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Isaiah 40:26
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Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Left up your eyes on high - The rabbins say, He who is capable of meditating on the revolutions of the heavenly bodies, and does not meditate on them, is not worthy to have his name mentioned among men.
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
After the questions in Isa 40:18 and Isa 40:25, which close syllogistically, a third start is made, to demonstrate the incomparable nature of Jehovah. "Lift up your eyes on high, and see: who hath created these things? It is He who bringeth out their host by number, calleth them all by names, because of the greatness of (His) might, and as being strong in power: there is not one that is missing." Jehovah spoke in Isa 40:25; now the prophet speaks again. We have here the same interchange which occurs in every prophetic book from Deuteronomy downwards, and in which the divine fulness of the prophets is displayed. The answer does not begin with המּוציא, in the sense of "He who brings them out has created them;" but the participle is the predicate to the subject of which the prophet's soul is full: Jehovah, it is He who brings out the army of stars upon the plane of heaven, as a general leads out his army upon the field of battle, and that bemispâr, by number, counting the innumerable stars, those children of light in armour of light, which meet the eye as it looks up by night. The finite verb יקרא denotes that which takes place every night. He calls them all by name (comp. the derivative passage, Psa 147:4): this He does on account of the greatness and fulness of His might ('ōnı̄m, vires, virtus), and as strong in power, i.e., because He is so. This explanation is simpler than Ewald's (293, c), viz., "because of the power (τὸ κρατερὸν) of the Strong One." The call addressed to the stars that are to rise is the call of the Almighty, and therefore not one of all the innumerable host remains behind. אישׁ individualizes; נעדּר (participle), as in Isa 34:16, suggests the idea of a sheep that is missed from the flock through staying behind. The second part of the address closes here, having demonstrated the folly of idolatry from the infinite superiority of God; and from this the third part deduces consolation for Israel in the midst of its despair.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
bringeth out . . . host--image from a general reviewing his army: He is Lord of Sabaoth, the heavenly hosts (Job 38:32). calleth . . . by names--numerous as the stars are. God knows each in all its distinguishing characteristics--a sense which "name" often bears in Scripture; so in Gen 2:19-20, Adam, as God's vicegerent, called the beasts by name, that is, characterized them by their several qualities, which, indeed, He has imparted. by the greatness . . . faileth--rather, "by reason of abundance of (their inner essential) force and firmness of strength, not one of them is driven astray"; referring to the sufficiency of the physical forces with which He has endowed the heavenly bodies, to prevent all disorder in their motions [HORSLEY]. In English Version the sense is, "He has endowed them with their peculiar attributes ('names') by the greatness of His might," and the power of His strength (the better rendering, instead of, "for that He is strong").
John Gill Bible Commentary
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel,.... The Jews, supposed to be in captivity, are here meant, according to Jarchi and Kimchi; whom the prophet reproves, for murmuring at the calamities and afflictions there endured by them; but it may be the church and people of God, in Gospel times, are here intended, being under suffering circumstances, either under Rome Pagan, or Rome Papal; not only inwardly repining, but openly complaining and uttering, as follows: my way is hid from the Lord; meaning not their course of life, or their religious actions, their profession of the Gospel, their attendance on public worship, their prayers and other duties of religion; but their sufferings for his name's sake, the tribulations they endured, the afflicted way they walked in, which they imagined God took no notice of, since no way was opened in Providence for their deliverance out of them: and my judgment is passed over from my God; my cause and case are neglected by him; he does not undertake my cause, nor plead it against my enemies, or right my wrongs, and avenge the injuries done me, or deliver me out of the hands of those that contend with me. The answer to which complaint follows, and which clearly shows there was no just foundation for it.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
40:26 Look up into the heavens: Just as God directed Abraham to look into the sky (Gen 15:5), he also directed Israel to look to the stars for encouragement (see also Isa 51:2-3). The cosmos bears witness to God’s great power and incomparable strength. The Strong One is able to strengthen the weak (40:27-31; see Ps 147:5).
Isaiah 40:26
Here Is Your God!
25“To whom will you liken Me, or who is My equal?” asks the Holy One. 26Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Be Still
By Leonard Ravenhill13K54:27Waiting On GodEXO 3:51KI 22:19PSA 46:7PSA 46:10ISA 40:26MAT 5:3LUK 21:34In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of being still and knowing that God is in control. He encourages the audience to develop a deep and loving relationship with God. The preacher also mentions the need for a new verse to be written, expressing not only a love for Jesus but also a love for God. He shares a personal anecdote about preaching in a church and requesting the congregation to sing the hymn "My Faith Looks Up to Thee." The sermon also touches on the story of Moses and his encounter with God on the mountain, highlighting the transformative power of such experiences. The preacher warns against seeking blessings without giving anything in return and emphasizes the need to fully surrender to God. He mentions the concept of the bride of Christ and suggests that not everyone will be part of this select group. The sermon concludes with a reminder that God is with us, even in the midst of a chaotic world.
(John - Part 3): The Beauteous World as Made by Him
By A.W. Tozer3.8K50:09ExpositionalJOB 3:3ISA 40:26MAT 6:33MRK 12:30LUK 10:27ROM 8:1In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power of God's word in upholding and sustaining the universe. He highlights the beauty and order that God has created in the world. The preacher also criticizes the limited perspective of scientists who only focus on the physical aspects of the world and fail to recognize God's hand in its existence. He concludes by emphasizing the importance of recognizing and praising God as the Lord of all creation.
The Beauteous World as Made by Him, and His Reception Into It
By A.W. Tozer3.0K50:09CreationJOB 3:3ISA 40:26MAT 6:33MRK 12:30LUK 10:27ROM 8:1In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power of God's word in upholding and sustaining the universe. He highlights the beauty and order that God has created in the world. The preacher also criticizes the limited perspective of scientists who only focus on the physical aspects of the world and fail to recognize God's hand in its existence. He concludes by emphasizing the importance of recognizing and praising God as the Lord of all creation.
What Is the Secret of Thy Strength
By Leonard Ravenhill1.8K1:13:06RevivalJDG 16:6ISA 40:26MAT 6:33In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the 400-year gap between the books of Matthew and Malachi in the Bible. During this time, there was a lack of true spiritual connection with God, despite the presence of religious rituals and practices. However, God intervened by sending John the Baptist, a humble and unconventional figure, to prepare the way for Jesus. The speaker highlights the power of the Holy Spirit in breaking the bondage of tradition and fear within the church, urging believers to embrace true discipleship and allow the Spirit to work in their lives. The sermon also references historical figures like Alexander the Great and Napoleon to illustrate the potential impact of the Church when fully awakened to the power of the Spirit.
(Divine Attributes) 06 the Immensity of God
By Denny Kenaston1.6K58:05Character Of GodPSA 139:7ISA 40:26In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of continually seeking a fresh revelation of God in our lives. He references the Apostle Paul, who considered everything else in life as worthless compared to the excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus. The speaker encourages listeners to follow Paul's example and push aside anything that distracts from a deeper understanding of God. He also highlights the omnipresence of God, reminding listeners that His eyes see all that we do. The sermon concludes with a call to magnify the Lord and trust in His all-sufficiency.
Wonders of Creation Redemption - Part 1
By William MacDonald1.2K52:04RedemptionPSA 8:3PSA 104:24PSA 145:10PSA 147:4ISA 40:26ROM 1:20HEB 11:3In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the wonders of God in creation and emphasizes the need to have greater thoughts of God. He mentions the extraordinary coordination of mind, bones, and muscles that enable people to achieve incredible feats. The speaker also highlights the marvel of human sight and encourages gratitude for eyesight. He further discusses the masterpiece of God's creation, the human body, and mentions the intricate DNA structure and the transmission of artistic ability through generations. The sermon concludes by marveling at the body's emotions, the circulatory system, and the constant beating of the heart.
04 Delighting in God's Beauty (Song 1:16)
By Mike Bickle3059:58Delighting in God's BeautySpiritual VitalityPSA 19:1PSA 27:4PSA 37:4PRO 2:4SNG 1:16ISA 33:17ISA 40:26MAT 24:10JHN 17:24COL 1:16Mike Bickle emphasizes the importance of delighting in the beauty of God, urging believers to awaken a deeper revelation of Christ as the glorious God-man. He highlights that many Christians experience spiritual boredom due to a lack of fascination with God's beauty, which is essential for spiritual vitality. Bickle encourages the congregation to actively seek and behold God's beauty in all aspects of life, as this pursuit will empower and motivate them in their faith. He draws from the Song of Solomon and the Psalms to illustrate the connection between beauty and delight, asserting that true fulfillment comes from a deep relationship with God. Ultimately, he calls for a renewed commitment to seek God's beauty as a source of strength and stability in a troubled world.
God's Beauty in Creation: Micro Marvels
By Mike Bickle2234:41God's CreationMarvel of MicrocosmGEN 1:1JOB 12:7PSA 19:1PSA 104:24PSA 139:14ISA 40:26JER 32:17MAT 6:26ROM 1:19COL 1:16Mike Bickle emphasizes the intricate beauty of God's creation, particularly at the micro level, illustrating how every human cell and blade of grass contains a universe of complexity comparable to the vastness of the cosmos. He highlights that God's beauty is not only evident in the grand scale of creation but also in the minute details, encouraging believers to marvel at the divine artistry present in all aspects of life. Bickle asserts that understanding this beauty can draw us closer to God, as it reveals His character and invites us to respond with awe and worship. He references the internal and external witnesses of God through conscience and creation, affirming that all creation declares His glory and invites us to seek Him. Ultimately, Bickle calls for a deeper appreciation of the micro marvels of creation as a means to experience God's love and presence.
Looking Beyond the Created World to the Creator
By A.W. Tozer0WorshipCreationGEN 1:31JOB 12:7PSA 19:1PSA 104:24ECC 3:11ISA 40:26MAT 6:28ROM 1:20COL 1:16REV 4:11A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of recognizing the Creator behind the beauty of the created world, contrasting the worship of nature seen in pagan cultures with the Christian perspective that values nature as a gift from God. He argues that while the unregenerate may idolize nature, enlightened Christians can appreciate and love the beauty of creation as a reflection of God's glory. Tozer encourages believers to enjoy the natural world not for its own sake, but as a means to honor and love God more deeply, aligning with the sentiments expressed in the psalms and the prophets.
Of the Being of God.
By John Gill0The Existence of GodThe Nature of GodGEN 1:1PSA 14:1PSA 73:25ECC 2:17ISA 40:26ACT 17:27ROM 1:20EPH 2:12HEB 11:31PE 5:8John Gill emphasizes the foundational importance of the Being of God in his sermon 'Of the Being of God,' arguing that the existence of God is self-evident and universally acknowledged across cultures and ages. He presents multiple arguments for God's existence, including the innate sense of Deity in humanity, the evidence of creation, and the moral conscience that points to a higher power. Gill asserts that the belief in God is not only a natural instinct but also essential for understanding morality and accountability. He addresses objections to God's existence, reinforcing that even those who claim atheism often reveal a deep-seated awareness of a divine being. Ultimately, Gill's message is a call to recognize and affirm the reality of God as the source of all truth and morality.
Man's Misconceptions of the Works of God.
By Horatius Bonar0Understanding God's VoiceGod's SovereigntyJOB 36:31PSA 19:1PSA 104:14ISA 40:26MAT 6:26MAT 10:29LUK 12:6ACT 14:17ROM 1:20JAS 1:17Horatius Bonar emphasizes that God's governance and judgment over nations are evident through natural phenomena, which serve as His voice and means of communication with humanity. He argues that God's presence is not distant but intimately involved in the world, using everyday occurrences to convey messages of care, warning, and love. Bonar warns against the misconception that separates God from His works, urging believers to recognize the divine meaning in both the beauty and calamity of creation. He highlights that both nature and Scripture harmoniously reveal God's goodness and desire for humanity's joy and repentance. Ultimately, Bonar calls for a deeper understanding of God's continuous interaction with the world and the messages conveyed through His creation.
Keeping Our Eyes on God's Greatness
By David Wilkerson0Trust in God's GreatnessGod's SovereigntyJOB 38:4PSA 19:1PSA 104:24ISA 40:26MAT 6:26ROM 1:20HEB 11:3David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of focusing on God's greatness, using the awe-inspiring experience of astronaut Charlie Duke as a metaphor for recognizing the Creator's power. He reflects on God's dialogue with Job, where God reveals His sovereignty over creation, urging Job to shift his perspective from his suffering to the majesty of God. Wilkerson highlights that by keeping our eyes on God's greatness, we can overcome fear and doubt that often cloud our hearts. Ultimately, the sermon encourages believers to trust in God's omnipotence and care for His creation.
O Lord of Hosts, How Long Wilt Thou
By C.H. Spurgeon0God's LoveTrust in God's PromisesPSA 103:13ISA 40:26JER 29:11ZEP 3:17ROM 8:38C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes God's unwavering love for His church, assuring believers that despite their trials and tribulations, they are not forgotten. He encourages the faithful to remain patient and trust in God's promises, as their time of suffering will soon end and prosperity will come. Spurgeon highlights that God's discipline is not a sign of abandonment but rather a demonstration of His deep care and jealousy for His people. He reassures individuals that God knows each of them intimately and is always present, even in their darkest moments. Ultimately, believers are called to approach God with confidence and find peace in His everlasting love.
The Mystic Universe in My Back Yard
By Samuel Logan Brengle0NatureSpiritualityGEN 1:31JOB 12:7PSA 19:1PSA 104:24PSA 148:1ECC 3:11ISA 40:26MAT 6:26LUK 12:27ROM 1:20Samuel Logan Brengle reflects on the profound beauty and spiritual significance of nature found in his own back yard, contrasting it with the teachings of St. Paul, who did not emphasize the wonders of creation. He shares his journey of discovering the intimate relationship between God and nature, finding solace and healing in the simple yet profound elements of his surroundings. Brengle emphasizes that the universe is not only vast and grand but also intricately present in the small details of life, leading him to worship and gratitude for the beauty around him.
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Left up your eyes on high - The rabbins say, He who is capable of meditating on the revolutions of the heavenly bodies, and does not meditate on them, is not worthy to have his name mentioned among men.
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
After the questions in Isa 40:18 and Isa 40:25, which close syllogistically, a third start is made, to demonstrate the incomparable nature of Jehovah. "Lift up your eyes on high, and see: who hath created these things? It is He who bringeth out their host by number, calleth them all by names, because of the greatness of (His) might, and as being strong in power: there is not one that is missing." Jehovah spoke in Isa 40:25; now the prophet speaks again. We have here the same interchange which occurs in every prophetic book from Deuteronomy downwards, and in which the divine fulness of the prophets is displayed. The answer does not begin with המּוציא, in the sense of "He who brings them out has created them;" but the participle is the predicate to the subject of which the prophet's soul is full: Jehovah, it is He who brings out the army of stars upon the plane of heaven, as a general leads out his army upon the field of battle, and that bemispâr, by number, counting the innumerable stars, those children of light in armour of light, which meet the eye as it looks up by night. The finite verb יקרא denotes that which takes place every night. He calls them all by name (comp. the derivative passage, Psa 147:4): this He does on account of the greatness and fulness of His might ('ōnı̄m, vires, virtus), and as strong in power, i.e., because He is so. This explanation is simpler than Ewald's (293, c), viz., "because of the power (τὸ κρατερὸν) of the Strong One." The call addressed to the stars that are to rise is the call of the Almighty, and therefore not one of all the innumerable host remains behind. אישׁ individualizes; נעדּר (participle), as in Isa 34:16, suggests the idea of a sheep that is missed from the flock through staying behind. The second part of the address closes here, having demonstrated the folly of idolatry from the infinite superiority of God; and from this the third part deduces consolation for Israel in the midst of its despair.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
bringeth out . . . host--image from a general reviewing his army: He is Lord of Sabaoth, the heavenly hosts (Job 38:32). calleth . . . by names--numerous as the stars are. God knows each in all its distinguishing characteristics--a sense which "name" often bears in Scripture; so in Gen 2:19-20, Adam, as God's vicegerent, called the beasts by name, that is, characterized them by their several qualities, which, indeed, He has imparted. by the greatness . . . faileth--rather, "by reason of abundance of (their inner essential) force and firmness of strength, not one of them is driven astray"; referring to the sufficiency of the physical forces with which He has endowed the heavenly bodies, to prevent all disorder in their motions [HORSLEY]. In English Version the sense is, "He has endowed them with their peculiar attributes ('names') by the greatness of His might," and the power of His strength (the better rendering, instead of, "for that He is strong").
John Gill Bible Commentary
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel,.... The Jews, supposed to be in captivity, are here meant, according to Jarchi and Kimchi; whom the prophet reproves, for murmuring at the calamities and afflictions there endured by them; but it may be the church and people of God, in Gospel times, are here intended, being under suffering circumstances, either under Rome Pagan, or Rome Papal; not only inwardly repining, but openly complaining and uttering, as follows: my way is hid from the Lord; meaning not their course of life, or their religious actions, their profession of the Gospel, their attendance on public worship, their prayers and other duties of religion; but their sufferings for his name's sake, the tribulations they endured, the afflicted way they walked in, which they imagined God took no notice of, since no way was opened in Providence for their deliverance out of them: and my judgment is passed over from my God; my cause and case are neglected by him; he does not undertake my cause, nor plead it against my enemies, or right my wrongs, and avenge the injuries done me, or deliver me out of the hands of those that contend with me. The answer to which complaint follows, and which clearly shows there was no just foundation for it.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
40:26 Look up into the heavens: Just as God directed Abraham to look into the sky (Gen 15:5), he also directed Israel to look to the stars for encouragement (see also Isa 51:2-3). The cosmos bears witness to God’s great power and incomparable strength. The Strong One is able to strengthen the weak (40:27-31; see Ps 147:5).