Chapter 44
2021 - Vss 1-8 are in prose format, then we change to block from 9-20, back to prose from 21-28 at the end of the chapter. That's a lot going on.
It seems like vss 1-5 are a single statement by God of his covenant with Israel. Vss 6-8 are a second, independent statement. In the first, God calls Jacob his servant - so addressing Jacob. In the second, God refers to Himself as King of Israel and his Redeemer. God names himself the redeemer, though this work was accomplished in the person of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The second part is God's declaration of His unique ability to fulfill His covenant with them. First he tells reminds them he promised, then he reminds them that he, and only he, can and will accomplish it.
God promises to look after Israel, to continually bless those who call themselves Jacob. This is in vss 1-5. The promises are about water in the desert again, and about the Jews naming God as their Lord, writing His name on their hands.
This verse:
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. [Isa 44:6 ESV]
The King of Israel AND His redeemer, the Lord of hosts. Two persons of the Trinity, named together in a single OT verse? MSB points out He also calls Himself the first and the last. And Jesus referred to Himself as the first and the last, confirming His deity, in Rev. 1:17, 2:8, 22:13. MSB does not indicate that this verse refers to part of the Trinity, but at the same time, Jesus puts Himself in this verse.
God challenges any to do what He does. God says that only he can declare what is to come, and make it happen. Only He can be right about these things. This is proof that only He is God. He has said this before in Isaiah. This is the standard we should apply to all other "gods". If they cannot show that they know the future, and if they cannot explain the past, they are not in God's league, they are no gods, they are fakes and charlatans. This is the ultimate standard. Worship nothing that does not at least accurately predict the future.
Those who work with iron over a fire get hungry, and thirsty, and faint. Carpenters cut trees, use half for fuel and with the rest make themselves a god. They roast meat over part, they worship part. They pray to the wood that they burn in the fire. It is right before them that the wood does not last. How can you burn up a god? Yet still they pray to the wooden god they made with their own hands. Here are the verses:
15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. ... 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!" 18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. ... 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?" [Isa 44:15, 17-18, 20 ESV]
Vss 9-17 are a sort of sarcastic harangue of those who worship idols. The irrationality of being able to burn the wood that your god is made from is brought home. It burns? But can save you from fire? How can this kind of argument be applied today, though people no longer worship such idols? Does this kind of approach even work? I don't think people worship materialism as a God. I just don't think that is the draw. Today, people have thrown out gods and God altogether, and worship nothing at all. Self maybe. There is nothing higher than personal desires, wishes, wants. Or it was that way for a while. Keeping up with the Jones' was maybe the biggest driver. But look now. People are attaching themselves to these massive causes - global warming, CRT, historical revisionism. They are subsuming themselves as slaves to these gigantic causes and they are "congratulating" themselves on their accomplishment. They have taken this nebulous, vaguely describable opponent, made a sign protesting it, and then declared themselves giant slayers for their great work. They made a god, and then they themselves knocked that god down. That's where we are now. We are still making our own gods, but now instead of worshiping them we are more powerful than them. We set them up, and WE knock them down.
Can I get a FB post from this?
Wait...the post will have to include this final verse:
20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?" [Isa 44:20 ESV]. There are verses where it says God has shut their eyes, ears, hearts so that they cannot see the ridiculous irrationality of making idols to worship from the wood that you cooked your supper over. The brains of people like this just don't have the "connections" to dig out the illogic of it all. God "gummed up" their brains because of their ongoing sin, because of their rejection of Him, because of they lost their fear of Him. And what God did was make them too stupid to see the truth. Surely we can see that same abysmal ignorance in what is going on today.
There's a post here, or a paper...but it is going to take some work to condense it down.
Question I have is whether the shutting of eyes and hearts in vs 18 was put into place in Isaiah's time, or if it comes after the Jews reject Christ in his time? The point of view of the first few verses was the Millennial restoration. Then a picture of God as redeemer, with Jesus as first and last. So it makes it a bit problematic about which rejection led to the blindness that keeps Israel from seeing that idols are just wood. By the time Jesus came, idols were not really a problem anymore in Jerusalem. There were none in the temple or anything, none in the streets of Jerusalem. So that would tend to make one think the blindness that let's men believe they can worship idols of wood and gain anything is about Isaiah's time.
MSB applies these verses not to Israel in general, but to those who make idols. Who do the carving. The best they can do is produce the image of a man. And they cannot see that burning the food in the fire is what warms them, that cooking over the fire will feed them, but praying to a block of wood will do nothing. Surely this should be obvious. This would seem to also apply to anyone buying and then worshiping the idol. I think the curse of blindness about this was already on all of Israel in Isaiah's time. I think God was also about fed up with Jerusalem, even though he sent the Assyrians away.
God has redeemed Israel, He has "blotted out your transgressions". Restating the first part of the chapter. This verse:
22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. [Isa 44:22 ESV]
So...redeemed so that whether they return or not, they are still God's? Return BECAUSE I have redeemed you, not return and I WILL redeem you. It is accomplished fact. So unlimited atonement would seem to be in view. They must still return, must confess, must believe and devote themselves to God, but their redemption, along with ours, is done - from the point of view of the writer. In vs 23, it says he has redeemed Jacob - which is just Israel. But I don't think we can limit it to only Israel in light of other passages about the church age.
In 24-28, God declares Himself God. He recounts His creation, He notes that it is He who frustrates those who "read the signs (tea leaves, entrails, bones, and so on) and makes liars of diviners. Only God can predict the future. This is THE test. Does the Qur'an make predictions? Is it always right? This is the test, let the Qur'an step up and prove itself!
28 who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, 'She shall be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'" [Isa 44:22, 28 ESV] First mention of Cyrus. Cyrus of Persia. MSB says this prophecy was given a century and a half before Cyrus performed it. I believe this is the king who will send Nehemiah back to Jerusalem to rebuilt the Temple after he conquers Nebuchadnezzar after he conquers Jerusalem. MSB note talks about the title here of Shepherd, as was given to Jesus. Cyrus obeyed God and prefigured Jesus. But 150 years in advance Isaiah knew his name.