The Mercy Of God

The Mercy of God Isaiah 40:21-31

1. Isaiah begins the text by claiming the greatness of God.

• It appears someone or some folks doubt the greatness of God

• Have you not known? Have you not heard? Isaiah can’t believe that anyone could doubt the greatness of God when they see the glory of God’s creation.

• Isaiah explains First, He sits above all creation (It is He who sits above the circle of the earth).

• Second, Isaiah said, He created it all (Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain).

• Just looking at creation make one know there is a glorious designer

2. Gods Greatness is not just shown in the creation

• His greatness is over the Princes of the Earth God has power over the men with power like Pharaoh considered to be a God but yet God was greater than Pharaoh

• The text says He make the judges of the Earth useless. The Judges thought of themselves as gods! Through the message of Isaiah, the LORD sets this straight All God needs to do is to blow on them, and they will wither

• He also claims, “And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

“To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,

• scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when God blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble (40:24).

• Note God blows upon them, and they wither. Is this a 60 mile an hour wind

3. Is Isaiah talking about the Wrath of God?

• What does the Bible teach us about the wrath of God The Lord told Joshua 26See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse-- 27the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; 28the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

• The oldest story in the Scriptures tells of Adam and Eve driven out of paradise after their first encounter with the wrath of God.

• Thereafter, the Lord decrees, their days will be cursed by chaos.

• The Lord curses not only Adam and Eve, but the very earth itself, for their disobedience:

• “Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17b-19).

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4. Isaiah is talking about wrath, but he is also talking to us about having confidence in God and his wisdom and power

• We can have confidence in God. The text says, “Why do you say, O Jacob…“My way is hidden from the LORD, (Nothing is hidden from God) and my just claim is passed over by my God”? 27-28

• When we Understand the greatness and glory of God that persuades us that there is nothing in our life hidden from God, and there is nothing neglected by God.

• Our ways, our acts, our pleasures, our love, our ambitions, our thoughts, our doings are all known to God

• Isaiah shares but so are acts of kindness known , our generosity, our efforts for God, Our faith, our faithfulness, our efforts to do good do no harm and staying in love with God

• I have confidence God knows my coming and going The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 27-28

5. Isaiah share the Greatness of God, He shares about the wrath of God, He shares that one can have confidence in God and He shares in this writing the Grace of God vs 29-31

• The text says he gives power to the weak another benefit we can receive from our God – He gives us His great power.

• Even the youths shall faint and be weary: Those who thought themselves strong find themselves weak. God’s strength is reserved for those who know they are weak, and know they have no might. The thought from a commentator I read

• But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength: How do we receive this strength from the LORD? We receive it as we wait on the LORD.I think God brings it to us as we seek Him, and rely on Him, instead of our own strength. If we are weak,