Isaiah 40b – A God This Big…
A translation and sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ the
Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 29 July 2007
Translation
12. Who has spanned the waters with His palm,
and with the arm measured the
heavens,
held in a bucket the dust of the
earth; and
weighed the mountains in the scale
and the hills in balances?
13. Who has measured the Spirit of Jehovah, and
is there a man who can cause Him to
know his counsel?
14. With whom did He counsel
and cause Him to understand
and teach Him a way of justice
and teach Him knowledge
and make known to Him a way of
understandings?
15. Look, nations are like a drop from a pail,
and are considered like dust as far
as scales are concerned.
Look, coastlands are picked up like powder!
16. Even Lebanon would not be enough fuel
and its livestock would not be a
sufficient burnt-offering.
17. All the nations are as though they were non-existent before
Him,
considered from the null and the
void by Him.
18. So to whom could you liken God
and what likeness could you compare
to Him?
19. The idol –
a craftsman casts
and a smith will cover it with the
gold –
even casting silver chains.
20. The impoverished offering,
a tree that will not rot he
chooses,
a skillful craftsman he seeks for
himself
to set up an idol that will not
totter.
21. Do you not know?
Do you not hear?
Has it not been related from the
beginning to you?
Have you not understood from the
foundations of the earth?
22. He is the one who is sitting above the sphere of the
earth
and the ones sitting on her are
like the grasshoppers.
He is the one who is stretching out the heavens like the
curtain
and spreading them like the tent
for the dwelling.
23. He is the one who stretches distinguished men to
non-existence,
judges of earth He makes like the
void.
24. “Surely they
were never sown,
surely they were
never planted,
surely their stem
never took root in the earth,”
yet even He blew in them and they
wither and the tempest carries them up like the stubble.
25. “So, to whom will you compare me that I should be like?”
says the Holy One.
26. Lift up your eyes on high and see. Who created these?
He brings out by number their host;
He calls to all of them with a
name,
from much strength and strong power,
each is not missed.
27. Why, Jacob, do you say, and Israel do you speak,
“My way is hidden from Jehovah, and
from my God my justice is passed over.”?
28. Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God –
Jehovah,
Creator of the ends of the earth
will not grow
faint
and will not tire;
it is not possible
to make a survey of His understanding,
29. giving power
to the faint
and to the ones
who have no strength He will increase might.
30. Now, boys will grow faint and tire,
and young men will utterly falter,
31. But Jehovah’s attendants will exchange strength;
they will take wing like the
eagles;
they will run and not tire;
they will walk and not grow faint.
Opening Illustration
When I was a boy, I remember reading a science fiction story
where a mighty race of powerful alien creatures conquered their entire world
and then decided to come and conquer the earth, so they put on their impressive
battle clothes and armed themselves with their most fearsome weapons and came
roaring into the earth’s atmosphere in their great battleships – only to be
mistaken for a cloud of gnats and snapped up by a little yappy dog.
They thought they were big stuff because they had conquered
everyone on their planet, but they hadn’t taken into account how small they
were in comparison with the earth they wanted to conquer.
You know we’re that way with God. We get to thinking we’re
great and we don’t really need God, or we get to thinking that the forces of
the world that are opposed to us are great and wonder if God is big enough to
help us.
Well, God gave us the 40th chapter of the book of
Isaiah to remind us to persevere in trusting Him because He is an order of
magnitude larger than anything we can ever imagine.
Review – to put this in context
A) In Chapter 39,
the judgment of exile is announced to the king in Jerusalem.
B) Then the first
words of chapter 40 are “Comfort! Y’all, comfort my people, says your God.”
C) Tone changes
dramatically in Isaiah from here on out – so much that some people think it is
a different author from the Isaiah who wrote the first 39 chapters.
D) It is the same
Isaiah, but he speaks much more in the latter part of his book about the
blessings God promises to His people.
E) Isaiah 40
tells us that we can trust God to deliver the promised blessings because He is
big enough to do it.
F) 40:1-11 –
Sermon this past Christmas
1. Comfort
in terms of bad things ending – God’s punishment of war and captivity will end
because the sin of the people will be more than atoned for and pardoned and
they will receive double the blessing instead.
2. This
is fulfilled in the first and second comings of Jesus – “Behold, your God!”
G) Now we pick up
at verse 12 where we left off and we see what this God is like.
Just how big is your God?
- He is powerful – He rules the earth (v.10&22)
- He is a judge who rewards righteousness and punishes sin.
(10b)
- The is a tender, loving caretaker of His people (v.11 –
like a shepherd)
- He is huge. Big things are small to him because He created
them (v.12&22)
- Modern Jewish commentator Dr. Slotki wrote: “…only God
the Omnipotent is capable of measuring, meting, and weighing such huge
masses of the material world and of giving them their suitable shapes,
forms, and proportions.
- He is the wisest and most intelligent being ever – nobody
ever taught Him anything (v.13&14)
- All the nations are “nothing” He is more powerful than all
the nations put together. his people never need to fear war! (v.15-17)
- No sacrifice is big enough for Him (v.16)
- He is not like an idol. No other god can compare to Him
(18-20)
- He is “enthroned in majesty in heaven” (v.22)
- He is the one who created all the stars. He knows the name
and cares for each one (v.26)
- He created ALL the earth (v.28)
- He knows what is happening to every person – nothing is
hidden from Him (v.27-28)
- He never tires or sleeps; He strengthens His tired and
weak people (v.28-30)
What is God calling us to do about this?
- Acknowledge God’s supremacy
- v.21 “Do you not know? Do you not hear…? Have you not
understood?” Well now you have heard it, so know and understand that God
is higher than the earth and that He is in charge of everything.
- The soldiers guarding Jesus’ tomb underestimated God’s
power and just about got their heads chopped off for their foolishness to
think they could keep Jesus in the grave!
- v.26 “Lift up your eyes on high and see who created all
these.” Acknowledge that God made the heavens and the earth and all the
stars. Every time you look out a window or look up into the sky, you
should think, “God, you are awesome!”
- Colossians 1:14-18 Jesus is the one “in whom we have our
redemption, the forgiveness of our sins: 15 who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in Him were all
things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and
things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers; all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; 17 and
He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is
the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.”
- Part of acknowledging God’s supremacy is believing that
Jesus is the master not only over the universe but over your life in
particular.
- Romans 10:9 “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus
is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved.” Have you done that? That is the first step.
- Missionary Otto Koning tells the story about his early
years in Papua New Guinea, how the natives used to steal things from him
at night. Then he taught them that God sees everything we do. This was a
revelation to the natives. “You mean He can see in the dark?” “Yes he can
see in the dark – He’s big!” “So he sees us when we steal things from
your house at night?” “Yes, He is big – He can see everything!”
- v.27 “Why are you in the habit of saying, ‘God isn’t
noticing me; He’s not bringing my enemies to justice!’” Stop talking like
that. Acknowledge that God is big, if He never misses a single star –
even though there are more stars in the heavens than our modern-day
scientists can count even with their sophisticated telescopes and
computers – be assured that He will never miss a detail of your life.
- Luke 12:24 “Consider the ravens, they sow not, neither
reap; which have no storage or barn; yet God feeds them: of how much more
value are you than the birds!”
- Hebrews 6:10 “God is not unrighteous to forget your work
and the love which you showed toward His name, in that ye ministered unto
the saints, and still do minister.”
- If you acknowledge that God is big and that Jesus is
Lord, then persevere in that faith
- v.31 “Those of Jehovah who wait will exchange strength”
What does it mean to “wait”?
- Psalm 25:3 (get instruction from the Bible and
courageously obey it) Yea, none that wait for thee shall be
put to shame: They shall be put to shame that deal treacherously without
cause. 4 Show me thy ways, O Jehovah; Teach me thy paths. 5 Guide me in
thy truth, and teach me; For thou art the God of my salvation; For thee
do I wait all the day… 14 Wait for Jehovah: Be strong, and
let thy heart take courage; Yea, wait thou for Jehovah.
- Psalm 37:1 (Don’t get bent out of shape when
you see evil-doers prosper. Do good, delight in Jehovah, commit your ways
to Him.) Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, Neither be thou envious
against them that work unrighteousness. 2 For they shall soon be cut
down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in Jehovah,
and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on faithfulness. 4 Delight
thyself also in Jehovah; And He will give thee the desires of thy heart.
5 Commit thy way unto Jehovah; Trust also in Him, and He will bring it
to pass. 6 And He will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light,
And thy justice as the noon-day. 7 Rest in Jehovah, and wait
patiently for Him: Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his
way, Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease
from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself, it tendeth only
to evil-doing. 9 For evil-doers shall be cut off; But those that wait
for Jehovah, they shall inherit the land… 34 Wait for Jehovah,
and keep His way...
- Psalm 130:5 (hope in God’s word that we can be
forgiven) I wait for Jehovah, my soul doth wait, And in
his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord More
than watchmen wait for the morning; Yea, more than
watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in Jehovah; For with Jehovah
there is lovingkindness, And with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he
will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.
- Prov. 20:22 (don’t take revenge, trust that
God will bring justice instead) Say not thou, I will recompense evil:
Wait for Jehovah, and He will save thee.
- Isa. 25:8 (look forward to heaven) “He has
swallowed up death for ever; and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from
off all faces; and the reproach of His people will He take away from off
all the earth: for Jehovah has spoken it. 9 And it shall be said in that
day, ‘Look, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will
save us: this is Jehovah; we have waited for Him, we will be glad
and rejoice in His salvation.’”
- Isa. 26:8 (remember God’s character
“judgement” and walk according to it) Yea, in the way of Your
judgments, O Jehovah, have we waited for You; to Your name, even
to thy memory, is the desire of our soul. 9 With my soul have I desired
thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee
earnestly: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of
the world learn righteousness.
- Isa. 33:2 (anticipate God’s grace and
salvation) O Jehovah, be gracious unto us; we have waited for
thee: be thou our arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of
trouble.
- Jer. 3:17 (gather before the throne of God; Do
not be stubbornly evil at heart) At that time they shall call
Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations shall be gathered
unto it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk
any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
- Jer. 14:18 (confess sin in the midst of
punishment and ask God for mercy) If I go forth into the field, then,
behold, the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then,
behold, they that are sick with famine! for both the prophet and the
priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge. 19 Hast thou
utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul loathed Zion? why hast thou smitten
us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no
good came; and for a time of healing, and, behold, dismay! 20 We
acknowledge, O Jehovah, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers;
for we have sinned against thee. 21 Do not abhor us, for thy
name's sake; do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not
thy covenant with us. 22 Are there any among the vanities of the nations
that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O
Jehovah our God? therefore we will wait for thee; for thou hast
made all these things.
- Lam. 3:18 (endure suffering) And I said,
My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah. 19 Remember
mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul
hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me. 21 This I
recall to my mind; therefore have I hope. 22 It is of Jehovah's
lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail
not. 23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. 24
Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25
Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that
seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait
for the salvation of Jehovah.
- Hos. 12:6 (turn to God, keeping kindness and
justice) Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep kindness and justice,
and wait for thy God continually.
- The context of this promise
- Jerusalem is about to undergo a long hard time – 80
years of political decline with bad kings, then a siege and overthrow
and 70 years of exile. God is saying that He will uphold those who wait
on the Lord during this tough time.
- Likewise you are going to face tough times. As Chip taught
us two weeks ago, we must expect suffering. It may be financial
difficulties, it may be the shame and hurt of people hating you, it may
be bad health, it may be depression, it may just be the challenge of
decades of child-rearing and all the difficulties involved in that. God
does not promise to remove all the hardships, but He does promise to
enable us to fly, run, and walk through them.
- For Lazlo, it was religious persecution. Lazlo Tokes was
pastor of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Timasar, Romania during the
oppressive regime of Coseasceau. Lazlo’s trust in God gave him courage
to persevere in faith and speak out against evil in his country. It
looked hopeless. He was attacked in his home by thugs. Doubtless, the
secret police arranged it. He and his wife and the two friends who were
there battled back. Three months later the police came to deport him. He
ran to his church, and his congregation surrounded the church, forming a
human chain. Others came from other churches and joined, but after a short-lived
resistance he was led away by the authorities. That afternoon the people
of the city assembled in the main square to protest. The dictator
ordered the police to fire. Several thousand died, and the revolution
began. The revolution which ended Coseasceau's tyranny was the result of
one man’s persevering faith in a God big enough to change his country.
- God is big enough to sustain you and give you strength
through those difficult times ahead. He can be trusted.
- The source of this strength
- The strength that God promises does not come from inside
ourselves. It is His strength. It is an “exchange” of our puny-ness for
His strength.
- v.29 “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no
might He increases strength. Even boys shall faint and grow weary, and
young men shall utterly falter, but they who wait for Jehovah
will renew/exchange their strength”
- Kids can have seemingly boundless energy. They can be
bouncing off the walls and you think they’ll never simmer down and go to
sleep. That kind of energy is nothing compared to the energy God has to
give us to persevere through difficulties when we wait on Him.
- “The ones who wait for Jehovah… shall take wing like
eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Order of Worship
Call
to Worship: Isaiah
40:1-3
- God
speaks to comfort us and to remind us of the good news of Jesus Christ who
removed our sin and
- remind
us that we have been called us to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus in the
lives of everyone in the world!
- That’s
what our worship service is about!
O
Worship the King
(Psalm 104/RT#2)
Confession
of Faith: 1
Corinthians 15:3-4 & I Timothy 3:16
- Heb 13:15 says “let us lift up a thanks-offering to God
through it all, that is, the fruit of lips confessing His name.”
- These
Bible verses seem to be liturgies used by Christians in the early church
to confess faith in Jesus.
Prayer
of Adoration: Mark
Call
to confession of Sin:
Romans 4:3-8
- We come
before God as people who have broken His ten commandments. We are broken
and we are not all right.
- We come
before Him and He says, “I punished Jesus for your sin; you trust in Jesus
for your forgiveness; in my accounting book you are no longer a sinner;
you’re all right.”
- That’s
what it means to come in faith before a God who “justifies the ungodly” –
let’s do that now in prayer.
Prayer
of Confession: Chip
Hast
Thou Not Known
Not Known Hast Thou not heard (T#28)
- “Blessed
is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.” (Rom 4:8/Psalm
32:1)
- Let us
sing about the blessings that are ours in Christ using the words from
Isaiah 40 which Isaac Watts put to music.
O.T.
Reading Isaiah
40:12-31 (Lector: Josh H)
- We will
be studying this passage in depth in a few minutes
- Listen
to the promises here that we just sang about!
N.T.
Responsive reading:
Matt 11:2-6;27-30
- Jesus
is the “Expected one” whose coming was announced by Isaiah,
- who is
the infinite and powerful God,
- who
inaugurated the fulfillment of the promises in His first coming, and
- whose
second coming we look forward to, to bring the promises to full fulfillment.
Immortal
Invisible (RT#38)
- Isaiah
40, which we are studying this morning talks about the greatness of God,
let us sing of the greatness of our God…
Sermon: Isaiah 40b - A God This Big…
Prayer
of Supplication: Nate
From
all that dwell below the skies (RT#7)
- Do you
believe that God is bigger than anything or anyone?
- Can you
trust Him?
- Then
let us praise Him and let His praises be known throughout the earth!
Words
of Institution of Lord’s Supper: 1 Corinthians 11:23-28
Thou
Wilt Keep him in perfect peace/They that Wait Upon the Lord (chorus RT#704)
Benediction: Isaiah 40:2
- “Take
comfort, you are God’s people,
- your
warfare has ended,
- your
sins are more than covered by the blood of Jesus, and
- you
will receive from the Lord’s hand double the blessing.”
Doxology
Church
Dinner
Nate Wilson’s
website – Isaiah Sermon Expositions
Christ the Redeemer Church
website - Sermons