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Isaiah
40:18, "To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto
him?"
This morning, there are things beyond our ability to understand or comprehend,
but with many of these mysterious subjects we have some basis for comparison.
For example, I do not understand the intricacies or fine points in certain
fields of study such as mechanical engineering or aerospace studies, but there
are general concepts of these things that I can grasp as they draw from
principles that overlap into my field of study: electrical engineering. Both
fields of study employ the laws of physics, and from those general concepts, I
can form a basis of likeness or comparison. Other examples could be brought
forth such as the comparison of the church to a bride. If someone has never been
a bride (in natural life) but blessed to be a part of the church, there is a
worthy comparison from which one could understand the adulation that is
experienced at such a time. So, the use of unperfect (incomplete) or imperfect
(flawed) comparison does serve the
purpose of enlightening the mind about things difficult to comprehend. But, how
does one compare God? What likeness is there to be found?
One of the reasons that Isaiah 40 is one of my favourite chapters in all the
Scriptures (if not THE favourite) is the elegant, simple, but powerful language
to describe God and His place in relation to His creation. All the physical
descriptions: measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, meted heaven with a
span (verse 12), the nations as a drop of a bucket before Him (verse 13),
sitteth upon the circle of the earth (verse 22), inhabitants like grasshoppers
before Him (verse 22), and so on show forth His most excellent and august place
before all other things. When looking at the language of how small and little
the creation is before Him, what thinking mind could possibly then declare that
chaos rules the universe? While He has not actively dictated every event of
time, no one should wonder whether or not He still rules and is in control. If
He can hold the universe in His hand (based on the language), what is too hard
for Him or outside of
His jurisdiction? Who could extend outside of His control? One may say, "Then
why are things so bad?" The simple answer is, "Man is a sinner, willfully made
that way by his own choice." But the fact remains that the One in control will
mete out and measure justice for the things outside of His pleasure committed by
the hands of men.
Considering the language and tenor of the entire chapter, beginning with grace
and ending with providence and comfort with God's power and might all the way in
between, the prophet almost pauses in the middle of the great scene to ask, "How
would you compare God?" Many today look for objects or concepts to compare Him
with. Most do so with the understanding that, while their comparison is
imperfect and/or unperfect, it is still a worthy comparison. Notice the language
"liken" from our verse. The use of "like" or "as" denotes a simile (similar)
comparison with the understanding that the two things are not fully comparable.
The prophet asks, "How would we even do that: liken God?" How could we? Nothing
in the created universe serves as even a worthy likeness. Surely all would
attest that nothing serves as a complete comparison, but this verse declares
nothing could even be a "like" comparison. Search all the universe over, nothing
will suffice,
for it is as the dust in His measure. What image could we make, for it is all
from the very things spoken into existence by His pleasure. What precious thing
here could suffice? Not one!
While many things in the created universe testify to the Maker, none of them are
comparable to the Maker. In the universe, we see the markers of "three." There
are three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. There are three dimensions:
length, breadth, and height. Many other examples could be employed to show that
the creation testifies to a Triune Creator, but could states of matter or
dimensions even liken an Infinite One? The heavens show forth His handiwork
(Psalm 19), but can the heavens even liken God in and of themselves? The prophet
further declares (a little earlier), "Who hath been his counsellor?" (verse 13)
Who is worthy to give Him advice, legal counsel, or direct Him? The only
suitable and worthy comparison to God is God Himself. While this seems a simple
thing to state, consider that as we have no basis in the created universe to
compare Him, we should have no premonitions of fully being able to describe Him
- like putting
Him in a neat little box. His ways and thoughts are vast, immeasurable, and
beyond our reach.
As God can only be compared by and to Himself, it behooves us to consider the
man Christ Jesus, as He is God manifested in the flesh. Since God is a Spirit
(John 4:24), we cannot describe Him in that sense. How would you describe a
spirit? Our best poets and scribes fail to summon the language and pen worthy of
that description. Our imaginations of apparitions and vapours do not do justice
to the Spirit that is our God, but a body of flesh we understand as it is
comparable to us. While Jesus is not fully comparable to us, we can understand
and know some things about Him, for we are blessed to have His life before us to
draw nigh unto Him.
Consider that the prophets of old desired to look into the things that we now
see and understand. (I Peter 1:10) The Old Testament saints had in a figure what
we have now in reality, for we see the fruition of their prophecies in the
Person of Jesus Christ. We have some basis to understand Him, for He was pleased
to become a man, suffer for us, and be tempted in all points like as we are, yet
without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) Jeremiah wrote that we are blessed who know and
understand God. (Jeremiah 9) While we can say that we know Him (by His work of
grace in our hearts and inward parts), what about understanding Him? How does
one as finite as I understand one as infinite as He? Yet, Jeremiah claims a
blessing for those that do. So, how do we?
By looking at our faithful and merciful High Priest, we begin to glean
understanding of God, for it was manifested before us in ways that we see and
understand. We see the mercy by His show of compassion on those that were
healed. He did not send a prophet or angel to do it, for His own hands healed
and comforted those that were sick. We see His power by the raising of the dead.
Again, no third party did these things, but His very voice raised them. In the
Old Testament (and even after His advent back to glory), we see His power at the
hands of His ministers and prophets, but the source was not seen at that
location on that occasion. When Christ did these things, we see God Himself
doing these things. We see His longsuffering with the disciples who continually
forgot the things He taught them. We see His glory as the only begotten of the
Father full of grace and truth by His fulness of justness and mercy in every
dealing and course.
How do these things relate to us today? Many say, "Well I was not there, and I
did not see." Faith is the only thing that can give us glimpses of understanding
to say that we know AND understand God. What we know we cannot liken, for again,
who can liken anything to God? But, faith assures us, though we die, that God is
real, He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek after Him, He sits upon His
throne, and there is none like unto Him. Today, we see Jesus (by faith) crowned
with glory and honour, seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. While we
still do not understand exactly what the Spirit is, we do understand that right
now, a glorified Man, the God Man, sits in heaven, knowing our petitions and
intercessions, and ever liveth for us. We understand that He it is that the
pages of Scripture testify to, all the prophets pointed unto, the New Testament
reveals, and the church worships.
In Hope,
Bro Philip |