Page 3 - The Greatness of Your God - May 2018 - Truth & Tidings

me.” That God is a God of both holiness God.” The people of Israel needed to clear­
and glory should encourage us and cause us ly understand Who was working on their
to look inward, practically measuring our­ behalf (v12 onward).
selves relative to the exhortation: “Be ye Theme Number 1: The Word of Our
Holy for I am Holy” (1Peter 1:16, KJV). God Shall Stand Forever”
Our character – and our actions – should If ever there was a message that is rele­
be marked by holiness.
vant to us today, it is this. Verses 7­9 teach
Background, Basis, and us human nature is temporary and fleeting
Relevancy in the light of His Word. Our loved ones
readily accept a gift of flowers, but inevita­
Chapter 40 has, as its background,
Israel in captivity in Babylon, and is an in­ bly, within a few days, the beauty of the
troduction to a whole succession of proph­ flower is gone. God’s eternal Word is the
ecies and truths. After 70 years of Gentile total opposite. Men cannot be trusted, but
God’s Word is wholly reliable.
domination as a result of their disobedi­
ence regarding the Sabbath, God’s charac­ Atheism is not new, by any stretch of
ter as a Shepherd was displayed in His act of the imagination. Those who propagate it
pardon to His people (v11). now have the entire internet as their plat­
form, so a wider audience is reached more
Whether we are young in the faith or
have believed for many years, we can rest quickly. We may be certain, however, that
assured that, although God, at times, will the authority and reliability of the inspired
chasten us (Heb 12:5­11), for those He Word of God, in contrast to the frailty of
loves, such chastening is always for their human thought, is unassailable: the Word
ultimate benefit. Israel had been disobedi­ of our God shall stand forever. It is no won­
ent, but it was not a permanent captivity, der that the writer says in verses 9­11,
and you and I should never be concerned “Behold your God,” and reveals God as a
that, because of our waywardness, we will Shepherd Who shall gather His lambs in v.
be neglected by God. 1, thereby providing comfort to the sheep.
Verses 12­26 show the basis of God’s Theme Number 2: He Is the Sovereign
actions as He first brought His people into Lord of Creation (vv12-14)
captivity and later brought them out. This Isaiah looks all the way back to Genesis
is a theological presentation and a revela­ 1 and presents this coming God of deliver­
tion of our God’s greatness. The last section ance as the great Creator. He asks a succes­
(vv27­31) has practical application for us, sion of questions to illustrate God’s great­
but it is the middle section that we wish to ness. If a threefold cord is not easily broken
primarily draw attention to, so as to draw (Ecc 4:12), then God’s greatness is seen in
out our worship and wonder at the majesty the three facts. First, there are things only
of our God. God could do (v12). Second, who can
Several essentials, “musts,” and gram­ counsel or teach God (v13), and finally, no
marian’s imperatives found in this chapter one gave God any assistance or counsel
– comfort (v1), speak (v2), cry unto her (vv14).
(Israel), prepare and make straight (v3), cry The greatness of God in creation is
(v8) – lead directly to verse 9, “Behold Your found in the simple truth that, as a work­

The Greatness of Your God I May 2018 3