DBG - August 9 - Isaiah 44-47

In this chapter the power of God is displayed through the restoration of Israel.

vs. 1-5 – This builds off the previous chapter.  Israel has been brought the fire of judgment and is now blessed by God.   This pictures the restoration and blessing of the Millennial Kingdom.  Jesurun in vs. 2 is a name for Israel that is only found here and in Deuteronomy 32:15, 33:5,26.

vs. 6-8 – Israel’s restoration is accomplished only through the mighty power of God.  It is of His grace and not their merit.

vs. 9-20 – The folly of idolatry is illustrated.  All idols were the products of men’s hands and imaginations.  The is nothing special in their composition.  There is no true power within them.

vs. 21-23 – All of creation is called to praise God for His wondrous care of Israel.  The description of God’s forgiveness is beautiful.

vs. 24-27 – God calls on all His glory and power to promise that Israel will be restored, not only from the Babylonian Captivity, but also in the End Times.

vs. 28 – The name of Cyrus is revealed at least 100 years before he was born.  This prophecy is from around 700 B.C.  The decree referenced here for the rebuilding of the Temple was made in 538 B.C. and is found in II Chronicles 36:22-23 and Ezra 1:1-4.  The exactness of these prophecies is one of the reasons critics refuse to believe the authenticity and historicity of these sections.  How could Isaiah know the man’s name and what he would do before he was even born?  Simple.  God knew and God told Isaiah. 

In this chapter God’s providence and grace are seen through Cyrus the Great and the restoration of the Jews.

vs. 1-13 – Cyrus was first named in the last verse of the previous chapter, about a century before he was even born.  The Persian conquest of Babylon is seen in vs. 1, which parallels to the events in Daniel Chapter 5.  The ancient historian Herodotus says the Persians rerouted the Euphrates River to enter the city under its walls.  Why would God do such a thing through Cyrus?  It is all according to God’s grand plan.  God was setting up Cyrus as a pawn (see vs. 13) to have Jerusalem and the Temple rebuilt.

vs. 14-17 – The extent of Cyrus’s empire is seen in vs. 14.  This was only accomplished because it was the will of God.

vs. 18-25 – A two-fold fulfillment is seen here.  First, the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity and their forsaking of idols to embrace God.  The great fulfillment is the second, which sees the restoration of Israel at the close of the Tribulation.  The theme is the same through both of these: salvation comes through faith in God.

In this chapter we see the humiliation of the false gods of Babylon.

vs. 1-2 – Bel is another form of Baal and is associated with the Babylonian Merodach (modern spelling of Marduk).  He is the god of the sky and agriculture, and roughly equivalent to Zeus/Jupiter.   He is the national god of the Babylonians.  Nebo is the Babylonian Nabu.  He is a god of wisdom and knowledge and roughly equivalent to Hermes/Mercury.  These two gods are seen as powerless to stop the Persian conquest of Babylon and their images are carried away captive.

vs. 3-4 – The inability of the Babylonian gods to deliver their worshippers in vs. 1-2 is contrasted to the great care of the True God for His own.

vs. 5-7 – The absurdity of creating and worshipping idols is illustrated.

vs. 8-11 – Israel is to remember the lesson of the previous verses, that is the inability of idols to do anything.  They are to trust in the mighty God.  He is the one in vs. 11 that let loose Cyrus, pictured here as a bird of prey swooping in from the east. 

vs. 12-13 – The call to prepare hearts for the coming judgment.  With God would salvation be found for Israel.

In this chapter is a song of victory for the fall of Babylon.  We see a similar prophecy in Chapter 14, and again it is difficult to determine what concerns the fall of ancient Babylon in the past, the fall of spiritual Babylon in the future, or what may concern both.

vs. 1-4 – The humiliation of Babylon in their defeat.  She goes from being a queen to being a slave.

vs. 5-7 – The arrogance and pride of Babylon is revealed.  They should have been humbled as God used them, but they lifted themselves up instead.

vs. 8-11 – The swift and dramatic downfall of Babylon is described.  The city itself fell in one night (Daniel 5).

vs. 12-15 – The misplaced trust of Babylon.  They had trusted in their human wisdom and in their idols.  These could not forestall God’s judgment for even a moment.

I will never claim that I know everything about prophecy.  From our vantage point, Isaiah is sometimes very tricky to interpret because parts were fulfilled over two millennia ago and other parts have yet to be fulfilled.  I think it is important to realize that sometimes the honest and correct answer we should have regarding many of the questions that are raised is simply, “I do not know”.  We may have suspicions, but I am wary of any teacher that claims to understand every nuance of prophecy.  The best attitude I think we can have toward prophecy is the same we should have to the entirety of Scripture: we not understand everything in the Bible, but the parts we do understand are enough to keep us busy!

Today’s hymn is by Isaac Watts and first appeared under the heading “Salvation, Righteousness, and Strength in Christ”.  It is based in part on 45:21-25.

Jehovah speaks, let Isr'el hear,
Let all the Earth rejoice and fear,
While God's eternal Son proclaims
His Sov'reign Honours and his Names.

"I am the Last, and I the First,
"The Saviour God, and God the Just;
"There's none beside pretends to shew
"Such Justice and Salvation too.

 "Ye that in Shades of Darkness dwell,
"Just on the Verge of Death and Hell,
"Look up to me from distant Lands;
"Light, Life, and Heav'n are in my Hands.

"I by my holy Name have sworn,
"Nor shall the Word in vain return;
"To me shall all Things bend the Knee,
"And ev'ry Tongue shall swear to me.]

"In me alone shall Men confess,
"Lies all their Strength and Righteousness;
"But such as dare despise my Name,
"I'll clothe them with eternal Shame.

"In me the Lord, shall all the Seed
"Of Isr'el from their Sins be freed,
"And by their shining Graces prove
"Their Int'rest in my pard'ning Love.