Passage: Isaiah 40:18-24 The Greatness of God.
18 To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
19 An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
21 Do you not know? Do you not hear?
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 like a tent to dwell in;
23 who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
Journal: Isaiah's query [actually four questions] is whether Judah adequately understands the greatness of God. [v. 21 -- "Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?"] In the previous verses, he had extolled Him as creator of all things. Here, he expands the concept to His maintenance of all things. [v. 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 like a tent to dwell in . . ."] God didn't create the world, cross His fingers, and then sit back while it spins "out of control" as He hopes for the best. He is not asleep in His chair wanting to be awakened when the show is over down below. Nor does He view the world as a giant chess board, where He and His creation are making continuous moves to counteract each other.
Rather, God interposes His will upon His creation. [v.23-24 -- ". . . who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble."] Daniel touched upon this attribute of God as well. [Daniel 2:21 -- "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding . . ."] This realization makes idolatry seem even more foolish and silly. This realization brings great security to God's children, as we know that our father is intimately involved in our welfare.
Heard 'Round the House: Alex [age12], Luke [age 12], and their cousin James [age 11] have decided to start a business. It is the usual type, as they will pull weeds, mow, edge, and the like. They want to save enough money to go to Australia [dream big, don't they], and I guess the cash derived from past lemonade stands was lacking. Luke is telling me the details, when he starts cackling. He has realized a fatal flaw in the "fliers" put together by the group. After detailing the type of work this group is willing to undertake, the guys end the advertisement with the definitive statement that the business will be launched beginning June 1, and that the group will not work on Sundays. Luke had realized that June 1 is indeed a Sunday and, for some reason, this quality control contradiction had him in stitches. If nothing else, they should have fun with their entrepreneurial undertaking [but not on Sundays . . .]
