Suggested Bible Reading: Isaiah 40-43
Devotional Thought:
Title: “The Greatness of God and the Weakness of Man.”
Chapter 39 concludes with reference to the coming captivity by Babylon: “Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” (vs. 6-7) Chapter 40 begins with reference to the termination of captivity, and introduces the Deliverer. “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished … O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” (vs. 2, 9) In verses 12-17, Isaiah describes God’s unlimited power. Isaiah here uses the doctrine of God the Creator to assure the people of their security and of the certainty that the divine promises will be fulfilled. The passage contrasts the greatness of the Lord (vs. 12-14) with the weakness and insignificance of man. (vs. 15-17) God’s greatness is emphasized by three questions. The first (vs. 12) stresses His omnipotence. His work is immeasurable. The second and third (vs. 13-14) emphasize His omniscience. His wisdom cannot be comprehended. “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” (vs. 12) The very hand that holds the waters of the earth grasps securely every child of God. God is aware of every particle of dust on earth as well as the mountains and hills. He has meted or “marked out with exact workmanship” the whole earth. He can weigh creation with the same ease that man can weigh commodities. The Creator is infinitely greater than His creation. He stands outside creation. He alone can measure the waters and weigh the mountains, but He is immeasurable! Every child of God will acquiesce with the words of David: “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) This passage also teaches the comparative insignificance of human strength and human resources. “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance…” The nations of the world with all their collective strength (vs. 15, 17), and the immense resources of the world (vs. 16), pale into insignificance before the greatness of God. Verse 16 ties it all into our salvation by showing that no animal sacrifice can possibly be adequate enough to be worthy of such a mighty and majestic God. Not even if, as one commentator put it, “all Lebanon became the fire and all its livestock the burnt offering!” Only one sacrifice was of sufficient worth to God, Jesus Christ the Righteous! Hallelujah! What a Savior! What a great God!
Personal Prayer Requests:
- Lord, please help me remember how big you are so that I will be honest about how small I am.
- Lord, thank you for the assurance that comes from knowing your greatness. It is such a comfort to know that you are so much mightier than any problem or trial in this life.
- Lord, please help me to honor you and never take your greatness for granted. Thank you for loving me enough to condescend to the likes of man so that you could pay for my sin and the sin of the world.