Isaiah 40: 12-20

There is an incredible, exalted picture of God throughout the second half of Isaiah.

‘’Returning to the land and rebuilding the nation seemed impossible tasks to the exiles, so Isaiah invited them to behold the greatness of God. God is greater than every burden you bear and every challenge you face. Babylon was but a drop in the bucket to God! The world’s false gods can do nothing to hinder the working of your great God, so trust Him to see you through.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.476.

‘’This superb poem rebukes our small ideas and flagging faith…by its presentation of God…and…of a universe dwarfed by his presence. The goal of the passage is v.31, where human imaginings (18) and doubts (27) give way to the humble expectancy that is urged on us throughout the book.’’ Derek Kidner: The ‘New Bible Commentary’, p.656.

In the remainder of chapter 40 Isaiah speaks about this incomparable God who is coming to rescue His people. He poses a series of rhetorical questions, designed to help God’s people trust in Him and wait patiently for Him. They need to know that He is able to do what He has promised. The description of God in (12-31) is reminiscent of God’s own words about Himself in Job chapters 38-41. ‘’God is bigger, greater, and more awesome than any human can imagine. ‘’Who can understand Him?’’ Isaiah asks. ‘’Who can teach Him?’’ ‘’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.1038. Who of us has come close to doing any of the things God has done? These words humble us, even as they encourage our faith. ‘’Who could ever have told GOD what to do or taught him his business? What expert would he have gone to for advice, what school would he attend to learn justice? What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows, showed him how things work? The Message. ‘’Such a Creator hardly needs our impatient advice or shares our impotence.’’ Derek Kidner: p.656.

‘’Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket, a mere smudge on a window. Watch him sweep up the islands like so much dust off the floor! There aren’t enough trees in Lebanon nor enough animals in those vast forests to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his worship. All the nations add up to simply nothing before him – less than nothing is more like it. A minus.’’ (15-17) The Message. Isaiah saw that no amount of sacrifices could do justice to the greatness of God, even if all the firewood and animals of Lebanon were available. We can never worship Him adequately.

When you recognise how infinitely great God is, it also helps you to see how utterly ridiculous idolatry is (18-20). What lifeless idol, even when covered in gold, can compare with the living God? There seems to be a certain irony; a sarcastic touch of humour in the reference to idols being so helpless, they have to be constructed with wide bases so that they don’t ‘’topple’’ over! (20). It is of the very essence of an idol to be unstable. Our idols may appear to offer stability, but they cannot give it. As someone has pointed out, the idolater’s pathetic efforts are studied at length in Isaiah (see also 44:9-20; 46:1-7), and the wilfulness that causes the spiritual blindness is exposed in Romans 1:18-23.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see you more clearly with every passing day.