Isaiah 40:18-24

[0] All right, Isaiah chapter 40.

[1] The goal today is to finish the whole chapter.

[2] Now, I don't know if we're going to be able to do that.

[3] I've got some mechanisms in place to try to keep me so that we can get close, but we're going to attempt to try.

[4] Now, on the way here, once again, I made another mistake listening to another sermon on Isaiah 40.

[5] I don't even know, I don't even know where the number is now, probably up to about almost 150 sermons now that I've listened to between Isaiah 40 and Isaiah 55.

[6] And it just, each one becomes more frustrating than the previous one.

[7] So this one really bothered me because the sermon begins and he starts off a very, you know, very pious sounding, you know, sounding all spiritual, sounding like a...

[8] pastor and he and the way he starts the message is you know I didn't know where the Lord would lead me this week but the Holy Spirit wanted me to talk about waiting today right we're going to talk about waiting you know which passage you go to the end of Isaiah 40 about waiting on the Lord of course with the instantaneously he takes this waiting and Isaiah 40 makes it all about us makes it all about us makes it all about us but what bothered me was Within about a five minute, maybe 10 minute, maybe less than 10 minutes, he goes with God leading him, the Holy Spirit wanting him to talk about waiting like it just, the thought just came to him.

[9] Within five to 10 minutes, he acknowledges to the entire congregation that for the last three months, he'd been reading a book on waiting.

[10] that would seem to indicate that's probably where the thought came from, right?

[11] Not God, not the Holy Spirit.

[12] But of course, if you tell everyone God and the Holy Spirit is the one who wants you to talk about waiting, well then guess what?

[13] You can't complain about the sermon because it's from the Lord.

[14] But I mean, it was so ridiculous to hear all this pious talk about God and the Holy Spirit and then tell everyone, like he didn't even catch on.

[15] If you've been reading a book for three months about waiting, what's probably on your mind?

[16] Oh, it was so irritating.

[17] And then I don't even know, I think I'm going to have AI count how many times he uses pronouns like us, we, we, I, versus mentioning Israel.

[18] He does mention Israel, but of course he mentions Israel simply to get to whom?

[19] To us, to make it all about us.

[20] Look, I don't even know at this point anymore.

[21] Sunday, I went through that thing that AI, AI basically has reached the point that AI is just frustrated with it.

[22] Artificial intelligence is like, I can't tell you what to do.

[23] Obviously, Christians don't know how to handle Isaiah 40 through 55.

[24] They just seem incapable because for every sermon I've listened to, I've had AI review.

[25] And AI just is like, And AI is like, it's not that hard.

[26] It's not that hard.

[27] But for some reason, it's that hard.

[28] So what we're going to do is we're going to try to make it through this.

[29] And maybe at some point we will review.

[30] But I think in this point, let's do this.

[31] And our study of Isaiah 40.

[32] And remember, we really started this entire discussion in October of 2024.

[33] Here we are getting close to the end of February 2025.

[34] We're still in Isaiah 40.

[35] I have listened and reviewed sermon after sermon after sermon after sermon.

[36] We know what the problem is.

[37] Every pastor opens up Isaiah 40 and makes it about whom?

[38] Us, all right?

[39] And what does it do with the original recipients?

[40] move them out, disregard them, or at the very least, they do what?

[41] Give them a little bit of mention, just a brief mention, and then make it about us.

[42] I've grown so sick of it and so tired of it that I don't even have words.

[43] Well, I probably have words, words I can't say because of how irritated I've become by it.

[44] But we've been working through it.

[45] So no matter what we've learned in Isaiah 40, what is the one thing we can take away?

[46] Isaiah 40.

[47] are words of comfort to whom?

[48] To those in Babylonian captivity, which would specifically be whom?

[49] Judah, be the southern kingdom, all right?

[50] Those are the words of comfort.

[51] These words of comfort are primarily based on what is the foundation for these words of comfort?

[52] What is the foundation of this?

[53] The words, the captivity and God's covenant with whom?

[54] Israel with Judah, right?

[55] Because God says they're going to go in captivity, but it's already guaranteed that they're going to do what?

[56] They're going to come out, right?

[57] So the promises are based on that.

[58] I cannot stress this enough, and we're going to really double down on this maybe throughout 2025.

[59] Because I know this goes against every church.

[60] I know this goes against every Christian you know.

[61] But I am going to really become more dogmatic about this.

[62] Let me state this again.

[63] When you start...

[64] When you get to Genesis 12, right?

[65] That's where we typically see the beginning of the Abrahamic covenant, right?

[66] Can we agree with that?

[67] Okay, once we get to Genesis 12, everything in your Bible from Genesis 12 to the end of the Old Testament, I'm going to be so dogmatic on this.

[68] Everything in there, we read promises about this and promises about that and someone praying about this or praying for this or this happened.

[69] everything has to be understood in light of what?

[70] The Abrahamic covenant and the covenants made.

[71] The Davidic covenant, the Mosaic covenant, they have to be connected to the covenants.

[72] The people are saying things, praying things, expecting things, and almost in every single case, they are doing so for what reason?

[73] Because God has made specific promises within those covenants to whom?

[74] To the people we're reading about.

[75] Correct?

[76] What do we do as Christians?

[77] We run to those all over the Old Testament and we make those promises about what?

[78] Us.

[79] And the sermon that I was just, when I walked in, the sermon that was on that I was listening to.

[80] The whole thing is, so this year or last year, did you have things that you were waiting on?

[81] Did you have things that hasn't come to pass yet?

[82] Are you still waiting?

[83] Well, basically, then what is the offering for hope?

[84] Go to Isaiah 40, when it says, wait upon the Lord, there's your hope.

[85] But in Isaiah 40, the waiting is based off what?

[86] The promise God had given to whom?

[87] To Judah to get them out of captivity.

[88] When you go to the Psalms and there's all this or this or that, it's in reference to Israel and those promises to them.

[89] It's like you're entering an entire segment of your Bible where the promises and everything are related to those covenants.

[90] Who are those covenants made with?

[91] Not us.

[92] All right, now I know that ruins everything you've ever been taught, but someone needs to ruin it because when you take promises that are not given to people and somehow give them to people, do they get the things that are promised?

[93] No, because there was no promise to those people.

[94] Israel can still claim some of those promises.

[95] We cannot.

[96] Now, if the promise is repeated in the New Testament and specifically given to us, then we have to ask, how then now does it apply to us?

[97] In many cases, the Old Testament promises were very much based on, they were very much connected to what?

[98] Actual material, physical deliverance, material provision.

[99] We can't take those promises for us.

[100] And in many cases, yeah, it hasn't even happened yet if we believe in a future kingdom, which I think if you dump, then you're left with all kinds of confusion about why they didn't get this and why they didn't get that.

[101] And so many Christians will come and then spiritualize that, which just even destroys the text even more.

[102] So I cannot stress that enough, all right?

[103] So with all that said, our job today is Isaiah 40.

[104] We need to get from verse 18 to verse 31.

[105] Now, here's what I'm going to do.

[106] In many, many cases, when I stand behind the pulpit, especially since artificial intelligence has, you know, taken so much...

[107] taken over everything in our world.

[108] I will utilize a lot of artificial intelligence, but it's kind of a, I go to artificial intelligence and we go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, hour after hour after hour.

[109] It gives me something, then I will challenge this or I will change this or I will ask about this.

[110] And then it kind of expands and expands.

[111] And then I have to try to cut it all down and then try to say how to put it together.

[112] Well, in this particular case, because At this point, I think we've already made the point.

[113] We need to just kind of get through Isaiah 40.

[114] My goal today is I'm going to try to restrict myself to simply what AI gave me. I'm going to try, all right?

[115] Now, you know, as soon as I read like one sentence, what will I do?

[116] I probably will expound and leave it.

[117] But I'm going to try to stay focused because we do need to finish Isaiah 40.

[118] I mean, at some point, it's going to be 2027.

[119] We're still going to be in Isaiah 40.

[120] But at some point, I feel like we keep making the same point.

[121] So we're going to try to move forward.

[122] So our goal is our one is to go from 18 to 24.

[123] All right.

[124] 18 to 24.

[125] All right.

[126] So let's read just, I want to go back and read from 1 to 17.

[127] But if I do that, then you know, then I will start.

[128] So we're just going to start in verse 18.

[129] All right.

[130] So if you, if someone tunes into this on the internet, go back and listen to the 500 hours of teaching that we've already done in Isaiah 41 through 17.

[131] All right.

[132] Starting in verse 18.

[133] To whom then will ye, now let's start right there.

[134] Who is the ye?

[135] That's Judah.

[136] It's being spoken to those in Babylonian captivity.

[137] I'm just going to stress that over and over and over, okay?

[138] Remember, it's given, it's made clear numerous times in Isaiah 40 who this is to, correct?

[139] Everybody remember that?

[140] Well, we'll count those when we get to the end, all right?

[141] To whom then will ye liken God?

[142] or likeness will ye compare unto him?

[143] Now, I know I'm already doing what I said I was not going to do, but I'm already expanding on it.

[144] So why is he asking them these questions?

[145] Okay, yes, we spent two hours, what, two weeks ago, looking at all the religious nature of Babylon and everything about its idolatry and everything.

[146] So God is like, hey, guys, Who are you going to compare me to, right?

[147] And the implication is they shouldn't be comparing him to anything, but they could possibly be comparing him to whom?

[148] The Babylonian idols.

[149] Why would they possibly be comparing their God to the Babylonian idols?

[150] Because the Babylonian gods, from their worldview, beat their God because where is the temple for the true God?

[151] In shambles.

[152] It's destroyed, right?

[153] Babylon has won, so they could be comparing.

[154] Does everybody understand that?

[155] The workman melteth a graven image.

[156] The goldsmith spread it over with gold and casteth silver chains.

[157] He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot.

[158] He seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved.

[159] Have you not known?

[160] Have you not heard that hath it not been told you from the beginning?

[161] Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

[162] It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof, or as of grasshoppers, that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in, that bringeth the princes to nothing.

[163] He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

[164] Yea, they shall not be planted.

[165] Yea, they shall not be sown.

[166] Yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth.

[167] And he shall also blow upon them and they shall wither.

[168] And the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

[169] All right, now.

[170] I think we can clearly, there's two, I'll just mention two brief things and then we'll see what AI does with the text.

[171] All right, are you ready?

[172] First, I think we can clearly see this is a direct discussion and response to the idolatry that the people are surrounded by.

[173] Can we all agree with that?

[174] Now, typically, what do Christians run to in that section of scripture?

[175] What do Christians love to run to and have lengthy discussions and debates about?

[176] In that section.

[177] Probably every sermon mentions it at least once, maybe five times.

[178] Whenever they take on this section or teach this section.

[179] What about it?

[180] Does anything in it jump out at you?

[181] Okay.

[182] All right.

[183] Does everyone, how many are using the King James?

[184] Everybody find the word circle?

[185] Verse 22, what does it say?

[186] Okay.

[187] Why does this verse get so much attention in many Christian circles?

[188] See, get it?

[189] No pun intended.

[190] Okay, a lot of people say this proves the earth is round and it gets into a big discussion.

[191] Does the NIV use the word circle?

[192] Okay, all right.

[193] So there's a lot of discussion.

[194] Now, let's just make it very clear.

[195] That's not the point of the passage, right?

[196] That's not the point of the passage, right?

[197] The point of the passage is not to prove anything or that.

[198] Again, I don't need Isaiah 40 and my culture to prove the world is round.

[199] There's literally photographs from space of here.

[200] I don't need that.

[201] Those who are still running around believing the earth is flat are out of their ever -living minds.

[202] They got more problems.

[203] And just quoting Isaiah 40, it probably is not going to fix it if a photograph from space, but then they say the photograph from space is fake.

[204] All right, so just note that.

[205] I don't know how much discussion we'll get into that.

[206] Does it actually prove that?

[207] What does the word circle mean?

[208] What is the word in Hebrew?

[209] How is it being used?

[210] Okay, I don't know.

[211] If AI addresses it, it will.

[212] One of the things I did not do was spend a lot of time with what AI gave me because if I spent time with it, I knew then this would turn into 15 hours.

[213] So we'll just keep that in your mind and we'll do some work, all right?

[214] Does that sound good?

[215] All right, here we go.

[216] AI says that we should call this section the incomparable God versus the worthless idols and rulers.

[217] The incomparable God versus worthless idols and rulers.

[218] Everybody good with that title?

[219] Right?

[220] God is incomparable.

[221] Right?

[222] Because the question, what is the question?

[223] Who are you comparing me to?

[224] That's where I at.

[225] And it's comparing the idols and rulers.

[226] So basically, what does God want those in captivity to know?

[227] The religious system around you cannot compare to me. The rulers who have you in captivity cannot compare to me. Now, the only problem with this is, this is one of the, what's the main lesson we should get here is, they are being given biblical and theological truth that is contradicted by what they see.

[228] Therefore, they're going to have to believe this by faith.

[229] Because by sight, The gods of Babylon seem to be incomparable and to seem to be great and seem to be mighty and seem to be in charge.

[230] And the God of Israel seems to be absent, defeated, weak, and capable.

[231] And sometimes that's one of the difficult things about being a Christian is we believe that by faith.

[232] We talk about it all the time.

[233] We have to believe by faith sometimes when everything around us calls into question what we believe.

[234] And that's a very difficult concept, is it not?

[235] So I think we can see right here that the title makes sense, all right?

[236] Isaiah 40, 18 through 24, is part of a larger section going all the way back to verse 12.

[237] And that goes all the way from 12 to 31, actually.

[238] But we're breaking these sections down into individual parts.

[239] And this entire section from 12 to 31 emphasizes God's absolute supremacy over creation.

[240] Over idols and over rulers.

[241] So from Isaiah 40, 12 through 31, what is emphasized?

[242] God's supremacy over what three things?

[243] Creation, idols, rulers.

[244] Creation, idols, rulers.

[245] This passage exposes the absurdity of idol worship and the fleeting nature of human rulers, contrasting them with the sovereignty of the one true God.

[246] So simply put, this section is going to focus on what?

[247] God is greater than idols.

[248] God is greater than rulers.

[249] Idols and rulers are worthless.

[250] God is greater than both.

[251] Specifically, they need to hear this in their situation.

[252] We've read Isaiah 40, 18 -24.

[253] AI gives me a different translation, but we'll skip that.

[254] So let's focus now on the context and structure of the section.

[255] Context and structure.

[256] The first thing AI wants us to see is the immediate context.

[257] What is the immediate context?

[258] The immediate context would be verses 12 through 17, which we talked about.

[259] Twice, if you notice, right?

[260] We talked about it before.

[261] We talked about verses 12 through 17 before we spent the two hours talking about the idols in Babylon.

[262] Then last Sunday, I spent another hour talking about verses 12 through 17.

[263] So you've had two hours of teaching on verses 12 through 17.

[264] You should be experts on it.

[265] All right?

[266] So, verses 12 through 17 is the immediate context, right?

[267] That preceding section highlighted God's sovereignty over creation, showing him, showing how the nations are insignificant before him.

[268] So, in a roundabout way, verses 12 through 17 is emphasizing what's going to be emphasized where?

[269] In this section.

[270] It's a continuation.

[271] Does that make sense?

[272] All right?

[273] Verses 18 through 24, the passage contrasts God's supremacy with idols and earthly rulers.

[274] Isaiah 40, 25 through 31, which we'll cover next, that section reinforces God's power over all of creation and human strength, calling Israel to trust in him.

[275] All right.

[276] So basically, if we want to make it simple, Isaiah 40, 12 to 31 basically is this.

[277] God is in charge of everything.

[278] God is greater than everything.

[279] Hey, those in captivity, trust in God.

[280] Don't trust in human rulers.

[281] Don't trust in idols.

[282] I mean, it's pretty simple.

[283] It's not difficult, right?

[284] It's not difficult.

[285] The problem is, the reason we even have to spend so much time is because preachers come in and they insert whom into this entire discussion?

[286] Us.

[287] Now, there's times to discuss us, but we'll see how we can do that.

[288] So there's the immediate context.

[289] Everybody, no problem with the immediate context?

[290] Now let's look at the AI gives us the structural breakdown.

[291] Look at verse 18.

[292] What do you have in verse 18?

[293] We have a question.

[294] Very good.

[295] What is the question?

[296] To whom will you liken God?

[297] Who will you compare God to?

[298] This calls for reflection.

[299] Can any idol or ruler truly compare to Yahweh?

[300] And the answer is, nothing can compare to God.

[301] No idol, no ruler.

[302] Again, what is, so it sounds so simple.

[303] Right?

[304] From our perspective, we were like, well, come on, nothing can compare to God.

[305] But why is it such an issue?

[306] It's an issue because of what they see.

[307] Right?

[308] What they experience.

[309] And that is the struggle with theism in general.

[310] That is the struggle with faith in general.

[311] So let's make it simple.

[312] See, this is how you can apply it to us.

[313] All humans struggle with the same thing.

[314] Any belief in the true God is confronted with what reality?

[315] What reality are we confronted with by people who believe in God?

[316] We believe in a God in whom we cannot see, but we are surrounded by circumstances which not only we can see, we can feel we are impacted by.

[317] And sometimes it is confusing why the God whom we cannot see, whom we are taught, what about the God in whom we cannot see?

[318] Just like they're being taught.

[319] All -powerful, all -knowing, right?

[320] Present everywhere at all times.

[321] Well, if we have a God in whom we cannot see, who's omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, And we have circumstances that seem to be literally out of control.

[322] The question is, then why isn't this omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God doing something about what we can see?

[323] Therefore, we can conclude what?

[324] Some people will conclude that there is no God or God is weaker than the...

[325] You can see all the negative things that can be concluded.

[326] This is the problem of theism.

[327] We can proclaim and scream, there's a God, there's a God.

[328] Look at creation, it proves a God.

[329] But proving a God who then doesn't do anything in the very creation which he created seems very problematic.

[330] God is over creation, but what happens?

[331] What happens in this creation?

[332] Plague, famine, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, tsunamis.

[333] nations, everything that happens.

[334] And you're like, it appears from a human perspective what?

[335] God is not there.

[336] And so they're struggling with it just like we would struggle with it.

[337] Now, does God give them a simple answer?

[338] Well, the only thing for Israel, at least they have this, they do have a promise from their God that he is going to intervene.

[339] in their situation.

[340] He is going to intervene in their situation, right?

[341] And he does intervene in what?

[342] A physical, material way.

[343] Now, they have to wait for it.

[344] Keep that in mind because that's the end of this entire section is about waiting, right?

[345] They have to wait for it.

[346] Now, is there a parallel to us?

[347] Well, we live in the midst of a world where we sometimes don't understand where God is.

[348] Are we not promised that God will intervene?

[349] Yes, but when will he intervene?

[350] Well, ultimately in the end, right?

[351] Do we have any guarantee that he's going to intervene in any of our circumstances in our life?

[352] None.

[353] Everyone understands that, right?

[354] You have no guarantee that God's going to intervene to get rid of cancer, to save your child, if your child dies from resurrection.

[355] There is no guarantee of God intervening in any of our circumstances in any way, shape, or form.

[356] We can't go to these promises and apply them to our circumstances.

[357] What we can say, they waited for God to intervene based on what God said he would.

[358] I do know that God will intervene when what happens?

[359] Well, if we go to Revelation, when the sky opens, the horse comes through, someone sitting upon that horse with a sword, death, destruction, kingdom set up in Revelation 20, then a thousand years, the end of a thousand years, then ultimately a new heaven, new earth, no more pain, no more suffering, no more death.

[360] We don't know when that's even going to occur, do we?

[361] Now, if we keep it in that perspective, then guess what that prevents us from doing?

[362] Believing and thinking that God's going to intervene in our specific situation.

[363] It's not.

[364] In fact, every time we, whenever there's a problem, whenever there's pain, there's suffering and death.

[365] I know that nobody likes when I say this, but this is the case.

[366] Whenever there's a problem, there's a tragedy, and someone says, let's pray about it.

[367] We are literally praying to the God.

[368] who knew it was going to happen, did nothing to stop it from happening, and depending on your theology, actually ordained it to happen.

[369] So it's very weird to now pray for God to intervene, and that which he did not stop, that which he allowed, and that which he may have ordained.

[370] That's why we did that whole thing about maybe we don't know how to pray the right way, right?

[371] And so this fits in perfectly, and we can understand this, can we not?

[372] He wants them to realize God is truly in charge, but it's going to require faith to understand that, all right?

[373] What happens in verses 19 through 20?

[374] 18 was the question.

[375] What happens in 19 through 20?

[376] Do we feel this as being maybe somewhat ridiculing, being somewhat sarcastic?

[377] What do you have to feel?

[378] AI believes it is, but you can tell me if you agree or disagree.

[379] Well, definitely goes back, I mean, they've had this problem numerous times, but basically it's kind of ridiculing idolatry because it's describing that what makes it?

[380] Human hands make it, right?

[381] Human hands craft it.

[382] And that these idols are basically what?

[383] They're lifeless and powerless.

[384] Now we know, we talked about the opening of the mouth ceremony.

[385] The Babylonians would have believed they had power, but he's trying to tell them their belief is fraudulent.

[386] There's wrong.

[387] There's nothing there, right?

[388] What happens in verse 21?

[389] Right?

[390] Verse 21 reads, have you not known?

[391] Rhetorical questions.

[392] Have you not known?

[393] Have you not heard?

[394] Hath it not been told from you from the beginning?

[395] Have you not understood?

[396] These are rhetorical questions almost offered in what?

[397] Kind of like a rebuke.

[398] Can we agree with that?

[399] So verse 18 was a question.

[400] Verse 19 and 20 is kind of a ridicule of the idols.

[401] Verse 21 is kind of a rebuke in form of rhetorical questions for forgetting God's supremacy.

[402] He confronts, basically God confronts Israel with rhetorical questions about what they should already know.

[403] Can we agree with that?

[404] I mean, aren't all the questions basically assuming you should already know this, guys, right?

[405] Why should they already know it?

[406] Because this goes all the way back, basically coming out of Egypt, as Robert said.

[407] They've been told this over and over and over and over and over.

[408] What does that seem to indicate from a practical standpoint?

[409] This is very important.

[410] We can learn all the theology.

[411] Theology is the study and knowledge of God, right?

[412] So all these questions are about God, correct?

[413] So theologically, have the people of Israel been instructed?

[414] Yes.

[415] Have they been taught about whom God is and whom God isn't and what he does and what he doesn't do?

[416] And they've been taught the nature of the promises given to them.

[417] Can we all agree with that?

[418] Yes.

[419] So what happens?

[420] Philological truth is great sitting where?

[421] In a pew.

[422] In a church.

[423] In front of the tabernacle.

[424] Wherever, right?

[425] Theological truth is great in church.

[426] When does theological truth become kind of meaningless and worthless to us?

[427] When we get in our car, drive down the road, and maybe someone cuts us off.

[428] gets out of the car, tries to drag us out of the car and starts beating us down.

[429] All of a sudden, theological truth becomes not so, all of a sudden now things become very different, right?

[430] Theological truth is great, but when your temple has been destroyed and you're in Babylonian captivity, you don't, and you know, even if you know the exact date, I'm going to be here for 70 years, so my children are going to grow up and possibly die in captivity.

[431] All of a sudden, theological truth doesn't mean so much.

[432] Theological truth is great until you get a call at midnight that your child's been killed by a drunk driver.

[433] Right?

[434] So we have to realize sometimes theological truth is great theoretically.

[435] It can be very difficult to remember it practically.

[436] God is like, you should have already known this.

[437] In some way, that is absolutely true.

[438] But it just demonstrates that what we know can greatly be impacted by what we experience.

[439] In our lives, typically what wins?

[440] Knowledge or circumstances and experience.

[441] Circumstances and experience typically trumps our knowledge.

[442] Yes?

[443] I mean, it typically does because it impacts our emotions and then our emotions almost always win.

[444] So they get rebuked by these rhetorical questions.

[445] What happens in verses 22 through 24?

[446] What happens in 22 through 24?

[447] It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth.

[448] Who is the he?

[449] God.

[450] Okay.

[451] And the inhabitants thereof are what?

[452] Grasshoppers.

[453] So what he wants to conjure.

[454] Which inhabitants do you think he's necessarily pointing to here?

[455] Israel, Judah, or he's pointing to Babylon?

[456] Maybe everyone, but I think for their specific case, he wants them to understand that all these, no matter the armies, no matter the rulers compared to him, they are...

[457] Insignificant, they're nothing but grasshoppers, right?

[458] That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them a tent to dwell on.

[459] That bringeth...

[460] Verse 23.

[461] Oh, now you're getting specifically to the leaders.

[462] See, the inhabitants, I think, are the inhabitants of Babylon.

[463] The princes are the rulers of Babylon.

[464] To nothing, he maketh rulers or judges of the earth as...

[465] Vanity.

[466] Yea, they shall not be planted.

[467] Who's the they who shall not be planted?

[468] The rulers, right?

[469] They shall not be sown.

[470] Who's that?

[471] The rulers.

[472] Their stock shall not take root.

[473] He shall also blow upon them.

[474] Who's the them?

[475] The rulers.

[476] And they shall wither, and their whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

[477] So in verse 18, he asks a key question.

[478] Who are you going to liken God to?

[479] It calls for them to reflect that there is no idol or ruler that can compare to God.

[480] Verse 19 to 22, he ridicules idolatry, and he describes how they were made by human hands, which are lifeless and powerless.

[481] Verse 21, he rebukes them for forgetting God's supremacy by confronting them with rhetorical questions about what they should already know.

[482] Verses 22 through 24, God's rule over earthly rulers.

[483] He exposes how human rulers are insignificant and temporary in his sight.

[484] Again, what is the struggle for the people?

[485] God is saying human rulers are temporary and they are vain.

[486] What is their experience?

[487] Well, if they've been there almost 70 years, it looks like the Babylonian rulers are pretty what?

[488] Permanent, okay, right?

[489] Agreed?

[490] And same thing can happen in our lives, right?

[491] We see a circumstance and sometimes a circumstance feels what?

[492] Permanent.

[493] What are you always taught about suicide?

[494] What's the cliche?

[495] Everyone tells someone who's gonna kill themselves?

[496] You're seeking a permanent solution for a temporary problem.

[497] I know it sounds so good.

[498] When you're going through it, it's like, would you please just get out of my way?

[499] Because that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

[500] Because you say my problem is temporary.

[501] You don't know how long I've been dealing with this problem, right?

[502] But in reality, from an eternal perspective, everything we face is, from an eternal perspective, is temporary, right?

[503] Everything we faith, because everything on this earth is going to what?

[504] Faith.

[505] But you have to see it from an eternal perspective.

[506] Someone can say, well, your situation is temporary.

[507] You don't know that.

[508] I may be suffering for this for the rest of my earthly life, right?

[509] The only way that works is if you believe in eternity, correct?

[510] Someone has a terminal disease, and you're like, well, you should not seek to end your life.

[511] It's terminal.

[512] I'm going to die with this.

[513] But it's temporary.

[514] Well, it's temporary as far as eternity is concerned, maybe not for life.

[515] So that's very important to understand that perspective.

[516] That's the structural breakdown.

[517] Everybody got verse 18?

[518] 19 through 20, 21, 22 through 24?

[519] Everybody got that?

[520] We actually don't even need much help on that, do we?

[521] But AI always doubles down.

[522] So there's the structural breakdown.

[523] Now it's going to give us an exegetical analysis.

[524] An exegetical analysis.

[525] We can go through these pretty quick.

[526] Because it's going to take that structural breakdown.

[527] Now it's going to break it down exegetically.

[528] So that means it's just going to expand on it.

[529] So Isaiah 40 verse 18.

[530] To whom then will you liken God or what likeness compare with him?

[531] What is the key question?

[532] We already talked about it in the structural breakdown.

[533] What's the key question being asked?

[534] Can God be compared to anything?

[535] And what's the answer?

[536] Nothing.

[537] There's a rhetorical question and it demands an answer of no. No one compares to Yahweh or God.

[538] The word likeness refers to a representation or image.

[539] The same word is used in Genesis 1 .26 for humanity being made in God's image.

[540] The implied rebuke, any attempt to represent God with an idol is inherently flawed.

[541] Because nothing can be compared to God.

[542] You can't make anything in God's likeness because nothing can compare to God.

[543] It will not capture everything God is.

[544] Does that make sense?

[545] So what is the theological implication?

[546] The uniqueness of God.

[547] This passage confronts idolatry directly.

[548] Unlike false gods, Yahweh is beyond human limitations.

[549] The sin of idolatry is not just about statues.

[550] It is about reducing God to something manageable and controllable.

[551] Meaning, we can commit the same sin by reducing God to something in our mind that we can completely comprehend and understand.

[552] I think church, this is my own feeling, I believe pastors have been committing this kind of sin since the beginning of Christianity.

[553] Because we like to reduce God into something what?

[554] That we can understand something that we this, and God will this.

[555] Don't we constantly speak about God in very dogmatic terms?

[556] Yeah, and in some cases, I think we may be reducing God to an image of our own creation.

[557] Remember the famous quote that's often attributed to Voltaire?

[558] God created man in his image, and man has been returning the favor ever since.

[559] Now, that's attributed to Voltaire.

[560] I don't have a source for it, but we get the idea.

[561] All right, everybody got that?

[562] All right, so now we go to Isaiah 40, 19 through 20.

[563] What is this section all about?

[564] And we already looked at it in the structural breakdown.

[565] This is kind of ridiculing or mocking idolatry, right?

[566] So I'm gonna read it the way AI gives this to me. AI writes it out differently.

[567] It says, an idol, exclamation point.

[568] A craftsman cast it.

[569] A goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains.

[570] He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot.

[571] He seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move.

[572] All right?

[573] So AI breaks this section down into two parts.

[574] The absurdity of idol worship.

[575] Idols are made by human hands.

[576] They do not create anything.

[577] The contrast with God is stark.

[578] God creates humanity, but humanity creates idols.

[579] That's the contrast here.

[580] God creates people.

[581] People creates idols, right?

[582] The wealthy use gold and silver.

[583] The poor will use wood, but neither are gods.

[584] They're just silver, gold, or wood.

[585] None of them are actually God.

[586] Secondly, Ai says the inability of idols to move or act.

[587] See that phrase at the end of that verse 20?

[588] Depending on your translation.

[589] Shall not be moved, or they will not move.

[590] The phrase, they will not move, is ironic.

[591] Idols must be nailed down to keep them from falling over, and they don't move anywhere.

[592] The Babylonians and the Canaanites carried their gods in processions, believing they needed human support.

[593] Isaiah mocks this belief, highlighting how their so -called gods need stability, while the true God upholds the universe.

[594] And we talked about that.

[595] They would take these processions through the streets, carrying their idols.

[596] And so now God is basically mocking that.

[597] Your God has to be held up or you have to move it.

[598] I created everything.

[599] So that's the contrast there.

[600] All right, we got that.

[601] All right, now next, verse 21.

[602] This is a rebuke for forgetting the truth.

[603] AI types it out this way.

[604] Do you not know?

[605] Do you not hear?

[606] Has it not been told you from the beginning?

[607] Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

[608] This is a series of rhetorical questions about how many rhetorical questions do you find?

[609] In verse 21, how many rhetorical questions do you find?

[610] AI gives me a number.

[611] Let's see if you find the same.

[612] Four.

[613] AI says that there are four rhetorical questions here.

[614] This is what AI says.

[615] Each question escalates, pressing Israel to remember what they already know.

[616] This is how AI breaks them down.

[617] Number one, do you not know?

[618] They should already know from history and experience.

[619] As Robert said, they should already know this from Egypt, right?

[620] Number two, do you not hear?

[621] They have been taught through the law and prophets.

[622] They have the law and prophets.

[623] Okay, number three, has it not been told from the beginning?

[624] Refers to Israel's tradition.

[625] and revelation.

[626] And number four, have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

[627] Creation itself testifies to God's supremacy.

[628] So, AI breaks it down.

[629] Do you not know?

[630] Have you not heard?

[631] Has it not been told to you from the beginning?

[632] And have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

[633] So, they should know from their history.

[634] They should know from the law and the prophets.

[635] They should know from their own tradition and God's revelation.

[636] And they should know from creation.

[637] In other words, guys, there is no excuse you don't know these things.

[638] All right?

[639] So, the theological implication, there's accountability for knowledge.

[640] Israel has no excuse for idolatry.

[641] They have been given divine revelation, history proving Yahweh's supremacy.

[642] But what's the problem?

[643] Again, AI doesn't mention this, but we will mention this.

[644] The problem is all of those lessons and seeing all of those things, All it takes is one circumstance to completely so impact you that you forget everything.

[645] Remember, isn't that always our problem with Israel?

[646] We're always constantly, they saw God part the Red Sea.

[647] They saw the plagues.

[648] What happens when they get into the wilderness?

[649] Where's God?

[650] Because what is always greater than theological knowledge?

[651] Circumstances.

[652] Experience.

[653] Why do you think circumstances and experiences have a greater impact on us than theological knowledge?

[654] What do you think is the cause of that?

[655] Israel basically was in a walking, living seminary 24 -7.

[656] But why is it that circumstances would always outweigh the theological knowledge which they knew?

[657] I'm going to throw this.

[658] As human beings, do you think we are driven by emotion or driven by intellect?

[659] What drives us?

[660] Emotions, right?

[661] And those emotions flow from what?

[662] Well, from inside of us, right?

[663] And what is there inside of us?

[664] A sinful nature.

[665] So if our emotions drive us, and our emotions flow from a sinful nature, then our sinful nature, using those emotions, will always then forget what?

[666] We're not going to think philologically.

[667] We're going to think humanistically.

[668] We're going to think materialistically.

[669] Because it flows from inside of us.

[670] Everything that comes from inside of us comes from what?

[671] A sinful nature, because we have a sinful nature.

[672] So our life, we're not driven...

[673] intellectually.

[674] We're driven emotionally.

[675] That is, there's no, I don't think there's any debate on that, right?

[676] You can know 500 things, but the right circumstance, getting the right emotion, the right feeling, you will do, that's why I get so mad when Christians are like, I just don't know how anyone can do that.

[677] I don't know how anyone can do that.

[678] I don't know how anyone can do that.

[679] Think about it.

[680] The man, Who knew God helped him kill Goliath.

[681] David, the man who witnessed and saw all the things that God had done.

[682] Where was God when he saw a woman taking a bath on her roof?

[683] The intellect wasn't driving.

[684] Desire, emotion, feeling.

[685] Right?

[686] Wasn't there a prophet who saw God bring fire down from heaven?

[687] And then what did he do immediately after that?

[688] He sat down under a juniper tree and asked for what?

[689] The God to kill him.

[690] Right?

[691] Well, basically giving up on God, giving up on everything.

[692] Over and over, there's times in the Bible like, I don't understand.

[693] Why do they not?

[694] If I can see, don't we always think if I can see what they saw?

[695] No, because all it takes is what?

[696] You see it, then you go and then you experience the next desire.

[697] We are basically, we go from desire.

[698] Feeling and emotion.

[699] That's where our days are controlled by our desire, our feelings, and our emotions.

[700] You can sit in church for 500 hours.

[701] Walk out of this building.

[702] Right?

[703] I could preach to you for five hours.

[704] I'm putting others before yourself.

[705] Do nothing.

[706] Don't let anger, bitterness, frustration show love, show compassion.

[707] And before you get home, you may be fighting with each other in the car.

[708] Why?

[709] Because all that theological truth meant nothing as soon as someone got in the car and said something you didn't like, talked back to you the wrong way, and you get frustrated and you get irritated.

[710] You know it to be true and I know it to be true.

[711] And it is maddening that that's the way it works.

[712] But what does that demonstrate?

[713] Sinful nature trumps theological knowledge.

[714] I know that goes against every sermon you will ever hear.

[715] It is true.

[716] Your sinful nature trumps your theological knowledge.

[717] Everyone's like, I can't stand what you're like.

[718] If those kids would just be taught better, if this person would have just been, oh, stop it.

[719] All the teaching in the world will not fix your sinful nature.

[720] Now, if you believe people are morally neutral, then maybe teaching will work.

[721] But haven't we done that throughout our human history?

[722] What is always the solution?

[723] When you get out of Christianity, Christianity will do the same thing, but the world will always say the problems can be fixed with what?

[724] Education.

[725] Education.

[726] Well, all the education in the world, and look at all the problems in the world.

[727] Has education fixed them?

[728] No. Now, what education will do will make a dumb sinner a smart sinner.

[729] So it just may change the sin which they are.

[730] Right?

[731] Because that's, so I just want you, when all of this, have you not heard?

[732] Have you?

[733] You should know.

[734] They should know.

[735] But why do they not do something?

[736] All right, well, okay.

[737] Now what happens in verse 22 through 24?

[738] Remember, this is the insignificance of human rulers, right?

[739] So AI types it out this way.

[740] I'm trying to hurry.

[741] Because we need to finish this.

[742] It is he who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like the grasshoppers who stretch out the heavens like a curtain, spreads them as a tent to dwell in, who brings princes to nothing, makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

[743] Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth.

[744] When he blows on them, they wither and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

[745] All right.

[746] So.

[747] Here we go.

[748] AI breaks it down basically into two major points.

[749] Verse 22, God rules over creation.

[750] Sits above the circle of the earth.

[751] It's describing God's sovereign rule over all things.

[752] That's the point of that passage, okay?

[753] God sitting above the circle of the earth.

[754] It's just showing what?

[755] It's not a scientific statement.

[756] It's a theological statement.

[757] The theological statement is what?

[758] God sits above all things.

[759] It's not making a scientific statement, okay?

[760] I know people like to get into that, but that's not the point.

[761] Stretches out the heavens like a curtain.

[762] I mean, obviously it's using what kind of language?

[763] It's very poetic.

[764] You see, it's not being scientific.

[765] He stretched out the heavens like a curtain.

[766] He sits above the circle.

[767] It's not trying to make some dogmatic...

[768] a scientific statement, right?

[769] It emphasizes his power in creation, contrasting it with lifeless idols.

[770] Okay, that's verse 22.

[771] How about verse 23 to 24?

[772] This is the fleeting nature of human power.

[773] He brings princes to nothing.

[774] Human rulers rise and fall.

[775] God remains supreme.

[776] And then, I mean, basically, they're gonna be carried away.

[777] Basically, they're not permanent.

[778] Their power is an illusion, all right?

[779] So what are the philological themes here?

[780] God is incomparable.

[781] Idolatry is futile.

[782] And human earthly power is temporary.

[783] If you want three basic themes, those are the themes.

[784] God is incomparable.

[785] Idolatry is futile.

[786] Earthly power is temporary.

[787] Everybody got those three things?

[788] God is what?

[789] Incomparable.

[790] Idolatry is what?

[791] Futile.

[792] Earthly power is temporary.

[793] Let me go through those one more time.

[794] God is incomparable.

[795] Idolatry is futile.

[796] Earthly power is temporary.

[797] Everybody got those?

[798] If you remember that, then you remember this section.

[799] Then AI gives me application.

[800] I'm not going to go through all of that because I've been trying to apply it throughout.

[801] It gives me...

[802] All kinds of discussion questions, okay?

[803] But I'm not going to go through all of that.

[804] And then AI gives me a conclusion.

[805] Isaiah 40, 18 through 24, exposes the foolishness of idolatry, the fleeting nature of human power.

[806] You see a theme we keep repeating?

[807] Calling us to trust in the one true God, the creator, sustainer, and supreme ruler over all things.

[808] That's 18 to 24.

[809] And I allowed AI to control that as much as possible, but you saw that I left AI about 50 times there, but okay, right?

[810] AI broke the text down very well, did it not?

[811] And what did AI kept it focused on whom?

[812] On Israel, because that's whom it is about, right?

[813] We talked about some applications there, but we'll stop right there.

[814] I won't say anything else because the next hour we need to get from where?

[815] 25 to 31.

[816] All right.

[817] Think we can do it?

[818] All right.

[819] Well, you're foolish to think.

[820] Okay.

[821] No, I'm joking.

[822] All right.

[823] All right.

[824] Let's pray.

[825] Lord God, we come before you.

[826] Lord, forgive us for our idolatry.

[827] Forgive us for our being controlled by our emotions, desires.

[828] Forgive us for forgetting the truths that we have been taught.

[829] Lord, we are sinners.

[830] And that's why our only hope is in what Christ has done for us.

[831] And it's in his name we pray.

[832] And God's people said.