The Incomparable God

25 January 2021

Isaiah 46:3-10

The first generation of Israelites who came out of Egypt, were a privileged generation. They were witnesses to the mighty power of God, even as God worked through the ten plagues to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh. They saw the Red Sea split down the middle, making a safe path for them to cross. They received the ‘manna’ from God to sustain them every day. They received through Moses the commandments of God. We see in Exodus 24:3-7, when Moses read to the Israelites all the commands of God, the people responded “Everything the Lord has said we will do”. Moses then wrote these Laws in a Book and read them again to the people . Once again their response was “We will do everything the Lord has said ;we will obey” And the very first thing that God commanded was “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” Exo 20:2-4  Yet having experienced the power of God , tasted the manna from God , having heard the Word of God, they prevailed upon Aaron to cast an idol, in the image of a calf and Aaron proclaimed ”These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” Exodus 32:4

In Isaiah God asks us “”To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?” Today we may not cast God in the image of a calf or an eagle or a man , but we do cast him into an image we are comfortable with. Thus for some God is like the genie of the Aladdin Lamp, a god who exists to do our bidding. Or for some God is like the smiling Father Santa Claus, sitting in Heaven, always waiting to bestow on us earthly toys for us to enjoy. For some God is a great accountant balancing the records of our good deeds versus our misdeeds.

But in Isaiah God is in effect saying “I am incomparable, incomprehensible , indescribable, infinite in all my attributes” Yet this great and awesome God chose to reveal a glimpse of Himself, through His Son Jesus, who came to this world in a finite human form. He came to deliver us from the kingdom of darkness and from our slavery to Sin. As we read the Gospels we have a glimpse of the Glory of God, as revealed  in Jesus. How do we respond ?  “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”   was the response of Job of whom God testified “he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil”

Let us respond to this God, who cannot be cast into any image, by worshipping Him alone- which means a life lived in surrender, subjection and submission to the Power , Authority and Grace of God.

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever. Rev 5:12-13      Amen