Isaiah 40:18-25

¹⁸ And to whom would you liken God? And what likeness would you compare him to? ¹⁹ A craftsman fashions an idol, and a refiner overlays it with gold, or smelts chains of silver. ²⁰ The one who is too poor for such a gift chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks a skilful artisan for himself to set up an image that will not be knocked over. ²¹ Did you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told to you from the first? Have you not understood from when the land was founded? ²² He is the one who sits above the sphere of the land, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; He is the one who stretches out skies like a veil and spreads them out like a tent to live under, ²³ the one who gives princes over to nothing; he makes land rulers like nothing. ²⁴ In fact, hardly are they planted; in fact, hardly are they sown; in fact, hardly has their shoot taken root in the land when he blows on them and they wither, and a storm carries them away like stubble. ²⁵ “And to whom you will compare me, and am I equal?” says the holy one.

like no one

First, Isaiah said that compared to God, all the mighty nations are like nothing. Now, he stops to ask if there is anyone else who does come up to God’s level. He describes in detail the ridiculous practice of fashioning gods from wood and stone, overlaying them with precious metals, and making them look like the inhabitants of the land. God literally stands above all those “gods” because he created all that is, and he sits above the globe, looking down on all of them in sovereignty.

Then Isaiah looks on the equally ridiculous practice of idolising the princes and rulers of the land. This form of idolatry is still as prevalent as it was in Isaiah’s day. But Isaiah explains why these leaders among men are no equal to God. He had previously admitted that all flesh is but grass that temporarily flourishes, but is soon dried up and blown away. Now he uses similar language to describe the fate of these political and philosophical leaders. They are not like God, because they are mortal, and he is not. Lots of people agreed with Friedrich Nietzsche when he proclaimed that God was dead, but then Nietzsche died, and God lives on. Isaiah is explaining that no one compares to God, so no one can take his place. When we let anyone try, we are just building more stupid idols.

LORD, we surrender to the reality of your existence, and the reality that we cannot produce your equal. You are like no one else. You alone deserve our praise and obedience.