Commentaries:
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Isaiah 40:12-31
Making and worshipping an idol is foolishness and a lie, because a manmade image can never truthfully represent the Eternal God. For a son of God, worshipping idols is irrational (Acts 17:29); to look to something physical as important or more important than God defies all wisdom. The way the world looks to physical objects is superstition (e.g., good luck charms, religious crosses, shrines).
Martin G. Collins
The Second CommandmentRelated Topics: False Concept of God | False Image of God | Good Luck Charms | Idol | Idolatry | Image and Likeness of God | Manmade Image | Religious Crosses | Second Commandment | Shrines | Superstition | The Second Commandment | Worshipping Idols | Worshipping Things
Isaiah 40:9-18
God commands Zion (a type of the church) to lift up its voice to reveal Him to the people. In His ensuing description of Himself, God proclaims Himself as the almighty, all-wise Creator. He has such incomparable power and wisdom that the combined might and intelligence of all nations are as nothing before Him. In our childish vanity, we think of ourselves as being of some account, but we are so insignificant that, compared to Him, all humanity combined is less than nothing and worthless! Considering this testimony, whose law should take precedence—God's or man's?
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Sixth Commandment (Part 2): War! (1997)Related Topics: Church | Church, Function of | Church, The | Church, Work of the | Israel of God | Zion | Zion as a Type of God's Church
Isaiah 40:18
From the second commandment, it is obvious that God expressly forbids the making of any representation of Him. Any such picture or statue is automatically a lie because, other than knowing that we are in His physical image as to form and shape, everything else that He is cannot be expressed in a mere physical depiction.
John 1:18 confirms this truth: "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." God is unique; nothing compares with Him. There is no point of contact, no physical reference, to which a human being can compare Him, revealing the absolute folly of image-making. Even Jesus' declarations regarding God are never about what He looks like, but are all about His authority, position, purpose, character, and attributes.
However, knowing the importance of His purpose to our lives, should we not strive to learn what He is like? God does not want us concerned about what He looks like, for that puts the emphasis in the wrong area. He gives us enough information for us to know that He looks like a man—and that is enough.
However, He greatly desires that we know what He is. The entire Bible reveals His mind, character, attributes, offices, power, will, promises, plan, and relationship to us. The third commandment deals with these areas of study and application because they deeply affect the quality of our response to Him.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Third CommandmentRelated Topics: False Concept of God | False Image of God | God's Character | God's Mind | God's Word | Idolatry | Image and Likeness of God | Image Making | Image of God | Picture of God | Relationship with God | Second Commandment | The Second Commandment | The Third Commandment | Third Commandment | Way We WorshipOther Forerunner Commentary entries containing Isaiah 40:18:
Amos 3:7
Matthew 24:36
1 Corinthians 13:8
1 Corinthians 13:8
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What Does Isaiah 40:18 Mean?
God is unique, with nothing to compare Him with. There is no point of contact, no physical reference, to which a human being can liken Him, revealing the folly of image-making, which the second commandment expressly forbids. Any picture or statue is automatically a lie, since everything God is cannot be expressed in a physical depiction. John 1:18 confirms that no one has seen God. He does not want concern about what He looks like; knowing generally that He looks like a man is enough, for focusing on His appearance puts the emphasis in the wrong area. Rather, He greatly desires that we know what He is—His mind, character, attributes, offices, power, will, promises, and plan—matters with which the third commandment is concerned.