My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

HE WHO SITS ABOVE THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH

Isaiah 40:22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.

Isaiah is in the process of comparing the God of Israel with idols, by way of questioning his people.

Isaiah 40:21 Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

Questions are a great way to stimulate a discussion. Jesus often asked questions. Questions are a fantastic teaching tool!

Don’t you think so?

As a question is provided, a recipient naturally builds a defence in thier mind. Once a question has been understood, hopefully a discussion can occur, an argument can be entered into, and minds can be changed. And when I say minds can be changed, I am referring to the Biblical concept of repentance! This obviously is the intent of Isaiah and he is brutal!

One question would be sufficient for Isaiah to deliver to the saints, considering the topic of the discussion. One well placed question about the God of Israel should “stop thier mouths”.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Of course, when Isaiah “machine guns” multiple questions to God’s people, the recipients will not only be speechless, but dumbfounded. That is, if they are honest with themselves, with Isaiah and with the God they are related to.

Four questions were blasted to the saints regarding the difference of thier God compared with idols.

• Do you not know?
  • Of all the people of the earth, these folks knew God was unlike idols!
• Do you not hear?
  • Of all the people of the earth, these folks heard God speak, unlike an idol!
• Has it not been told you from the beginning?
  • Of all the people of the earth, these folks had been introduced to God at the beginning of their formation as a nation! Idols were to be rejected by this people from the very beginning.
• Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
  • Of all the people of the earth, these folks understood God hated idols.

Yet they worshipped idols.

Isaiah then begins to describe – once more for this people who knew and understood thier God – of the God they had walked away from.

Thier God is the One who is over, or above the circle of the earth.

He is over creation, not a part of it.

Whether the word “circle” can be describing the earth as a sphere or simply the horizon each man sees, the point is clear. The God they had abandoned, the God they were being called back to, the God who was leading, guiding, disciplining and teaching is not of this creation, but above.

And when Isaiah says above, though the immediate message is that God is in the heavens, above the creation in relation to distance, I want to consider it is more applicable that Isaiah is referring to God as being over the circle of the earth in relation to His authority over all.

God is in authority over all of His creation. He is in charge, unlike the idols that are merely stone and wood, made of the creation God created.

Yes, our God is more than any idol, much more! He is on His throne, and not only reigns by the authority of His creative acts, but more so through His defeat of death. Though the creation was plummetted into death by our decision, He has rescued it by defeating death itself. Death itself has died, and He rules!

Yes – Jesus is better! He is the One WHO SITS ABOVE THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH

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I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

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