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Sermon #5279

To Whom then Will You Liken God?

A Sermon on Isaiah 40:18-24

Originally preached July 4, 1954

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Scripture

Isaiah 40:18-24 ESV KJV
To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a …

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Sermon Description

How does the Bible describe the folly of sinful people? While many today claim that to reject God and His revelation is to become enlightened, the Bible denounces unbelief as spiritually bankrupt and foolish. In this sermon on Isaiah 40:18–24 titled “To Whom then Will Ye Liken God?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches the biblical truth that those who reject God inevitably fashion an idol of their own making; whether it is politics, money, power, or fame, everybody worships something. The question is not: “do you worship something?” But the question is: “what do you worship?” The Bible calls all idols what there are: lifeless images that cannot save in the time of need. They are deaf, dumb, blind, and mute. But the God of Scripture is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hears the prayers of His people and saves them from their sins. God has not abandoned humanity in the midst of their idol worship and spiritual rebellion, but has sent Jesus Christ into the world to die for sinners. Jesus has come and died so that all who believe in Him would not perish but live as children of God. The sermon calls all to forsake their idols and worship the true and living God in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The prophet Isaiah addresses the people's unbelief and ignorance of God.
  2. Unbelief is foolishness. People believe in idols, princes and judges but not God.
  3. People go to great lengths to create idols but they are useless and can do nothing.
  4. Princes and judges fail and wither away but people still believe in them over God.
  5. Unbelief shows ignorance of God as creator, as shown in nature and the universe.
  6. Unbelief shows ignorance of God as the controller of history who brings down princes and nations.
  7. Whether we believe or not, God remains God. We are in His hands and will face judgement.
  8. It is foolish and dangerous not to believe in and submit to God.
  9. Despite our sin and unbelief, God sent Jesus to die for us out of love and mercy.
  10. We should believe in and submit to such a loving and powerful God.

Sermon Q&A

Who Was Martyn Lloyd-Jones Comparing God To in Isaiah 40?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Isaiah 40:18-24, the prophet Isaiah was challenging people's tendency to compare God to idols and human leaders. Here's a detailed explanation:

What is the central argument in Isaiah 40:18-24 according to Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Isaiah is addressing the problem of unbelief by asking: "To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him?" The prophet is challenging people who claim they cannot believe in God while readily believing in:

  1. Man-made idols - "The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold and casteth silver chains."
  2. Human princes and rulers - "He bringeth the princes to nothing."
  3. Wise judges and leaders - "He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity."

Lloyd-Jones states: "You are believers in idols and in princes and in judges, and yet you don't believe in God. Oh, how terrible."

Why does Lloyd-Jones consider unbelief to be foolish?

According to the sermon, unbelief is foolish because people reject God while readily putting their faith in things that are powerless:

"Mere figures that are useless and can do nothing, and yet they don't believe in God. My friends, there's only one word for it. It's folly. People who make idols and who put their trust in idols are like the very idols that they have made."

Lloyd-Jones points out that idols "have mouths, but they speak not. Eyes have they, but they see not," yet people invest tremendous time, money, and devotion to them.

What are the modern idols that people worship today?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several modern idols that people trust instead of God:

  1. "Sometimes just sheer wealth, sometimes money, sometimes position and status"
  2. "Sometimes dress, just mere clothing, the desire to be thought great"
  3. "There are others who worship thought and who worship learning"
  4. "There are people who undoubtedly worship science"
  5. "Political action"
  6. Human leaders and "great men" - "This tendency of people, in a sheeplike manner, to listen to any leader"

What are the consequences of unbelief according to the sermon?

Lloyd-Jones outlines three key consequences:

  1. Unbelief is "unutterable folly" - It rejects the Creator while trusting in created things
  2. Unbelief is "tragic ignorance" - It fails to recognize God's revelation in creation and history
  3. Unbelief is "unaware of the consequences of its own attitude" - "Whether you and I believe these things or not, they're facts. God is God, and God is the Lord."

The preacher warns: "It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But our times are in his hands. Science can't help you. Wisdom can't help you. It can't banish death. It can't abolish the end."

Lloyd-Jones concludes by inviting listeners to turn to God in faith, recognizing both His power and His love demonstrated in Christ.

Old Testament

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.