Isaiah 40:12-31 October 3, 2021
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Introduction
Introduction
Good morning everyone and welcome to church in the gym!
OK today we're going to study Isaiah chapter 40. And whether we are here in the park enjoying the beauty of God's creation or we're reminded by the presence of rain that we have even less power of this world than we think. We're reminded of God's power either way. Whether we are standing here gazing at the beauty of his creation that doesn't change and continues to grow and prosper regardless of what mankind does. Or we've been pressed inside by the power of rain and storms that we cannot control period either way we are conscious that God is in control and is more powerful than us.
OK I want you to join me in Isaiah chapter 40.
Chapter 40 marks a turning point in the book it comes right after hezekiah shows all of his palace to the emissaries from Babylon and God warns hezekiah that that will mean invasion and loss for them. This second section of the book of Isaiah is a section of encouragement and a section looking forward with hope. It's a section where we hear more about the Messiah who will come.
Isaiah chapter 40 starts off with what it intends to give throughout the entire chapter and that is comfort.
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Even in the middle of an unknown future God wants to give the Israelites comfort regardless of what comes that they can trust in their heavenly father. And he wants to assure them that God is more powerful than the problems that they face. So let's dig in and we're actually going to focus on the verses starting in verse 12. Because this latter 2/3 of the chapter contain some powerful encouragement.
In short we are going to see that nothing is more powerful than God. ….and this power of God gives hope to the weak.
The first section starting in verse 12 asks a series of questions. And in finding the answers to these questions we learn something about God.
Sometimes it looks like the enemies of God are winning.
The Israelites faced the same problem that we faced today. Sometimes it looks like the enemies of God are winning a lot of victories. And we need to be reminded that God's power as far greater than kings and kingdoms and any force on earth or in heaven. The Israelites needed to be reminded of God's power.
Especially if you think only a few chapters earlier in chapter 36 and chapter 37 the assyrian kings messengers spoke to the people of Israel challenging the power of God as they prepared to attack.
Let's read
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?
consider these questions for yourself:
who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or the width of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?
Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor?
I love this quote:
Oswalt points to the essence of the implied question: “if we cannot even take the measure of the physical world, how can we take the measure of God?”[1]
Whom did the Lord consult to enlightened him, and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?
God is eternal. God spoke the universe into existence. God is the only one with the infinite capacity imagined in these questions.
And if God has this power what do we have to fear?
And if God has this power why do we worry about his leading?
In short this passage reminds the Israelites and us that God has both the power and the wisdom to bring about his plans on earth.
Let's continue reading:
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.
How much do we worry about what the nations of the world do? How much do we read about the antics of Russia or the maneuverings of China? How much have we heard about goings on in Afghanistan? In God's sight the nations are like a drop in the bucket.
We know that this chapter does not mean God thinks nothing of the nations of earth because throughout the Bible God shows his love for people. But by comparison to the power of God all nations are as good as nothing.
By comparison to the God who measures the waters and holds the dust of the earth in a basket... We have little to fear from the nations of earth.
I love this quote:
One of the implications of God’s transcendent incomparability is that the world does not actually revolve around the great nations of the earth and is not determined by personal wishes, human accomplishments, or national goals. What goes on in this world is actually centered on God and his plans. Therefore, in reality these nations have no power.[2]
This next section contains another series of questions for us to consider. Let's read these questions and ask them ourselves.
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?
OK, let's continue these next few verses talk about idols. And in the ancient world there was a sense where people were actually more honest about the gods that they worshipped. Today we sneak in our worship of our entertainment. Today we justify our glorification of money.
OK let's read the text:
To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to?
OK, this question is especially relevant given what the author has covered already in the passage. If indeed God is the one who can measure the waters with his hand and the universe end starry skies as well...
If indeed God is one that can weigh the dust of the earth and a basket...
If indeed God was the one who can weigh mountains on a scale...
if indeed God is so great that the nations on earth are but a bit of dust…
If indeed all these things who can you compare God to?
Not even the ancient gods that the Israelites and the nations around them worshipped had this kind of power. And certainly nations, country, financial wealth, physical health, prosperity, nothing we could worship in our world can compare to this. Could compare to him.
OK let's continue in the passage:
As for an idol, a Craftsman casts it, and a Goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver change for it. A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled Craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.
So you look at an object that we might worship. And it's made by weak humans. It's propped up by the skill of Craftsman.
If we find our hope in money, we must remember that money can disappear like a vapor.
If we find our hope in power and success, we must remember that both of those are propped up by other humans and can disappear quite fast.
If we find our hope in our health or our comfort we must remember how fragile these things can be.
This passage cries out for us to recognize the foolishness of worshipping false things. To remember that wishing for more money will not solve our problems. Having more money will not give us peace and joy. Trusting in some political leader or another will not give us the hope we long for.
OK, let's take a look at the next series of questions:
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.
God sees the Princess and the rulers of the earth like grasshoppers or a fragile plant.
God will strengthen those without hope….
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.
How do we respond when we are in a situation without hope?
Complaining won’t fix problems.
God is present and willing to give strength.
God is at work and not out of power.
We need to realize we need God’s strength
We need to tap into God’s strength.
We need to put our hope in the Lord.
Trust isn’t easy but it is how we access the power and strength God offers.
If we are willing to depend on him God gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the week. He gives hope. And hope is something we need.
Conclusions
God’s both all wise and all powerful. We can’t outthink His plans but we can commit to trust Him.
By comparison to God even the strongest kings and kingdoms are nothing.
The idols that many people worship don’t compare to the power of our God.
Find strength and hope in trusting God.
[1] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 110.
[2] Gary Smith, Isaiah 40-66, vol. 15B, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2009), 112–113.