Isaiah 40:14
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
God took counsel with no one and was taught by no one, for His wisdom in judgment, knowledge and understanding is self-derived, independent, complete and infinite. The question is asked by the Lord to show that His wisdom, purposes and judgments are beyond finite human searching out, and to teach human limits and command faith rather than to be answered by reason. It sets forth true higher education, which is to give the heart to God to learn His will and ways from Scripture rather than placing human learning above His teaching. Because He needs no teacher, men must humble themselves before Him, trust His judgment above their own and not trust in men, while the church may have the wisdom of the Infinite at her demand by seeking it from Him. He shrouds Himself in mystery and conceals more than He reveals, yet teaches through nature that nothing is beneath His notice, so that men reverence Him, believe Him infinite and supreme, and trust Him with their souls amid coming judgments.
Meaning and Setting
No one ever sat in counsel with God, directed His Spirit, instructed Him, or taught Him the path of judgment, knowledge, and the way of understanding. His wisdom is not derived from another but is self-derived, independent, self-sufficient, complete, and infinite, needing no counselor, teacher, or guide. As Creator His power and understanding are unmatched and beyond human measure, and He does not depend on anyone to show Him justice or understanding. Finite beings can only speculate about His ways and works, for no one taught Him how to judge or understand.
His wisdom, understanding, purposes, and judgments are beyond finite human comprehension, beyond searching out, and past finding out. Human understanding is limited, and human wisdom cannot fully search out what He has purposed and judged. His understanding is beyond searching, and men cannot comprehend God as finite beings can only speculate in regard to His ways and works.
The words were asked by the Lord through His prophet as a rhetorical question, joined to the questions about who measured creation, with no one having measured creation for God. They were asked not to be answered by human reason but to call attention to the deep mysteries of God, to make men know their limits, and to command faith. In this way they direct attention to divine mysteries and teach the limits of human wisdom.
In its setting the question draws attention to the greatness and majesty of the royal Messenger, the Son of God who came to save humanity. It belongs to a chapter that gives a correct interpretation of true higher education and comforts sincere believers amid God's judgments on a rebellious world. Those judgments will bring severe affliction, including earthquakes, storms, and other calamities that even righteous followers will feel, to which perverted learning and opposition to God contribute, yet the chapter's message encourages believers to trust God amid them.
Human Response and Application
True higher education is giving the heart to God to learn His will and His ways from the pure principles of Scripture rather than from worldly sophistries. It is receiving the Maker's teaching rather than placing human education above it, since His wisdom and judgment do not come from human counsel or instruction but He Himself is the source of knowledge and understanding.
Because He receives no counsel or instruction and needs no teacher to show Him justice, knowledge, or understanding, His wisdom is beyond human measure. Those who claim superior wisdom must therefore humble themselves before Him and learn His ways. His servants are prepared for His work through daily consecration and through lessons that teach them to trust His judgment above their own. Men are not to trust in men or make flesh their arm, for the Lord alone is to be their trust.
The verse holds out to the church the exalted privilege of having the wisdom of the Infinite at her demand. That wisdom is infinite and does not depend on finite human counsel, since no one counseled or instructed Him, taught Him judgment or knowledge, or showed Him the way of understanding. His people therefore have the privilege of seeking wisdom from Him and receiving it from Him rather than relying on finite human wisdom.
The same truth warns that the Lord is not to be trifled with, calls upon His people to make diligent, most earnest work for repentance, and assures that He gives strength to His own people. The whole of Isaiah 40 is to be studied in connection with Isaiah 42 and Second Peter, because the truths in these chapters are needed now. They call for a reformatory work to be carried forward in deeply spiritual lines, with hearts prepared to receive God's messages, led out by men of clear understanding who will be worked by the Holy Spirit for thorough reformation, with no haphazard work done.
The chapter comforts sincere believers amid God's judgments on a rebellious world. Those judgments will bring severe affliction, including earthquakes, storms, and other calamities, whose effects even righteous followers of Christ will feel. Lucifer's perverted learning and opposition to God contribute to the coming calamities, but the chapter's message encourages believers to trust God amid them.
Human limits are taught through the mysteries of God in nature and daily life, for human wisdom is limited and finite minds cannot comprehend those mysteries, His judgments and purposes are past finding out and His wisdom unsearchable. Its questions were asked not to be answered but to call attention to the deep mysteries of God, to make men know their limits, and to command faith. God shrouds Himself in thick clouds of mystery and conceals more of Himself than He reveals, and His love can never be explained upon natural principles. He still seeks to instruct finite men to exercise faith and trust wholly in Him, teaching through rain, snow, grass, leaf, flower, and shrub that nothing is beneath His notice and nothing too small for His attention. If men could fully understand His ways and works and explain what He has done or can do, they would no longer reverence Him or fear His power, would not believe Him to be the infinite, supreme One, and would not trust Him with their souls, while skeptics refuse to believe because they cannot comprehend His infinite power and doubt His existence because science cannot explain His works, yet His existence, character, and law stand as facts.