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218 How Are the Christian Scriptures Confirmed by the Peculiar Glory of God?
The Glory of Isaiah’s God
The prophet Isaiah marvels at the uniqueness of God among all the
gods of the peoples: “From of old no one has heard or perceived by
the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who
wait for him” (Isa. 64:4). Isaiah says there is no God like him. He is
unique. Then he describes what it is that sets God apart as amazing
from all the other gods. “He acts for those who wait for him.” In other
words, other gods demand that people join their labor force. But the
true God becomes a labor force for those who wait for him. If we will
humble ourselves and cease defaulting to human self-reliance, and turn
to God in faith that he will work for us, then he will give us the help we
need. He will glorify the all-sufficiency of his resources and wisdom and
power and grace by working to meet our needs rather than demanding
that we work to meet his.
This is the distinguishing glory of God among all the gods: they exalt
themselves by demanding to be served; the true God exalts himself in
serving those who trust him. Look how Isaiah taunts the Babylonian
gods, Bel and Nebo, precisely on this point:
Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;
their idols are on beasts and livestock;
these things you carry are borne
as burdens on weary beasts.
They stoop; they bow down together;
they cannot save the burden,
but themselves go into captivity.
“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.” (Isa. 46:1–4)
What sets God apart as uniquely glorious is that other gods must be
carried by men (vv. 1–2), but God carries his people from birth to old