Isaiah 40:12-31.  Miss me?  I have been sick.  I’ve tried to keep up with the studying for this but have gotten behind a little and have been too worn out to do the writing.  Sorry for that.  So this portion continues trying to comfort the people of Jerusalem by asking some questions.  The answer to the questions is Yahweh, God.  Most of the ideas are pretty clear, we know how big islands are and that the oceans contain a lot of water.  Lebanon was and is north of Israel.  The largest mountains in the area are there with well known forests,  and there is also a lot of good farm land in that area.  So the picture is one of plenty of wood and animals and a very high place (people in those days liked to make sacrifices on high places).  So the idea here is that God is bigger than even the biggest sacrifice they could make.  Verse 17 isn’t telling us that he doesn’t care about people, it’s telling us that he is more powerful that all the people put together.  Remember this is a book to encourage the people of Jerusalem facing the power of the Assyrian army.

Verses 18-20 help us understand the verses before them.  If God is that big and powerful how can you really make something that represents him.  Verses 21-26 then continue the idea of God’s power and the fact that nothing is like him.

Verses 27-31 then turn to the attitude of the people of Judah.  They think God doesn’t know what kind of trouble they are in.  They think he is not going to make sure they get a fair deal in life.  The fact that God created the “ends of the earth” tells us that nothing is too far away for him to be watching.  And his understanding is very, very wise so we do not have to worry about what is fair.  The answer is to put our hope and trust in God (v. 31) and we will be taken care of.  Notice that those who have trusted in God have become weary and tired but that God will fix that.  I think we have to remember that living for God does not mean no trouble and no hardship.  The deal is God will fix things for us eventually, after we have waited.  AS we have seen in earlier readings justice will come when Jesus returns and wets up his kingdom on earth.  In the mean time we need to wait and trust in God.  Lord help we trust in you.  Help me wait.  While I am waiting help me live each day for your honor.  And thanks for letting me get back to this writing.