GOD’S POWER TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT UPON ALL WHO DEFY HIM

Set Free Through God’s Power to Control Human History, the Very Deeds of People 

(Isaiah 41:1–29) Listen in silence before Me, O lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case.

²Who has stirred up this one from the east,^a whom victory meets at every step? Who, indeed, but the Lord? God has given him victory over many nations and permitted him to trample kings underfoot and to put entire armies to the sword. ³He chases them away and goes on safely, though the paths he treads are new. ⁴Who has done such mighty deeds, directing the affairs of generations of mankind as they march by? It is I, the Lord, the First and Last; I alone am He.

⁵The lands beyond the sea watch in fear and wait for word of Cyrus’s^b new campaigns. Remote lands tremble and mobilize for war. ^6-7The craftsmen encourage each other as they rush to make new idols to protect them. The carver hurries the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. “Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine. Now we can solder on the arms.” Carefully they join the parts together and then fasten the thing in place so it won’t fall over!

⁸But as for you, O Israel, you are Mine, My chosen ones; for you are Abraham’s family, and he was My friend. ⁹I have called you back from the ends of the earth and said that you must serve but Me alone, for I have chosen you and will not throw you away. ¹⁰Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.^c

¹¹See, all your angry enemies lie confused and shattered. Anyone opposing you will die. ¹²You will look for them in vain—they will all be gone. ¹³I am holding you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God—and I say to you, Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you. ¹⁴Despised though you are, fear not, O Israel; for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer; I am the Holy One of Israel. ¹⁵You shall be a new and sharp-toothed threshing instrument to tear all enemies apart, making chaff of mountains. ¹⁶You shall toss them in the air; the wind shall blow them all away; whirlwinds shall scatter them. And the joy of the Lord shall fill you full; you shall glory in the God of Israel.

¹⁷When the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I will answer when they cry to Me. I, Israel’s God, will never forsake them. ¹⁸I will open up rivers for them on high plateaus! I will give them fountains of water in the valleys! In the deserts will be pools of water, and rivers fed by springs shall flow across the dry, parched ground. ¹⁹I will plant trees—cedars, myrtle, olive trees, cypress, fir, and pine—on barren land. ²⁰Everyone will see this miracle and understand that it is God who did it, Israel’s Holy One.

²¹Can your idols make such claims as these? Let them come and show what they can do, says God, the King of Israel. ²²Let them try to tell us what occurred in years gone by or what the future holds. ²³Yes, that’s it! If you are gods, tell what will happen in the days ahead! Or do some mighty miracle that makes us stare, amazed. ²⁴But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all. Anyone who chooses you needs to have his head examined!

²⁵But I have stirred up Cyrus from the north and east; he will come against the nations and call on My name, and I will give him victory over kings and princes. He will tread them as a potter tramples clay.

²⁶Who but I have told you this would happen? Who else predicted this, making you admit that He was right? No one else! None other said one word! ²⁷I was the first to tell Jerusalem, “Look! Look! Help is on the way!” ²⁸Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked. ²⁹See, they are all foolish, worthless things; your idols are all as empty as the wind.^[1] 

Freedom is one of the major cravings of the human heart. People want to be free to live, worship, work, and move about as they wish. The human heart rebels against restraint, bondage, and enslavement. Yet when the human heart and the experiences of day-to-day life are objectively and honestly evaluated, one tragic fact jumps to the forefront: we are enslaved to sin and death. No person can keep from committing sin, and no person can keep from dying. From the moment we are born, we are doomed to sin, act selfishly, and commit wicked deeds. And we are doomed to die. Fundamentally, to be human means to be a sinner doomed to die. As much as we may dislike this truth, we are all held in bondage to sin and death.

But there is wonderful news: God can free us from sin and from death. We can live righteously and godly in this present life, and we can inherit eternal life, but only by the power of God. This is the important message of this Scripture: 

Set Free Through God’s Power to Control Human History, the Very Deeds of People. 

God’s Power To Execute Judgment Upon All Who Defy Him 

(Isaiah41:1-7) Listen in silence before me, O lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case.

²Who has stirred up this one from the east,^a whom victory meets at every step? Who, indeed, but the Lord? God has given him victory over many nations and permitted him to trample kings underfoot and to put entire armies to the sword. ³He chases them away and goes on safely, though the paths he treads are new. ⁴Who has done such mighty deeds, directing the affairs of generations of mankind as they march by? It is I, the Lord, the First and Last; I alone am He.

⁵The lands beyond the sea watch in fear and wait for word of Cyrus’s^b new campaigns. Remote lands tremble and mobilize for war. ^6-7The craftsmen encourage each other as they rush to make new idols to protect them. The carver hurries the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. “Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine. Now we can solder on the arms.” Carefully they join the parts together and then fasten the thing in place so it won’t fall over!^[2] 

God’s Power To Execute Judgment Upon All Who Defy Him 

God has the power to execute judgment on the wicked, and history is rapidly moving toward that climactic day when that point in time arrives, the struggle between light and darkness, good and evil, righteousness and wickedness, faith and unbelief will be over. Only the Lord and those who truly believe and follow Him will survive the final and terrifying day of judgment.

But note: God does not always wait to execute judgment on the wicked. Sometimes, His hand of judgment begins to fall even as acts of wickedness (sin, evil, unrighteousness) are being committed. This was the case in Isaiah’s day and in succeeding generations. Sadly, people and nations were living in a cesspool of immorality, unrighteousness, lawlessness, and violence. The people were steeped in idolatry and false worship. Despite that, God still loved the world, every individual, and every nation. Thus He inspired Isaiah to issue another prophecy, a warning of coming judgment. All the people and nations needed to know this fact: God has the power to execute judgment upon all who defy Him. 

a. God issued a summons for the nations of the earth to gather for a trial (v. 1). Attendance at the trial was compulsory, not optional. The summons was issued to all the islands, to all people and nations from the most distant corner of the earth. They were instructed to approach the Lord in reverence and silence, for they were being summoned to face the judgment of God because of their terrible, destructive, and wicked behavior. 

b. God asked the people and the nations two key questions (vv. 2–4). Keep in mind that God was giving Isaiah insight into the future day when judgment would be executed against the Babylonian Empire.

1)      God’s first question directly addresses the issue of judgment: Who has the power to raise up a ruler to execute judgment on the nations? Note that the ruler to be raised up would come from the east (v. 2). He would conquer nations, subduing king after king and defeating numerous armies with his sword and bow. This is a clear prediction of Cyrus, king of Persia (559–530 b.c.).

In a compelling demonstration of the prophecy’s accuracy, Isaiah revealed that the name of the king would be Cyrus even though it was years before this king appeared on the scene of human history (Is. 44:28; 45:1). In an earlier prophecy, Isaiah had revealed that the agent of God’s wrath on Babylon would be the Median Empire, which is another prophecy predicting the rise of Cyrus (Is. 13:17–18).

The point being stressed here is God’s power. It was His power alone that raised up Cyrus to execute judgment on the wicked nations who had defied Him and persecuted His people. Cyrus would destroy these nations, pursuing their kings as well as their citizens, killing some and capturing others, until all the people were subjected and made a part of the great Persian Empire. Cyrus and Persia would be unscathed and unstoppable, all because God was using Cyrus as His agent of judgment.

2)      God’s second question has to do with the issue of sovereignty: Who has the power to control the affairs of mankind, the behavior of nations and people down through history (v. 4)? Today, we can look back through history and see that the prophecy concerning Cyrus actually took place. What God predicted happened. Cyrus conquered Babylon and all the nations within the Babylonian Empire, carrying out God’s judgment upon the nations of that day and time. From a historical perspective, it is evident that God controlled the affairs of the human race from Isaiah’s day to the day of the Persian Empire, a period of more than 160 years. Yet it was not only during that brief period that God exercised His power and sovereignty over the affairs of the human race. God is sovereign over the entire world at all times. He controls the affairs of all nations through all generations of history. 

c. So far in this passage, the one who executes judgment and controls the affairs of the human race has not been identified. But now the answers to the two questions are given, and they are given by God Himself. He alone, the Lord, has this power (v. 4b). He is the First and the Last. By First is meant that He preceded all the generations of people and nations on earth and, in fact, brought them into being. By Last is meant that He will still be existing and overseeing the last generation of human history. He is the eternal God, the Lord of history (Is. 44:6; He. 13:8; Re. 1:8; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13). 

d. In descriptive language, God states the twofold purpose of the coming judgment (vv. 5–7). These two purposes reveal the true heart of God. Even when He has to execute judgment against the wicked, God’s heart is full of compassion and love, not vengeance.

In executing judgment, God’s first purpose is to strike fear in people to arouse them to repent. When people are stricken with fear, they sometimes turn away from their sins and back to the Lord, crying out for His help. Isaiah predicted that when the nations and islands, the very ends of the earth, saw the hand of God’s judgment being executed through Cyrus, they would fear and tremble under the weight of the judgment.

God’s second purpose for executing judgment is to show that the people trusted in one another and in their false gods (vv. 6–7) rather than in the Lord. Isaiah predicted that the nations would run to one another to seek help and to form alliances against the Persians. They would encourage one another to be strong, to turn to their idols and false gods for help. They would even build new and better idols, hoping to secure their favor as they opposed the Persian war machine. Of course, their idols and false gods were of no use when the Persians attacked. Keep in mind that God’s purpose was to execute judgment against the people and nations because of their wickedness and their false worship. Once the wicked hearts and idolatry of the people were exposed, there was hope that they would turn back to the Lord in repentance. 

Thought 1. God alone can execute judgment against all the wicked people and nations of this earth. He alone has the power to oversee and control all nations in addition to all the leaders and citizens of all generations. God dwells in pure holiness and perfection, possessing all knowledge and all power. In view of that, He knows the truth about every nation, every leader, and every citizen. God knows the heart and behavior of us all, whether good or bad, righteous or wicked. As He warned the generations of Isaiah’s time, so He warns all generations, including ours today: the Day of Judgment is coming. We must all give an account of what we have done and are doing. If we live good, righteous lives, we will be rewarded. But if we live sinful, wicked lives, we will face the hand of God’s judgment and be doomed to eternal separation from Him. Listen to God’s warning to the wicked of the earth:

V  “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works” (Mt. 16:27).

V  “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Mt. 24:30).

V  “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.… Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:31–33, 41).

V  “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished” (2 Pe. 2:9).

V  “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Pe. 3:7).

V  “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 1:14–15).

V  “Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen” (Re. 1:7).

V  “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Re. 20:11–15).

V  “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Je. 17:10). 

Thought 2. The motivation for God’s judgment must always be remembered. Judging us from a heart of love and compassion, He seeks to save us from harming ourselves and others. Our sinful behavior is what causes so much of the destruction of life and property and the pollution of the environment in the world. An honest evaluation of the devastation we cause reveals that our hearts are wicked, selfish, and greedy, and it should strike fear in us. Exposing the truth of our sinful hearts and behavior should arouse us to repent. It is for this reason that God disciplines and judges us when we commit evil. Repentance is our only hope to escape God’s judgment:

V  “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Ac. 3:19).

V  “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Co. 7:10).

V  “For if I have boasted anything to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so, our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth” (2 Co. 7:14).

V  “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Pe. 3:7–10).

V  “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God” (Ecc. 8:11–13).

V  “And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by My name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to Me: for I will not hear thee” (Je. 7:13–16).

V  “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Eze. 18:21).

V  “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Eze. 18:31).^[3] 

---

^a 41:2  this one from the east. Doubtless Cyrus the Great of Persia; see 44:28.

^b 41:5  Cyrus’s, implied from 45:1.

^c 41:10  with my victorious right hand, or “with the right hand of my righteousness.”

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^a 41:2  this one from the east. Doubtless Cyrus the Great of Persia; see 44:28.

^b 41:5  Cyrus’s, implied from 45:1.

^[2] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 

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HOW CAN ANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT GOD WILL RESCUE THEM FROM THE BONDAGES AND ENSLAVEMENTS OF THIS LIFE? FROM THE CAPTIVITY OF SIN, DEATH, SATAN, AND HELL?

God’s Greatness Proclaimed (Isaiah 40:12–31)

The Lord Is Greater Than The Universe He Has Created 

¹²Who else has held the oceans in His hands and measured off the heavens with His ruler? Who else knows the weight of all the earth and weighs the mountains and the hills? ¹³Who can advise the Spirit of the Lord or be His teacher or give Him counsel? ¹⁴Has He ever needed anyone’s advice? Did He need instruction as to what is right and best? ¹⁵No, for all the peoples of the world, are nothing in comparison with Him—they are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all. ¹⁶All of Lebanon’s forests do not contain sufficient fuel to consume a sacrifice large enough to honor Him, nor are all its animals enough to offer to our God. ¹⁷All the nations are as nothing to Him; in His eyes, they are less than nothing—mere emptiness and froth.

¹⁸How can we describe God? With what can we compare Him? ¹⁹With an idol? An idol made from a mold, overlaid with gold, and with silver chains around its neck? ²⁰The man too poor to buy expensive gods like that will find a tree, free from rot and hire a man to carve a face on it, and that’s his god—a god that cannot even move!

²¹Are you so ignorant? Are you so deaf to the words of God—the words He gave before the world began? Have you never heard nor understood? ²²It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. (The people below must seem to Him like grasshoppers!) He is the one who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and makes His tent from them. ²³He dooms the great men of the world and brings them all to naught. ²⁴They hardly get started, barely take root, when He blows on them and their work withers, and the wind carries them off like straw.

²⁵“With whom will you compare Me? Who is My equal?” asks the Holy One.

²⁶Look up into the heavens! Who created all these stars? As a shepherd leads his sheep,^a calling each by its pet name, and counts them to see that none are lost or strayed, so God does with stars and planets!

²⁷O Jacob, O Israel, how can you say that the Lord doesn’t see your troubles and isn’t being fair? ²⁸Don’t you yet understand? Don’t you know by now that the everlasting God, the Creator of the farthest parts of the earth, never grows faint or weary? No one can fathom the depths of His understanding. ²⁹He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. ³⁰Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up. ³¹But they that wait upon 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.^[1] (Isaiah40:12–31) 

God’s People Are Set Free Through The Proclamation Of His Greatness.

How could the Jews know that God would set them free from oppressive enemies such as Assyria, Babylon, and Persia? How could they know that God would fulfill His promise of restoration, freeing them from the Babylonian captivity and returning them to the promised land? How can any people know that God will rescue them from the bondages and enslavements of this life? from the captivity of sin, death, Satan, and hell?

Isaiah answered these questions. Remembering who God is—keeping in mind His awesome greatness—will give assurance. God is omnipotent, which means all-powerful. He is also omniscient, which means knowing all things, including the needs of His people and what must be done to meet those needs. And God is omnipresent, which means He is present everywhere. Possessing all power and knowledge and being present everywhere means that God can literally do anything, meeting every need of every person who truly follows Him. He can fulfill what He has promised. He can set His people free.

To assure God’s people that God will fulfill His promises, Isaiah declares that God is greater than anything on the earth or anything scattered throughout the universe or even beyond. Seven comparisons are made: 

a. The Lord is greater than the universe He has created (v. 12). Note the descriptive pictures that show just how great God is:

Ø  all the waters of the earth are nothing more than a drop of water in the palm of God’s hand

Ø  all the heavens—the stars, sun, moon, planets, the entire universe—measure no more than the width of God’s hand

Ø  the weight of the earth—its dust, mountains, and hills—is known by the Lord and the Lord alone 

The point being made is that God is the great Creator. He and He alone created the universe. He is far greater than the universe itself. The universe with its multiplied billions of heavenly bodies were created by the Lord. He is omniscient and omnipotent, possessing the knowledge and power to do anything. And He used His knowledge and power to create the entire universe. This fact means …

·         that God is far greater than the universe He has created

·         that atheism and agnosticism are baseless beliefs upon which to build one’s life

·         that unbelief is a dangerous position to take against the Creator of the universe 

V  “Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (He. 1:3).

V  “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” (Ge. 1:1).

V  “Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee” (Ne. 9:6).

V  “Of old hast, thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands” (Ps. 102:25). 

b. The Lord is greater than any counselor or teacher (vv. 13–14). God’s knowledge, understanding, and justice are infinite. Therefore, He has no need for a counselor or advisor, since there is no being anywhere in the entire universe who can add to His knowledge, understanding, or spirit of justice. God is totally self-sufficient:

Ø  He needs no counselor to advise or instruct Him about what to do (v. 13).

Ø  He needs no one to enlighten Him or teach Him the path of justice or show Him what to do (v. 14).

Ø  He needs no one to impart knowledge or understanding to Him. 

The Lord is greater than all counselors or teachers combined throughout all generations of human history. The Lord is totally self-sufficient, knowing exactly what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.²

V  “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto Him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Ro. 11:33–36).

V  “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Co. 1:25).

V  “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Co. 2:16).

V  “He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him” (Da. 2:22). 

c. The Lord is greater than all the nations of the earth in all their power and glory (vv. 15–17). In comparison to God, the power and glory of all nations throughout history are nothing more than a drop of water in a bucket or a piece of dust on a set of scales (v. 15). Of course, the nations of the earth are important to God. What nations do—how they rule and exercise their power and care for their citizens—matters to God. But when the power and glory of nations are matched against the omnipotent glory of God, the nations fade into insignificance. If a person were to search the earth for something valuable enough to offer God, the individual would find nothing. Even the forests and animals of Lebanon would not be enough to make a sacrificial offering worthy of Him. Nothing among the nations could ever be offered to God that would be worthy of His glory. God’s greatness—His power and glory—supersedes all the power and glory of all nations for all of time. There is nothing in heaven or earth worthy of His greatness. In comparison to God’s significance, the importance of nations is worthless, less than nothing before Him, total vanity.

V  “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that, He hath raised Him from the dead” (Ac. 17:25–31).

V  “Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all, and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand, it is to make great, and to give strength unto all” (1 Chr. 29:12).

V  “He divideth the sea with His power, and by His understanding, He smiteth through the proud” (Jb. 26:12).

V  “I know that thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withholden from thee” (Jb. 42:2).

V  “For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). 

d. The Lord is greater than all the images and false gods of this world (vv. 18–21). No idol or false god can even be compared to the Lord. Comparisons are ridiculous. Idols and false gods are nothing more than man-made objects, the creation of people’s imagination. A skilled craftsman using metal, gold, silver, or wood creates these gods from images he pictures in his mind.

Note the four questions asked in verse 21. Scripture clearly says that a people—an individual, a family, a tribe, a community, a nation—should know the truth, for they have heard the truth from the beginning of human history, ever since creation. Therefore, a person is without excuse if he or she worships a false god rather than the Lord Himself, Who is the Truth. The truth is twofold: there is only one living and true God, the Lord Himself (Jehovah, Yahweh). And God alone is the Creator of the universe. He is far greater than all the images and false gods of this world.

V  “And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein” (Ac. 14:15).

V  “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device” (Ac. 17:29).

V  “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Ro. 1:18–25).

V  “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork” (Ps. 19:1).

V  “The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see His glory” (Ps. 97:6). 

e. The Lord is greater than all the people of the earth (vv. 22–24). When the Lord sits enthroned above the earth, looking down upon the people, they appear as nothing more than grasshoppers in His sight. The Lord is so great that He can stretch out the heavens that He created and spread them out like a tent in which He lives and demonstrates His presence and glory. In comparison to the rulers and judges of this earth, God is far greater. He alone judges the great, the powerful of this earth. If their works have been evil, He erases and makes their works useless. They are nothing more than plants that are sown in the ground. As soon as they take root and appear, their lives and positions of power are snuffed out. Blasting them with the fury of His breath, the Lord causes the great and powerful to wither away like a plant or to be swept away like chaff by a whirlwind (vv. 23–24).

V  “John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven” (Jn. 3:27).

V  “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” (2 Co. 3:5).

V  “Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, He put no trust in His servants; and His angels He charged with folly: How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which is crushed before the moth? They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish forever without any regarding it. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom” (Jb. 4:17–21).

V  “What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?” (Jb. 7:17).

V  “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Ps. 8:3–4).

V  “Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish” (Ps. 49:12).

V  “But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased” (Ps. 115:3). 

f. The Lord is greater than any being in the entire universe (vv. 25–26). To whom can the Lord be compared? Who is His equal? No one. The Lord alone is the Holy One. He alone created all the heavens of the starry sky (v. 26). No one else is great enough nor has the power to create such a vast universe. Note that the Lord Himself is speaking. He challenges the reader: “Lift up your eyes and look at the heavens above and ask yourself: ‘who created all these?’ ” Certainly not some little god, a piece of wood or metal created by the imagination of a corrupt human being, the Holy One, the Lord Himself who created everything. He is so great that He not only created the stars of the heavens, but He also named them and calls them by their names. It is His power and His power alone that established the laws of the universe that keep the stars functioning according to those laws. Again the Lord is far greater than any being in the entire universe. He alone is the Holy One, totally set apart and distinct from all other beings. Any person should be able to stand out under the starry sky at night and understand this fact: the universe did not happen by chance. It has been created by the Holy One, the Supreme Being who is totally set apart from all other beings in the universe.

V  “And the scribe said unto Him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He” (Mk. 12:32).

V  “And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless, He left not Himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Ac. 14:15–17).

V  “Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee” (2 S. 7:22).

V  “And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart” (1 K. 8:23).

V  “For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?” (Ps. 89:6). 

g. The Lord is greater than any trial or temptation (vv. 27–31). Due to the Jews’ oppressive enemies as well as their hardships and sufferings, they were complaining and accusing God of forgetting them. They felt as though God were far away, unconcerned about their welfare or else unaware of their hardships. But the Lord knew, and His heart reached out in compassion to His people. Stirring Isaiah to encourage them, the Lord gave four assurances to His people:

Ø  He is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth (v. 28). Thus He oversees the earth and knows everything that is happening. Because He is everlasting—no beginning and no end—He is able to oversee and control all events of human history.

Ø  He never faints or becomes weary in overseeing the earth and His people. Again, being everlasting, God is always available to help those who truly trust and obey Him.

Ø  He strengthens both the weary and the weak who trust Him (v. 29).

Ø  He will renew the strength of all who wait on the Lord (vv. 30–31). 

No matter their chronological age, the Lord will strengthen them with more energy and vigor than even young men have. Note this fact: the word wait does not mean sitting around doing nothing. Rather it means to hope in the Lord, praying, and trusting the Lord to meet one’s need (Is. 26:3–4; 30:15). Also, the word renew means to exchange, such as exchanging old clothes for new ones.³ The believer who truly places his hope in the Lord will renew his strength, and exchange his weaknesses for the Lord’s strength (2 Co. 12:9). The Lord will build up the believer, empower his spirit to soar above the trials and temptations that afflict him, to soar just like an eagle above the earth. A believer who truly hopes in the Lord will be strengthened so that he can run through the problems, hardships, trials, and temptations of life. And he will not grow weary. He will walk victoriously, triumphantly, and not faint (v. 31).

V  “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye, therefore, like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him” (Mt. 6:7–8).

V  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things [housing, food, clothing] shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33).

V  “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Co. 12:9–10).

V  “Now unto Him, that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ep. 3:20).

V  “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Ti. 1:7).

V  “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (He. 11:33–34).

V  “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God” (Ps. 40:17).

V  “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness” (Is. 41:10).

V  “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Is. 43:1–2).^[2] 

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^a 40:26  As a shepherd leads his sheep, implied.

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

² Stanley M. Horton. The Complete Biblical Library, Isaiah. (Springfield, MO: World Library Press, Inc., 1995), p. 311.

³ Warren W. Wiersbe. Be Comforted. (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), pp. 111–112.

^[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 

https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ISA.40.12-31.nlt 

All pics from Ansel Adams