ISAIAH; THE FIRST LETTER OF THE NEW TESTAMENT?

"To whom will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?" Isaiah 40:18.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable." Isaiah 40:28

I love the book of Isaiah. I always have. But it’s like I am seeing it with new eyes.

I had no idea how much God describes Himself in this book. I don’t know if I ever really paid attention. The two verses I picked out to post here are just a very small sampling of what God has to say about Himself. Amazing!

To whom will we liken God? Is there another?

What likeness can be created to capture the essence of God? Can a cross do it? Can a dove portray His soul? How about a fish? Can a fish reveal God’s likeness?

None of these things can show God to us. They are symbols we sometimes use to display a message about who we are, but they cannot contain the glory of God. Nothing can.

We have this book we call the bible. We call it God’s word. I see here in Isaiah, and in many other places, that God has shown us something of Himself. In Christ, He showed us Himself. But in all this earth, there is nothing that can compare to God, no words describe Him fully, no power wearies Him, and no cleverness deceives Him.

What an amazing, awe inspiring, breathgiving God we have!

Isaiah is far more than a book of prophecy. It is a book of poetry, literally in motion. It is a book written through a prophet, but spoken to us, most of time, directly. I am not an Israelite, yet I find myself claiming to be a Jew, when I read this book. My heart harkens to His call, when I hear Him say “Pay attention to Me, O My people, and give ear to Me, O My nation”. (Isaiah 51:4a) How can this be?

God spoke through Isaiah, and told us about Himself. How many times have I read “I am God, and there is no other, I am God and there is no one like Me.”? Isaiah is a letter. Isaiah is a promise. Isaiah is a fingerprint.

I have enjoyed reading the book of Isaiah, and it’s probably because for the first time, I am recognizing my God in the pages of this letter. I knew a little of Him before, and after this, I will know a little more. But something tells me I will never again look at the book of Isaiah as merely a book of prophecy. I think maybe I will see more than just future casting. I think I will see God in the pages of this letter to me, a Jew.

Though my flesh sins daily, my heart belongs to God. I am not enough to overcome temptation. My memory reminds me of that every day. But this letter that God wrote through the prophet Isaiah, to me, almost seems like the first letter of the New Testament. And in that letter, God told us what He would do, and told us why He was able to do it. Can there be a greater peace, than to know that it doesn’t depend on me?