Isa 40:22-26 | KingComments | STEP | In Isaiah asks four questions. This is not about seeing, but about hearing. Hearing is connected with the Word of God ( ), spoken through the mouth of the LORD ( ). It is a contrast with where it is about seeing the idols. Isaiah asks his questions in a so-called ‘chiastic’ order, in which the first and the last belong together as do the middle two. This order is represented as follows: a, b, b, a. In the order is a. know, ---b. heard, ---b. declared, a. understood. This way of presenting is a powerful way of teaching. Because of this, the questions penetrate deep into the conscience and force the person addressed to think carefully about them. Those who do not know (a) from creation and acknowledge that God has laid the foundations of the earth, that He created everything – this is further demonstrated in – will be deprived of the knowledge of His will through preaching (b) and through declaration (b), because his understanding is obscured (a). The wonders of nature should work in us admiration for the Maker. In Isaiah speaks alternately about God’s position, might and authority in the observable universe and the inhabitants of the earth. To Him heaven is like a curtain that He stretches out and like a tent that He spreads out so that one can dwell in it. Those who dwell therein on earth are to Him like “grasshoppers” (cf. ). Also the most powerful among them, the “rulers” and “judges”, are like nothing and become “meaningless”. They have predestined themselves or have been predestined by others to experience glorious growth and rise to great heights. Power, major influence and many governmental powers lie ahead. But a sudden intervention of His mighty hand puts an abrupt end to that coveted future (cf. ; ). As in , where the challenge sounds after showing the insignificance of the nations, in the challenge sounds after showing the finiteness of the inhabitants and the disappearance of the rulers. In Isaiah asks who can be compared to God. The answer is that He can be compared with nothing. In God Himself is speaking as “the Holy One” and asks the same question. He Himself gives the answer and says that He can’t be compared to anyone, “to whom I would be [his] equal?” It is as if He says: It is a testimony of wisdom if you do not dare to make any comparison. It is not about His limitlessness and their nullity, but about His essential and absolute holiness and the self-destruction of His depraved and idolatrous people. For the third time the people are reminded of the incomparable power of God as Creator ( ). Earlier, God as Creator has been pointed out to them in order to impress upon them their own nullity ( ) and to remind them of what they should have learned from creation ( ). Now that reference to the Creator sounds like an order. They must look upward, into the universe. Then they see those countless celestial bodies, which in many religions are worshiped as gods. They are all placed and kept in their orbit by Him. He also knows them all by name and commands them, they are all under His command. The celestial bodies do not exist and do not move exclusively through natural laws set by the Creator. The Son of God is also the maintaining Center, its Carrier and Ruler ( ). It is He Who “upholds all things by the word of His power” ( ). Only an omnipotent God is able to do this.

‏ Isaiah 40:22-26

God’s Majesty

In Isa 40:21 Isaiah asks four questions. This is not about seeing, but about hearing. Hearing is connected with the Word of God (Isa 40:8), spoken through the mouth of the LORD (Isa 40:6). It is a contrast with Isa 40:19-20 where it is about seeing the idols. Isaiah asks his questions in a so-called ‘chiastic’ order, in which the first and the last belong together as do the middle two. This order is represented as follows: a, b, b, a. In Isa 40:21 the order is

a. know,

---b. heard,

---b. declared,

a. understood.

This way of presenting is a powerful way of teaching. Because of this, the questions penetrate deep into the conscience and force the person addressed to think carefully about them.

Those who do not know (a) from creation and acknowledge that God has laid the foundations of the earth, that He created everything – this is further demonstrated in Isa 40:22-26 –

will be deprived of the knowledge of His will through preaching (b) and

through declaration (b),

because his understanding is obscured (a).

The wonders of nature should work in us admiration for the Maker.

In Isa 40:22-24 Isaiah speaks alternately about God’s position, might and authority in the observable universe and the inhabitants of the earth. To Him heaven is like a curtain that He stretches out and like a tent that He spreads out so that one can dwell in it.

Those who dwell therein on earth are to Him like “grasshoppers” (cf. Num 13:33). Also the most powerful among them, the “rulers” and “judges”, are like nothing and become “meaningless”. They have predestined themselves or have been predestined by others to experience glorious growth and rise to great heights. Power, major influence and many governmental powers lie ahead. But a sudden intervention of His mighty hand puts an abrupt end to that coveted future (cf. Isa 11:4; 2Thes 2:8).

As in Isa 40:18, where the challenge sounds after showing the insignificance of the nations, in Isa 40:25 the challenge sounds after showing the finiteness of the inhabitants and the disappearance of the rulers. In Isa 40:18 Isaiah asks who can be compared to God. The answer is that He can be compared with nothing. In Isa 40:25 God Himself is speaking as “the Holy One” and asks the same question.

He Himself gives the answer and says that He can’t be compared to anyone, “to whom I would be [his] equal?” It is as if He says: It is a testimony of wisdom if you do not dare to make any comparison. It is not about His limitlessness and their nullity, but about His essential and absolute holiness and the self-destruction of His depraved and idolatrous people.

For the third time the people are reminded of the incomparable power of God as Creator (Isa 40:26). Earlier, God as Creator has been pointed out to them in order to impress upon them their own nullity (Isa 40:12) and to remind them of what they should have learned from creation (Isa 40:21-22). Now that reference to the Creator sounds like an order. They must look upward, into the universe. Then they see those countless celestial bodies, which in many religions are worshiped as gods. They are all placed and kept in their orbit by Him.

He also knows them all by name and commands them, they are all under His command. The celestial bodies do not exist and do not move exclusively through natural laws set by the Creator. The Son of God is also the maintaining Center, its Carrier and Ruler (Col 1:16-17). It is He Who “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Heb 1:3). Only an omnipotent God is able to do this.