The Majesty of Our God — Leonard Ravenhill

The Majesty of God in Isaiah 40

Let's take Isaiah chapter 40. How many of you have a King James version of the scripture? Let me see. Oh good. Very good. I don't like the other versions very much. Okay, Isaiah 40. I read recently and I forget where where someone said they thought this was the most beautiful piece of prose in the whole world.

It really talks almost all the time about the majesty of God. I have read it a number of times this week and each time when I've read it I felt I wanted to kneel down and say how great thou art. How great thou art.

There's no way we can comprehend God, of course. God cannot be explained but he can be experienced. Lots of things you can't explain. As somebody if they're in love they say yes, they will define love.

Very simple, isn't it? No, I Define mine. She's sitting over there. But anyhow. But to explain it in vocabulary is something entirely different. Let's just take pick different points of here. Verse 11 is a popular verse.

Of course, he shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them into his bosom. But two verses I would like us to think of in the question shape of a question here in verse 18.

Which is repeated again in verse 25. To whom then will he liken God or what likeness will he compare unto him? It's changed a little in verse 25. To whom then will ye liken me or shall I be equal Seth the Holy One?

God Cannot Be Compared to Anyone or Anything

There is no way to compare anyone or anything with God only contrast. You know, some people go when they go to Rome they go to the Vatican they go to st Peter's they're overwhelmed with the Sistine Chapel the marvelous ceiling which was so beautifully done centuries ago when the Pope appeared on the Balcony some months ago.

They said a hundred thousand people. It was Easter a hundred thousand people either knelt bowed down or fell flat in his presence. But he has no more power than you or I have. He's man. He's flesh. He's blood.

I Think that the average person who goes to st. Peter's is overwhelmed with its ostentation its majesty. But you see everything that's there is corruptible everything there will vanish away. Papacy will vanish.

Lord hasten the day anyhow. To whom then will he liken me like and God note notice verse 22. It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth. Well, that answers a problem. I know a man a Christian man who does not believe for a minute that men have walked on the moon.

He said it was all made up in Hollywood. It's a fictional thing. This says talks about the circle of the earth. Now do you think that there's a circle and God is sitting somewhere up there in the splendid throne above the circle of the earth?

I Take this to mean that God is above everything everybody. Every system political system financial system intellectual system to use a common phrase. He's been sitting there since eternity watching the parade go past.

He's seen the rise of great empires like the Medo-Persian Empire. And then finally, of course, there was the great Roman Empire, which was greater than The Medo-Persian. The British Empire was the greatest empire that ever was.

It stretched further in real estate. It had more people in subjection to it. But here is God. It's almost it seems in splendid isolation. He sits upon the circle of the earth. The inhabitants there are that as grasshoppers.

Verse 23 he brings the princes to nothing. He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. So who then will you like in me? He said in verse 25. Then he gives us directions. Lift up your eyes on high and behold was created these things.

And bring us out their hosts by number. Obviously, he's speaking about the stars. He bring us out their hosts by number. But here's the more remarkable thing. He calleth them all by name. You Know God could recite the name of every person since Adam right to this day and never make a mistake.

Isaac what such a great him. And a stanza in that hymn says he made the stars of those heavenly flames. He counts their numbers calls their names. His wisdoms vast and knows no bound a deep where all our thoughts are drowned.

Okay, there he calls them the host by number. He calleth them all by names. I try to find out how many stars that are. Nobody's ever counted them. There's an estimate one. Encyclopedia says there are 40 sextillions of stars.

Now what's a sextillion? You folk who've been to all these colleges don't know that simple thing. A Sextillion in the United States. A sextillion is one with 21 zeros after it in England and Germany. It's a one with 36 zeros behind it.

That's for one sextillion and there are 40 sextillion say the scientist now go home and work that out before you go to bed 40 times a one with 36 zeros multiplied by 40 and God knows them all by name.

Well, I'm going to tell me that stars that can roll off his tongue if you like in an act of creation like that. He knows their names and he doesn't know mine. Forget it. He even says our names are engraved on the palms of his hands.

The Word of God and the Coming Bible Study

You ever do that at school to cheat. I did. Examinations were coming. So I wrote the answers on my palm just before I got in class, you know, Oh Raven Hill. What's so-and-so. Oh? Teacher. The answer is right, you're right.

So I was. I've written it down before I went to school. I want to go in school. Our names are on the palms of his hand says the Word of God if that doesn't thrill you what in the world will. You know, there's a marvelous division in the prophecy of eyes, I'm gonna speak on that Sunday morning, by the way.

I'm gonna speak over at Dave Wilkerson's place as we call it all world challenge for the next two Sundays. I'm gonna break in between but David came in today says you're gonna preach for me Sunday yet.

Will you preach a Sunday after I said sure he said well I'll preach the Sunday after that. Now not this Tuesday night, but a week this Tuesday night. You don't know this. So I'll have to tell you I'm gonna tell you if melody didn't get the chance 60 minutes is coming to Garden Valley.

Did you know that? 60 minutes is coming to Garden Valley a week next Tuesday night. Coming to that little place where we meet on a Sunday morning. I'm the 60 minutes I'm gonna. I'm gonna take a Bible study every Tuesday night this winter for 60 minutes if that isn't a miracle what is.

You Know it's difficult to study for three days and pack it all into 60 minutes. It will actually be a 65 minute meeting and the five minutes is to cover the prayer and one verse of a hymn. That's all we're gonna have.

We've gone right into the Word of God. I'll tell you what going to study for six or seven or eight weeks the 11th chapter of Hebrews on faith. We talked about it today. Melody didn't your folk would tape it?

Well, I asked. David said oh he said they'll do it. They've got wonderful equipment down there. That's called bearing one another's burden. So we'll get an audio on a video and then you can buy them because I'm sure you'd like to see me teaching as well as.

Listen to it. I Guess we can get a tape of tonight to at least the audio if you want it. But I want you to pray about it because I'm sure that some very troublesome days are coming on the nation. It doesn't matter whether Mondale gets in.

I hope he doesn't. All Reagan. It's not a national affair that's going to be disturbed. The whole earth is going to be shaken according to Hebrews. Why is it remember the chapter? That everything that can be shaken will be shaken.

That the kingdom that cannot be shaken may remain every system. Financial system is going to be shaken as never before political systems. They'll be individual betrayals. There'll be national betrayals nations betraying each other.

We're getting very near to the end of this age in which we're living. It's very nice to sing, you know. About the clouds as we sang tonight. In that lovely him. We just finished. What was it out? It is well with my soul, but Lord haste the day when the chain went faith shall be sighed the clouds be rolled back as a stroke.

That's going to be wonderful. It's going to be terrible. Oh, I really want the Lord to come you do you mean to say you'd like him to see seem come tonight with 10 ,000 in Saints coming in judgment as it says where in what second chapter of First second book of Thessalonians.

He's coming in terrible majesty. Terrible majesty. All right. Let's look at this a minute here. I Hate to hear any teaching that diminishes the majesty of God. I find people talking about the limited foreknowledge of God.

God’s Infinite Understanding and Sovereign Majesty

Turn to a Psalm 147 and those five see what it says there. I think that's a Psalm. Is it? Yeah, I'm 47. Here it is Psalm 147 and verse 5 great is our Lord and of great power. His understanding is infinite.

You know this unveiling of the majesty of God is not just set up to Isaiah though He has the most greatest revelation of all till you come to the book of Revelation. Great is our Lord. He's of great power.

His understanding is infinite. Turn to 1st Timothy chapter 6 and verse 15 or verse 14. That thou keep his commandment with without spot. Unrebukeable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's check up.

Have you kept his commandments today and rebuke able without spot? So if he comes tonight, you're ready and say Lord, I'm glad to see you tonight. Then what? Which in his times He shall show who is what the blessed and only potentate the king of kings and the Lord of lords.

I Hate people constantly referring to Jesus as a man of Galilee. He's not there. He's in the glory. He's a potentate. He's full of majesty. Now one of the hymn writers says his wisdoms vast and knows no bound.

A deeper all our thoughts are drowned. He's the blessed and only potentate the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. And Who is the eyes I who says he dwelleth in light? Unapproachable. Whose robe is the light.

Whose canopy is space. What I'm trying to get through to your mind. We're not when you come to God, you're not coming to a pauper. You're not coming with somebody who's weary and aged. He's boundless in his power.

God’s Holiness and His Absolute Perfection

The scripture says again from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Nahum, I guess you don't often read in Nahum one of the minor prophets. It says that in the first chapter in verse 3 the Lord is slow to anger.

He is of great power and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm and the clouds are the dust of his feet. Can you think of anything more majestic? He's making his way in the whirlwind and in the storm and the clouds are just the dust of his feet and The earth is his footstool.

Come on ever read that of any other King any other being. This vast earth is merely a footstool on which he rests his feet as it were. Light is his robe space is his canopy. What's the other chapter? Isaiah 57 let's look at that verse 15 says for thus saith the high and lofty one who Inhabiteth eternity.

Whose name is holy? Almost all the Bible scholars will divide the marvelous 66 chapters of this book into two sections. The first section is chapter 1 to 39 and The second section is chapter 40 to 6 66.

Now I didn't check this tonight, but I know it's true. And I don't know which side it goes in either the first half that are 17 References to the holiness of God and in the second half there are 12 references to the holiness of God or vice versa.

Whichever, but they're both there 17 and 12 making 29 references in this one chapter this one book alone to the holiness of God. Go back to the Book of Exodus that's easier to find than Nahum, isn't it?

So I had to ease your burden your difficulty. Chapter 15 of Exodus. Verse 1 then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song Unto the Lord and spake saying I will sing unto the Lord. He has triumphed gloriously.

The horse and his rider He hath cast into the sea. Go down to verse 11 who is like unto thee O Lord among the gods. Who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praise is doing wonders. Come on. What more do you want in other words?

Speechless. Isn't amazing that this Person who sits on the circle of the earth this person who is the high and lofty one who inhabited eternity? Who is an unbeginning being and I'm an unending being? Nothing can be added to him.

Nothing can be taken from him. He's perfect in everything. That's what holiness is absolute perfection in His case perfect in every area. Perfection in his doings. He baffles us. He mystifies us. He does things that we wouldn't think about doing or dare to do but he does them in his own, right?

Because he's the source of all righteousness. He's a source of all holiness. He's a source of all power. He's a source of all love. He took a man you remember once by the name of Jacob and transformed him and Called him what he called him.

That's right. What title did he give him? Israel or what a prince with God. But then in the 41st chapter of this marvelous book of Isaiah, he calls him a worm fear not thou worm Jacob. Isn't that strange?

The context is strange because it says he's talking about mountains. Here you have a mountain. Fear not thou worm Jacob. You shall thresh a mountain now stupid. Can you think of a worm upsetting the Rockies?

Why does he call him an elephant? Why does he call him by some mysterious name of a beast that we don't know much about. Here is the mountain fear not thou worm Jacob. Why a worm because a worm can do what an elephant can't do.

A tiger can do no other creature can do. It going in at one side of a mountain go right through and come out at the other side. Then what happens? It says the worm will thresh the mountains small and the wind shall carry them away.

What happens when the worms go through everywhere they go they leave a space behind them. They lay the hole right through the mountain then the wind gets in and The wind dries the soil and it becomes powder and the mountain is brought on the way with what with the worm.

God Uses the Weak to Accomplish His Purposes

You see someone once asked Hudson Taylor how it was God used him of all men to go and break open inland, China and The dear man we I used to live in the house not far from him. Well, of course, he'd be dead a long while.

I mean the house he used to live it. Away there in England every time I passed it I I just nod my head and and saluted and felt what a marvelous thing that that man. Had what in his pocket he had fifty dollars.

So he said you mean you're going to evangelize China with fifty dollars. Now, come on. You've got something more than fifty dollars. Haven't you he said yes. What is it? He said all the promises of God hmm.

Why did God choose me he said because he'd been searching for so long to find somebody who was weak enough and at last he found me. We think he's looking for intellectuals strong intellectually strong.

Psychological background strong physically strong emotionally strong every way a hemorrhoid who put that phrase about a worm. He calls a worm his friend. He calls himself my God. What does the scripture say the lame what?

You don't know that you better learn it. The lame take the prey. Not the mighty. The lame take the prey and to those who have no might he increases strength. You know, I used to think when I was in college a little time.

I went it very little time as you can observe. But I used to think when I got out boy, I tell you what, I'll shake the world. People will say Spurgeon's risen from the dead. But somehow it hasn't worked out like that yet.

I've been preaching over 60 years now but I thought like most guys if I get more equipment if I get more knowledge if I get more self-confidence if I have a better vocabulary if I've a greater background if I can saturate myself in church history and do this and do that.

Boy, the Lord will say one day you're ready now. Come on. I'll give you a medals before you go. You know, nobody ever graduates in the school of spirituality this side of eternity none of us. With a long way to go.

Moses, the Exodus, and God’s Deliverance

Okay, what does it say? In Exodus 15 and verse 11 who is like unto thee O Lord glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders. What's this all about? Well, you go back to the first verse then sang Moses.

This is the first recorded song in the scripture. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord and spake. Singing I will sing unto the Lord. He hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath he thrown in thrown into the sea.

The psalmist is always trying to keep us to remember the deliverances of God. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his most of us have forgotten. We owe a lot of rent on Our blessings we've taken them for granting.

It's time to pay up what had happened or nothing too serious. Just that you have a defenseless mob of people some people say some Historian says a million people were coming out of Egypt and they got well on their way and then they came to some water.

For we'll all get drowned. We can't swim. We can't get our children. So what are we going to do? We lose all our possessions and you see look at the dust. Oh a man's coming on horseback. What's he say?

He says the whole host of Egypt is after you. Hundreds maybe thousands of men on horseback. They're going to destroy you. Can you imagine Moses standing? He must have an awful lot of confidence in God, wouldn't he?

And he just like you take a comb and part your hair. He parted the sea. How many of you saw the picture the Ten Commandments? Do you remember one of them? I saw it once. You know, that's the first film ever saw in my life came to New York and backslid and Who took me to backslide my sweet wife Dave Wilkerson and his wife said we've got some free tickets.

That's how we got there. And you know when the water do you remember the water's party and then when the waters came back and rolled over the trickery how all The horses were kicking and there was that great display of power.

Well, these folk actually went through it. It wasn't a film. It's easy to watch films, isn't it? How many often felt in class when some something's really struck it Lord. I wonder if melody and the crowd it would mind if I left this afternoon.

I'm ready. I mean, I mean I got such an upsurge today. I got such a vision. I got such strength while the preacher was preaching or the teacher was teaching. I'd like to leave right now. Well, why don't you go because you'll be flat on your face tomorrow morning.

You'll be seeking the first bus back to this beautiful area that we call Garden Valley. Our times are in God's hands. That's what the psalmist said my times are in God's hands and a poet says my God I wish them there.

Here they are the enemy pursuing them the sea in front of them and Moses stands there and deliberately. What did he do? He took a rod? What was he called? It was called the rod of Moses. What was he called after that the rod of God?

But in trying to any magic just because God had used it once. He waited on the Lord every said we'll take him. I'm gonna take it. Hebrews 11. I said I try and get through one character study. You see the least thing in the Church of God today.

Faith, Character, and Spiritual Formation

God pitches his character. I've watched people like these their folk here. My dear friends the Dorsets are going off to India soon. I think it was in India. I watched a man making it one of those marvelous marvelous.

What do you call them rugs. What a marvelous thing it was. I Couldn't have done a thing with it. I came up at the back of it and they were tails black red blue white long strings. I thought what a stupid what what's he sticking those things in there for?

Then suddenly realized when I went around the other side there was a design there. That was just majestic and now all you and I are doing is seeing the loose ends of the threads that God is working in our Lives.

We'll see the design when we get over there. I Went down in a coal mine once. Horrible. If you have to depend on me owning coal you buy it at the drugstore in two ounce packets. I went in a gold mine once and I got nothing.

I Went in a submarine once. I went in one of the world's greatest potteries and watch men. They're working out of shapeless clay. There's nothing more beautiful. I think them when Jeremiah talks about the Potter the Potter is it the 16th chapter of Jeremiah taking a handful of clay no character to it worth nothing.

That man would have let me take a handful of clay like that and it have taken five cents for it. But after a few hours when he worked on it and shaped it manipulated it. He wouldn't have sold it me to me for $100.

You Know that's a good picture of how God finds us. We haven't much shape or character. There's nothing about us. With us clay in the hands of a Potter. It's a blessing. God doesn't let us choose our own way.

We don't take the line of least resistance. That's not your way you make character. Do you wonder that this armistice talking and Moses talks about the faithfulness of God. Let me see if I've got this right Psalm 90.

What verse did I wonder I've forgotten the verse there? Oh, that's a Psalm 90 verse 2 before the mountains were brought forth. Not wonderful. There's some gorgeous poetry in the scripture. I love the scripture that says the trees of the fields clap their hands.

Well, that'd be wonderful to go down the lane and all the trees start clapping. What it says the morning stars sang together. Wouldn't you like to hear them all the scars. Stars singing a marvelous anthem to the Almighty God who made them all of the trees of the fields clap before ever.

There's a blade of grass. Both before ever there was a world. He was there listen to what it says. In this second verse of Psalm 90 before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou has formed the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting.

Thou art God. If that isn't majestic again Who is like unto thee O Lord among the gods who is like unto thee glorious in holiness and Fearful in praises. I don't think there's a more lofty description of God in the whole sacred word than this this verse.

Glorious in holiness. It could be said glorious in character glorious in love glorious in peace. In everything he's super you lose all your vocabulary. I was thinking of ever a poem a poet that mr. Tozer like very much FW Faber.

I Don't know how much I can remember. I can remember the beginning my god. How wonderful thou art thy majesty how bright. How beautiful thy mercy seat in depths of burning light. I'll have to think it up for Sunday morning.

I want to quote it then. How beautiful how beautiful the sight of thee must be. Than endless wisdom boundless power and awful purity. I can't remember this the next standard and say I'll polish it up for Sunday morning.

But the second two lines. Prostrate before thy throne to lie and gaze and gaze on me. Now look sometimes when you're just broken down. What do you do you curl up in a chair and cry or lay on the bed and cry?

Huh? Nothing wrong with it. You're exhausted you throw yourself on the back bed. Can you remember the last time I've ever I've ever thrown yourself over the bed in speechless adoration to God. I've quoted this before.

I'll quote it many times if I live long enough. One day dr. Tozer said to me Glenn you see this rug. I said yes, sir. He said I bought it in Kresge's. Kresge's was the original Kmart. You won't know that but there it is.

I think that's right, isn't it? And He said I bought it for 69 cents. So I looked at that little bit of rug. The next thing he said was the most amazing thing. I think I've ever heard from human lips almost anyhow.

He said Len I come in my office at 8 in the morning call through to my secretary and say go home today. I can't dictate letters put a notice on the door. I can't give any interviews. He said Len I get down on that rug at 8 o 'clock in the morning.

Use a good old Bible word on my belly at 8 o 'clock. I'm still there at 9 still there at 10 still there at 11 still there at 12 and sometimes 1 o 'clock. And I haven't said one word of prayer. And I haven't said one word of praise.

I've just worshipped In that fabulous. Nothing to look at. He wasn't a Muslim man. Small small shoulder long-faced. Joked about his long face. But I've taught with some of the greatest men living today preaching some of the greatest church in the world.

I've never met a man who had an intimacy with God like dr. Tozer have read his books. You've read them some of you. He could lay four or five hours and not say a word of prayer. Not say a word of praise just lost in speechless adoration.

Worship, Prayer, and Intimacy with God

Some things I can't stand in modern event. I can't stand people calling God dad. The man who calls God dad doesn't have a revelation like Isaiah 6 that Isaiah had of a holy God. John leaned his head on the bosom of Jesus was more intimate with Jesus and anybody else.

But he says when I saw him in resurrection splendor. He said I fell at his feet as dead. He didn't say dad dead. By the magic come on. When you pray this morning, did you really believe that the God who heard Moses pray?

The God who heard Elijah pray we taught last week on Mount come that he was listening to your prayers are warm like you. The most amazing things in the Bible to me is that God who runs the universe? Controls the stars.

The stellar system. Before there was a being in the world he was there and when then it's everything is finished. He'll be there. Yet one day he stopped the course of heaven he said just a minute look that's the earth down there that little ball.

You see that tiny little thing turning there like an ant. It's not an ant. It's a man by the name of Saul. The man who tried to wipe out the church and God Almighty says there he is. Behold he prayer it wasn't all Israel praying.

It wasn't even all the disciples break. It's one man who was breathing out threatening on a mission of destruction and madness and murder and God if you'll pardon the vulgarism almost could have spit on him.

He could have breathed on him and made him perish like that, and he says there. He calls one of the great men of the day and doesn't say grab an evangelistic crusade in a city. He says there's a man there and let him know this.

Don't get him to nod his head and say believes in the four laws or something. You just whisper this into his ear. Not that he's going to suffer for me, but What great sufferings? Outside of Jesus, I don't think anybody suffered like the Apostle Paul did.

He turned the world upside down. He says I glory in what? Success prosperity fame. I've written more epistles than anybody I'm going to be slated in eternity. Is one of the greatest men that ever walked the earth in spiritual power.

I raised the dead. I do everything my master did. No, no, no, not what he says. He says I glory in those things you and I run away from. That's why I had the character. I Glory in tribulation in necessities in reproaches.

Do we glory in those things? How do you get on the phone and say it's melody day or is somebody there to help me? A lot of us are more confidence in our friends than we have in God. Otherwise we won't mess around so much and want their help and their prayers.

Prayer is valuable sure it is. But here is the high and lofty one who inhabits of eternity who swung all the stars into space. He knows all their names and he's lucky to man who has a plan in his pocket to wreck the whole Church of Jesus Christ.

And he says go whisper in his ear and tell him what great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And it didn't deter the man at all. He didn't grin and bear it. He says I glory in tribulation in assessors in reproaches.

Why. Because he's in touch with this infinite God this God whose resources never end whose wisdom is never puzzled whose strength is never tested. Whose love is greater than he says the height and the depth and the length and the breadth of the love of God that passeth knowledge.

The Sufficiency of Scripture and Access to God’s Resources

You know when I think of that, I wonder why anybody ever gets discouraged. Surely, it's because of this that we don't have that intimacy with God that we should have and that's what I want us to get. I hope you'll get a lot of while you're at school here, but I do trust among other things.

There'll be a new intimacy with God. Not a boldness not an arrogance. Fearing him in his awful splendor. Hmm. The earth is footstool the clouds the dust of his feet. This unbeginning being. This one who launched every form of life as it exists, whatever it is.

Comes from him and then again as the hymn says he calls a worm his friend. He calls himself my God. Look if you've got God for a friend. Why do you worry about your other friend? Jesus says you're my friend if what.

If you obey his commandments if we do whatsoever he commanded us to do. So this God who sits on the circle of the earth this God whose robe is the light and whose count of his face. And his chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form and dark is his path on the wings of the stone.

This God who hangs the world on nothing if he withdraw his power this world ago crashing away there into endlessness. He upholds it by the way. He only has to speak one word and the whole human system will end like that and yet somehow he has a design.

And I look at some of these little bugs in the garden. I don't know why God made them. They're a mess or a pest. There's some reason for it. I don't know. But I'll tell you what the majestic when you get down to it and examine them.

But how much mud does he expect out of this life of mine as I tried to say last week when I think of people like Elijah. Sure, he called on the God of Abraham and of Isaac, but listen, you and I are totally indefensible.

You better get ready for it. There's gonna be such a stripping when you get to the judgment seat. You know more about God than Elijah knew in one sense in another sense. No. Again, you've got a book. This isn't a book.

It's it's a library. You can get a library and stick it in your pocket. 66 volumes read on an airplane. How firm a foundation these saints of the Lord Is laid for your faith in his excellent work. What more can he say than to you here?

God has nothing else to say to the human race. He said it all. Said it all. There's nothing to add to the book. There's nothing can be taken out of the book. Is it Peter that says he's given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.

God has no afterthoughts. God doesn't say I should have done it this way or that way. He doesn't have to correct anything. He's done. It's all perfect. And yet this holy being Is not accessible to Kings.