A drop in a bucket

A DROP IN A BUCKET
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Isaiah40:15 15Surely the nations are like a drop in a
bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales;he
weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
The Message Isaiah40:15
Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket, a mere
smudge on a window. Watch him sweep up the islands
like so much dust off the floor!
INTRODUCTION
Isaiahproclaimed that a time will come when God will victoriously return to
be with His people again, after a time of judgment and discipline (Isaiah 40:1-
9). He declared of God’s mighty arm of victory; which was also found to be
gentle in taking tender, merciful care of His people (40:10-11). And Isaiah
reminded them that Yahweh, their God, is the all-powerful and all-wise
Creatorof the universe (40:12-14). All this leads to the passagefor today.
Isaiah40:15-20 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are
regardedas a speck ofdust on the scales;Beho ld, He lifts up the islands like
fine dust. 16 Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, nor its beasts enough for a
burnt o ffering. 17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are
regardedby Him as less than nothing and meaningles s. 18 To whom then will
you liken God? Or what likeness willyou compare with Him? 19 As for the
idol, a craftsman casts it, a goldsmith plates it with gold, and a silversmith fa
shions chains of silver. 20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering

selects a tree that does not rot; He seeksout for himself a skillful craftsmanto
prepare an idol tha t will not totter.
The keyto this section, as well as all of Isaiah40, is the rhetoricalquestions in
verse 18—“To whomthen will you liken God? Or what likeness will you
compare with Him?” It is repeatedin the first personlater in verse 25—“To
whom then will you liken Me, That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.”
Isaiahhas already shownGod to be incomparable in mercy and compassion
(40:10-11), power(40:12)and wisdom (40:13-14). He continued his lessonin
TheologyProperby laying out three comparisons in verses 15-20 whichshow
that God is incomparable.
I. GOD—INCOMPARABLE TO THE NATIONS (40:15)
The first of these incomparable comparisons is the contrastbetweenGod and
the nations. In verse 15, he declares, “Behold” or“pay attention,” “look at
this,” “listenup.” The nations are like drops and like dust when comparedto
the immenseness and powerof God.
If one has a bucketof water and a drop is lostover the side, it is really of no
concernto him or her. If someone weighs vegetablesonthe scale atthe local
grocerystore, he or she does not get out a featherduster to wipe out the
particles of dust that may be on it because the dust will not affectthe weight of
the vegetables.In a similar manner, all the nations of the world, stacked
together, are nothing compared with the CreatorGod of the universe. They
have no more of an affecton God and His sovereignplans than dust would
affectthe weightof an objecton the scale.
Verse 17 goes further. The Hebrew language literally states that the nations
“are less than non-existent.” The comment may not be a logicalpossibility,
but it shows the absurdity of making a comparisonbetweenthe “greatness,
majesty and power” of earthly kingdoms and the greatness, majestyand
powerof God.
In other words, God is not awedby the nations.

THE WORSHIP OFFEREDWOULD NOT BE WORTHY OF THE ONE
BEING WORSHIPPEDBECAUSE THE GREATNESSOF GOD IS SO
GREAT, NOTHING THAT MAN CAN BRING TO HIM IS WORTHYOF
HIM.
Nations instill in people an abnormal fear, OR an abnormal sense ofsecurity.
At times in the U.S., its citizens can have a sense that nothing cantake the
country down for it has the greatestmilitary, work ethic, resolve, and unity
when it counts. But, at times, throughout its history there has been a fear of
other nations--in the late 1930s and40s, it was a rearmed Germany; during
the Cold War, it was the Russians;and today, a nuclear armed Iran and
North Korea.
So while nations can produce a sense of fearor security in men, they have no
affecton God. Isaiah is not saying here that God cares notfor the
nations or the individuals in a nation (for them He sent His Son) but rather
they are not significant comparedto Him and He has no need of them. Thus
the Psalmwriter penned:
Psalm146:3-6 Do not trust in princes, in mortal ma n, in whom there is no
salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his
thoughts perish. How blessedis h e whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose
hope is in the LORD his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all
tha t is in them; Who keeps faith forever…
II. GOD—INCOMPARABLE IN WORSHIP (40:16-17)
The secondincomparable comparisonis in the manner in which He is worthy
to be worshipped.
Verse 16 states “EvenLebanon is not enough to burn, nor its beasts enough
for a burnt offering.” The area of Old TestamentLebanon is locatedin the

same vicinity as the modern day nation by the same name; north of Israel.
There is a mountain range, known on maps as Mt. Lebanon, which serves as
the headwaters ofthe Jordan River.
The cedartrees of Lebanon grew in abundance in Biblical times. They were
known as the glory of Lebanon (Isaiah 35:2; 60:13). Solomonused them in
constructionof the first temple (2 Chronicles 2:8) and Ezra used them in the
constructionof the secondtemple (Ezra 3:7). They were stately (Ezekiel31:3-
5), long-branched (Psalm80:10; 92:12;Ezekiel31:6-9), odoriferous (Hosea
14:6), durable, and therefore much used for boards, pillars, and ceilings (1
Kings 6:9, 10;7:2; Jeremiah22:14), for masts (Ezekiel27:5), and for carved
images (Isaiah44:14). Today, the highest of the trees are 70 to 80 feet tall and
approximately 800-1000years old (some estimated at 2500 years old). The
trunks have a diameter of 40 feet or more and the lateralspread of the
branches many times exceeds its height.
So what is Isaiahteaching? He proclaimed that even if the whole of the great
Lebanon cedar forestwith all its wildlife were offered up as a sacrifice of
worship to God, it would still be lacking in its worthiness. He used this
hyperbolic language to illustrate that “…everything by which man could
express his adoration of the exaltedOne comes incomparably short of His
exaltation.”1
M i s s o u r i
The LORD Almighty--Incomparable (Isaiah 40:15-20)
In other words, the worship offered would not be worthy of the one being
worshipped since the greatnessofGod is so great. Therefore, nothing man can
bring to Him is worthy of Him.

III. GOD—INCOMPARABLE TO IDOLS (40:18-20)
The lastincomparable comparisonin this passageis the laughable comparison
with idols. Isaiahposedthe rhetoricalquestion with the obvious answer, “To
whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness willyou compare with
Him?” (40:18). He then proceededto mock the foolishness ofmankind who
attempt to form something of God.
Isaiahtells the story of one who desires to make a god. This person who wants
to create an idol takes it very seriously. He wants to create the best god; one
who will answerprayers, acceptofferings and provide for him and protect
him. So he gets a craftsman (it is better to hire a professionalwho can do it
better) to pour an image and has it coveredwith gold by a goldsmith and
further adorns it with silver jewelryby a silversmith. This man does not go
cheap.
The poor man, though, who does not have the financial capabilities to go with
the goldand silver, finds a nice piece of wood—something that will not likely
rot. He finds an excellentwood carverto carve out an image and has him
create an image that won’t fall over (for it is bad if the god one is worshipping
and praying keeps falling over).
Isaiah’s sarcasmis not difficult to identify. He will pick up this holy mockery
againin chapters 44 and 46. Comparing Yahweh, the CreatorGod of the
universe is absurd. Forming Him into something men have made with their
hands is truly absurd. This is the substance behind the secondof the Ten
Commandments, “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of
what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waterunder the
earth” (Exodus 20:4). Anything designedby man naturally falls short of the
glory and magnificence of God; and therefore, not worthy of worship.
Psalm115:2-8 Why should the nations say, "Where, n ow, is their God?" But
our God is in the heavens;He does whatev er He pleases.Theiridols are silver
and gold, the work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
The y have eyes, but they cannot see;They have ears, but they cannothear;
They have noses, but they cannotsmell; They have

hands, but they cannotfeel; They have feet, but th ey cannot walk;They
cannot make a sound with their throat. T hose who make them will become
like them, everyone who t rusts in them.
APPLICATION/CONCLUSION
The above passageleads right into the first application. The exhortation that
follows in Psalm115:9-15 is simply to put your trust in the LORD. Don’t
trust anything else—onlyYahweh… “for He is their help and shield.”
Do not put your total trust in other people for they will let you down (if you
haven’t experiencedthat already, just wait). Do not trust in money for it will
decreasein value, be stolen, or you canlose it (no need to expand on this in
light of our economic times). Do not trust in government for it does not always
know or do what is best for its people (it may also be powerless to do what is
best if it did know what was best). And do not trust in your own resources—
strength, wisdom, abilities, health, knowledge (none of which is eternal, it is all
fleeting; Isa. 40:7-8).
Anything one may setup above God and trust more is an idol. And that
person has just placed himself in the categoryof the foolish idol maker and
worshipper in Psalm 115 and Isaiah 40, 44, 46.
The secondpoint of application is that the incomparability of God is the
powerand support behind the Apostle Paul’s praise of Romans 8. He writes,
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither deat h, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor any ot her createdthing, will be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus ourLord.
You see, Paulaskedthe question “Who will separate us from the love of
Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, orpersecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:35). But since the nations are as “less than
nonexistent” to Godand since He is the SovereignCreatorofthe universe, the
Apostle can boldly declare of that which he is “convinced”--Nothing can
separate us from the love of God; everything pales in comparisonwith Him.

Our third point of application is truly goodnews. As statedearlier, no
sacrifice made by man is sufficient in worship of Godand in the
M i s s o u r i
The LORD Almighty--Incomparable (Isaiah 40:15-20)
proclamation of His glory. But a sacrifice has been made that was worthy of
God and thus, no more will be needed since it was made. No sacrifice from
man to God is worthy, but a sacrifice by God to God is worthy.
In Hebrews 10, the author writes that the sacrificescommandedin the Old
Testamentlaw cannot take awaythe sins of man (10:1-4)and that God finds
no pleasure in those burnt offerings, especiallyin relation to the forgiveness of
sins (10:5-8; cf. Isaiah40:16). But the offering that Jesus Christ, who was both
man and God, gave to the Father was sufficient for all and sufficient to offer
only once for all time (10:9-14). It is true that all the offerings burnt on all the
woodfound in the forests of Lebanon were severelylacking, but the offering
of the body and life of Jesus was acceptable;for it was a sacrifice worthyof
the One to whom it was presented.
Friend, we are createdbeings. Therefore, there is nothing we can put together
to offer as a gift to our Creatorthat is worthy of Him. We are also rebellious,
sin-filled creatures so anything we offer is tainted with this stain and thus
unworthy to be acceptedby a holy and pure God. So, in and of ourselves, we
are in a hopeless state as we stand before God.
But praise be to God for He furnished on our behalf that which we cannot
furnish ourselves--a sacrificethat will remove our sins from our account(2
Cor. 5:21). The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christcovers the sinful

accountof those whose faith and trust is placedin that sacrifice and not
placed in their own feeble offerings.
Friend, you have no hope outside of Christ and His sacrifice. No other
religion, belief, or work will provide a covering for your sin. ONLY in Christ
is salvationfound (Acts 4:12). Repentof your sins and place your trust in His
work. I plead with you as the Apostle Paul did--“be reconciledto God” for He
has provided the way of reconciliation.2
God can forgive your sins--are you interested?
1 C.F. Keil & F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old TestamentVol. 7: Isaiah,
Trans. by James Martin (Peabody, Mass.:HendricksonPublishers, 1989),
149. 2 If you have questions or would like to further discuss this
reconciliation, please call(573-418-2077)or email
(paul.meinsen@capitolcom.org).
Paul Meinsen/ PO Box891, JeffersonCity, MO 65102 /
paul.meinsen@capitolcom.org
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regardedas a
speck of dust on the scales;Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even
Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enoughfor a burnt offering. All
the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regardedby Him as less than
nothing and meaningless.
Over the first half of this year, the activity of hostile nations has been all over
the news. From North Korea, to Russia, to Syria, the news is confusing,
complex, and oftentimes scary. Yet there is one who is not puzzled or caught
off-guard, God. Psalm2 tells us that the nations rage and God laughs. He is
not threatenedby the activities of any nations; He is sovereignoverall
nations.

Isaiahtells us they are like a drop in a bucket or a speck of dust. These units
are so small they would be impossible to measure. That is how unfazed Godis
by world events. As we saw yesterday, nothing that happens is news to Him.
He knows it. When we see the news, it would be easyto descendinto fear and
doubt. After all, the nations of the world are too big for us to manipulate, but
God can and does intervene. It is not difficult for Him. From this, we should
receive the comfort that God promised in verse 1 of this chapter. Comfort
comes when we trust a God who can do all things and does all things well.
Of all the recent world news, is there anything that has gottenyou scaredor
anxious? Consider turning over that grief to God today.
When you feel anxiety welling up, what comfortcomes from God?
Pray for the nations of the world, particularly those with large concentrations
of people who do not know the Lord.
More from the 121 Blog
i. A common bucketis the 5 gallon bucketwhich will be used for the purpose
of this illustration.
ii. There are 591.47drops of water in 1 fluid ounce.
iii. There are 128 fl oz in 1 gallon.
iv. Therefore, there are 378,541drops in a five gallon bucket (5 x 128 x
591.47).
v. All the people of all the nations of earth (currently 7.125 billion) are as
insignificant to God as one drop of wateris to the other 378,540 drops in the
bucket.
2. "...andare counted as the small dust of the balance:..."
A. A small piece of dust on a balance doesn'teven effect the accuracyof the
balance.

i. A grain of dust weighs approximately 2.42 x 10^-13 lbs (1.1 x 10^-13 kg).
Source:Space Math
ii. God is so immense that all the nations (currently 7.125 billion people)are as
an imperceptible and insignificant tiny piece of dust on His balance.
https://www.excelsiorspringschurch.com/Isaiah-40-14
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
JehovahIncomparable
Isaiah40:12-18
E. Johnson
I. HIS POWER OVER NATURE. The boldest imagery to express this
thought: the "hollow of his hand;" his "span;" his "tierce," a small measure;
his scales, withwhich he weighs the volumes of sea and laud, and measures
the vastextent of heaven without an effort, - as we use the hand to weighor to
span! Far from taking offence atsuch figures, we feel them to be truthful,
appropriate, sublime. The Creatoris infinitely superior to his world. Vastness
of space may overwhelm our imagination, but not his. His thought holds with
ease the universe as a whole and in all its parts. "Thouhast ordered all things
by measure and number and weight" (Wisd. 11:20). Vain the "materialistic"
dreams of students occupiedtoo much with the physical and the phenomenal.
The physical is the expressionofthe intellectual; the phenomenal but the
"appearance'ofthe real; the creation, the "garb we see Godby." How much
truer to what a spiritual religionteaches us is this view than that which would
direct our wonder and our worship to the mere splendours of the material

world, rather than to the greatcreative and informing spirit of the world!
Isaiah, contemptuously speaking of the sea as held in God's hand, as one
might hold a drop of water, is a better poet than Byron, who apostrophizes the
sea as a living being.
II. THE ORIGINALITY OF HIS MIND. A theologicaldifficulty is supposed
to be alluded to. "Who hath regulatedthe mind of Jehovah? Was he himself
absolutely free? May not Omnipotence itself be subject to conditions? May
there not be an equal or superior power to whose counsels he must defer?"
(Cheyne). Distinctly the prophet, without arguing the question, denies the
truth of such an hypothesis. By the Spirit of God we mean the mind of God,
which is
"The life and light of all this wondrous world we see." The world is not "dead
matter," but the creationof that intelligence, the vast poem, inspired by
Divine thoughts that breathe and burn. Love is the lastground of all things,
and conscienceandintelligence are its ministers. God's Being is simple,
unique, absolutely original. In a like sense to that which we saythe works of a
greatpoet are his unassistedproductions, does the prophet say the world is
the work of God. "Contrastthe Babylonian myth of a joint action of Beland
the gods in the creationof man; and the Iranian of co-creatorshipof Ormuzd
and the Amshaspands;" or the crude cosmogonic notions of the Greeks. All
parts of the world, all habitable lands and nations, are dependent on him,
derived from his will, subject to his power. How, then, canearth's noblest
products add anything to his riches, or further illustrate the glory of One to
whom they already belong? The poverty of Judah in woodmay be contrasted
with the rich forests of Lebanon; but even Lebanon could not yield enough for
his honour, if that honour is to be measured by the extent of the offerings. The
nations, and all that is greatand imposing in their life, are nought in his eyes;
chaos may designate them in this contemptuous view. In short, he is
incomparable. No illustration, analogy, similitude, ever thrown forth from the
poet-souland imagination in mankind, as no picture of painter, image of
sculptor, will here avail. Nay, there must be moments when the very forms of
thought into which everything must be thrown that we may see it at all, and
even last of all, the richest and purest musical harmonies, must be set aside as
inadequate.

"All are too mean to speak his worth,
Too mean to set our Makerforth." Nothing can surpass the simplicity and the
sublimity of this view of God. Nothing less lofty will satisfyour intelligence or
meet the yearnings of our heart. The idolatry we are so ready to lavish upon
the finite objectis the poor caricature of that immense delight which God
demands we should enjoy in the thought of him, and which we cannotbe
satisfieduntil we have attained. - J.
Biblical Illustrator
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket.
Isaiah40:15
The greatnessofGod and His works
J. Duchals, D. D.
I. THE GREATNESS OF GOD AND HIS WORKS.

II. GOD CONSTANTLYGOVERNETHTHE WORLD WHICH HE HATH
MADE. And as all creatures from the highest to the lowesthave their
subsistence in the powerof God, so they are eachof them noticed by His eye
and governedby His providence; that is, by the immediate energy of His own
power, or by agents which are under His direction, and who cannot actbut by
His power. That care of the Supreme Being, by which this generalorder or
statedcourse of things is preserved, may not unfitly be called a general
providence. Considerthe great extent of it. It taketh place not only in the
frame of the universe, the regular motion of the vast bodies which compose it,
by which we have spring and harvest, summer and winter, day and night; not
only in the fruitfulness of the earth, and the state of the severalkinds of
animals which inhabit it, and the manner in which the kinds and the
individuals are preserved; but in human affairs likewise. But it is particularly
pleasing to observe how minutely this providence of the Supreme Being
descendeth, evento the notice and direction of the smallestand most
inconsiderable things. Our Saviour, and this according to the justest
philosophy that ever appearedin the world, representethHis Heavenly Father
as clothing the lilies of the field, and as feeding the ravens;and argues from
this, that if He attends to these things, which are comparatively of the smallest
account, surely His providence will not neglectHis creatures of a nobler order
(Luke 12.). Thus, though God is so great, "He humbleth Himself to behold
things which are done in heavenand upon earth," and takes notice even of the
lowestorders of creatures, and of every individual. For, besides that general
order of causes and effects which He hath established, and maintaineth from
age to age, there are plain footsteps ofa particular providence regarding
individual persons. By the interpositions of providence things are so governed
and conductedthat His purposes are pursued and carriedinto execution; and
manifold are the means by which this may be effected. How important the
events which arise out of things which appearto us purely accidental!
III. These reflections naturally lead our thoughts to THE HAPPINESS OF
THE SUPREME BEING IN HIS PERFECTIONSAND WORKS, a subject,
indeed, as little to be comprehended by us, as we can find out the Almighty
unto perfection. Yet we cannot avoid the thought how high, and in all respects
perfect, the felicity of the first cause of all things must be; and love to God will

make a right heart rejoice and exult in it. Nor let it be objected, that in the
universe there is much irregularity, and many evils and sufferings. For what
to us hath the appearance ofirregularity may be, nay, assuredlyis, necessary
to the harmony of the whole;and part of a design which was the bestand
worthiestwhich could be framed. As for those sufferings which the subjects of
a moral government bring upon themselves, they are as necessaryas that
government itself; which is indeed the glory of God's creation, and without
which, and those orders of creatures which are made to be the subjects of such
a government, the universe must have been nothing to what it is now. An
universe without angels, without men, without any such orders of intellectual
and moral beings, what would it have been? But the glorious Head and
Regentof that vast body, which is all harmony, all order and beauty, and in
which no part of the grand designhath failed, or ever canfail, what happiness
must He taste!Concluding reflections —
1. If our minds are rightly impressed with a sense ofthe Divine greatness and
majesty, how little must what we are apt to call greatupon earth appearin
our eye!
2. Let us in all things meeklyand affectionatelysubmit to the supreme Ruler;
in humble obedience to His laws, and in unreserved resignationto His
providence.
3. Let us put our trust in God.
(J. Duchals, D. D.)
The Greatness ofGodand the Littleness of Man
W. Clarkson
Isaiah40:12-17
Who has measuredthe waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven
with the span…

These mosteloquent words, so impressive as they stand that it seems
undesirable to touch them in the wayof analyzing them, may speak to us of -
I. THE IMMEASURABLE GREATNESSOF GOD.
1. His Divine majesty. All that is most vast and powerful in the universe - the
sea, the heavens, the land, the mountains, etc. - is small and slight indeed when
compared with him; his surroundings, his possessions, allbespeak his
unapproachable majesty.
2. His Divine power. Such is his boundless strength that he canhold up the
waters in the hollow of his hand, can"take up the isles as a very little thing."
What cannot he accomplishto whom this is easy?
3. His Divine knowledge. Powerrests onknowledge;God is able to do all
things because he knows all things. He can tell what is the measure of "the
dust of the earth." He cannot be taught anything by any being, for all
knowledge is his already (vers. 13,14);greatestthings and least, the weight of
the mountains, the number of the grains of dust, etc., are known to him.
4. His Divine wisdom. "Who hath taught him in the path of judgment?' (ver.
14). Perfectwisdom, the secretof right action, of the direction of greatest
affairs, of prevision and provision, of ruling and overruling, is at his
command. His wisdom is incapable of increase;it is absolutely complete.

II. HUMAN LITTLENESS. "The nations are as a drop of a bucket" (ver. 15).
We note, as corresponding with God's greatness:
1. Our insignificance. We may find ourselves mean and humble enough when
compared with our fellow-men; most certainly we do when we bring
ourselves, our circumstances,our authority, into comparisonwith him.
2. Our impotence. How very little canthe strongestand most influential men
effect!how much less those whose lives are spent in lowly spheres!
3. Our ignorance. We wantmen to direct our spirit, to counselus, to teachus
knowledge. There are few men from whom we have not something to learn.
We need to be acquiring knowledge,not in the time specially devoted to study,
but all day long and all life through.
4. Our foolishness.We do not know how to conduct our own affairs wisely,
and are continually making larger or smaller mistakes:how much more so in
our conduct of other men's affairs! Therefore we do well:
(1) To retain truest and deepestreverence of spirit; filial confidence and joy in
God must always be made consistentwith profoundest adoration.
(2) To acceptwithout question the truth he has revealedto us in his Word.
(3) To trust his guidance in the direction of our lives, howeverdark and
inexplicable some passages mayseem.

(4) To work on cheerfully and hopefully, though a successfulissue appear
exceedinglyremote. - C.
God in Relationto Earth and Ocean
T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.
Isaiah40:12-28
with the span…
Put two tablespoonfuls of water in the palm of your hand and it will overflow;
but Isaiahindicates that God puts the Atlantic and the Pacific and the Arctic
and the Antarctic and the Mediteraneanand the Black Sea and all the waters
of the earth in the hollow of His hand. The fingers the beachon one side, the
wrist the beachon the other. "He holdeth the waterin the hollow of His
hand." As you take a pinch of saltor powder betweenyour thumb and two
fingers, so Isaiahindicates God takes up the earth. He measures the dust of
the earth. The original there indicates that God takes all the dust of all the
continents betweenthe thumb and two fingers.
(T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.)
God Weighing the Mountains

Isaiah40:12-28
with the span…
What are all the balances ofearthly manipulation compared with the balances
that Isaiahsaw suspended when he saw God putting into the scales the Alps
and the Apennines and Mount Washington and the Sierra Nevadas? You see
the earth had to be ballasted. It would not do to have too much weightin
Europe, or too much weightin Asia, or too much weight in Africa or in
America; so when God made the mountains He weighedthem. God knows the
weight of the great ranges that cross the continents, the tons, the pounds
avoirdupois, the ounces, the grains, the milligrammes.
The GreatGod in His Relationto Heaven and Earth
Isaiah40:12-28
with the span…
There was an engineerby the name of Strasicrateswho was in the employ of
Alexander the Great, and he offered to hew a mountain in the shape of his
master, the Emperor, the enormous figure to hold in the left hand a city of

10,000inhabitants, while with the right hand it was to hold a basin large
enough to collectall the mountain torrents. Alexander applauded his
ingenuity, out forbade the enterprise because ofits costliness. YetI have to tell
you that our King holds in His one hand all the cities of the earth, and with
the other all the oceans,while He has the stars of heaven for a tiara.
The Grandeur of God
J. Saurin.
Isaiah40:12-28
with the span…
The prophet's notions of God are diffused through all the verses ofthe text.
The prophet's design in describing the Deity with so much magnificence is to
discountenance idolatry, of which there are two sorts.
1. Religious idolatry, which consists in rendering that religious worship to a
creature which is due to none but God.
2. Moralidolatry, which consists in distrusting the promises of God in
dangerous crises, andin expecting that assistance frommen which cannotbut
be expected from God. The portrait drawn by the prophet is infinitely inferior

to his original. Ye will be fully convincedof this if ye attend to the following
considerations ofthe grandeur of God.
I. THE SUBLIMITY OF HIS ESSENCE. The prophet's mind was filled with
this object. It is owing to this that he repeats the grand title of Jehovah, "the
Lord," which signifies "I am" by excellence, andwhich distinguisheth by four
grand characters the essence ofGod from the essenceofcreatures.
1. The essence ofGodis independent in its cause. Godis a self-existentbeing.
We exist, but ours is only a borrowedexistence, for existence is foreign from
us.
2. The essence ofGodis universal in its extent. Godpossesseththe reality of
every thing that exists. He is, as an ancient writer expressethit, a boundless
oceanof existence. Fromthis oceanof existence all createdbeings, like so
many rivulets, flow.
3. The essence ofGodis unchangeable in its exercise. Creaturesonly pass
from nothing to existence, and from existence to nothing. We love to-day what
we hated yesterday, and to-morrow we shall hate What to-day we love.
4. The Divine essenceis eternal in its duration. "Hastthou not known," saith
our prophet, "that He is the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creatorof the
ends of the earth?"
II. THE IMMENSITYOF HIS WORKS (vers. 22, 26). A novice is frightened
at hearing what astronomers assert. Overall this universe God reigns.

III. THE EFFICIENCYOF HIS WILL. The idea of the real world conducts
us to that of the possible world. The idea of a creative Being includes the idea
of a Being whose will is efficient. But a Being whose will is self-efficient, is a
Being who, by a single actof His will, can create all possible beings: that is, all,
the existence ofwhich implies no contradiction;there being no reasonfor
limiting the power of a will that hath been once efficient of itself.
IV. THE MAGNIFICENCE OF SOME OF HIS MIGHTY ACTS, AT
CERTAIN PERIODS,IN FAVOUR OF HIS CHURCH. The prophet had two
of these periods in view. The first was the return of the Jews from that
captivity in Babylon which he had denounced; and the second, the coming of
the Messiah, ofwhich their return from captivity was only a shadow. Such,
then, are the grandeurs of God! Application — We observedthat the
prophet's design was to render two sorts of idolatry odious: idolatry in
religion, and idolatry in morals. Idolatry in religion consists in rendering
those religious homages to creatures whichare due to the Creatoronly. To
discredit this kind of idolatry, the prophet contents himself with describing it.
He shames the idolater by reminding him of the origin of idols, and of the
pains taken to preserve them. A man is guilty of moral idolatry when, in
dangerous crises, he says, 'My way is hid from the Lord; my judgment is
passedover from my God.' God is the sole arbiter of events. Whenever ye
think that any more powerful being directs them to comfort you, ye put the
creature in the Creators place;whether ye do it in a manner more or less
absurd; whether formidable armies, impregnable fortresses, andwell-stored
magazines;or whether a small circle of friends, an easyincome, or a country
house. The Jews were oftenguilty of the first sort of idolatry. The captivity in
Babylon was the last curb to that fatal propensity. Thanks be to God that the
light of the Gospelhath opened the eyes of a greatnumber of Christians in
regard to idolatry in religion. Ye who, in order to avert public calamities,
satisfy yourselves with a few precautions of worldly prudence, and take no
pains to extirpate those horrible crimes which provoke the vengeance of
heaven to inflict punishments on public bodies;ye are guilty of this second
kind of idolatry. Were your confidence placedin God, ye would endeavour to
avert national judgments by purging the state of those wickedpractices which

are the surest forerunners and the principal causes offamine, and pestilence,
and war. And thou, feeble mortal, lying on a sick-bed, already struggling with
the king of terrors; thou, who tremblingly complainest, I am undone! — thou
art guilty of this secondkind of idolatry, that thou hast trusted in man and
made flesh thine arm. Were God the objectof thy trust, thou wouldestbelieve
that though death is about to separate thee from man, it is about to unite thee
to God.
(J. Saurin.)
The Greatness ofIsrael's God
F. Delitzsch, D. D.
Isaiah40:12-28
with the span…
How little the palm of a man takes, how little the space which the span of a
man can cover, how scanty the third of an ephah. and for what insignificant
measures a balance suffices, whether a steelyard(statera), or a retail balance
(libra) consisting of two scales (lances). But what Jehovahmeasures with His
palm and regulates with His span is nothing less than the waters below and
the heavens above. He uses a shalish, in which the dust composing the earth
finds place, and a balance in which He weighs the colossusofthe mountains.
(F. Delitzsch, D. D.)

The Incomparableness ofthe GreatGod
Homilist
Isaiah40:12-28
with the span…
"To whom then will ye liken God?"
I. THAT THE GREATEST THINGS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD ARE
NOTHING TO HIM. The oceanis great, greatin its depths, breadths,
contents, occupying by far the largestportion of this globe of ours. But He
"hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand." The heaven is great;
its expanse is immeasurable, its worlds and systems baffle all arithmetic, but
He "meted out heaven with the span." The earth is great, greatto us, though
mere speck in the universe, and, it may be, an atom to other intelligences;but
"He comprehendeth the dust in a measure," etc. Whatis the universe to God?
You may compare an atom to the Andes, a raindrop to the Atlantic, a spark to
the centralfires of the creation;but you cannotcompare the universe, greatas
it is, to the Creator.
II. THAT THE GREATESTMINDS IN THE SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE ARE
NOTHING TO HIM. "Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His
counsellorhath taught Him?" etc. (vers. 13, 14). The Bible gives us to
understand that there is a spiritual universe far greaterthan the material, of
which the material is but the dim mirror and feeble instrument — a universe

containing intelligences innumerable in multitude and incalculable in their
gradations of strength and intelligence. But what spirit or spirits at the head
or hierarchy of these intelligences has ever given Him counsel, instructed or
influenced Him in any matter? He is uninstructible: the only Being in the
universe who is so. He knows all. Soonerspeak ofa spark enlightening the
sun, than speak of a universe of intelligences adding aught to the knowledge of
.God. He is absolutelyoriginal: the only Being in the universe who is so. We
talk of original thinkers. Such creatures are mere fictions. He being so
independent of all minds —
1. His universe must be regardedas the expressionof Himself. No other being
had a hand in it.
2. His laws are the revelation of Himself. No one counselledHim in His
legislation.
3. His conduct is absolutely irresponsible, and He alone canbe trusted with
irresponsibility.
III. THAT THE GREATEST INSTITUTIONSIN HUMAN SOCIETYARE
NOTHING TO HIM. Nations are the greatestthings "in" human institutions.
"But nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of
the balance." Whatwere the greatestnations of the old world, or the most
powerful of modern times? What are the greatestnations that have ever been,
or are, comparedto Him? Nothing, emptiness. Oh, ye magnates of the world,
ye kings of the earth, what are ye in the presence ofGod? Less than
animalcula dancing in the sun.

IV. THAT THE GREATEST PRODUCTIONSOF HUMAN LABOUR ARE
NOTHING TO HIM. "There is," said an eloquent Frenchpreacher, "nothing
greatbut God."
(Homilist.)
The TranscendentOne
Homilist
Isaiah40:12-28
with the span…
The grand object of this sublime chapterseems to be to inspirit and to
comfort the Jews in their Babylonian captivity. Their God in His transcendent
greatness is brought under their notice for this purpose —
I. IN THE EXACTITUDE OF HIS OPERATIONS. He is here representedas
"measuring" the waters, as "spanning" the heavens, as "comprehending" the
very dust of the earth in a measure, as "weighing" the mountains in scales. As
the physician adjusts in nicestproportions the elements in the medical dose,
with which he hopes to cure his patient; the engineerevery crank and wheel
and pin in the machine which he has constructedfor a certain purpose, so
God — only in an Infinite degree — arranges allthe parts of the complicated
universe. It is seenin the atmosphere that surrounds this globe;were one of its
constituent elements more or less than it is the whole would be disturbed. This
is seenin the punctuality with which all the heavenly orbs perform their

movements; they are never out of time. It is seen, in fact, in the unbroken
uniformity with which all nature proceeds on its march.
1. This Divine exactitude should inspire us with unbounded confidence in His
procedure. Because Godworks with such infinite precision, His works admit
of no improvement.
2. This Divine exactitude should inspire us to imitate Him in this respect.
When we actfrom blind impulse, or from imperfect reflection, we risk our
wellbeing.
II. IN THE ALMIGHTINESS OF HIS POWER. He is here representedas
holding the waters in the "hollow of His hand." In thinking of this power we
should remember —
1. That all this poweris under the direction of intelligence. It is not a blind
force, like the force of the storm or the tornado, but it is a force directed by
the highestwisdom. Wisdom uses the whole as the smith uses his hammer on
the anvil, as the mariner the rudder in the tempest.
2. That all this poweris inspired by benevolence. The infinite is here
portrayed.
III. IN THE INDEPENDENCYOF HIS MIND. "With whom took He
counsel, and who instructed Him?" From this absolute mental independency
of God the following things may be deduced —

1. That all His operations must originate in pure sovereignty. All that exists
must be traced to the counsels ofHis own will, for He had no counsellor.
2. That all His laws must be a transcript of His mind. What they are He is;
they are the history of Himself. Conclusion — What an argument is" here for
an entire surrender to, and a thorough acquiescencein, the Divine will.
(Homilist.)
Why SayestThou
F. B. Meyer, B. A.
Isaiah40:12-28
with the span…
The devout thought of these paragraphs passes insurvey, first the earth (vers.
12-20);then the heavens (21-26);finally, the experience of the children of God
in all ages (27-31).
I. THE TESTIMONYOF THE EARTH. It seems as though we are conducted
to the shores of the Mediterranean, and stationedsomewhere nearthe site of
ancient Tyre. Before us spreads the GreatSea, as the Hebrews were wont to
call it. Far across the waters, calmand tranquil, or heaving in memory of
recentstorms, sea and sky blend in the circle of the horizon. Now remember,
says the prophet, God's hands are so strong and greatthat all that oceanand

all other oceanslie in them as a drop on a man's palm And this God is our
God for ever and ever. All men may be in arms againstthee:encircling thee
with threats, and plotting to swallow thee up. But the nations are to Him as
the drop of a bucket, and are countedas the small dust of the balance. Thou
hast no reason, therefore, to be afraid.
II. THE TESTIMONYOF THY HEAVENS. The scene shifts to the heavens,
and all that is therein. This is the antidote of fear. Sit in the heavenlies. Do not
look from earth towards heaven, but from heaven towards earth. Let God, not
man, be the standpoint of vision. But this is not all. To this inspired thinker, it
seemedas though the blue skies were curtains that God had stretchedout as a
housewife gauze (see RevisedVersion, marg.), or the fabric of a tent within
which the pilgrim rests. If creationbe His tent, which He fills in all its parts,
how puny are the greatestpotentates of earth! The child of Godneed not be
abashedbefore the greatestofearthly rulers. And even this is not all — day
changes to night, and as the twilight deepens, the stars come out in their hosts;
and suddenly, to the imagination of this lofty soul, the vault of heaven seems a
pasture-land over which a vast flock is following its Shepherd, who calls each
by name. What a sublime conception!Jehovah, the Shepherd of the stars,
leading them through space;conducting them with such care and might that
none falls out of rank, or is lacking. And will Jehovahdo so much for stars,
and nought for sons?
III. THE TESTIMONYOF THE SAINTS. "Hastthou not heard?" It has
been a commonplace with every generationof God's people, that "the Lord
fainteth not, neither is weary." He never takes up a case to drop it. He never
begins to build a characterto leave it when it is half complete. He may seemto
forsake and to plunge the soul into needless trial; this, however, is no
indication that He has tired of His charge, but only that He could not fulfil the
highest blessednessofsome soul He loved save by the sternestdiscipline.
"There is no searching of His understanding." There is another point on
which all the saints are agreed, that neither weariness norfainting are

barriers to the forth-putting of God's might. On the contrary, they possessan
infinite attractiveness to His nature.
(F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
Behold, the nations - All the nations of the earth. This is designedto show the
greatness ofGod, in comparisonwith that which strikes man as great - a
mighty nation; and the main objectseems to be, to show that God could
accomplishhis purposes without their aid, and that they could not resisthim
in the executionof his plans. If they were as nothing in comparisonwith him,
how easilycould he execute his purposes! If they were as nothing, how little
could they resistthe executionof his plans!
Are as a drop of a bucket - In comparisonwith him; or are so esteemedby
him. The drop that falls from the bucketin drawing wateris a trifle. It has no
power, and comparedwith the waters of the oceanit is as nothing. So small is
the powerof the nations in comparisonwith God. “And are counted.” Are
thought of, regarded, esteemedby him, or in comparisonwith him.
As the small dust of the balance - The small, fine dust which collects on the
best finished and most accurate balance orscales,and which has no effectin
making the scales uneven, or making either side preponderate. Nothing canbe
a more striking representationof the factthat the nations are regarded as
nothing in comparisonwith God.
Behold, he takethup the isles - Or he is able to do it; he could remove the isles
as the fine dust is driven before the whirlwind. A more literal translation of
this passagewouldbe, ‹Lo, the isles are as the dust which is takenup,‘ or

which one takes up; that is, which is takenup, and carried awayby the wind.
There is something unusual in the expressionthat Godtakes up the isles, and
the idea is rather that the isles in his sight are regardedas the fine dust which
the wind sweeps away. So the Chaldee renders it, ‹Lo, the isles are like ashes
which the wind drives away.‘The word ‹isles,‘Vitringa and Jerome regard as
denoting not the small portions of land in the sea that are surrounded by
water, but lands which are encompassedand enclosedMesopotamia. But
there is no reasonwhy it should not be takenhere in its usual signification, as
denoting the islands of the sea. They would serve well to be used in connection
with mountains and hills in setting forth the vast powerof God.
As a very little thing - (‫קדכ‬ keddaq ). The word ‫קד‬ daq means theft which is
beaten small, or fine; and then fine dust, chaff, or any light thing which the
wind easilysweeps away.
The Biblical Illustrator
Isaiah40:15
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket
The greatnessofGod and His works
I.
THE GREATNESSOF GOD AND HIS WORKS.
II. GOD CONSTANTLYGOVERNETHTHE WORLD WHICH HE HATH
MADE. And as all creatures from the highest to the lowesthave their
subsistence in the powerof God, so they are eachof them noticed by His eye
and governedby His providence; that is, by the immediate energy of His own
power, or by agents which are under His direction, and who cannot actbut by
His power. That care of the Supreme Being, by which this generalorder or
statedcourse of things is preserved, may not unfitly be called a general

providence. Considerthe great extent of it. It taketh place not only in the
frame of the universe, the regular motion of the vast bodies which compose it,
by which we have spring and harvest, summer and winter, day and night; not
only in the fruitfulness of the earth, and the state of the severalkinds of
animals which inhabit it, and the manner in which the kinds and the
individuals are preserved; but in human affairs likewise. But it is particularly
pleasing to observe how minutely this providence of the Supreme Being
descendeth, evento the notice and direction of the smallestand most
inconsiderable things. Our Saviour, and this according to the justest
philosophy that ever appearedin the world, representethHis Heavenly Father
as clothing the lilies of the field, and as feeding the ravens;and argues from
this, that if He attends to these things, which are comparatively of the smallest
account, surely His providence will not neglectHis creatures of a nobler order
(Luke 12:1-59.). Thus, though God is so great, “He humbleth Himself to
behold things which are done in heaven and upon earth,” and takes notice
even of the lowestorders of creatures, and of every individual. For, besides
that generalorder of causes andeffects which He hath established, and
maintaineth from age to age, there are plain footsteps of a particular
providence regarding individual persons. By the interpositions of providence
things are so governed and conducted that His purposes are pursued and
carried into execution;and manifold are the means by which this may be
effected. How important the events which arise out of things which appear to
us purely accidental!
III. These reflections naturally lead our thoughts to THE HAPPINESS OF
THE SUPREME BEING IN HIS PERFECTIONSAND WORKS, a subject,
indeed, as little to be comprehended by us, as we can find out the Almighty
unto perfection. Yet we cannot avoid the thought how high, and in all respects
perfect, the felicity of the first cause of all things must be; and love to God will
make a right heart rejoice and exult in it. Nor let it be objected, that in the
universe there is much irregularity, and many evils and sufferings. For what
to us hath the appearance ofirregularity may be, nay, assuredlyis, necessary
to the harmony of the whole;and part of a design which was the bestand
worthiestwhich could be framed. As for those sufferings which the subjects of

a moral government bring upon themselves, they are as necessaryas that
government itself; which is indeed the glory of God’s creation, and without
which, and those orders of creatures which are made to be the subjects of such
a government, the universe must have been nothing to what it is now. An
universe without angels, without men, without any such orders of intellectual
and moral beings, what would it have been? But the glorious Head and
Regentof that vast body, which is all harmony, all order and beauty, and in
which no part of the grand designhath failed, or ever canfail, what happiness
must He taste!Concluding reflections--
1. If our minds are rightly impressed with a sense ofthe Divine greatness and
majesty, how little must what we are apt to call greatupon earth appearin
our eye!
2. Let us in all things meeklyand affectionatelysubmit to the supreme Ruler;
in humble obedience to His laws, and in unreserved resignationto His
providence.
3. Let us put our trust in God. (J. Duchals, D. D.)
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket,.... Notonly the Chaldeans and
Babylonians, and other nations most known, and most troublesome to the
Jews, but all the nations of the world; these, in comparisonof God, of his
infinite and immense Being, are but as a drop of waterthat hangs upon the
bucket, or falls from it, when water is drawn by it, or is left in it, when poured
out of it; which is nothing in comparisonof the wellout of which the water is
drawn, or evenof the water in the bucket drawn out of it:
and are accountedas the small dust of the balance;that is, they are accounted
nothing of with God, comparativelyspeaking, any more than the small dust
which hangs upon the balance, and gives it no weight, nor turn one way or
another, and so is of no consideration. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac,

and Arabic versions, render it, "as the turn of the scale";and so the Targum;
but the other version more strongly expresses the sense:
behold, he takethup the isles as a very little thing; by which are meant not
merely islands, properly so called, which are encompassedby the sea, but all
such countries which the Jews usedto go to by sea, forall such they called
isles;these the Lord can take up, or castawayF21, as some render the word;
toss them about, overturn and destroy, as a man may take up the most minute
thing and castit from him. The Targum renders it,
"as chaff which flies away;'
or, as others translate it,
"as the ashes of a coalwhich fly away.'
The word may signify any light thing, as chaff, straw, stubble, feathers, down
of thistles, which are easilycarried awaywith the leastforce; and so Vitringa
renders the words, "behold, the isles are as some little thing which flies
away".
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
of — rather, (hanging) from a bucket [Maurer].
he taketh up … as a very little thing — rather, “are as a mere grain of dust
which is takenup,” namely, by the wind; literally, “one takethup,”
impersonally (Exodus 16:14) [Maurer].
isles — rather, “lands” in general, answering to “the nations” in the parallel
clause;perhaps lands, like Mesopotamia, enclosedby rivers [Jerome] (so
Isaiah42:15). However, EnglishVersion, “isles” answers wellto “mountains”
(Isaiah 40:12), both alike being lifted up by the powerof God; in fact, “isles”
are mountains upheaved from the bed of the sea by volcanic agency;only that
he seems here to have passedfrom unintelligent creatures (Isaiah40:12)to
intelligent, as nations and lands, that is, their inhabitants.

Keil & DelitzschCommentary on the Old Testament
From His exaltationas Creator, the prophet now proceeds to His exaltationas
Governorof the world. “Behold, nations like a little drop on a bucket, and like
a grain of sand in a balance, are they esteemed;behold, islands like an atom of
dust that rises in the air.” Upon Jehovah, the King of the world, does the
burden rest of ruling over the whole human race, which is split up into
different nations; but the great masses ofpeople over whom Jehovahrules are
no more burden to Him than a drop hanging upon a bucketis a burden to the
man who carries it ( min is used in the same sense as in Song of Solomon 4:1;
Song of Solomon 6:5), no more than the weight in a balance is perceptibly
increasedor diminished by a grain of sand that happens to lie upon it (
shachaq, from shâchaq , to grind to powder). The islands , those fragments of
firm ground in the midst of the ocean( ‫יא‬ = ivy , from ‫הוא‬ , to betake one's self
to a place, and remain there), upon which the heathen world was dispersed
(Gen 10), are to Him who carries the universe like the small particle of dust (
‫קק‬ from ‫קקק‬ , to crush or pulverize), which is lifted up, viz., by the slightest
breath of wind ( ‫יווי‬ metaplastic fut. niph. of tūl = nâtal , cf., Isaiah63:9). The
rendering of Knobel, “dust which is thrown,” would require ‫רפע‬ (Isaiah 41:2);
and neither that of Gesenius, viz., “He takes up islands like a particle of dust,”
nor that of Hitzig, “He carries islands,” etc., is admissible, for ‫ּוט‬ ‫נּוי‬ = ‫י‬
signifies tollere , not portare ; and the former, viz., insulas tollit , furnishes no
answerto the question, “How so, and to what end?”
Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small
dust of the balance:behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
Are counted — By him, and in comparisonof him.
The dust — Which accidentallycleaves to the balance, but makes no
alterationin the weight.

The isles — Those numerous and vast countries, to which they went from
Judea by sea, whichare commonly calledisles.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
15.Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket. If we wish to understand the
Prophet’s meaning, and to read these words with advantage, we must (as I
remarkeda little before) understand his design. He does not celebrate the
greatness ofGodin a detachedmanner, but extols it with the utmost. possible
adaptation to the presentsubject, that Israelites may know that this shield
alone is sufficient to protect them, and that they will have no reasonto dread
the efforts, or rage, or violence of the world, if God be reconciledto them, and
that they may thus learn to betake themselves to God’s protection; for if they
were not fully convincedof this, there would arise at every moment various
causes ofdespair. Isaiah thus continues the subject, when he says that all
nations and peoples are nothing when compared with God; for, by simply
breathing on them, he will scatterlike small dust all the inhabitants of the
earth. In consequence ofour being excessivelyprone and foolishly ingenious
in devising reasons ofdistrust, we imagine that everything that Satandoes for
the purpose of hindering our salvationblocks up the path of God. Forthe
purpose of correcting this error, the Prophet declares that all the creatures
are nothing before God, and that all the nations resemble small and
inconsiderable drops of water. Hence we infer that nothing can be more
contrary to reasonthan to exalt creatures for the sake ofdiminishing the
powerof God, which is high above all, and ought to be so acknowledged.
John Trapp Complete Commentary

Isaiah40:15 Behold, the nations [are] as a drop of a bucket, and are counted
as the small dust of the balance:behold, he takethup the isles as a very little
thing.
Ver. 15. Behold, the nations are as the drop of a bucket.]Quota igitur es tu
istius guttae particula? What a small parcelart thou then of that small drop?
saith an ancient.
As the small dust of the balance.]That weighethnothing; yea, all men
togetherlaid in the balance with vanity itself will ascendor tilt up. (a) [Psalms
62:9]
He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.] Or, He takethup and throweth
awaythe isles as powder.
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
The nations, all the nations of the world,
are as a drop of a bucket, compared with all the waterin the bucket, wherein
are innumerable drops: such are they if compared with God.
And are countedby him, and in comparisonof him, as the small dust of the
balance;which accidentallycleaves to the balance, but makes no alteration in
the weight.
The isles;those numerous and vast countries to which they went from Judea
by sea, which are commonly called isles, as hath been oft observed.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
15. The nations are as a drop — So far the omnipotence and omniscience of
God: — now his exaltationas governorof the universe. Necessarily, all

expressions ofGod’s natural attributes are anthropomorphic, after the
limited human way of speaking;and, whatever metaphysicians may say, or
attempt to say, Isaiah, the greatestofthe prophets intellectually, never
attempts to get beyond this. The thought here is, that the greatnations of
earth are no more a burden resting upon the King of the world than a drop
hanging from a bucket is a burden to the man carrying it — no more than the
weight in the balances is perceptibly increasedby the smallestsand atom that
lies upon it.
Isles — Or fragments of the solid continent on which the heathen world is
scattered, are to Him who carries the universe like the smallestdust rising in
the air. — Delitzch.
George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
Dust. Hebrew caddak, (Haydock)"as dok fallen." (Symmachus) --- It may
signify an atom. (St. Jerome) --- If all nations be only like a drop, what portion
of it do I occupy? (Calmet; ver. 17.)
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
of = on: i.e. hanging from.
isles = maritime countries. See note on Isaiah 11:11.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small
dust of the balance:behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
Of - literally, (hanging) from a bucket ( midliy (Hebrew #1805)).
He taketh up the isles as a very little thing - or, 'the isles are as a mere grain of
dust (which) is takenup' ( yiTowl(Hebrew #5190), from naaTal(Hebrew

#5190), to bearor lift up), namely, by the wind, literally, one takethup,
impersonally (Maurer).
Isles - lands in general, answering to "the nations" in the parallelclause:
perhaps lands, like Mesopotamia and Babylonia, enclosedby rivers (Jerome).
So Isaiah 42:15. The Englishversion, "isles,"answerswellto "mountains"
(Isaiah 40:12), both alike being lifted up by the powerof God; only large
islands are required by the sense, in order to illustrate God's power. In fact,
"isles" are mountains upheaved from the bed of the sea by volcanic agency;
only that He seems here to have passedfrom unintelligent creatures (Isaiah
40:12)to intelligent, as nations and lands - i:e., their inhabitants. Yittol is
takenby Grotius from tul or til, to hurl away. Forerius, from talal, to coveror
submerge. The English version requires no ellipsis of 'which.' God 'taketh up
and hurleth awaythe isles (at will), as (though they were) a very little thing.'
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(15) The nations are as a drop . . .—“Nations”and “isles” bring us into the
regionof human history, as distinct from that of the material world. “Isles” as
elsewhere,stands vaguely for far-off lands, or sea-coasts.The word is that of
one who looks onthe Mediterranean, and thinks of the unexplored regions
that lie in it and around. It is one of Isaiah’s favourite words in this aspectof
its meaning.
A drop of a bucket.—Better, ona bucket. Such a drop adds nothing to the
weight which the bearerfeels;as little do the nations and the isles to the
burden which Jehovahbears. The “small dust in the balance” presents
another illustration of the same idea.
END OF STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
RAY STEDMAN

Who is Like Our God?
Readthe Scripture: Isaiah40:12-20
Who has measuredthe waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth
of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a
basket, or weighedthe mountains on the scalesand the hills in a balance?
Isaiah40:12
This sectionhas some of the most majestic and superb language aboutGod
found in Scripture. God himself is asking man, Can you do what I do? Can
you hold the waters of earth in the hollow of your hand? I stood on the beach
at San Diego. It was a gorgeousday. I watched the greatcombers coming in
from the Pacific. As I watchedthose great billows crashing on the sand I
thought of the vastness ofthe Pacific Ocean, extending thousands upon
thousands of miles to the West. These words came to my mind, Who has
measuredthe waters in the hollow of his hand? God himself in majesty and
greatness controls allthe forces of earth.
Verses 13 and 14 speak of God's incredible wisdom: Who has directed the
Spirit of the Lord, or as his counselorhas instructed him? (Isaiah 40:13 RSV)
Who could do that? Many attempt to. I confess there have been times when I
have been confronted with a difficult problem which I analyzed and thought I
had solved. Then I have come to God and told him step by step what he could
do to work out the problem—only to find, to my utter astonishment, that he
completely ignored my approach and did nothing about it. I have become
irritated over this. I have said to him, Lord, even I cansee how to work this
out. Surely you ought to be able to understand. But as the problem remained,
and a whole new situation came to light, I realized that God saw far more
than I could see, that he knew of obstacles Ihad no knowledge of, complexities
that touched the lives of hundreds of people. He was working out purposes
that would go on not only for the moment, but on and on into one generation
after another; that his solutionultimately was the best one. I had to say, as the
Apostle Paul says in Romans 11, O the depth of the riches and wisdom and

knowledge ofGod! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable
his ways!(Romans 11:33 RSV).
In Verses 15 to 17, God compares himself with the proud nations of earth:
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accountedas the
dust on the scales;behold, he takes up the isles like fine dust. (Isaiah 40:15
RSV). How feeble seemthe boasts of men, the leaders of the nations, with
their claims to glory and might and power, when compared with the
greatness,the majestyand the strength of God himself. They are nothing, God
says, absolutelynothing.
Almighty and Eternal God, I humble myself before you as the Creatorand
Sustainerof all things. Who am I, that I should question your ways? I gladly
submit my will to yours and trust that you will work out even the most
difficult of circumstances.
Life Application
Are we considering the absurdity of questioning or propositioning Almighty
and SovereignGod? Do we pray with Jesus, 'Thy will be done,' or the futile
folly of 'my will be done'?
Daily Devotion© 2014 by Ray Stedman Ministries. For permissionto use this
content, please review RayStedman.org/permissions. Subjectto permission
policy, all rights reserved.
This Daily Devotionwas Inspired by one of Ray's Messages
What is 2 Esdras 6:56 talking about and Isaiah40:15 there’s many other
versus?

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Answers
BestAnswer: Let the context explain it - but know first that Esdras is not
biblical - its apocryphal
apocryphal
adjective apoc·ry·phal ə-ˈpä-krə-fəl
1: of doubtful authenticity : spurious; not biblical
2 Esdras 6:56 Context
53Upon the sixth day thou gavestcommandment unto the earth, that before
thee it should bring forth beasts, cattle, and creeping things: 54And after
these, Adam also, whom thou madest lord of all thy creatures:of him come we
all, and the people also whom thou hast chosen. 55All this have I spoken
before thee, O Lord, because thou madest the world for our sakes>>>>56As
for the other people, which also come of Adam, thou hast said that they are
nothing, but be like unto spittle: and hast likenedthe abundance of them unto
a drop that falleth from a vessel.<<<<57And now, O Lord, behold, these
heathen, which have ever been reputed as nothing, have begun to be lords
over us, and to devour us. 58Butwe thy people, whom thou hast calledthy
firstborn, thy only begotten, and thy fervent lover, are given into their hands.

59If the world now be made for our sakes, whydo we not possess an
inheritance with the world? how long shall this endure?
Seems the writer is describing two separate groups of men from Adam. The
Bible denotes these as Seths godly seedand Cains ungodly seed. The
apocrypha howeverportrays a differing concept.
============
Isa 40:15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the
small dust of the balance:behold, he takethup the isles as a very little thing.
Compare the easyon your eyes NLT
Isa 40:14 Has the LORD ever neededanyone's advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teachhim what is right
or show him the path of justice?
lIsa 40:15 No, for all the nations of the world
are but a drop in the bucket.
They are nothing more
than dust on the scales.
He picks up the whole earth

as though it were a grain of sand.
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To God, the seas thatcoverthe earth are like a drop of waterin the palm of
his hand. Can men measure the vast, starry heavens or weighearth’s
mountains and hills? No.

But God measures the heavens as easilyas a man might measure an object
with a span the distance betweenthe end of the thumb and the end of the little
finger when the hand is spread out.
God can, in effect, weighmountains and hills in a pair of scales. Caneventhe
wisesthumans advise God what to do under present circumstances ortell him
what to do in the future? Certainly not!
What about the nations of the earth can they resistGod as he fulfills his word
of promise? Isaiahanswers by describing the nations as follows:“Look!The
nations are as a drop from a bucket; and as the film of dust on the scales they
have been accounted. Look!He lifts the islands themselves as mere fine dust.
To Jehovah, entire nations are as a drop of waterfalling from a bucket. They
are no more than the fine dust that accumulates on a scale.
To emphasize further that God is beyond compare, Isaiahshows the folly of
those who make idols out of gold, silver, or wood. How foolishto think that
any such idol could be a fitting representationof the “One who is dwelling
above the circle of the earth” and who holds swayover its inhabitants! Read
Isaiah40:18-24
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20180810165036AAQucJ8
ROBERT MORRIS
Receiving and Releasing His Powerin Prayer

I heard about a little boy who went to his dad and said, “I want a little
brother.” His dad lookedup from his newspaper. “Well, son,” he said,
“maybe you ought to pray about that.” So the little guy prayed every night for
one month. And nothing happened. He went on praying for two months. Still
nothing. He continued to pray for three months, but no brother came, so he
finally just quit praying.
Some six months after that, the little boy’s dad took him to the hospital, pulled
back the curtain a little bit, and there was a baby brother. “But hold on,” the
father said with a smile.
He pulled back the curtain a little bit farther — and there was anotherbaby
brother. But he wasn’tfinished yet. He pulled it back even farther, and there
was a third baby brother!
“Now,” the dad said, “aren’t you glad you prayed?”
“Yes,” the boy replied. “But aren’t you glad I stopped after three months?”
We all go through seasons whenwe wonder if our prayers are getting through
or just ricocheting off the ceiling.
It’s discouraging, isn’t it?
When we don’t see results in our lives or the lives of others, why should we
keeppraying?
Part of the answerlies in understanding the unimaginable power that God has
made available to us as His sons and daughters.
God Has DepositedHis Powerin Us
This is extremely important to understand. When you finally understand this
about prayer, you will become a person of prayer, and it will help you
understand how and why we pray — and why we keeppraying, even when we
don’t yet see results. In Luke 24:49 we read these words from Jesus to His
disciples:
Behold, I send the Promise of My Fatherupon you; but tarry in the city of
Jerusalemuntil you are endued with [or receive]power from on high.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus essentiallyrepeats that promise,
But you shall receive powerwhen the Holy Spirit has come upon you.
He is telling the disciples they will have power depositedin them once He
leaves the earth.
And that’s only the beginning of the story. Paul expands on that idea in
Ephesians 3:20 when he writes:
Now to Him who is able to do exceedinglyabundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that works [or resides]in us. (emphasis mine)
It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit structured this verse. You have to
understand that He could have left out the three adverbs — exceedingly,
abundantly, and above — and the verse would have meant basicallythe same
thing:
“Godis able to do all that we ask orthink.”
But apparently, the Holy Spirit didn’t think that statementdescribed God’s
ability adequately, so He put the word above in front of the word all:
God is able to do both all and above all.
But somehow eventhat description wasn’tenough. So the Holy Spirit added
the word abundantly before the words above all.
God is able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think.
But that still didn’t capture it. So God’s Spirit inserted the word exceedingly
before the word abundantly.
As a result, the verse extravagantly describes the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise.
The powerthat God has depositedin us is “exceedingly, abundantly, above all
we ask or think.”
Is that your experience in your life, in your immediate situation — that Godis
able to do exceedinglyabundantly above all that you canask or even imagine?
Can that actually happen?

Absolutely! Since God’s Word is true, and we know He can’t lie, He certainly
is able to do these things.
Then why doesn’t He?
That’s the question, isn’t it? In my life, in my marriage, in my family, in my
health, in this situation I’m going through right now… if God is able to make
such a difference, then why in the world doesn’t He do it?
That last phrase suggests the answer:“according to the powerthat works in
us.” The word translated as “according to” is the Greek word kata, which can
carry a sense of “measuring out” or distribution.
So here is a very simple question.
How much of God’s limitless powerare you measuring out into your life? Into
your family? Into your job or mission field?
How much of God’s powerare you distributing to the situation in which you
need God to work right now?
Is it possible that He has already done His part and deposited His powerin
you and now it is your responsibility to measure it out and distribute it?
Obviously, we are weak human beings, hardly more than microscopic dust
specks in God’s vast universe. We pray to God because He is the Source of all
power, all wisdom, all authority. Before Him…
the nations are like a drop in the bucket;they are regardedas dust on the
scales…He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like
grasshoppers. He stretches outthe heavens like a canopy, and spreads them
out like a tent to live in. — Isaiah 40:15, Isaiah40:22 NIV
We know these things about the might and authority of our God. He is the
powerbehind every answeredprayer anyone has ever prayed.
And yet… God has chosento distribute His powerthrough our prayers! The
question is, will we — in His perfect timing — receive and measure out His
might, goodness,and grace into our lives, our families, and our world?

Excerpted with permissionfrom Why Keep Praying When You Don’t See
Results? by RobertMorris, copyright Robert Morris.
* * *
Your Turn
Have you quit praying? God is goodand God is far more able that we could
ever imagine. So, let’s dig back up our buried prayers and begin again
trusting that God will bless our faithfulness! Come share with us on our blog.
We want to hear from you!
A Drop in the Bucket
August 28, 2016 #idioms #scripture
Share
I love words. I love language. I love the Bible. I especiallylove it when these 3
friends meet. This happens often because the Bible—the King James Bible—
played such a pivotal role in the development of English. Over the next little
while I’m going to take a few Sundays to discuss some common English idioms
that have their origin in the Bible. (Do I need to define idiom first? An idiom
is an expressionthat has a meaning unrelated to the actual words that
comprise it.)

The Expression
A drop in the bucket, sometimes alternately rendered as a drop in the ocean,
is “an insufficient or inconsequentialamount in comparisonwith what is
required.” A bucket (or an ocean)contains so many drops that the addition of
one more makes no meaningful difference. So if a charity is fundraising for a
new building and that building is going to cost$2 million, we might saythat a
$2 donation is a drop in the bucket—itis inconsequential when comparedto
the need. So when Italy sued Volkswagenfor malfeasanceafterthey lied about
their cars’emissions, the media reported that the $5.5 million fine was merely
a drop in the bucket as it representedjust 0.037 percentofthe American
settlement.
The Origin
This phrase originates in Isaiah 40:15 and follows soonafter some of the best-
known words in all of Isaiah’s long prophecy—words you will recognize from
the ministry of John the Baptistand, of course, from Handel’s Messiah:
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the deserta highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiahgoes on to bring further comfort to God’s people by assuring them that
God has not forgottenthem, but will come to their rescue and tend to them.
And then he says this:
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accountedas the dust on the scales;
God’s people may have felt intimidated by the mighty nations around them,
but in the eyes of God, those nations were like a drop from a bucket. Notice
that the original expressionis “drop from a bucket” where we tend to say
“drop in a bucket.” Apparently God’s concernwas the loss of a drop rather
than the gainof a drop, though this makes no difference to the meaning. The
ESV Study Bible interprets the verse succinctly:“The nations of mankind
may seeminsurmountable to Israel, but they are as nothing to God.” John
Oswaltsays the passageimplies this question: “Whatare the nations—so
impressive in their glory, and earthshaking in their power? They are the drop
of water falling back into the cistern as the bucket is pulled up, the speck of
dust on the pan of the balance scales thatdoes not even cause the scalesto
flutter. Both are ephemeraland neither is cause for a moment’s notice.”
The Application
in the hands of an almighty God, no contribution is meaningless—none is too
big, none is too small.
We tend to use the expression“drop in a bucket” when we feel that our
contribution is too small to make a difference—orperhaps, worse, whenwe
feel that another person’s contribution is too small to make a difference. In
this way it is an expressionof hopelessness orpessimism. But in the hands of
an almighty God, no contribution is meaningless—none is too big, none is too
small. He is not bound by the limits of what we canoffer. God is far more
concernedwith the state of our hearts than the magnitude of our
contributions. See Mark 12:41-44.

When we use the expressionin a way consistentwith its origin we see that it is
not meant to make us considerourselves but our God. God’s people were so
significant in his eyes that he comforted them with this declarationof power:
Those other nations are like a drop from a bucket. No matter how difficult or
intimidating the circumstances we face, theyare but a drop from a bucketin
the eyes of a sovereignGod. They are but that minuscule drop that falls from
the bucketand trickles back to the bottom of the well.
Finally, there is greatcomfort to be found in the context of the verse, and
perhaps especiallyin the verses that immediately precede it (12-14):
Who has measuredthe waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosedthe dust of the earth in a measure
and weighedthe mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who has measuredthe Spirit of the LORD,
or what man shows him his counsel?
Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showedhim the way of understanding?
A Drop in the Bucket
May 11, 2014

Bucket(Dictionary): An open container with a handle that is used especially
to hold and carry waterand other liquids;the scoopof an excavating machine.
Bucket(Bible): A bucket; a containerto draw with; to bail out, draw water.
We have all heard the expression“it’s just a drop in the bucket”. This usually
means: “a very small or unimportant amount”. A quick searchof the Web
reveals there are many usages ofthe term “drop in a bucket”. This includes
drilling companies who find water for poor countries, Christian outreaches
and there is even a yo-yo trick by that name! The Bible uses that phrase as
well:
Isaiah40:13-15:13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or who gave Him
His counsel? 14 Who did He consult with? Who gave Him understanding and
taught Him the paths of justice? Who taught Him knowledge and showedHim
the wayof understanding? 15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are consideredas a speck ofdust in the scales;He lifts up the islands like
fine dust. (HCSB)
The prophet was simply stating a factthat God’s wisdom, actions and
knowledge are wellbeyond our understanding. He is sovereign. The
expression“drop in a bucket” could be used as a metaphor for God’s great
plans or even representing His kingdom. We might say that God does have a
metaphoricalbucket and the drops into His bucket are our actions done for
His glory. Many people have or had lives that seemcommon or ordinary by
the world’s standards, but they touched many lives in profound and eternal
ways. There are many that seek to understand God’s kingdom and the place
all of us have in this world:
William Shakespeare triedto gethis arms around life by his poem in the play
“As You Like It”:
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They
have their exits and their entrances;And one man in his time plays many
parts…

But Shakespeareand others missed the point of how God sees ourlives! God
has a marvelous plan for all people through His Son Jesus. He desires that all
men be saved:
1 Timothy 2:3-4:3 For this is goodand acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior,4 who desires all men to be savedand to come to the knowledge ofthe
truth. (NKJV)
So, we are not mere players in life, as some say. Ratherwe are children of the
living God and as His children we can produce fruit to His glory. The
following are just a few examples of producing fruit and helping to fill God’s
bucket:
Mark 12:41-44:41 Sitting across fromthe temple treasury, He watchedhow
the crowddropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in
large sums.42 And a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth
very little.43 Summoning His disciples, He said to them, “I assure you: This
poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury. 44
For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in
everything she possessed—allshe had to live on. (HCSB)
As we look at this moment in time, we see a womanwho deeply touched the
heart of God. We see Jesus revealing that such faithfulness is witnessedand
loved by God. The woman gave her offering from a place of poverty to glorify
God’s kingdom! Jesus sealsthe event by simply saying “I assure you”. In
other words, God saw her tiny “drop” helping to fill His big bucket and He
took joy overwhat probably seemeda small or even trivial thing by others.
God also gives us the freedom to produce these “drops in a bucket” and be
involved with unseen “Godtouches”. Some ofus may be caretakers, stayat
home moms or struggling with marital issues in our lives. But if we can have a
hearts attitude to reachout to others within our own struggles, we will
produce some amazing drops into God’s bucket.
Sometimes a drop in God’s bucket produces a splash and other times a ripple.
John 6:1-14:6After this, Jesus crossedoverto the far side of the Sea of Galilee,
also knownas the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him

whereverhe went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick.
3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and satdown with his disciples around him. 4 (It
was nearly time for the JewishPassovercelebration.)5 Jesus soonsaw a huge
crowdof people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where
can we buy bread to feed all these people?”6 He was testing Philip, for he
already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “Evenif we worked
for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” 8 Then Andrew,
Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley
loaves and two fish. But what goodis that with this huge crowd?” 10 “Tell
everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassyslopes.
(The men alone numbered about 5,000.)11 ThenJesus took the loaves, gave
thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same
with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.12 After everyone was
full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gatherthe leftovers, so that nothing is
wasted.”13 So they pickedup the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps
left by the people who had eatenfrom the five barley loaves. 14 When the
people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the
Prophet we have been expecting!” (NLT)
It is just like John to tell where the 5 loaves and two fish came from. They
came from a little boy’s simple dinner. The little boy’s willingness to give all
his foodturned out to be a huge splash in “Gods bucket”!There were 5,000
men fed and that did not count the women and children. Therefore, there
could have easily been double the number fed! There is so much to learn from
all this. If we considerthis little boy, we realize that there must have been a
loving mother who packedthe boys dinner. Her action of lovingly making a
dinner for her sontouched thousands and brought praise and glory to the
Lord! Such a small drop but such major ripples! Those ripples must have also
deeply touched the boy. Ripples can do that!
Luke 10:30-37:30 Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going
down from Jerusalemto Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They
stripped him, beathim up, and fled, leaving him half dead.31 A priest
happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passedby on the
other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw
him, passedby on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up

to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him
and bandagedhis wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on
his ownanimal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.35 The next
day[a] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take
care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whateverextra you
spend.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the
man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 “The one who showedmercy
to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” (HCSB)
I have always loved this parable! It seems to strike deeply into my being!
There is much to learn from Jesus parable. But within the metaphor of a
bucket, we find wonderful drops of love revealedas mercy and compassion.
What a greatillustration by Jesus!In the end, I guess the Lord will look at His
bucket and reveal how He used its contents and His children’s lives in ways so
amazing we can’t even begin to understand now.
Our “bucket” will not be a list of the places we want to visit, but rather the
lives we touched in love and the drops we made into God’s eternal bucket!
https://sevenminutesermons.wordpress.com/2014/05/21/a-drop-in-the-bucket/
"Forgiveness:Just a Drop in the Bucket," Sermonfor the 15th Sunday After
Pentecost, YearA
Listen
Download
Sep 17, 2017
Passage:Matthew 18:21-35
Preacher:The Rev. Dr. Jill Walters
Series:Pentecost

Category:Forgiveness
Keywords: debt, forgiveness, mercy
Summary:
Jesus identifies forgiveness as one of the most important features of the
Kingdom of God. Jesus responds to Peterand tells a story to underline the
importance of forgiveness. "Everytime you forgive someone else...youpass on
a drop of water out of the bucketful [of forgiveness]that God has already
given you" (N.T. Wright, Matthew for Everyone, Part 2, p. 39.
Detail:
May the Words of my mouth and the meditations of eachheart be always
acceptable in your sight, O Lord our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.
Forgiveness.... We hearabout forgiveness so much in the church. We say
it in the Lord’s Prayer. We ask for forgiveness in confession. We receive
forgiveness in the assurance afterconfession. The Eucharistic prayers speak
of forgiveness. The GospelofMatthew is filled with Jesus’words about
forgiveness. We hearit so much that our understanding of forgiveness canbe
watereddown...weakened.
Think about it for just a minute. Forgiveness.... Whatdoes Jesus really
mean by forgiveness andhow important is it? Jesus considers forgivenessto
be one of the most powerful and important features of the Kingdom of God.
In today’s Gospellesson, we see Petercome to Jesus to ask a question
about forgiveness. “Ifanother member of the church sins againstme, how
often should I forgive?” His question has multiple layers. His question
addresses forgiveness ofanotherfollowerof Jesus. He seeksto understand his
responsibility in forgiveness. His questions continue by asking “as many as
seventimes?”
From Peter’s perspective seventimes seems very generous. Sevenis a
number of perfection, wholeness, completeness. Peter’sresponse is actuallya

goodone. Forgiving someone seventimes for the same offense?! This
question isn’t foolish. It actually demonstrates greatlove and mercy.
Jesus’response to Peterisn’t one of astonishmentat Peter’s ignorance.
It’s an affirmation of Peter’s willingness to forgive. But Jesus goeseven
further than that! He gives a radical response:there’s no limit to how many
times we should forgive in God’s kingdom. Jesus isn’t telling us to count
offenses until we get to 77. Jesus is saying: “Peter, you’re on the right track!
But let’s go even further...let’s make it a number so high we’ll lose count!”
Jesus is using this kind of exaggerationto describe the abundance of
God’s kingdom. Forgivenessis unlimited!
But Jesus doesn’tstop there! He makes sure that the disciples fully
understand the importance of forgiveness...as individuals and as his followers.
So, Jesus does whathe does so well. He tells a parable, a story to illustrate
what the Kingdom of God is like.
This parable starts with a king who sets out to settle all the debts his
slaves owe him. As the first one is brought to him, Jesus notes that the slave
owes the king 10,000talents! Now, this is an absurd amount of money. A
slave would never have that kind of money and could never pay it back over
the course ofan entire lifetime. So, the king orders the slave, his wife, his
children, and all of his possessions to be sold in order to fulfill this debt.
Once again, this is an outrageous demand. In the first place, Jewishlaw
forbade selling someone into slavery in order to receive payment for
outstanding debts. And even though the Greeks andRomans allowedit, it
was hardly ever practiced.
So, the slave falls on his knees and begs for mercy. The king feels
compassionfor this slave and forgives his debt. This is a quick turnaround
for a king who only moments before seemedcruel and heartless.
And how does this slave respond after greatmercy has been extended to
him? This slave then attacks a fellow slave who owes him a much smaller sum
of money and has him imprisoned.

Once the other slaves tell the king of the first slave’s behavior, the king
summons the slave again. He scolds him: “You wickedslave? I forgave you
all that debt because you pleaded with me? Should you not have had mercy
on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?” Then in his fury, the king
orders the slave to be “tortured until he could pay his entire debt.”
Once again, the king is given to extremes of mercy, then torture. How
could a slave who is being tortured be expectedto pay his entire debt? And
remember, this is an astronomicalsum that the slave would never be able to
pay in the first place.
Throughout today’s lesson, we see Jesus using exaggeration, hyperbole to
get his point across. THIS is how important forgiveness is! Jesus wants to
make sure people are listening. Forgivenessis necessaryto the Kingdom of
God. Forgiveness is one of the key ways that God’s love is lived out in God’s
Kingdom. Without forgiveness, what’s the point? Where’s the hope?
And if forgiveness is this important, we need to take it seriously.
Forgivenessis tough business. True forgiveness isn’t usually easy. True
forgiveness requires a change in us. And honestly, sometimes it’s easiernot to
change. Sometimes, it’s easierto go about our lives without pursuing
forgiveness.
We often hear the cliché, “forgive and forget.” So much so that we tend
to make forgetting a measure of whether we have truly forgiven someone who
has hurt us. Let me be clear...Idon’t think that forgetting is a requirement of
forgiveness. Ibelieve that it canbe dangerous, not only to individuals, but to
the Kingdom of God, for us to “forget” some sins. Should we forget the
Holocaust? Shouldwe forgetabuse? Of course not! That would be
disastrous for individuals, the Body of Christ, and society. So, let’s take this
notion of “forgetting” someone’s sinas part of forgiveness out of the equation.
But we can’t ignore the end of this parable either. Jesus leavesus with a
chilling summary: “So my heavenly Fatherwill also do to every one of you, if
you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Is Jesus really
saying that God is going to torture us if we don’t forgive others?!

Jesus tells this story to illustrate how living with unforgiveness is like
being “tortured.” When we don’t forgive others, we’re imprisoned by their
wrongdoing. It eats us up from the inside and makes us angry and bitter and
unforgiving. Modern science tells us that holding onto unforgiveness literally
makes us sick! Our refusal to forgive others is like being tortured.
But what is this forgiveness thatJesus is talking about? Forgivenessis
really about release andletting go. It doesn’t mean that we canalways let go
of the pain that has been caused. But it does mean letting go of the powerand
control that the other person has over our hearts, minds, and souls. It means
allowing peace into our lives so that we can move forward. It’s a choice, not a
feeling.
But what if the person doesn’t feelremorse, do we still forgive them?
Jesus says “yes.” Forgivenessis unlimited. My forgiveness ofsomeone who
has hurt me isn’t dependent upon their acknowledging oreven feeling sorry
for what they’ve done.
Of course, it helps when the other person feels remorse. And that remorse
combined with my forgiveness canbring about reconciliation. But if they
don’t, it doesn’t mean they getto have controlover my life forever.
Sometimes, we’re not only forgiving what that person has done, but their lack
of regret.
Amidst all this hyperbole, Jesus describes this truth: forgiveness is our
response to God’s forgiveness ofus. N.T. Wright says that “every time you
forgive someone else...youpass ona drop of waterout of the bucketful [of
forgiveness]that God has alreadygiven you.” *
I love that image! God has a bucketful of waterfor me. And eachdrop
represents God’s forgiveness ofme. So, when I forgive someone else, it’s a
“drop in the bucket” compared to what God gives me.
And here’s where the goodnews comes in! Jesus came to show us that
God’s forgiveness is unlimited. Even when we can never repay what we owe,

God will forgive. And we are calledto forgive others, to let go of the “torture”
that we find ourselves in when we hold onto what others have done to us.
The forgiveness we receive from God as well as the forgiveness we give to
others leads us to freedom! The freedom to live our lives with the same
abundant love and mercy that we have to generouslybeen given. Amen.
*N.T. Wright, Matthew for Everyone, Part 2, p. 39.
"The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore
I will hope in Him." Lamentations 3:24
"Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are
consideredas a speck of dust on the scales;He lifts up
the islands like fine dust." Isaiah40:15
All nations are but as a drop in a bucket, that may in a
moment be wiped off with a finger—in comparisonof God,
nay, they are all nothing; but that word is too high, for
they are less than nothing. Had a man as many worlds at
his command as there are men on earth, or angels in heaven,
yet they would be but as so many drops, or as so many
atoms—comparedto a saint's portion!

When Alcibiades was proudly boasting of his spacious lands,
Socrateswittily rebukes his pride by bringing him a map of
the world, and wishing him to show him where his lands did
lie; his lands would hardly amount to more than the prick of
a pin. England, Scotland, and Ireland are but three little spots
compared to the vast continents which are in other parts of
the world; and what then is your palace, your lordships, your
manors, your farm, your house, your cottage—buta little speck
—but a prick of a pin—compared to God, who is so great,
so vast a portion!
Oh, sirs! if you had the understanding of all the angels in
heaven, and the tongues of all the men on earth, yet you
would not be able to conceive, express, orsetforth the
greatness andlargeness ofa saint's portion.
Can you count the stars of heaven, or number the sands of
the sea, orstop the sun in his course, ormake a new world?
Then, and not until then, will you be able to declare what a
great, what an immense portion God is. If "no eye has seen,
no ear has heard, no mind has conceivedwhatGod has
prepared for those who love Him", oh how much less, then,
are they able to declare the greatthings that God has laid

up for His people in the eternal world!
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=22
008
Drop by drop . . . the bucket fills.
"Haba na haba . . . Hujaza Kibaba"
This old Swahiliproverb reminds us that every drop counts, regardless ofhow
small. A multitude of opportunities, like countless drops in a bucket, abound
every day to make a difference in the lives of those around us. People need
daily drops in their buckets. A compliment, a smile, a word of appreciation or
a simple thank you, can add drops to someone's bucket. People need to be
recognized, and to feel appreciated. Positive reinforcementand
acknowledgementoftheir value can give a persona sense of selfworth;
effectively filling their bucket.
The opposite is also true. Our actions canalso work like dippers that empty
someone's bucket. Words oractions that belittle, demean, disparage, orput
down, can diminish someone's selfesteem, and take awayfrom their sense of
self-worth. Sometimes simply ignoring the other person caneffectively empty
their bucket. Unfortunately, it takes much longer to drip in than it does to dip
out. We need to be mindful of this when we interact with those that God
places in our path. We also needto remember that just living in this sinful
world can evaporate drops from our bucket.
I think some people enjoy dipping out of other people's buckets. At least, it
appears that way. You are probably like me; you've knowna few "big
dippers" in your life! On the other hand, we know people who always seemto
know how to cheer you up. You enjoy their company, and look forward to
being with them. They are like Barnabas, the sonof encouragement, in Acts
4:36. When you look closely, you also notice their bucketalways seems full.
The reasonfor this is that when you add drops to someone else's bucket, some

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