And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” --Isaiah 25:9 (NKJV)
How do you take the measure of a man? I don't mean physical measurements such as height, weight, or BMI. Nor do I mean his capabilities--how much he can lift, how fast he can run, or how far, fast, or accurately he can throw a ball or a spear. I don't even mean his mental acuity, such as how he can memorize or calculate or convince by means of logic.
Who a person is has nothing to do with any of the above. How do you measure a man's character, his very soul?
To some, the true measure of a man is seen at his highest point of achievement. Plato said, "The measure of a man is what he does with power." J. K. Rowling said, "If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." Samuel Johnson said, "The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."
What about those who are not rich or powerful? How do they measure up? Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Peter Nivio Zarlenga said, "The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune." Joseph Biden, Sr. gave this advice to his son Joe Biden, Jr., who would later become President of the United States: "Champ, the measure of a man is not how often he is knocked down, but how quickly he gets up.
By contrast, how can man take the measure of God? According to Bible commentator David Guzik:
A great philosopher named Alexander Pope once wrote, “Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; the proper study of mankind is man.” In one sermon, Spurgeon replied to that famous statement: “It has been said by someone that ‘the proper study of mankind is man.’ I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God’s elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.”
In the 40th chapter of Isaiah, we read that "All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:6b-8) In comparison to God, man is no greater than a blade of grass, and all of mankind is no greater than a field of hay. We have no control over our lives, how much water we receive, or whether we are burned up or harvested and put to some use by One greater than ourselves. How can we mere mortals describe an infinite God? The answer is that we describe God imperfectly, using words and ideas that men can understand, no matter how inadequate they might be.
He is the Strong Shepherd
The prophet Isaiah invites us to "behold your God," in chapter 40, starting in verse 9. The first description of God is that He is omnipotent, all powerful, yet gentle as a shepherd.
Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. (40:10-11)
While it is true that God has the power to destroy us all, His divine love enables Him to gently pick us up and hold us close to his heart, as a man would pick up a lost lamb and carry him home. In comparing us to sheep, Isaiah knew that sheep must be shepherded. They must be led to good pasture, then moved on to new pasture when they have stripped the field bare. Charles Spurgeon said, "No creature has less power to take care of itself than the sheep; even the tiny ant with its foresight can provide for the evil day, but this poor creature must be tended by man or else perish.”
Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-15). This chapter in Isaiah is Messianic in nature, pointing us to the Messiah. In his Study Guide for Isaiah, commentator David Guzik points out that almost every Scripture that mentions shepherds can be seen as Messianic.
God loves to identify Himself with a shepherd. Many of the greatest men of the Bible were shepherds, and their character as shepherds points to Jesus Christ.
- Abel is a picture of Jesus, the sacrificed shepherd.
- Jacob is a picture of Jesus, the working shepherd.
- Joseph is a picture of Jesus, the persecuted and exalted shepherd.
- Moses is a picture of Jesus, the calling-out-from-Egypt shepherd.
- David is a picture of Jesus, the shepherd king.
He is the Master of All Matter
Taking a broader view, Isaiah next describes the awesomeness of God. "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? (Isaiah 40: 12)"
This is another example of what we call anthropomorphism — speaking of God in human terms so we can partially understand who He is and what He does. God is not a being with the body of a giant, so large that all the waters of the earth could be cupped in His hand, or so large that the universe could be measured by the span of His hand. The Bible tells us that God the Father is spirit, so He does not have a body as we know it (John 4:24). But we understand exactly what the LORD tells us through the prophet Isaiah — God is so great, so dominant over all creation that we should stand in awe of His power and glory. (David Guzik Study Guide for Isaiah 40)
God's knowledge is far and away greater than man's. Luke 12:7 says God knows the number of hairs on your head, a number once thought incalculable. Nowadays you can Google an estimate: humans have between 90,000 and 150,000 hairs on our heads, although the number varies by individual. But think about this: God knows the number of hairs on every individual head--all 8 billion of us alive today (plus all of those who have died before us, and all of those yet to be born.) Isaiah puts it another way: God knows the number of individual dust particles on the earth. If you try to Google that number, it comes up as a weight: the average home, it is said, contains up to 40 lbs of dust at any given time. But how many particles of dust per pound? God knows. Friend, God knows the weight of all of Earth's mountains, and can compare them with the weight of all the hills. How awesome is that?
He is Wiser than the Wisest
Isaiah moves on to describe God's wisdom. "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?" (Isaiah 40:13-14)
The Apostle Paul expands this idea in Romans 11:33-36:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?" Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Did you notice Paul's citing of the passage in Isaiah 40? The question was not answered in Isaiah's day; it remained unanswered in Paul's time; and it remains unanswered today. Can you know the mind of God? If you think you can, then your God is too small.
The Greatness of God is beyond compare
For the sake of time we will not expound on the comparisons here, but if you want to study it on your own, you will see that:
- God is greater than the nations (40:15-17) "The nations are as a drop in a bucket."
- God is greater than all idols (40:18-20) "Be sure to choose a tree that will not rot...to prepare a carved image that will not totter."
- God is greater than all creation (40:21-26) "He sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers."
He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40: 29-31)
Man is at his physical peak in his youth and early adulthood, but even then he grows weary and cannot stand for long. We are weak, whether we are like sheep or like the grass that the sheep graze upon. Look to the Shepherd, who never grows weary. Look to the Savior, who never sleeps. Look to God, whose greatness is unfathomable.