Plainly Speaking
 with Karl J. Forehand

 

 

The Greatness of God – Part 2

(No Comparison)

 (Isaiah 40:12ff)

by Karl J. Forehand

 

  Last week, we looked at the first part of this chapter.  The very first words of it stress “comfort.”  We learned that true comfort and confidence come the understanding of the greatness of God.  It is not enough just to know about this greatness – we have to believe in it – we have to put our trust in it.  My pastor used to say, “Do you believe God can do anything?”  Until we reach that point, we may be spinning our wheels.

 

  Why don’t we take a closer look at the attributes of God mentioned in this chapter.

 

The Attributes of God

 

1.  His Mercy (1-2)

 

  God interacts with us based on His mercy.  His judgment has already been exercised (John 3:18).  A primary characteristic of God is His mercy (not giving us what we deserve).  The only reason God initiates anything with us is because of His grace and His mercy. 

 

2.  His glory (3-5)

 

  Notice the phrase, “His glory will be revealed.”  God’s glory is the manifestation of Himself to man.  It is spoken of as a brilliance that no one can look at directly.  His glory is also seen in His actions toward man.  His glory will be revealed in our lives when we “clear the way.”

 

3.  His eternality (6-9)

 

  Everything else has a shelf life.  My professor used to say, “The only two things that endure are the word of God and the souls of men.”  He is eternal.  His ways, His Word, and His wisdom lives, abides and endures forever.

 

4.  His gentleness (11)

 

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.  (Isa. 40:11)

 

  To gather something, you must reach down – God reaches down to us as we reach up.  He also “carries” us in an on-going, comforting relationship.  But, He also “leads” us when we have been restored.  This is a beautiful picture of the shepherd and the lamb.  He rescues the lamb, nurses it back to health and then rehabilitates it to return to life.

 

5.  His omnipotence (12, 26)

 

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance, And the hills in a pair of scales?

Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power Not one of them is missing.  (Isaiah 40:12, 26)

 

  Ultimately, all power comes from God.  The Bible says, “All things are possible” with God and this power “exceeds what we can imagine.”   All the waters of the earth are like a small amount of water in His hand.  The heavens can be measured with the span of His hand.  The mountains and the hills are like a bucketful of dirt.  He leads the stars like a military troop – He knows all their names and never loses track of one of them.  He even knows their names.

 

  But, God is not just much more powerful than us – He is ALL powerful. 

 

6.  His omniscience

 

  We see God’s omniscience in the questions this passage asks.

 

  Who has directed Him?  No one ever told God “go here, don’t go there.”  We might be somewhat self-directed; yet we all require some kind of direction from someone.  God never needed that direction – He is God.

 

Who has counseled Him?  No one ever gave God advice that He needed or heeded.  Lot’s of us try to give Him advice.  We are in trouble without counsel; but God doesn’t need counsel.

 

Who taught Him?  God never sat at anyone’s feet.

 

Who informed Him?  Nobody had to “clue” God in.  He knew it before we were here.

 

  Again, God is not just more knowledgeable than us.  He is ALL knowing. 

 

7.  His sovereignty

 

  We see His sovereignty in the statements, “The nations are like a drop in the bucket” and He can “blow on them” and they wither.  Sovereignty means that God is in all and over all.  He is ruler.

 

  He has creative sovereignty because He created all things.  God is the only one that does the Hebrew word, “bara.”  We may assemble things; but only God can create.  He guides His creation toward a meaningful end.

 

  He has moral sovereignty because His nature is absolutely moral.  We should obey Him, not just because we fear Him, but because He is absolutely righteous.  There is no unclean, unclear or unrighteous nature behind His judgment.  We choose judges, not just for their knowledge, but also for their character.  God is all-knowing; but also absolutely righteous in every way.

 

  He has transcendent  sovereignty because His very nature is beyond our comprehension.  That is why He is the ruler.  We can’t “get it” enough to help Him rule.

 

  It may not seem like it in our minds; but God also has purposeful sovereignty.  He is moving toward a particular end.  The end is the Kingdom of God.  Only God totally understand the purpose – that makes Him the ruler.

 

8. His uniqueness (18, 25)

 

To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to?

To whom then will you liken Me That I should be his equal?" says the Holy One.  (Isa. 40:18,25)

 

Our Problem with God (27-28)

 

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God "? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.  (Isa. 40:27-28) 

 

  We say dumb things some time.  We think “God doesn’t see my situation.”  We assume God can’t notice a person like us (whatever that means).  God says, in essence, “Hello, haven’t you been paying attention?”

-          The everlasting  God – the eternal God – the one that has forever been here

-          The Lord – the ruler of your life – the ruler of creation – the one that knows the names of the stars and leads them

-          The creator – the one that formed us in our mother’s womb – the one that created our DNA.

 

What about Him?

-          He doesn’t become weary.  He doesn’t get fatigued or worn out.  He doesn’t get too many things “on His plate.”

-          His understanding is inscrutable.  That means we can’t fathom it. 

 

In other words, we shouldn’t put human limitations on Him.  He doesn’t lose track of us.  He doesn’t forget about us.  He doesn’t only notice when we yell and scream at Him.  It is US that lose track of Him.

 

The Promise of God

 

He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.  Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,  Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.  (Isaiah 40:29-31)

 

  As long as we ignore God and operate in our flesh, we will fail.  We will feel like God is distant.  But if we will, recognize the Lord and wait (let Him) work, we will:

-          gain new strength – better than we can imagine

-          gain new speed – wings

-          gain new endurance

-          have success

 

  Just like the attributes of God have no equal in human terms, what God will do if we let Him is hard to imagine.  We have to understand – we have to believe – there is no comparison!

           

 

                                                Karl J. Forehand

 

 

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