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Good morning, everyone! I’m so glad you’re here today. Welcome to our Sunday School class, where we gather not just to learn information, but to behold the greatness of our God through His Word.
Today, we are stepping into one of the most majestic passages in Scripture—Isaiah 40:12-17. These verses lift our eyes far above the noise, fears, and pressures of everyday life and remind us of the God who holds all creation in His hands.
As we walk through these verses, we will see the power, wisdom, and absolute sovereignty of the Lord displayed in ways that stretch our imagination.
Isaiah shows us a God who never needs counsel, who cannot be measured, who cannot be compared, and who is greater than the combined might of all the nations on earth.
This lesson is meant to encourage your heart, steady your faith, and remind you just how secure you are in the hands of the God who rules over everything.
So take a deep breath, let your heart settle, and open your mind to the wonder of who God is. May this time together draw us closer to Him, strengthen our trust in His plans, and inspire us to worship Him more deeply.
Thank you for being here. Let’s begin our journey into the greatness of our God. And may the God of all grace lead the way through this passage and manifest Himself to us through His Word, Amen.
The title of our lesson is: Who Is Like The LORD? which so happens to be the very meaning of my first name, Michael.
BTW, it may sound like I am repeating some things. I do this to aid memorization and to help you pass the test. I will not administer a test. But the Lord might give you a test, a real-life situation. So pay attention. I will change the wording of the things repeated to help maintain your interest.
Isaiah 40:12 is one of the most magnificent and sweeping declarations of God’s majesty found anywhere in Scripture. Positioned at the beginning of Isaiah’s message of comfort to Israel, it serves to recalibrate the hearts of God’s discouraged people by lifting their eyes away from their troubles and fixing them on the immeasurable greatness of their God.
Verse 12 reads:
“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?”
These are rhetorical questions, not meant to solicit answers but to magnify the God who surpasses all human thought. Each phrase paints a poetic yet deeply theological picture of divine sovereignty, precision, and majesty.
It says: “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand…?”
The “waters” refer to all the oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers of the earth. Their combined mass and volume are unimaginable to human beings, yet God holds them in the hollow of His hand—the small inward curve of His palm.
This image communicates effortless control. The chaotic, vast waters that overwhelm humanity are nothing more than a handful to Him. There is no struggle, no exertion—only sovereign ease.
It says: “…and meted out heaven with the span…”
The “span” is the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger. Isaiah depicts God measuring the heavens—the immeasurable expanse of the universe—with a simple hand-span.
What appears infinite and incomprehensible to us is completely known, measured, and governed by God. Every galaxy, star, planet, and distant cosmic reality fits within His understanding as easily as a craftsman measures fabric.
It says: “…and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure…”
Dust represents the smallest, most numerous particles. God knows exactly how many grains of dust exist, where they are, and how they fit into the structure of His creation.
This portrays not only His power but His meticulous attention to detail. He is not merely the God of the grand and glorious—He is also the God of the minuscule and unseen. Nothing escapes His knowledge.
It says: “…and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?”
To humanity, mountains symbolize permanence and immovable strength. Yet to God, they are like objects placed on a set of scales. He determines their size, structure, placement, and stability. Their seeming immovability is the direct result of His creative decision. He formed them with precision, weighing and balancing them according to His perfect design.
As For The Purpose of This Imagery
Isaiah gave this breathtaking vision to a people in exile—discouraged, defeated, and tempted to doubt God’s power. By describing God in this way, Isaiah restores hope:
The God who governs the cosmos with ease is the same God who shepherds His people with care. No enemy nation, no earthly power, and no circumstance can restrain Him.
For Today’s Believer
Isaiah 40:12 lifts our perspective from fear to faith. It reminds us that the God we serve is incomparably powerful, infinitely wise, and intimately involved in His creation. The One who measures oceans and weighs mountains holds our lives securely in His hands.
Isaiah 40:13 continues the prophet’s breathtaking description of God’s incomparable greatness, shifting from His power over creation (v.12) to His infinite wisdom and complete independence from all created beings.
Verse 13 reads:
“Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD,
or being His counsellor hath taught Him?”
These questions are not meant to provoke debate; they are declarations wrapped in inquiry. They highlight a foundational truth: God’s wisdom is self-existent, self-sustained, and absolutely perfect. No creature has ever contributed to it.
It says: “Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD…?”
The Hebrew word for directed carries the sense of guiding, shaping, or instructing. Isaiah is asking: Who has ever influenced or shaped the will, plan, or knowledge of God’s Spirit?
The answer is obvious—no one. God has never required input, advice, or correction from any being in heaven or on earth. His Spirit is not molded. He is the source of all truth, understanding, and counsel.
This is in sharp contrast with human leaders. Kings, generals, judges, and rulers must seek counsel to avoid mistakes. Even the wisest people on earth increase their learning through study, experience, and correction. But God never learns. He has never lacked information. There has never been a moment of uncertainty in the divine mind.
It says: “…or being His counsellor hath taught Him?”
Isaiah intensifies the point: Who has ever taught God? Who has ever sat Him down to explain something, improve His strategy, or offer insight He did not already possess?
Not angels. Not nations. Not prophets. Not scholars. No created mind can enrich the mind of the Creator.
This phrase strips away every form of human pride. We often act as though God must run the universe according to our preferences. We question His timing, His decisions, and even His goodness when life feels confusing.
But Isaiah reminds us: God’s wisdom is not merely higher than ours—it is infinitely beyond ours. He does not need our advice; we need His.
As To Why This Matters to Israel
Isaiah wrote to a people broken by exile, wondering whether God still saw them or understood their suffering. They were tempted to imagine God had overlooked something or misjudged their situation.
So Isaiah lifts their eyes with this question: Do you really believe the God who needs no counselor has somehow made a mistake with your life?
God was not confused. He had not miscalculated. His plans were unfolding with flawless wisdom, even when Israel could not see it. This truth was meant to anchor their faith in the middle of uncertainty.
And The Reason Why This Matters to Us Today
We live in a world full of confusion, complexity, and fear. Future events seem unpredictable. But Isaiah 40:13 calls us to rest in the God who has never needed guidance. He sees what we cannot see and understands what we will never understand.
His wisdom is not borrowed—it is eternal. His plans are not guesses—they are perfect. His counsel is not learned—it is part of His very nature.
When we cannot trace His hand, we can trust His heart—because His wisdom has no instructor, no limits, and no equal.
Isaiah 40:14 continues the prophet’s majestic argument by piling up questions designed to show the absolute impossibility that God ever needed instruction, counsel, or guidance from any created being.
Verse 14 reads:
“With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and showed to Him the way of understanding?”
This is one of Scripture’s clearest declarations of God’s intellectual and moral self-sufficiency. Isaiah is building a case: not only is God infinitely powerful (v.12) and infinitely wise (v.13), but His wisdom is so perfect that He has never been taught anything, never improved, and never needed assistance in forming His judgments.
It says: “With whom took He counsel…?”
Humans seek counsel to avoid error. Leaders surround themselves with advisors, financial experts, generals, and strategists. But whom does God consult? Whose mind could possibly add something to His?
Isaiah's point is unmistakable—God requires no counsel because His wisdom is absolute. There is no situation God has ever faced that caused Him to pause, reflect, or seek advice. All things are known to Him eternally.
It says: “…and who instructed Him…?”
Isaiah deepens the emphasis: Who has ever corrected God? Who has ever improved His understanding or strategies? No one.
God has never needed to revise His plans or rethink His decisions. He is incapable of being mistaken, and therefore incapable of being instructed.
It asks: “…and taught Him in the path of judgment…?”
The “path of judgment” refers to moral decision-making and perfect justice. Isaiah asks: Who taught God what is right? Who educated Him in righteousness? The answer again: no one.
God is the source and standard of all moral truth. Justice is not something He learned—it is something He is. Human beings discover moral truth; God defines it.
It asks: “…and taught Him knowledge…?”
All knowledge—scientific, historical, philosophical, spiritual—flows from God as its ultimate source. The most brilliant human discoveries are merely observations of what God already knows fully and eternally. He has never learned, never researched, never discovered. His knowledge is complete.
It asks: “…and showed to Him the way of understanding?”
This final question summarizes all the others: Who has ever imparted wisdom to God? Who has ever enlightened Him? The obvious answer is that no one can add to the understanding of the One who comprehends all things.
Israel, struggling through exile, needed this reminder. They were tempted to think God had overlooked something, misjudged the situation, or lost control.
Isaiah assures them: the God directing their lives is the God who has never been counseled, never been confused, and never made an error. His plans for them are guided by perfect wisdom.
In Application for Believers Today
Isaiah 40:14 dismantles human pride and invites deep trust. When we cannot understand God’s timing, His decisions, or His purposes, this verse reminds us that His wisdom is flawless.
He does not need our advice—He calls for our faith. When life is perplexing, we rest confidently in a God who has never been taught, never been corrected, and never been wrong.
Isaiah 40:15 dramatically shifts the focus from God’s infinite wisdom (vv.13–14) to the smallness and utter insignificance of the nations when compared with Him.
Verse 15 reads:
“Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.”
This verse is meant to completely dismantle human pride and fear. Humanity often thinks in terms of political power, military strength, economic dominance, and cultural influence.
Nations rise, flex their muscles, and intimidate smaller nations. But Isaiah invites us to see these nations from heaven’s perspective—not from earth’s.
It says: “The nations are as a drop of a bucket…”
In ancient times, people carried water in large buckets. After pouring the water out, a tiny drop might cling to the bottom. That drop contributed nothing to the total. It carried no weight, no value, no significance. It wasn’t even noticed.
Isaiah says that ALL nations—combined—amount to nothing more than that single drop. This includes the superpowers of Isaiah’s day (Babylon, Assyria, Egypt), the future empires (Greece, Rome), and every nation today. The collective political and military strength of the world is, in God’s sight, a drop that doesn’t even matter.
It says: “…and are counted as the small dust of the balance.”
When ancient merchants weighed items on a balance scale, tiny particles of dust would settle on the surface. They were too light to alter the measurement. No merchant bothered brushing them off—they were meaningless.
Isaiah says the nations are not merely like dust—they are like the small dust, meaning the finest particles, utterly weightless and irrelevant to the scale. The nations do not shift God’s purposes. They do not hinder His plans. They do not pressure Him, compete with Him, or surprise Him.
It says: “…behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.”
The “isles” (or “coastlands”) represent distant nations—strong, proud, influential territories. To Israel, the coastlands symbolized unreachable powers. But to God, these massive lands are “a very little thing”—something He easily lifts, moves, controls, and directs as He pleases.
This phrase emphasizes God’s effortless sovereignty. Nations that fear each other never intimidate Him. The political complexities that overwhelm governments do not tax His mind. What is large to humanity is microscopic to the Lord.
Why Isaiah Says This
Israel was surrounded by mighty nations and living under the shadow of Babylon. They needed to be reminded that their God is not intimidated by earthly power. The nations that oppressed them were nothing before Him—less than nothing. Isaiah’s goal is to shift Israel’s focus from fear to faith.
Why This Matters For Us Today
Believers live in a world filled with political tension, rising and falling nations, wars, instability, and uncertainty. Isaiah 40:15 reassures us that God reigns above all of it.
Nations do not determine the future—God does. Governments do not control destiny—God does.
This verse calls us to trust the One who holds the nations like a drop in His hand and governs the world without strain or effort.
Isaiah 40:16 continues the prophet’s majestic description of God’s absolute greatness, now confronting the insufficiency of the greatest possible human offering.
Verse 16 reads:
“And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.”
This verse is not simply about sacrifice; it is about the impossibility of adequately honoring the infinite God with finite resources. Isaiah uses the grandeur of Lebanon—one of the most impressive natural regions of the ancient world—to make his point.
It says: “Lebanon is not sufficient to burn…”
Lebanon was famed for its magnificent cedar forests. These cedars were tall, strong, and straight—so prized that Solomon used them to build the temple. They were symbols of beauty, durability, and abundance. If any region could supply wood for a massive offering to God, it would be Lebanon.
But Isaiah says that even if every cedar tree in Lebanon were cut down and used as fuel for a gigantic altar fire, it still would not be “sufficient.”
God’s worth is so immeasurable that all the forests of the earth could not produce a flame worthy of Him. His greatness surpasses the total capacity of creation.
It says: “…nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.”
Lebanon was also rich in wildlife—animals suitable for sacrifice. Yet Isaiah insists that even if every beast in Lebanon were offered on the altar, the total would still fall short. It would be inadequate, insufficient, unable to equal God’s infinite majesty.
Isaiah is teaching a profound truth: the worth of God is infinite, and therefore no finite sacrifice can equal Him. Humanity could pile every tree and every animal in existence onto the altar, and it would not approach the level of honor God deserves.
This is not a criticism of Israel’s sacrificial system, which God Himself established. Rather, it reveals the limitation of all human offerings.
The point is not that sacrifice is wrong, but that sacrifice alone can never measure up to the magnitude of God’s holiness and glory.
What Isaiah Is Accomplishing Here
- He refutes idolatry. Nations believed abundant sacrifices could manipulate their gods. Isaiah shows that the true God cannot be appeased with quantity. He cannot be impressed by volume. His value is beyond calculation.
- He humbles human pride. People often imagine their effort, work, or religious performance can earn God’s favor. Isaiah shatters this illusion. No amount of human goodness or religious devotion can match God’s infinite worth.
- He points forward to Christ. If all the cedars and all the beasts of Lebanon fall short, then clearly humanity needs a sacrifice of far greater value. This anticipates the gospel truth: only the perfect, infinite worth of Jesus Christ—the spotless Lamb of God—could ever satisfy the demands of God’s holiness.
The Message For Us Today Is
Isaiah 40:16 reminds us that our worship must be humble. We cannot repay God. We cannot impress God. We cannot match His greatness. But the wonder of grace is this: the God who deserves more than creation can offer invites us into His presence—not on the basis of our sacrifices, but on the basis of Christ’s.
This verse invites us to marvel at the God whose worth surpasses the forests, the mountains, the beasts, and the entire universe—and yet He welcomes us to worship Him with hearts made clean by His Son.
Isaiah 40:17 brings Isaiah’s majestic sequence of questions and comparisons to its climactic conclusion. After declaring that God’s wisdom cannot be taught (vv.13–14) and the nations are insignificantly small compared to Him (v.15),
Verse 17 reads:
“All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity.”
This is one of the strongest statements in all of Scripture about the absolute supremacy of God over every human power, kingdom, and empire. It is designed to disarm fear, dismantle pride, and elevate faith.
It says: “All nations before Him are as nothing…”
This does not mean God despises human life. Rather, Isaiah is speaking of nations in comparison to God. Nations appear powerful, impressive, and intimidating to us.
They possess armies, economies, governments, cultures, and influence. But when juxtaposed to the infinite power of God, they vanish into nothingness.
They have no ability to challenge His authority, resist His purposes, or threaten His plans. No nation can rise without His permission or fall without His decree.
Human governments imagine themselves mighty, but before God they do not even register on the scale of significance.
It says: “…and they are counted to Him less than nothing…”
As if “nothing” were not strong enough, Isaiah intensifies the statement: nations are “less than nothing.” They are not only insignificant—they are negative in value when measured against God’s eternal power. All their combined strength, achievements, and authority, added together, amount to less than zero in divine comparison.
This completely destroys any confidence in political power or fear of political powers. No alliance of nations, no global threat, no empire, no ruler can rival the God who sits enthroned above the circle of the earth (v.22).
It says: “…and vanity.”
The word “vanity” means vapor, emptiness, breath—something that appears momentarily and then fades. Isaiah is saying that nations are temporary, fleeting, and transient.
They rise, boast for a moment, and disappear. Their influence is not permanent. Their glory is short-lived. Their threats are temporary. By contrast, God’s kingdom is eternal. His rule never fades. His authority never weakens. His purposes never expire.
Why Isaiah Declares This
Israel was living under the oppressive shadow of Babylon—an empire that seemed unstoppable. To the exiles, Babylon’s power felt suffocating. Isaiah reminds them that what looks overwhelming on earth is nothing but dust from heaven’s perspective. Babylon was not in control—God was.
Nations rise and fall at His command, and not one of them can hinder His promises.
This truth was meant to restore Israel’s confidence:
- God has not abandoned them.
- God has not been overpowered.
- God has not lost control of history.
- God is still King over all nations.
And The Application For Us Believers Today
We live in a world filled with political unrest, wars, rising and falling nations, and global uncertainty. Christians are being slaughtered in some parts of the world and persecuted in others.
Now, in South Korea, the headquarters of Samsung, Kia, and Hyundai brands, pastors are being jailed. The devil is turning up the heat on Christians all around. Why? Because the world is experiencing revival. And in case you one day find yourself in a dungeon of affliction,
Isaiah 40:17 reminds us that we should not place our hope in governments, nor fear them as if they held ultimate power. God alone rules history. Nations are tools in His hand, vapors before His throne, dust on His scales.
This verse calls believers to:
- Stop fearing world events,
- Stop trusting in human rulers,
- and start resting in the eternal sovereignty of God.
Isaiah 40:17 is a towering declaration: the Lord reigns above all nations, and nothing on earth can challenge His power or thwart His will. We have read the end of the Book, and we win. So, who cares what they do to our bodies.
Like Job said, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God.” Hallelujah! Let’s close with prayer.
Heavenly Father,
We come before You in awe, humbled by the greatness revealed in Your Word. As we have studied Isaiah 40:12-17, our hearts are reminded that You alone are the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Sovereign King over all things. You measure the waters in the hollow of Your hand, stretch out the heavens with perfect precision, and weigh the mountains as effortlessly as dust.
No one has ever instructed You, corrected You, or added to Your wisdom. Your understanding is infinite, perfect, and eternal. Lord, we confess that we often forget how mighty You are. We allow the pressures of life, the fears of nations, and the uncertainties of the world to overshadow the glory of the God who rules above all.
But Your Word reminds us that the nations are like a drop in a bucket—nothing compared to Your power. Even the greatest resources on earth, like the forests and beasts that once filled Lebanon, are not sufficient to match Your worth. Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to us—not as a distant ruler, but as a God who cares deeply for Your people. Strengthen our faith.
Help us to trust Your perfect wisdom when life is confusing, to rest in Your sovereignty when the world feels unstable, and to worship You with a humble heart, knowing that You deserve all honor and praise. May the truths of these verses anchor our souls, lift our eyes, and deepen our devotion to You. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.
You are blessed in Jesus' name!
More grace,
Michael Wilkerson 11-30-2025