Stand Alone - Our Sovereign God

Introduction

Have you heard people say, “God is good!” when something good happens?

Maybe they narrowly miss a terrible car crash. Maybe they suffer little or no damage when a storm rolls through. Maybe they get a good parking spot at the grocery store. And they say, “God is good!”

The statement is not wrong, friends. And we absolutely should be ready and willing to give God thanks for the good He does for us and others… both the big stuff and the small stuff. Some of you will remember the old song, “Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done.”

But what should we do when our circumstances don’t seem so good? Isn’t God still good when bad stuff happens? What if you don’t miss the terrible car crash? What if you do suffer damage in the storm? What if Russia invades Ukraine? What if China ramps up their hostilities toward the US? What if the culture in America intensifies the war against Christianity and the European traditions and structures that were so heavily influenced by it?

Is God still good when times are bad? Of course, He is! But sometimes we need to be reminded of this fact, and today is as good as any for us to consider this reality and some of its implications.

We are going to read Isaiah 40, which is a portion of what the prophet Isaiah spoke to the people of Judah during a time when they were somewhat prosperous and awfully sinful.

Like any earthly kingdom, they experienced their ups and downs, but Judah was not supposed to be like any other earthly kingdom. They were supposed to be the priestly kingdom of God on earth. They were supposed to be holy and righteous and virtuous and obedient. But, alas, they had become sinful and rebellious and deceitful and arrogant.

For their wickedness and sin, God was going to bring judgment upon them. And Isaiah was sent as one of the prophets who would warn them of their impending woes. But God seems always to send His promise of salvation right along with His warning of judgment, and so it was with Isaiah.

Our passage today speaks of a time when, after God’s judgment comes, the people who trust in or “wait” upon the Lord shall be renewed and rescued in the end. Let’s listen for the rationale this passage provides (the reason for hope) for those who look to the sovereign God in the midst of good times and bad.

Let’s stand together, and I will read Isaiah 40:1-31.

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 40:1–31 (ESV)

1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.

3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? 14 Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. 16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. 17 All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

18 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? 19 An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. 20 He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move.

21 Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23 who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Main Idea:

From the beginning of creation and throughout eternity, our God is absolutely sovereign over all; therefore, we may trust Him in good times and bad.

Sermon

1. God’s Sovereignty in Creation

God sovereignly created all things by His powerful word.

Both the Westminster and the London Baptist catechisms say it this way… that “the work of creation is, God making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, and all very good.”

In our main text, we see one of the places where the Bible teaches us something of this important theological reality.

“Do you not know?” v21, “Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?”

v22, “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in.”

God is the creator of “the heavens” or “the sky,” which means God is the creator of every star and planet we might see in the universe.

And God is creator of “the earth,” since He “sits above the circle” of it.

And look at v25-26, “‘To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him?’ says the Holy One. ‘Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.’”

Here we see the biblical teaching that God’s sovereignty in creation is not general and distant, but specific and intimate.

God not only knows exactly how many stars He created, but He “brings out their host” by “calling them all by name,” and “not one is missing.”

Friends, God is the sovereign, the ruler, the chief and master of all creation, because He is the creator of it. And He deserves all honor and praise for who He is and for what He has done!

As Revelation 4 proclaims, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Rev. 4:11).

Brothers and sisters, we worship a God this morning who lives and acts above creation. He is transcendent; He is not bound by gravity or geography, and He has established the whole universe according to His design and intentions.

But this does not mean that God is not actively sovereign within creation today. He is transcendent, and He is also immanent.

2. God’s Sovereignty in Providence

God did not leave His seat of authority after creation, but He continues to rule with absolute sovereignty over all His created things… down to every detail.

Again, both the Westminster and the London Baptist catechisms say in unison, “God's works of providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions.”

And again, we see this theological reality taught right here in our main text.

Look again at v22. “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23 who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. 24 Scarcely are they [i.e., the “princes” and “rulers”] planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he [God] blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble” (v22-24).

God “brings” earthly “rulers” or “princes” to “nothing,” and He “makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness” (v23).

In other words, God is the one who ultimately makes one nation rise and another fall.

This theological reality is all over the Bible!

Consider Psalm 148. “1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! 4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. 6 And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!” (Psalm 148:1-8).

Friends, God is not only the one who speaks to the winds and the waves to say, “Peace! Be Still!” (Mk. 4:39). He also commands and “raises the stormy wind” to accomplish will (Ps. 107:25).

And one of the clearest and most profound passages in the Bible on this subject is found in Isaiah 45.

God spoke through the prophet, “5 I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you [the people of Judah], though you do not know me, 6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. 7 I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things” (Isaiah 45:5-7).

Friends, God is in charge of the “light” and the “darkness.” He rules over the circumstances that seem to promote our “well-being” and also those that are obvious “calamity.”

Throughout history, Christians have believed in a God who is completely sovereign over all things. Christians have praised and thanked God in the good times; and they have worshipped and trusted God in the bad times; but Christians have always known that their God is the one in charge.

If any of us are to endure hardship… if we are to persevere in hope even when life around us seems dire and disastrous… if we are going to find a place of peace and rest in the midst of all of life’s tragedies… then we are going to need a “big God” theology.

We are going to need to know that the God of the Bible is not our butler or our pet. He is not safe, nor is He tame. He does not act according to our commands, and He always works every detail of the universe according to the council of His own will (Eph. 1:11).

And we are going to need to trust that our sovereign God is not only in charge, but He’s also good… and while we may not realize the how or the why, we may trust His goodness in all things.

3. God’s Sovereignty in Application

It’s my aim here (with this third point) to move toward the application of this theological reality in our own lives. I’ve been talking this whole time about the application of God’s sovereignty. His sovereignty was applied in creation; and it is ongoingly applied in His providence. But now I mean to help us think about the effects of this theological truth on us and the way we live and speak and think.

Let me point out three ways we are affected by this “big God” theology.

We can look to the cross of Christ with both grief and joy.

Did you notice the opening verses of Isaiah 40?

“‘1 Comfort, comfort my people,’ says your God. 2 ‘Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.’ 3 A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken’” (v1-5).

This passage speaks to the future “comfort” and “pardon” and “glory” that is to be “revealed” when the LORD Himself shall come to His people. And the New Testament applies this prophetic word to Jesus, who was and is the LORD.

But when Jesus came, it was not for an immediate and glorious ascent to His rightful place upon the throne of the kingdom of God. No, Jesus came not to be served but to serve… not to travel the way of glory but the way of the cross, the way of suffering.

And yet, in God’s providence, it was precisely through the cross that Jesus would be glorified and God’s people would be comforted and pardoned!

When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, he said that Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).

It was God’s plan that Jesus would be “delivered up” to suffer the pain of death on a Roman cross.

And later, in Acts 4, we read that all those who “gathered together against… Jesus” were acting according to “whatever [God’s] hand and [God’s] plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:27-28).

Friends, we can look to the cross of Christ with grief – that Jesus died, that He suffered God’s curse, that it was our sin that held Him there. But we may also look there with great joy – that Jesus died according to God’s plan to save sinners, that God’s curse was poured out upon Jesus in my place, that my sin (not in part, but the whole) was nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more… Praise the Lord! Because of the cross of Christ, it is well with my soul!

If you want to talk more about what this means or how it can be well with your soul, then let’s talk after the service.

We can endure our circumstances with both activity and rest.

This point of application is logically drawn from our main point this morning: From the beginning of creation and throughout eternity, our God is absolutely sovereign over all; therefore, we may trust Him in good times and bad.

In other words, we may trust or rest in God’s providence, knowing that God Himself is in charge of our circumstances.

We can endure hardship and even affliction, when we are able to find rest in the fact that God is sovereign over it.

He gives and He takes away, and He will never leave or forsake those He loves… therefore we can endure.

But this does not mean that we do nothing in an effort to better our circumstances!

The Scripture is full of commands to work, to make wise decisions, to plan ahead, and to use our time well (just read the book of Proverbs).

For the Christian, for the one who believes that God is sovereign over whatsoever comes to pass, we may face whatever circumstances God gives us with both vigorous activity (knowing that God uses means, and He calls us to act) and also contented rest (knowing that God is in charge of it all, and He will work this out as He sees fit).

Friends, so many people want to emphasize one of these over the other, but we must maintain a tension here.

Only a fool pretends to rest in God while he or she does nothing to prepare, nothing to work, nothing to address the hardships he or she faces.

But so too is it foolish (and arrogant) to prepare and work and act as though all of this depends upon us and our effort.

May God help us to be wise and active, making good use of our time and treasure and talent… and may God help us to rest in His ultimate plans for us, even though our circumstances may be tough in the meantime.

We can persevere in all things with both sorrow and hope.

Because God is absolutely sovereign over all things, and because the Bible teaches us that God’s sovereignty includes “calamity” and “well-being” (Is. 45:7), we can be honest about our sorrow and yet persevere through it with genuine hope.

The prophet Isaiah was warning several generations of Judeans that they would suffer God’s judgment and all the hardship and affliction that comes with it. Their sorrow would be real and long-lasting.

But so too could they be sorrowful with hope. This chapter of Isaiah (as well as many others) is dripping with hope.

Isaiah prophesied “Comfort” (v1) and “tenderness” (v2) and the “end” of “warfare” (v2)!

Though “Jacob” or “Israel” or the people of God would be tempted to think “my way is hidden from the LORD” or “God has forgotten me” (v27), God reminds them that “the LORD is the everlasting God… He does not faint or grow weary; [and] his understanding is unsearchable” (v28).

In other words, “God is doing more than you can see right now… more than you’ll be able to comprehend in your whole lifetime… You may think that God is not at work in this, but He is always at work… in everything… in the good and the bad… and He never gets tired… and He will make good on all His promises in the end.”

And look at how this chapter ends. God promises to share from His own storehouses of “power” and “might” with those who “wait for” or trust in Him (v29-31). “30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (v30-31).

This promise from God through Isaiah was/is ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is through Him that sinners of all kinds (Jew and Gentile alike) can find comfort and pardon from God Himself.

And the theological reality of God’s sovereignty over all things remains just as true for us today as it was for the people of Judah back then.

From the beginning of creation and throughout eternity, our God is absolutely sovereign over all; therefore, we may trust Him in good times and bad.

May we look to the cross with both grief and joy.

May we endure our circumstances with both activity and rest.

And may we persevere in all things with both sorrow and hope… until Christ comes.