LOOK UP, SEE & TRUST
Introduction:
When
last time did you gaze at the starry skies? It seems like that is what many
people have been doing this past week. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope
captured some spectacular images of the edge of a nearby young star-forming
region in the Carina Nebula.
This image reveals previously invisible areas of star
birth. How old are these images? The very faintest, smallest blips of light
in this photo are images of galaxies as they existed more than 13 billion years
ago, near the very beginning of time (that light has been traveling through
space ever since). We can't even imagine the age of these galaxies.
Joe Biden, who unveiled the image at a White House
event, called the moment "historic" and said it provided "a new
window into the history of our universe" "It's hard even to fathom,"
said the U.S. president. "It's astounding. It's a historic moment for
science and technology, for America and all humanity."[1] These stars have been in
existence since their creation.
Why now are we getting a glimpse of them? The New York
Times carried an article titled, Emboldening and Humbling: Gasping at the
Wonders of the Universe." Here is one response to the editor: "The James Webb
Space Telescope's out-of-this-world photos propelled me to the first words in
Genesis, "In the beginning …" — and as close to God as I have ever
felt. Let this be a beginning of light." My response is, "Yes,
Lord, let the true light dawn on people."
We thank God for the technology and the scientific
development of our times. Science might explain how the universe exists but cannot
explain why and who created and manages our incredible universe and the planet
earth we live and enjoy? Are these stars pointing us to their creator? Why don't
people look up and be amazed at the one who created this beautiful universe? What
lessons do the stars in the sky teach us? Isaiah 40:12-31 perhaps
answers our curiosity.
Isaiah is one of the most valuable books of the O.T.
The longest prophetic book contains some profound truths about our Lord Jesus
Christ. It
talks about the birth (9) and the ministry of Christ in chapter 53. This
amazing chapter alone is quoted from or alluded to some 85 times in the New
Testament. Jesus said Isaiah saw His glory and spoke of Him (Jn. 12:41).
It was written in 740 B.C from Jerusalem. Isaiah 40
begins a major section that looks beyond Judah's return from Babylonian exile
in the sixth century B.C. It starts with the words, "Comfort, comfort my
people says your God." God offers comfort and security to His people.
Be mindful that it contains images, poetry, and
metaphors such as grass, a flower, mountains, sheep, a shepherd, water, a bucket,
scales, sand, etc. The prophet uses small things to explain the greatness of
God and natural things to show us the supernatural power of God.
I approach Isaiah 40 more like a motion picture that
contains several scenes. In the first scene, we see the Lord has no equal
(12-17). In the second scene, we see the incomparable God (18-25); in the final
and climactic scene, we will look up and see the incredible God (26-31).
Scene#1
The Lord has no equal (12-17)
The entire stage for this motion
picture was in the land of Babylon, where God's people were in exile.
This forced exile in a foreign land stripped them of their human and civil rights.
Amid harsh and troubling circumstances, the Israelites longed to return to
their homeland.
After showing the exiles the brevity of life, the
author points them to the sovereign Lord who would come with power to deliver
them from the bondage of their enemies, but also as a gentle shepherd who
carries the young and hurting lamb, feeds, and takes care of the flock.
The seven questions in verses 12-14 could be clubbed
into three categories: Who created the universe, who counseled him, and Who in
creation can be equal to Him? In the seven-day Genesis creation narrative,
everything was made when God said, "Let there Be."
God can do any and everything at will. Unlike the
pagan stories of origins, which speak of the gods taking counsel with one
another, Jehovah God did not consult anyone in creation, except when it came to
making mankind. Can any earthly king, president, or prime minister stand
against God? No one, not even the Devil, can stand up to God. God has no equal.
Nehemiah 9:6, "You alone are the Lord. You made
the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas
and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship
you." How does God view the great nations of the earth?
We Americans think we are the most powerful and
greatest nation on the earth, but in God's view, we are worth nothing. Along
with other countries, we are like a drop in a bucket or regarded as dust on the
scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand.
Scene
#2 The incomparable God: (18-25)
In
a worship song, "What
a Beautiful Name," Brooke
Fraser powerfully sang of God's unmatched character: "You have no rival, You
have no equal. Now and forever, God You reign, Yours is the kingdom, Yours is
the glory, Yours is the name above all names." To whom could we compare
our God? Or what form could we give our incomparable God?
Isaiah challenges the exiles with
these words, Vs. 18-19, "To whom can you compare God? What image can you
find to resemble him? Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid
with gold, and decorated with silver chains? The Israelites angered God by
replacing their trust in Him with manufactured idols and worshipping pagan gods.
What is replacing your trust in God? Is it your
wealth, knowledge, strength, or beauty? Or is it the government you trust more?
Anything that replaces God and craves your attention can be an idol. We must
only worship our God. Exodus 34:14, "You must worship no other gods, for
the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his
relationship with you."
Scene
# 3 Look Up & See the Incredible God. (Vs. 26-31)
Here is an invitation to see our incredible God's
beautiful universe. Vs. 26, "Look up into the heavens. Who created all the
stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is
missing." In NASB, it reads, "Lift up your eyes on high and
See."
In Hebrew, the word nasa is "to
lift up or to look up." The word see means learning, understanding, being
fully aware, enjoying, and having a position of trust. Remember in the
beginning; I raised a question saying that science cannot answer who created the
universe?
In Genesis
1:1-16, we read that God separated the light from the darkness on the first
day. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." On
the fourth day, He created lights and put them there to mark the seasons, days,
and years. He made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the
smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars.
Next time you go out at night, try to count how many stars are in the sky. "Hubble reveals an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the universe or so. Still, this number is likely to increase to about 200 billion as telescope technology in space improves."[2] There are approximately 200 billion trillion stars in the universe. The number is so big, and it's hard to imagine."[3]
God created all of them and brings them out like an
army sergeant, calling each by its name. Look Up & See the incredible God
who created and manages the universe without our help. That amazing God
graciously allows us a glimpse of His vast universe through the James Webb
Space Telescope. What should be our response to this amazing revelation? We
don't boast about our intelligence and success but are humbled before God in
worship.
What happens when we look up and see this incredible
God. Vs. 29-31, "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But
those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on
wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not
faint."
Are you overwhelmed with life? Are you weary of
running the Christian race? Are you afraid of inflation, COVID, or other
plagues? My previous pastor Stubbs who passed away 14 years ago in India,
preached once, saying, "Look Up, Trust and Smile." There is truth in
it.
Whenever I am troubled with anything, "I will
lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes
from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2 Here is God's
promise to those who Look up and See Him.
Isaiah 43:1-5, "But now, O Jacob, listen to the
Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you, says, "Do not be
afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When
you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of
difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you
will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Do not be afraid,
for I am with you." Amen!
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jul/11/nasa-james-webb-telescope-ancient-galaxy-images
[2] https://www.space.com/25303-how-many-galaxies-are-in-the-universe.html
[3] https://theconversation.com/how-many-stars-are-there-in-space-165370#:~:text=There%20are%20approximately%20200%20billion%20trillion%20stars%20in%20the%20universe.
