Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
No one has ever directed the Spirit of the Lord or instructed Him as His counsellor, for He took counsel with no one and learned judgment, knowledge and understanding from no one. His wisdom and understanding are infinite and past finding out, far beyond the reach of finite minds and even the greatest human intellect. He therefore calls His people to rely on His infinite wisdom at their demand rather than on finite human wisdom, humbling themselves before Him and placing His teaching above all human instructors and worldly learning. They are to trust in the Lord alone and not in men nor make flesh their arm, looking to Him who understands every circumstance rather than depending on human judgment or submitting to human control. The mysteries He leaves in nature, Scripture, daily life and His purposes are meant to invite faith while men keep searching and learning, for He reveals Himself only while still shrouding Himself in mystery, concealing more than He makes known.
God Needs No Counselor
No one has ever directed the Spirit of the Lord, and no one as His counsellor has ever taught Him. He took counsel with no one, He received instruction from no one, and no one taught Him in the path of judgment or taught Him knowledge or showed Him the way of understanding. The question itself makes clear that God needs no counselor and no teacher.
His wisdom and understanding are infinite and beyond searching, far beyond the reach of finite minds. Even the greatest human intellect cannot comprehend Him, for finite men can only think about His ways and works as finite beings can. His wisdom and purposes surpass the understanding of finite minds, so that divine mysteries invite faith even while people continue to search and learn.
He is not one to be trifled with, for He alone has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and meted out heaven with the span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance. Before Him the nations are as a drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the balance, and all nations are as nothing and counted to Him less than nothing and vanity, so that no likeness can be compared to Him. The same question sets forth the greatness and majesty of the heaven-sent royal Messenger, who is the Son of God and Redeemer.
Truths that people think they have newly discovered are not new to Him, for His knowledge is infinite and needs no instruction. In that infinite wisdom He established the Sabbath in Eden, so the Sabbath is holy to Him and must be treated with care.
Trusting His Unsearchable Wisdom
The question is a call for the church to recognize her exalted privilege in having the wisdom of the Infinite at her demand. No one has directed the Spirit of the Lord or instructed Him as counselor, for His wisdom is infinite and needs teaching from no creature. His people are therefore to rely on the wisdom of God rather than on finite human wisdom. Human knowledge is limited, and the mysteries God reveals in nature and in Scripture and in His purposes are beyond finite understanding. Those mysteries call for faith even while men continue to search and learn.
The judgments and purposes of God are past finding out and His wisdom is unsearchable, far beyond the greatest human intellect. Even the common things of daily life and the working of nature contain mysteries that finite minds cannot comprehend. God reveals Himself only while shrouding Himself in thick mystery, concealing more of Himself than He makes known. If men could fully understand and explain His ways and works and His love, they would not revere Him as the infinite and supreme One nor trust Him with their souls. The incomprehensible mysteries in divine revelation therefore command faith, nothing is too small for His notice and attention, and rejection of heaven's light brings dense darkness. The question humbles those who exalt human wisdom above the divine, for His wisdom and understanding are beyond searching and no human counsel can teach Him. Those who would learn His ways and will must humble themselves before Him. The teachings of the God of heaven must come before human instructors and worldly education, since His instruction does not depend on human wisdom.
Men are not to trust in men or make flesh their arm, for the Lord alone is to be trusted. He is not to be trifled with, He calls upon His people for diligent and most earnest work of repentance, and strength is given to His own people. He understands every person's circumstances and His work in the human heart and needs no one to guide the workings of His Spirit. People are therefore to look to God and seek Him rather than depend on human judgment or submit to human control and let human minds control them. Self-conceit reverses this order by acting as though one could teach the Lord instead of accepting instruction. The word of Isaiah 40 gives the correct meaning of true higher education and comforts true believers amid afflicting providence coming upon the world in judgments near the close of this earth's history. Then come earthquakes and storms on land and sea and heavy calamities by sea and by railroad, when Lucifer, though well-instructed but having perverted his higher education, wars against God and all who exalt the Lord and causes calamities. Many who have greatly sinned against God perish physically, and even the sincere humble righteous followers of Christ are themselves afflicted by the judgments upon the rebellious. It is a declaration of assurance and encouragement from the Lord that will certainly be fulfilled, and those who fulfill it in the latter days place themselves where the Lord will surely do all He has promised.
No one has ever directed the Spirit of the Lord or instructed Him as His counsellor, for He took counsel with no one and learned judgment, knowledge and understanding from no one. His wisdom and understanding are infinite and past finding out, far beyond the reach of finite minds and even the greatest human intellect. He therefore calls His people to rely on His infinite wisdom at their demand rather than on finite human wisdom, humbling themselves before Him and placing His teaching above all human instructors and worldly learning. They are to trust in the Lord alone and not in men nor make flesh their arm, looking to Him who understands every circumstance rather than depending on human judgment or submitting to human control. The mysteries He leaves in nature, Scripture, daily life and His purposes are meant to invite faith while men keep searching and learning, for He reveals Himself only while still shrouding Himself in mystery, concealing more than He makes known.
God Needs No Counselor
No one has ever directed the Spirit of the Lord, and no one as His counsellor has ever taught Him. He took counsel with no one, He received instruction from no one, and no one taught Him in the path of judgment or taught Him knowledge or showed Him the way of understanding. The question itself makes clear that God needs no counselor and no teacher.
His wisdom and understanding are infinite and beyond searching, far beyond the reach of finite minds. Even the greatest human intellect cannot comprehend Him, for finite men can only think about His ways and works as finite beings can. His wisdom and purposes surpass the understanding of finite minds, so that divine mysteries invite faith even while people continue to search and learn.
He is not one to be trifled with, for He alone has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and meted out heaven with the span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance. Before Him the nations are as a drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the balance, and all nations are as nothing and counted to Him less than nothing and vanity, so that no likeness can be compared to Him. The same question sets forth the greatness and majesty of the heaven-sent royal Messenger, who is the Son of God and Redeemer.
Truths that people think they have newly discovered are not new to Him, for His knowledge is infinite and needs no instruction. In that infinite wisdom He established the Sabbath in Eden, so the Sabbath is holy to Him and must be treated with care.
Trusting His Unsearchable Wisdom
The question is a call for the church to recognize her exalted privilege in having the wisdom of the Infinite at her demand. No one has directed the Spirit of the Lord or instructed Him as counselor, for His wisdom is infinite and needs teaching from no creature. His people are therefore to rely on the wisdom of God rather than on finite human wisdom. Human knowledge is limited, and the mysteries God reveals in nature and in Scripture and in His purposes are beyond finite understanding. Those mysteries call for faith even while men continue to search and learn.
The judgments and purposes of God are past finding out and His wisdom is unsearchable, far beyond the greatest human intellect. Even the common things of daily life and the working of nature contain mysteries that finite minds cannot comprehend. God reveals Himself only while shrouding Himself in thick mystery, concealing more of Himself than He makes known. If men could fully understand and explain His ways and works and His love, they would not revere Him as the infinite and supreme One nor trust Him with their souls. The incomprehensible mysteries in divine revelation therefore command faith, nothing is too small for His notice and attention, and rejection of heaven's light brings dense darkness. The question humbles those who exalt human wisdom above the divine, for His wisdom and understanding are beyond searching and no human counsel can teach Him. Those who would learn His ways and will must humble themselves before Him. The teachings of the God of heaven must come before human instructors and worldly education, since His instruction does not depend on human wisdom.
Men are not to trust in men or make flesh their arm, for the Lord alone is to be trusted. He is not to be trifled with, He calls upon His people for diligent and most earnest work of repentance, and strength is given to His own people. He understands every person's circumstances and His work in the human heart and needs no one to guide the workings of His Spirit. People are therefore to look to God and seek Him rather than depend on human judgment or submit to human control and let human minds control them. Self-conceit reverses this order by acting as though one could teach the Lord instead of accepting instruction. The word of Isaiah 40 gives the correct meaning of true higher education and comforts true believers amid afflicting providence coming upon the world in judgments near the close of this earth's history. Then come earthquakes and storms on land and sea and heavy calamities by sea and by railroad, when Lucifer, though well-instructed but having perverted his higher education, wars against God and all who exalt the Lord and causes calamities. Many who have greatly sinned against God perish physically, and even the sincere humble righteous followers of Christ are themselves afflicted by the judgments upon the rebellious. It is a declaration of assurance and encouragement from the Lord that will certainly be fulfilled, and those who fulfill it in the latter days place themselves where the Lord will surely do all He has promised.