Day Two : 29th November

Isaiah 40:1, 5

"Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your god.

5. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

from Brueggemann (2): p 16, 17

The heavenly council is told to give comfort. "God speaks an imperative in the midst of the long silence of exile. … We may understand comfort as transformative solidarity; that is, not simply an offer of solace, but a powerful intervention that creates new possibilities. …

It is a decision made solely by Yahweh. … Yahweh has planned comfort for the exiles, and none can prevent it.