He Day 14 El Olam: Digging Deeper
Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. 29 He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. 30 Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, 31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.
Original Intent
1) What does it mean that the Lord is the “everlasting” God? (verse 28)
Isaiah 40:28 says “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding.” The word everlasting comes to us from the Hebrew terms “El”, which refers to God, and “olam”, which means forever or eternal. Albert Barnes explains how an everlasting God “has existed from eternity, unlike the idols of the pagan. If He was from eternity, He would be unchangeable, and His purposes could not fail.” So, an everlasting God is one who has existed always and never changes. We see Abraham calling God an everlasting God in Genesis 21:33. In Isaiah 57:15 the prophet calls God the “High and Exalted One, who lives forever.” In Malachi 3:6 God says, “I, the Lord, have not changed.” In Psalm 90:2, the Psalmist declares “from eternity to eternity, you are God.” Because God is everlasting, “the same yesterday, today and forever”, He can be trusted and relied upon. (Hebrews 13:8) He is faithful and true, from now to forever!
2) How does God strengthen the powerless? (verse 29)
Isaiah 40:29 tells us God “gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.” Author Albert Barnes explains that “The design of this verse is to give consolation to the afflicted and down-trodden people in Babylon, by recalling to their minds the truth that it was one of the characteristics of God that He ministered strength to those who were conscious of their own feebleness, and who looked to Him for support.” Isaiah was speaking to the Jews taken captive in Babylon, and He wanted to encourage them as their hope waned and their strength grew faint. According to author David Guzik, faint comes from the Hebrew meaning “failure through loss of inherent strength.” God promises to strengthen those who have lost strength and who have no power. David Guzik also observes, “Those who are proud and confident in their own wisdom and strength will receive no strength from God.” It is the powerless to whom God gives strength, not the arrogant. He strengthens those who recognize their need for Him. According to Thomas Constable God “shares His strength with those who need it. He has all energy, and He has energy to spare and to share. Whether we buckle under life’s pressures or lack innate strength, He provides durable, stable power.” When the Israelites needed strength, Isaiah reminded them to look to God and access His power. God gives us that gift as well! He gives us strength when we look to Him and rely on Him.
3) How can those who trust in the Lord renew their strength? (verse 31)
We read in Isaiah 40:31 that “those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength.” According to author E.W. Bullinger, the word “renew” comes from the “Hebrew “halaph” meaning to change for the better.” Author Warren Wiersbe explains, “The word renew means ‘to exchange,’ as taking off old clothing and putting on new. We exchange our weakness for His power.” The Hebrew word for strength, koah/koach, means “power, capacity or ability and thus speaks of power in the sense of the inherent potential to perform some function.” When we put our trust in the Lord, waiting for His perfect will and timing in our lives, He takes our worries, struggles and fears and gives us the power to carry on. When Christians rely on God’s strength, they can do more than just survive; Isaiah 40:31 promises they “will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” This is something that cannot be done in natural, human strength. Even the best athletes will eventually grow weary from running. God blesses His people with this supernatural strength to walk in His ways as they trust in Him, and He renews their strength each time they wait upon His will and His plans.
Everyday Application
1) What does it mean that the Lord is the “everlasting” God? (verse 28)
One of my favorite places to visit as a child was my Grandma’s house. I loved running up the staircase in the living room and descending the back stairs into the kitchen. I enjoyed the glass bluebirds that decorated the tables and windowsills, and I relished poking around in closets and drawers, finding books, pictures and forgotten treasures. In the 40 years I visited her house, nothing ever changed. Same furniture, same knick-knacks, same art on the walls. It was very comforting to know that no matter how much my life changed, Grandma’s house was always the same. It was a sad day when the house was cleaned out and sold, and I knew I could never go back and see things just the way Grandma left them. That is why is there is so much comfort and solace to me in the fact that God never changes. Isaiah 40:28 tells us God is “everlasting”, meaning He does not change and is eternal. I can trust that my unchanging God will come through for me and keep His promises. I can trust that the God who knows the beginning from the end has a holy calling on my life to fulfill His purposes. (2 Timothy 1:9) My God who never changes gives me good gifts (James 1:17) and gives me the security and comfort to follow Him, knowing He will guide me safely, just as He has promised from days of old.
2) How does God strengthen the powerless? (verse 29)
Ever since I was a child, my dream job was being a Mom. When I married, we waited several years to start a family, and I felt like I was just putting in time at my job as a teacher until I could fulfill my true calling of being a mother. When my children finally arrived, I was overjoyed! Soon, however, I was also overwhelmed. I maintained some sense of order until the 2nd baby started to walk. After that, there was a lot of chaos, jumble, and exhaustion, but the worst part was that feeling of powerlessness. I did not have much control over behaviors or attitudes (theirs or mine!). I had felt that in the classroom too, but I expected things to be different in my parenting. Being bone-tired all the time did not help. Not only did I not know what to do, but I didn’t have the energy to do much at all. Of course, I talked to other moms, bought lots of books, and read lots of advice online. This helped to some extent, but what I needed most was strength from the Lord. I needed to stop thinking I should be inherently equipped to do my dream job and recognize I needed God’s help to parent my children (and to do everything else!). Isaiah 40:29 tells us God “gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.” When I relied on God for my daily strength, the days went along much better. There was probably just as much chaos and jumble in my house, but in my spirit, there was more peace because I looked to God to strengthen me. I did not do everything perfectly (as my now adult son likes to point out), but most days were powered by God’s strength, and that made all the difference between anxiety and peace in my heart.
3) How can those who trust in the Lord renew their strength? (verse 31)
We read in Isaiah 40:31 that “those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” How can trusting in the Lord renew our strength? As author Warren Wiersbe points out, “God knows how we feel and what we fear, and He is adequate to meet our every need. We can never obey God in our own strength, but we can always trust Him to provide the strength we need.” When we look to ourselves and rely on our own power, we cannot get far. We eventually stumble and fall. When we turn to God, trusting in Him to take care of everything, he renews our strength. He helps us run without getting tired and helps us walk without wearing down. As author Matthew Poole notes, God helps His people “grow stronger and stronger in faith, and patience, and fortitude, whereby they shall be more than conquerors over all their enemies and adversities.” God renews our strength to help us do all the things He calls us to do when we trust in His plan, His timing and His will. Waiting for Him to show Himself faithful and come through can be difficult, but He promises strength to those who put their trust in Him.
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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