THE DROP OF A BUCKET

The grandeur of God is the theme of this mighty chapter. God has no rival. His majesty is incomparable. The universe is His handiwork. He measured out the seas and the skies. Yet no detail, not even the dust of the earth, escapes His notice. He weighed the mighty mountain ranges. He needed no help nor did He consult any advisor in the work of creation. All knowl­edge and wisdom belong to Him. God requires neither teacher nor counsellor.

The Lord is sovereign in the affairs of men. Administering the world poses no problem for Him. Isaiah rebukes the pride of the nations. They are only like a drop of water, hanging over a bucket, about to splash to the ground. God holds all the water of all the oceans in the hollow of His hand. The nations are just like fine grains of sand lying on a pair of scales, to be wiped off as weighing begins. The Lord lifts the continents ‘like fine dust’ ESV. Landmasses are miniscule in His sight. These similes viv­idly teach that earthly power is minute and momentary from the perspective of heaven. Egypt and Assyria were the major politi­cal players in the world of Isaiah. Babylon was rapidly rising to replace them. God’s people were not to be overawed by any of them. Super powers still glory in their prowess. They boast in natural resources, industrial muscle, technological advance and military might. Their rulers can become intoxicated with their status. Yet their era of dominance is often very brief. In reality, it is the Most High who rules from His eternal throne.

The Lord is self-sufficient. He does not depend on His cre­ation for anything. The greatest offering man can present is unworthy of His awesome dignity. Only the sacrifice of His Son has fully satisfied His heart. God deserves infinitely more wor­ship than we can ever give Him.

By comparison with God, the nations are infinitesimal. Before Him, they are less than nothing, empty of meaning and purpose. Defeat and deportation lay ahead for Judah. Their hope of restoration lay only in the Lord, their powerful Protector and gentle Guide. Isaiah’s message to them and to us is, ‘Behold your God’.