Isaiah
Messianic prophecies, and the remnant of Israel
Comfort and good news announced to the people of God
Chapter 40-b
SUBJECT TO REVISION
The comfort of peace and forgiveness of God and his attributes (vs. 10-31)
The first two verses show the severity and the care of the Lord God — severity to those who refuse to acknowledge it, but watch your flock and tenderness to those that were scattered among the Gentiles. These verses portray his coming in power and glory, and the Lord Jesus declared himself the Pastor of the flock and of the Gentiles (the "other sheep that are not of this fold(John 10:16).
Then we have, until the end of the chapter, a classical passage about the greatness of God in contrast with the utter vanity of idols. The Lord measured the sea waters with his fists, he measured the sky to the ground (the distance from the tip of your thumb to the tip of your little finger), collected in the dust of the Earth, weighed the mountains with weights and the hills in scales. This is of course poetry, but expresses the greatness and the caprice of God.
No one ever addressed or taught the spirit of the Lord. All his works of creation and Providence were and are caused by himself, without external help. All Nations are so insignificant as a drop in a bucket, or the small dust of the balance. The forests of Lebanon are not sufficient to fuel nor its animals enough to a Holocaust. All the Nations are as nothing, less than nothing and vanity.
The Lord God, the Holy one, not like anyone, and nobody or even any figure of man can compare to him. The man can only make an idol of metal, cover it with gold and silver chains to forge it. Anyone should know that, since the Foundation of the Earth.
God is seated on the circle (or circuit) of the Earth, whose inhabitants are like grasshoppers, extends the heavens as a curtain and plays out as a tent to dwell in. Annihilates the prìncipes, makes fools of judges, and blows like a strong wind making flying the vegetation. The Holy doesn't compare to anyone.
Raise your eyes to the heavens: who created all that? The one who made out all the stars by their number, calling them all by their names, and no shortage of for being very strong and powerful. If anyone tells you that you don't know of its existence and than you think or do, won't have it known or heard that the Eternal God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the Earth, do not get tired even if fatigue?
Any one of us who is tempted to discouragement because of the pressure of adverse circumstances, should remember the fact that we accept by faith, as well as understand the compassionate God of experience with us, that He, the creator of all things, is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8) and, therefore, has the same power at our disposal, as it manifests itself in His creative acts. He never suffers from overexertion; and since his understanding is infinite, he knows everything about us. Our most difficult experiences, whether internal or external, are not known only to him, but are under Your full control. He chooses the time to their filing and our release.
So far from becoming weak, "he gives strength to the weary and increases the forces that has no effect" (verse 29). What we need is faith to open our hearts to receive the strength, because He is always ready to share her while we're undergoing the ordeal. It is their way to make our trials in blessings. He aims to make us realize our utter inability, so we can assist in your strength instead of despair under distress.
The strongest can never be sure of being free from fatigue, and an obstacle placed in his way can easily make them stumble: "young people be weary and if weary, and young men will fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; will rise with wings as Eagles; They shall run and not be weary; walk, and not faint " (verses 30.31).
"Wait on the Lord" is not simply a matter of patience, or even desire, but it means confidence, and the kind of confidence that characterizes our hope. Having this experience is going from strength to strength, making use of its power resources continuously. Soar with wings is to overcome difficulties, fly above the mists and darkness of the Earth to the Sun of course the presence of God. It would be nice to get through this wonderful experience more often. We will, if Christ is a reality for us.
The Eagle is characterized by three things: speed, flight, power of smell, vision acuity. So our climb is not only a question of overcoming difficulties, but involves an insight gozoso and the will and the way of God to us and the acute vision of himself by faith.
However we are very in the land, and hence the metaphor of running and walking: "walk through the path of thy commandments, when dilatares my heart" (Psalm 119:32). "I will walk free, as I have sought thy precepts" (Psalm 119:45). Running is suggestive of energy effort, but it is also necessary that there is the continual progress in the Christian way in the enjoyment of peaceful communion with God.
R David Jones
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10 Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.
11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him?
14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
19 The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.
20 Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter.
21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.
24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.
25 "To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah chapter 40, verses 10 to 31