirit "forgiveth all thine iniquities" and "healeth all thy diseases." What is the meaning of the words, "the wilderness" and "the desert"?
"The wilderness" signifies the wild, uncultivated thought realm that must be disciplined and trained in righteousness; "the desert" refers to belief in the sense of lack and barrenness. Under divine law the understanding of omnipresent, all-producing substance must be established in mind. What is the meaning of verse U: "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain"? "Every valley" represents overhumble, servile, inferior, complex thoughts. The phrase "Every mountain and hill" represents pride, arrogance, haughtiness, and self-sufficiency. Under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit these are to be equalized, making "the uneven . . . level, and the rough places a plain." According to our lesson today "the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it." What does Jehovah represent? The name Jehovah in Hebrew is "Jah-veh," representing the male and female qualities of being in manifestation. "Elohim" is the name of the unmanifest God, and "Jah-veh" is the name of the manifest God. What shall be the manifestation of the work of Spirit? The work of Spirit shall be revealed in all its glory and even the flesh shall radiate the perfection of Spirit. As Job said, "Yet in my flesh shall I see God." Jesus' body was transformed in the resurrection and transmuted in the ascension, and now exists in the omnipresent ether as God's idea of perfect man in spirit, soul, and body. What symbology is in the cry, "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field" that "withereth" and "fadeth"? This symbol of the perishable grass points direct to the body of flesh before it is quickened by Spirit. How is the quickening of the flesh accomplished? The quickening is accomplished by the word of God, through spiritual man. "But the word of our God shall stand forever. 0 thou that tellest good tidings to Zion . . . lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!"
Apr i l 2 3 , 1 9 4 0 3bfriew habits is part of the preparation Isa. 40:1-11 3i>f a highway in the 'wilderness"' or. 1. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,1 subconsciousness of man. ; saith your God. What is the second voice heard by 2. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; the prophet? and cry unto her, that her warfare is accotn- I s a i a h discerned that m a n must know • s s a t - a s w f i s i f i *= - ? * * « & » « » « ? » * " » - - » ne for all her sins. " l e d o u t t n a t a " " e s n 1S as " * gt^s, 3. The voice of one that crieth, Prepare but that the "word of our God shall ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; stand forever." make level in the desert a highway for our lion Wnat are t „ e gQod t;dj„gs t0 ' 4. Every valley shall be exalted, and evI ' ery mountain and hill shall be made low; T h e s e ^ t h e announcement that and the uneven shall be made level, and the those who attain to Spiritual consciousrough places a plain: ness (Zion) and peace (Jerusalem) 5. And the glory of Jehovah shall be re- shall s e e God ("Behold, your God!") v 'the X mouth ^ ^ f ^of t Jehovah f t T ' hath * ? spoken * ^ ' 'it.* * *nd will feed , . n * a. t ,..God is, love , ,("He , „ , ., 6. The voice of one saying. Cry. And one ^ s flock l l k e a shepherd, he will gather ; said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, the lambs in his arm, and carry them in and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower his bosom, and will gently lead those -of the field. that have their young"). , 7. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon nyny is Jerusalem said to have reft; surely the people is grass . y, f; d , y d „d $M>? ! . 8. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; , , , ;but the word of our God shall stand forever. Jerusalem, the consciousness of peace 9. O thou that tellest good tidings to in man, is disrupted when man sins or Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; O falls short of the divine law. When he thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, c e a s e s t 0 $-m he continues nevertheless lift up thy voice with strength; Uft it up, be ^ ^ h ^ ^ f not afraid; say unto the aties of Judah, Be»""»•* hold, your God! memory of past sins by a change or i- 10. Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come mind or "repentance." as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for What is the first voice that Isaiah Turn: Behold, his reward is with him, and aears cryjn* }„ this lesson?
• ^ r 2 ^ b £ ? a t f c c k like a shep- ™* voice of good judgment and herd, he will gather the lambs in his arrn, common sense cries to man to prepare and carry them in his bosom, and will gen- himself to follow the way by which his tly lead those that have their young. good will come to him. Preparation is
What is the source of man's deepest "desert" mentioned in this lesson? and most lasting comfort? Both these words represent the sub; Man finds enduring comfort only in conscious side of man's nature. Spirit. Jesus Christ described the "Com- What is the great leveling and ; forter" as the "Spirit of truth," which smoothing out process spoken of by the "shall be in you." prophet? In matters of comfort is man suf- The process of forming new thought ficient unto himself? habits to replace the old ones that were The Spirit of truth is sufficient to full of error levels all inequalities and comfort him when he appeals to it and permits it to help him balance his life according to the divine standard. How do we express the mental or 'spiritual quality that Jesus called the "Spirit of truth"? We call it spiritual understanding.
November 6, 1949 Isa. 4)t27-31 27. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and the justice due to me is passed away from my God ? 28. Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, f ainterh not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding. 29. He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath 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 for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. Is the nature of God such that He loses sight of the individual and his well-being in the vastness of the whole? No. God provides for the individual and his well-being with the same care that He designs the corolla of a flower, according to a definite pattern or law peculiar to each species. H e does not withhold the justice due to us in the cosmic scheme, but we do not always recognize the law under which it is meted out. Why do we have to keep reminding' ourselves that "The Creator of the. ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither, is weary"? [ The Creator is unhurried, and our: patience is finite; therefore we do notj always comprehend or see the out-* working of the divine law in our affairs. W e expect immediate relief on change regardless of the fact that causes usually work slowly, unseen, and unsuspected by us. j
r
; Why if there no "searching" of the understanding of God? Since the finite cannot comprehend the Infinite there can be no complete understanding of the mind of God. Sense consciousness cannot comprehend the nature of God. How do we gain strength from
God? Through expecting divine help and taking it when it comes. "They that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength." To wait is confidently to expect and then to go forward as though we had received. In going forward or in acting on our faith we gain strength. Is the strength we gain through faith in divine power more sustaining than mere physical strength? Yes. Spiritual strength is always more sustaining than physical strength, because it connects its possessor with the source of all strength, God. "To him that hath no might he increaseth strength."
January 1 1 , 1948 I s a . 40:28-51 28. Hast thou not known ? hast thou not heard? The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding. 29. He giveth power to the faint; a
