Friday, January 4, 2013

Just Who is HE? ~~Isaiah 40:29



 Please forgive the small print, I really struggled with formatting this time around.


They sure keep writing and reading from becoming monotonous and repetitive!

Oh, I forgot, you shouldn’t use a pronoun without using its referent first! Let’s try again. Pronouns are so awesome. They sure keep writing and reading from becoming monotonous and repetitive. There~is that better?
 

I am actually stealing the idea of this entry from my husband’s Wednesday evening Bible lesson~ with my own little Light Thoughts, of course. I’m actually going to go about this like some TV shows, when you start at the end, go back to the beginning, then end at the end.

Let’s look at Isaiah 40:29. The verse starts with the pronoun ‘he’. But that is ok, because the Old Testament wasn’t written in verses, it was written in paragraphs. The preceding verses (section of the paragraph) explain clearly to whom the HE is referring. 

Let’s take a look at this HE who promises to strengthen and uphold.

Look all the way back to verse 9. The people being addressed (the Jews) find themselves in a seemingly hopeless situation. Isaiah sets out to remind them of their past and encourages them to stop and think about how they made it through previous circumstances. He encourages them to  

“BEHOLD YOUR GOD!”

Vs. 10 states, “Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule…He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in His bosom.

After proclaiming this ‘let me get your attention’ message, Isaiah then gives a quick, yet detailed list that clearly demonstrates who God is, what He has done, what He can do, where He stands in the scheme of things, how He ‘got’ to where He is (rhetorically, of course), and to whom He compares. Once that has all been cleared up, Isaiah concludes by saying (verse 29ff)  HE~~this God we have just exalted~HE gives power to the faint…

I would like to briefly list some of these aspects and characteristics to help you ‘see’ that this same God described in Isaiah 40 (and all of scripture, for that matter) is the same God that CAN strengthen and uphold YOU as promised in verses 29-31.

Verse 10              He comes with Power.

Verse 11              Like a good shepherd, He tends, carries, embraces, and leads His flock.

Verse 12              He measures the waters in the ‘hallow’ of His hand. The hallow of your hand is the deep part of your palm when you cup you hand~~before the water rolls onto the rest of your palm!

                            He measure space with the span of His hand (pinky to thumb)!

                            He gathers all the dust of the Earth in a measuring cup He can hold in His hand!

                            He weighs the mountains in His hands like a scale!

Note: Verse 12 makes it clear that HE is apart from Creation-not part of creation. Thus, He must be creator, not part of the created!

In verse 13-14 Isaiah has the people stop and think by asking a series of rhetorical questions.

                                Who counsels Him?
                                Who teaches Him right from wrong?
                                Where did He get his knowledge and understanding?

Verses 15-16 show what this world is like through God’s eyes.

                                The nations are as a drop in a bucket.

                                The nations are equal to dust on a scale.

                                He can pick up the islands and move them like Legos!
                               (Think of Legos all over the house! Such are the islands in the sight of God!)

                                Not even Lebanon has enough wood to adequately offer sacrifices!

Verses 18-20 demonstrate that the best crafted idols do not compare to the great and powerful God.

Verses 21-24 reiterate once more the greatness and power of the Creator God.

                                His throne sits ABOVE the Earth!

                                Humans are like grasshoppers!

                                The grandeur of space is but a tent where humans live! 
                                (Compare a tent to the grand descriptions of Heaven found in Revelation and                  throughout scripture!)

                                The ‘greatness’ of humans do not even take root in the grand scheme of things!

                                One breath from God can destroy man’s ‘greatness’ like a tornado!

If I were giving this speech, I can imagine my hands and arms waving feverishly as these descriptions increased in intensity! But, I think Isaiah winds down a bit and looks squarely into the eyes of the people as he pleads these last few words directly from God:

To Whom then will you liken Me, or shall I be equal?

Then, after a deep breath, and probably a few tears, Isaiah proclaims:

HE gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might, HE increases strength.

At your wit’s end? Completely overwhelmed? Feeling totally hopeless? 

The God described above is ready and waiting to pour out His strength and power.


BEHOLD YOUR GOD!

Debbie

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