Opening illustration: In 2004, scientists pointed the Hubble telescope at a blank-looking patch of sky near the Orion Constellation. The Hubble stayed focused on that spot for 400 orbits over 11 days. The patch of sky they were looking at is no bigger than a grain of sand held out at arm’s length. And in that tiny patch of sky, they discovered over 10,000 galaxies!
Not too long ago, astronomers thought that there were 100 billion galaxies in the universe. Then the number jumped to 200 billion galaxies. Today scientists think that our universe may have as many as 500 billion galaxies. Each of those galaxies has hundreds of millions of stars. And Jesus made them all! (Rick Crandall, Sermon: “Take Life’s Journey with the Lord”)
Introduction: If God made everything, and if He is sovereign over all nations, and if He is incomparable, then all creation is under His power. Verse 21 begins this section with four rhetorical questions to remind the people of this that they already knew. The repetition is meant to be a rebuke, like hammering a point home: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?” They had centuries of time to have these truths sink in, but their weak faith and stubborn hearts had not taken it all to heart.
Now in verses 22-26 he picks up themes he has already introduced—creation, nations, incomparability—but focused on how God controls. According to verse 22 God is the Lord of creation and rules with providence. The heavens are like a canopy with everything in His tent. According to verses 23 and 24 He is sovereign over kings—they are planted (hypocatastasis) by Him and then just as quickly as He lets them grow to full flower and power He blows them away like chaff. But His reign is eternal and constant.
How Great is Our God?
1. The earth is in His hands (vs. 21-22a)
In four rhetorical questions Isaiah takes his readers back to the beginning/the foundations of the earth, i.e., the creation. From that time forward men should have been able to perceive that behind creation is a Creator. Even if they had not been able to perceive this fundamental truth on their own, they should have heard that truth proclaimed by those who did perceive it.
So what is meant when the Bible teaches that God is sovereign? Basically, two things:
(i) God is the King of the Universe. He has both the control of everything and the authority of kingship. In His control, “God has the power to direct the whole course of nature and history as He pleases.” NOTHING happens outside of His reign and control. This includes all things in the past, all things happening now, all things that will happen in the future. And His authority means that he has the right to do with His creation as He pleases. No one has taken it from Him and He has not been disqualified from holding the position. There is no one above Him to whom He is accountable; no one to whom He must explain His actions.
(ii) He does whatever He wants. Anything that God decrees He can accomplish (Isaiah 46:10-11). The other side of that coin is true as well—anything that may happen is, in some way, decreed by God.
God is King over His creation. First of all, He created it (Genesis 1-2). Isaiah covered this truth in proclaiming God’s great power and wisdom (Isaiah 40:12-14). Secondly, God is the One who sustains it (Job 38:12-41; Matthew 6:26-30). He did not get it started and then just sit back and let it go. It is He who continues to uphold it. Thirdly, God exercises His sovereignty over creation by doing with it as He pleases in order to accomplish His plans. This is seen in the ten plagues He brought on Egypt (Exodus 7-13), the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14), the providing of water, manna and quail for the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 16-17), the opening up the ground to swallow up rebels (Numbers 16), in making the sun and moon stand still (Joshua 10), and making a virgin girl have a baby (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2). The “laws of nature” are not binding or a hindrance to God. He has the right and ability to step in and move His creation as He pleases to accomplish His good work (Lamentations 3:27-28; Romans 8:28).
Jesus Christ exercised His command over nature as a proof of His deity. He calmed the raging storm (Mark 5:35-41), cured lepers and paralytics with a word or touch (Mark 1-2; Luke 5), opened blind eyes (John 9), walked on water (Mark 6:45-52), and raised the dead (Matthew 9:18-31; John 11); including Himself (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20). God does with His creation as He pleases to accomplish the plans that He has decreed. And nothing happens that is not a part of His plan.
2. Rulers are in His hands (vs.22b-23)
God did not abandon the world after he created it. He is very much involved in the affairs of this life. Men may appoint (r. ntn) their fellows as rulers by heredity, election, or submission. But in the final analysis it is God who does the appointing.
When we last heard of grasshoppers, it was when the people of Israel sent scouts into the Promised Land to see what kind of opposition they might face if they entered the Promised Land. These Jewish exiles know these stories like the back of their hands. We can be sure that when they heard these words, "and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers," the first thing that would have come to their minds was this story from the book of Numbers––a story of weak faith or no faith at all––a story of grumbling––the kind of grumbling that characterized much of Israel's wandering in the desert. It was not a proud story, but a sad story––a disappointing story––a no-faith story. But when they hear, "its inhabitants are like grasshoppers" now, they are not listening to the voices of unfaithful scouts. This is the voice of faith that assures them that all humankind looks like grasshoppers from God's perspective.
This word, so•pete, is often translated "judges," but refers more broadly to anyone in a position of authority––anyone who makes or enforces the rules that govern society. It can be quite an ego trip to serve in such a position. People in such positions often command vast resources. They make rules that affect thousands or even millions of people. They grow accustomed to sitting in the best seats at public gatherings. Other people look to them for employment or contracts.
Isaiah goes on to declare that God’s sovereignty includes His authority and control over those whom rule the nations of earth. There is no ruler, no judge nor nation who can rise up so high with strength that God cannot bring down to nothing. With a mere breath, God can dry up and blow away the “greatest” of men. He has total rule over them. And it can be seen in the New Testament, as mentioned in the beginning of this study, when Jesus responded to Pilate’s question by saying, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11a).
Friend, no one is going to sneak by God and get into office without God’s knowledge and consent. Our president, governor, senator, congressman, legislator, attorney general, county assessor and administrator have all been chosen by God. This truth is a great source of comfort for the believer when it is combined with the attribute that God is good and wise. Would God place in authority someone who seems to be against everything that seemed to be biblically right and godly? Possibly!! He has done it in the past, and He may do it today and again in the future. Why? Only He fully knows!! And He is not under obligation to discuss His actions with His creation. God is the only complete sovereign in the universe and He places people and systems in positions of authority as He desires for His purposes.
3. Everyone’s destiny is in His hands (v. 24)
This verse carries forward the thought of the previous one by stressing the suddenness with which God can neutralize the world’s greatest leaders. Even before the princes and judges have been established in their positions they can be removed. Isaiah compares these powerful men to a sapling that has not yet implanted its roots firmly in the ground. Not even sown changes the figure to that of seed planted in the ground. Both figures imply that rulers do not ascend to power on their own. A tree must be planted, and seed must be sown. So rulers must be placed in their positions. Removal of powerful men from office requires no major exertion on Yahweh’s part. He merely blows on them and they wither like a plant. They are blown off the scene of history like worthless chaff from a threshing floor.
These exiles would be, among other things, workers in vineyards. They would be familiar with the sirocco winds that blow in from the desert––hot and dry––sucking the moisture from vines and vinedressers alike. A newly planted vine, young and tender, would have no defense at all against such a wind. It would quickly wither and die in the dry heat, and the harsh wind would strip the leaves from its stalk. So it is that Yahweh is capable of breathing hot and dry on a king, and the king will see his power (and very possibly his life) wither and die.
An understanding of this truth about God also leads us to the wise application to lean on the Eternal God and not upon those who “Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble.” Since God alone is sovereign (“dual sovereignty” is an oxymoron), He is the only one to be fully trusted. Only He can make promises and then show Himself faithful in keeping them. Only He can give true peace for He is the only One who can keep it. Only He can give true hope for there is nothing that can cause Him to fail in His plans for His people.
Application: So if we are thinking what is going on in the world … Why are there wars, famine and disasters? Why do good people suffer and the bad folks prosper and enjoy? Why, why and a lot of whys?
God has the world in the palm of His hand. He rules over kings, presidents and judges. He even defines the destiny of every person. As He is sovereign, can the created even question the wise God? It is beyond our comprehension. The best part is that He doesn’t think like you and me! He is God and knows better than us. His hand is never shortened and allows things to happen as He pleases. He is still the ‘Great I AM,’ the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who became flesh through Christ to save us!
