To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

Isaiah 40:18-20

Explanation:
The beginning of chapter 40 marks a transition in the book of Isaiah.

Here are 2 great questions making one great point. No metaphor you can use about God will fully explain who he is. No image you liken him to goes far enough in explaining what He is really like.

Here Isaiah questions the reader, saying, would you compare the God of Israel to an idol? What is an idol like?
• Someone must get a craftsman to make it.
• A poor person looks for a pedestal to sit it on that will last.
• He makes sure to ensure that the craftsman that makes the idol and the pedestal it sits on will not cause it to fall over.
• An idol is a dead, man-made, created thing.

Is that what God is like? Does the God of the universe have to be made by human hands? Does the God of the universe have to be taken care of so that he does not fall over? Is the God of the universe made by inanimate, dead materials?

The obvious answer is “no”. Our God is alive! Our God is an uncreated being. He is the “uncaused first cause”. He is self-existent. His existence does not depend on some outside source. He is alive unlike the idols of Isaiah’s day.

Application:
In the culture I live in our idols are not images on pedestals like the ones described here in Isaiah’s day. But many of the things that people worship are made by hand. People worship gadgets, cars, clothes, houses, tools, and much more. We live in a materialistic culture. This has always been a problem for mankind. Jesus warned of giving your life over to stuff in Luke 12 where he is quoted in this verse:

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15

God is incomparable to any created thing. He alone is worthy of our worship, and incomparably worthy of our allegiance. A living God reveals. A living God communicates. A living God responds. A living God is active.

When you pray to the living God of the universe He hears! He knows! He is personal.

Response:
• Take some time to talk to God today. Praise Him for being the living God of the universe!
Is there some dead, inanimate thing that you are living for more than God?