Thus says God the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread forth the earth and that which comes out of it,
who gives breath to the people on it,
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I the Lord have called You in righteousness,
and will hold Your hand,
and will keep You and appoint You
for a covenant of the people,
for a light of the nations,
to open the blind eyes,
to bring out the prisoners from the prison,
and those who sit in darkness out of the prison house.
I am the Lord, that is My name;
and My glory I will not give to another,
nor My praise to graven images.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.

Isaiah 42:5–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Thus says God the Lord

We don’t take His words lightly. When God makes a pronouncement, it’s important. God is identifying Himself as the Creator. The One Who made all things.
Remember the verses that come before this. They are a proclamation of the coming Servant, Messiah.

Who Created the Heavens

Creator is a unique identifier of God. He made the heavens. He had no help.

That’s the first declaration of the Bible for a reason. It is the foundation for all of reality. That is why God calls attention to these simple truths repeatedly. God is, and He made the heavens and the Earth.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

And Stretched them Out

Long ago, there was a Servant of God named Job. The important parts of his life are recorded for us. In them, we know Job knew God. Even in the midst of a great trial, his friends offered counsel on his situation. Job’s faith didn’t waver. He made a declaration about God to his friends. In it, there is an identity of God that I think is enlightening.

He who alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea. He who makes the Bear, Orion, and Pleiades, and the constellations of the south.

Job 9:8–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It is God alone Who spread out the heavens. It’s He Who makes the stars. The Psalmist agrees.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 19:1 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It is His Handiwork

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great!
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
covering Yourself with light as a garment,
who stretches out the heavens like a tent curtain,
who lays the upper beams of His chambers on the waters above,
who makes the clouds His chariot,
who rides upon the wings of the wind,
who makes His angels as winds,
His ministers a flaming fire.

Psalm 104:1–4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Though poetic, the language is telling us the heavens we created. They were made by God. They have a message for us. It is a testament of this great God Who would come to serve His creations made of dust.
Now, these last citations have referenced water and waves as a unique identifier in connection to this great God. The Psalmist includes another, He makes the clouds His chariot. This great God walks on water and has chariots of clouds.
To recap, we see the Servant in this prophecy would make advent. We are given many ways to identify this Chosen Servant. Now God chooses to identify Himself uniquely as Creator.

This Chosen Servant is the Creator

This Creator treads on the waves. We know Jesus walked on water. It is recorded in the Gospels for our edification, and to help us identify the Chosen Servant. The Gospels also identify the Servant as the Creator in many ways.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were created through Him, and without Him nothing was created that was created. In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. The light shines in darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:2–5 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

There is layer upon layer of truths through the Scriptures. There are more crumbs that have fallen from the Master’s table for us.

The Cloud Rider

Let’s go to an episode toward the end of the Servant’s ministry on Earth. He has been arrested and is brought before the then High Priest of Israel. This is the one man who was assigned to intercede for Israel before God. One would think he would know the Scriptures that speak about God.
The priest demands succinctly, “I adjure You by the living God, tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”

Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further need do we have for witnesses? See, now you have heard His blasphemy. What do you think?”

Matthew 26:64–66 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Caiaphas knew Who Jesus claimed to be. He also knew from the other identifiers in the Old Testament, exactly those things exclusive to the Messiah.
Those same Scriptures also give us exclusive identifiers of the Great God. He treads on waves of the sea. This Man before him did that. This Man calls Himself publicly the Son of Man. Now He identifies Himself as this chariot-of-clouds riding God.

I saw in the night visions, and there was one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. There was given to Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:13–14 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This Chosen Servant is given an everlasting kingdom. This Servant is none other than God.

Of this Coming Servant… As Caiaphas asked, “What do you think?”