How big is your God?

 Read Isaiah 40.

After all the pronouncements of coming judgments, the book turns to themes of great encouragement.  Terrible days are ahead.  Assyria will return and put enormous pressure on Judah in every way.  Babylonia will rise as the world power, conquer Judah and take them away captive for 70 years.  But there is hope.

God warned the people through Moses in Deuteronomy 28 that if they did not obey Him they would lose the blessing of being on the land He had given to them.  The national punishment for their sin had come.  In His faithfulness the LORD sent His spokespersons, the prophets.  Those messengers were preaching like voices crying out in the wilderness (v.3).  The people lived in a spiritually dry place, not much growth, and only a few listening to what God had to say.

The message of hope is the King is coming!  Prepare for Him now.  As with all the Old Testament prophets, they often blended the two comings of the Messiah and could not see the time distance between them.  Isaiah described His coming in great glory.  But when Jesus came the first time, all the Gospel writers attributed this passage to John, the Baptist.  He was preparing the nation for the Suffering Savior whom Isaiah describes in chapter 53.

Despite the challenges and rough days they will be facing, the focus of this message is on who God is.  The key question in verses 18 and 25: "To whom then will you liken God...?"
1. He is King of Kings (v.10)
When Jesus returns, as depicted in Revelation 19, He will rule the entire world.

2. He is like a Shepherd. (v.11)
Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd who cares, and even lays down His life, for His sheep.

3. He is all knowing. (vv.12-14)
There are five questions that have to do with the origins of knowledge and information.  The God of the Bible is the source of all wisdom and knowledge.

4. He is a living Being. (vv.19-20)
Following Christ is not a religion.  It is a relationship with a real Person.  Every religion is based upon a dead hero and a made up system of good works.  As an alternative, people worship inanimate objects of nature or idols crafted by humans.

5. He is the Creator of all things. (vv.21-26)
God is not an invention of man's ideas.  He not only owns the universe, but He superintends it as well.  Anyone reading this section would have known that the earth is not flat.

6. He is the eternal God. (vv.27-31)
With no beginning and no ending, the LORD is not a cultural whim or a belief of only a particular group. 
His endurance is unending.
His understanding is unsearchable.
His power is unlimited.
And, He freely offers His strength to us by His grace (v.31).

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." (v.8)