Understanding Isaiah (Lesson 9: The Incomparable Greatness of God [Chapters 40-42])

Introduction:

In Isaiah chapters thirteen through thirty-nine, we are struck again and again with the greatness of God’s plans – plans that involve every nation of the world, and extend to the furthest reaches of time. When we have begun to realize the greatness of God’s eternal plans and his mighty acts in history, we must be confronted with the question, “If the works of God are so great, how great must God himself be?”. This question marks the shift in emphasis from chapter thirty-nine to chapter forty. We have already seen that every detail of world history has been perfectly planned out by God before the world began. We have seen that man’s wickedness does not frustrate his designs, but that he turns even the most evil intentions of men to work out his own good and righteous purposes. We have seen that human might and wisdom and strength have no ultimate bearing on the outcome of a struggle; as Nebuchadnezzar would later be forced to confess, “[God’s] dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:34-35). But if what God does is so glorious, who he is must be even more glorious yet. As we move into Isaiah 40, we begin to get a glimpse of the incomparable greatness of the God who “works all things according to his will” (Ephesians 1:11).

The Mighty Works of God [Chapters 36-39]

We left off last week with chapter thirty-five, exulting in the final goal towards which all history is moving. If God is purposing to bring the history of this wicked, depraved, miserable world to such a beautiful conclusion, he had better be able to rule actively over the might of this world’s great empires. In Chapters thirty-six through thirty-nine, that is exactly what we see. These chapters are unique in the entire book of Isaiah, in that they are almost entirely historical narratives, not prophecies. But they are placed where they are for a fitting reason. They serve to underscore the fact, necessary in light of the unveiling of God’s wondrous plans, that God does indeed rule in history. No worldly power is sufficient to hinder his purposes. The first two of these chapters relate the history of how the mighty empire of Assyria besieged Jerusalem, so that all hope seemed lost. But Hezekiah trusted in God, and God came down by night and slew 185,000 soldiers, and sent Assyria skulking back home. God is sovereign over the strength of mighty armies. The next chapter relates how Hezekiah was struck with a sickness that God said was to be terminal. Hezekiah prayed for mercy, and God granted him fifteen more years. God is sovereign over sickness and death – the devastating effects of the curse. The last chapter relates how, through the foolishness of Hezekiah, Babylon saw all the great riches of the temple in Jerusalem. God told Hezekiah, through his prophet Isaiah, that Babylon would remember these riches, and would one day come and seize them all, and would lead Judah into captivity. However, this would not take place in Hezekiah’s lifetime. God is sovereign over both the good and evil acts of men, using them both to carry out his purposes of judgment and mercy, according to his will. Hence, in these four chapters, we see in real, historical examples, that God really does practice his sovereignty in history in every way necessary to accomplish his glorious plan of the prophecy of Isaiah 35.

The Incomparable Greatness of God [Chapters 40-41]

It is fitting that perhaps the most glorious description anywhere of the surpassing transcendence and majesty of God begins with a prophecy of the coming Christ and the comforts of grace which he holds forth to all his people. God’s glory is displayed in many ways – creation sings forth his praise every day. But the glory of God who spoke light into the darkness of creation is magnified many times over when he speaks the light of grace into the darkness of the human heart (see 2 Corinthians 4:6). The mighty work of redemption above all testifies to the glory of the grace of God (Ephesians 1:3-14). It is the everlasting display of the riches of his kindness, mercy, and grace (Ephesians 2:7; Romans 9:22-24). Thus, it is fitting that this great work of Christ be mentioned as the foundation of the Great description of God’s glory. Hence, the first eleven verses of the chapter speak specifically of the character and work of the coming Christ, and the comforts that his church might derive from his advent.

The latter half of the chapter exults in the altogether transcendent and self-sufficient God, to whom it is a gracious condescension even to stoop to consort with mere creatures of the earth, possessing no needs in himself for sacrifice or service, worship or fellowship. Because God is utterly self-sufficient, any fellowship we may have with him is the purest gift of grace. We are utterly dependent on him; he is dependent on noone. Our worshipful fellowship with him, enabled by Christ’s mighty accomplishments of grace, is a sovereign gift, a gift that overflows to us in eternal and unspeakable joy, but that adds nothing to God. Why did God, who needs nothing, create us to worship him? I appreciate the comparison made by Jonathan Edwards: “Is it any defect in a fountain that it overflows?”. God’s creation was not out of any insufficiency, but out of a fullness and glory so great that he was pleased by creation and redemption to overflow in the beauty of his majesty for the satisfaction and everlasting joy of all peoples.

In Chapter forty-one, we see the incomparable greatness of God in his sovereign and historical accomplishment of his plan of salvation. He alone raised up Abraham, subdued the nations before him, preserved Jacob, raised some up, put down others, all for his own purposes of preparing history for the coming of Christ, who would accomplish redemption. This active sovereignty of God in the history of redemption is contrasted with those who foolishly trust in idols. Idols come about through the efforts of the very men who then bow down to worship them. How thoroughly different is the case of Abraham! He did not decide to conjure up a “god” who would then save him – on the contrary God sovereignly reached down and plucked him out, and said unilaterally that He would be the God of him and his seed after him. All of us who place our hope and security in the works of our own hands – the wealth or power or relationships we have sought after and attempted to heap up for ourselves – will be utterly undone. But those whom the One True God reaches down and purposes to save will be secure forever.

God’s Mightiest Work of All: His Incomparable Greatness Revealed in Flesh [Chapter 42]

Chapter forty-two gives us the greatest display in all of history of God’s greatness and incomparable glory. The greatest display of God’s majesty came when God took upon himself human flesh and revealed the very nature of the Most High in a form adapted to men’s weak eyes. Christ is the greatest display of the glory of God in all eternity. As we look into this great mystery, we see that this incomparable display of majesty is also the greatest display of meekness and humility. Christ, when he came as the greatest King of history, to rule over the kingdom that would grow until it embraced all the earth in righteousness and peace, was to appear as a humble Servant of the Lord, who would not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick. In Christ meet together infinite greatness and infinite condescension. And in the meeting of the two diverse excellencies, God’s glory shines in the highest degree. It is glorious that God called the worlds into existence by the Word of his power. It is glorious that he calls every fallen creature under the judgment of his righteous wrath. But it is more glorious by far that he determined to give grace to those same fallen rebels without at all minimizing his holy justice, and that he indeed accomplished, through Christ, this mightiest plan of all. On the cross of Christ meet the highest display of God’s justice and the highest display of his free grace. Christ is the highest display of the incomparable greatness of God, and the work of Christ is the mightiest act of the sovereign God of all history.

Conclusion:

“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 has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counsellor? Or who has 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 for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:33-36).

“You are not a god
Created by human hands
You are not a god
Dependant on any mortal man
You are not a god
In need of anything we can give
By Your plan, that’s just the way it is

You are God alone
From before time began
You were on Your throne
You are God alone
And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on Your throne
You are God alone

You’re the only God
Whose power none can contend
You’re the only God
Whose name and praise will never end
You’re the only God
Who’s worthy of everything we can give
You are God
And that’s just the way it is

Unchangeable
Unshakeable
Unstoppable
That’s what You are
Unchangeable
Unshakeable
Unstoppable
That’s what You are

– Written by Billy J. Foote and Cindy Foote. Performed by Phillips, Craig & Dean in their album, “Let the Worshippers Arise”.

Textual Analysis of Isaiah 40-42

The Comforts of Redemption (Isaiah 40:1-11)

  • The message of comfort (vss. 1-2)

  • The messengers of comfort (vss. 3-11)

    • The voice of Christ’s forerunner (vss. 3-5)
    • The word of the Lord (vss. 6-8)
    • The witness of Zion (vss. 9-11)

The Greatness of God over Creation (Isaiah 40:12-32)

  • The greatness of God’s creative acts (vs. 12)

  • The greatness of God’s wisdom (vss. 13-14)

  • The greatness of God over the nations (vss. 15-17)

  • Key Point: God is incomparable! (vs. 18)

  • The greatness of God over idols (vss. 19-20)

  • Key Point Applied: We have no excuse for not recognizing God’s greatness, and looking instead to idols! (vs. 21)

  • God’s greatness over the entire universe (vs. 22)

  • God’s greatness over earth’s rulers (vs. 23-24)

  • Key Point Restated: [We have no excuse for not recognizing God's greatness, and fearing instead earth's rulers] (vs. 25)

  • God’s people exhorted to reflect upon his greatness (vs. 26)

  • Key Point Reapplied: We have no excuse for not recognizing God’s greatness, and assuming he has abandoned his purpose of redemption in us (vss. 27-28)

  • God’s greatness shown in faithful mercy towards those who wait on him (vss. 29-31)

The Greatness of God over Redemptive History (Isaiah 41)

  • God, and noone else, is responsible for world history, as seen by his raising up of Abraham (vs. 1-4)

  • The nations look for comfort in lesser gods which cannot govern history (vss. 5-7)

  • But Israel has found comfort by the gracious election of the one God who does indeed rule over history (vss. 8-10)

  • Therefore, in all of Israel’s contentions with the nations, she shall ultimately triumph (vss. 11-13)

  • Though Israel is a worm, she shall become a sharp threshing instrument to destroy the nations (vss. 14-16)

  • Though Israel is thirsty, God will satisfy her with abundant water (vss. 17-19)

  • The greatness of God’s sovereignty over redemptive history applied: God alone is great, and the idols in whom men trust are not able to carry out their purposes (vss. 20-29)

The Pinnacle of Greatness in Redemptive History: The Coming Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42)

  • The greatness of God’s coming Servant described (vs. 1): he will be

    • The very delight of God
    • Endowed with the very Spirit of God
    • Triumphant in securing redemption even for the Gentiles

  • The greatness of God’s servant seen by his humility and meekneww (vss. 2-3)

  • The greatness of God’s servant seen by his ultimate triumph (vs. 4)

  • The greatness of God is ultimately displayed by his Servant who will be the foundation of the covenant of Redemption (vss. 5-6 – cf. Eph. 3:9-12)

  • When God displays his greatness through redemption, the results will be blessings for sinners – God gets the glory, sinners get the joy of healing and forgiveness! (vs. 7)

  • God will not give his glory to another; therefore, the glorious Servant of the Lord must himself be God (vs. 8 )

  • Conclusion: God alone governs world (that is, redemptive) history (vs. 9)

  • A Song of praise for the God of redemption – seeing the greatness of God leads to worship! (vss. 10-17)

  • Israel rebuked for unbelief: God will cast off unbelieving Israel, and yet his purpose of redemption will not be hindered (vss. 18-25 – cf. Romans 9)

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