Bible Studies
God’s Glory Is Revealed in His Great Power (Isa. 40:27-31)
Series: Glory of God from IsaiahIntroduction:
1. The nation of Israel stood at the brink of military collapse. The northern kingdom was taken into Assyrian captivity in 722. The southern kingdom would soon be taken into captivity by Babylon. 2. In the ancient world when one kingdom overpowered another victory was attributed to the greater power of the gods of the victorious kingdom. Thus Ahaz “sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him” and became more and more unfaithful to Yahweh (2 Chron. 28:28). 3. They reasoned, “My way is hidden from the Lord and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God.” 4. It is another way of saying, “if my God is powerful why doesn’t He act to deliver me?” But the message of Isaiah is God is mighty in power and empowers His people with unlimited strength.Discussion:
I. Isaiah begins chapter 40 by first identifying the result of God’s great power. God’s great power brings comfort to His people.A. Although His judgment results in the condemnation of her sin His greatness brings comfort through forgiveness (40:1-2).
1. In Isaiah’s initial experience with the glory of God when Isaiah confessed uncleanness the seraph immediately flew to him to cleanse him from his iniquity.
2. God does not abandon men in sin. He is not malicious to withhold forgiveness from those seeking it. He has the power to save and He does it (12:1-6).
3. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount he said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4).
4. “The Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him” (30:18).
B. God acts in His mighty power by coming personally bringing His glory to bear on those who seek Him (40:3-8).
C. His coming is good news (40:9-10).
D. He comes as a shepherd tending His flock, gathering the lambs in His arm, carrying them in His bosom, and gently leading the nursing ewes (40:11).
II. Such comfort is dependent upon the glory of His mighty power. He is sovereign.A. He has the power to deliver us from our enemies.
1. Illustrated beautifully in Isa. 37.
a. Rabshakeh, the commander of the Assyrian forces under Sennacherib, challenged king Hezekiah with a large army. He spoke in Judean so all Jerusalem could understand and condemned them to eat their own dung and drunk their own urine. He said, “Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you into believing that the Lord will save you.” He asked, “Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the king of Assyria?”
b. Hezekiah said, “There is no strength to deliver.” He appealed to Isaiah and prayed to God.
c. That night the angel of the Lord went out and struck the Assyrians. 185,000 were dead in the morning.
d. Hezekiah never fired a shot.
2. God is not concerned to deliver my many or by few.
3. He does not need military machinery: alliances (30:1, 30ff), armies, ships, aircraft.
4. He rules over all the nations (41:1ff). He delivered from captivity by Cyrus (45:1ff)
B. He has the power to bring blessing.
1. To inform one about how to walk (30:18-22).
2. To bring healing and prosperity (30:23ff).
3. The result will be gladness (30:29; 26:1ff).
C. He has the power for personal healing (38:1ff).
1. King Hezekiah had a mortal illness.
2. He prayed to the Lord.
3. God added 15 years to his life.
D. God has power to give life (35:1ff).
1. He takes the desert and makes it into a garden of reeds and rushes.
2. This is one of the most powerful themes of Scripture.
3. Remember Abraham’s recognition that God could raise Isaac from the dead.
4. Remember the widow of Zeraphath’s son (1 Kings 17); remember Lazarus (Jn. 11); remember the sign of Jonah (Lk. 11:29); remember the empty tomb.
E. God has power over the serpent/dragon (27:1).
1. Some concern themselves to identify this with the world powers of Assyria, Babylon and Egypt.
2. It does not matter.
3. The point is that God is the Sovereign power over all forces physical and spiritual. Paul prayed, “that the eyes of your heart might be enlightened, so that you will know the surpassing greatness of His power, in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Eph. 1:18-21).
III. God’s great power is executed for our ultimate deliverance (42:1-8).A. We are His (43:1). We are the people of His covenant (59:21). His words are in our mouth.
B. “My God is my strength” (49:5).
C. 52:1ff.
IV. Applications.A. Do not despair to the pleasures of this life as if that is all there is (1 Pet. 4:1ff).
B. Do not depend on the strength of military allies.
C. Do not depend on false gods.
D. Do not depend on your own weakness. “Power is perfected in weakness. I will boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me, for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 11:9-10).
E. Do not depend on wealth. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God . . . Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is LIFE indeed” (1 Tim. 6:17-19).
F. FAITH is the only appropriate response. “Thus says the Lord, ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,’ declares the Lord. But to this one thing I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isa. 66:1-2). He alone is our Hope, Comfort and Life.
G. If He is for us who can be against us (Rom. 8:31ff). He did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
H. We will be glorified (60:1-3).
I. I will greatly rejoice (61:10). “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness.”
Conclusion:
1. Will you receive the comfort that His great power brings for you? 2. Have you seen His glory?
