Isaiah 45
Notes
Transcript
Cyrus, the Instrument of God.
Cyrus, the Instrument of God.
Remember last week that God had told them there was a future day coming when the people, while going into captivity, God would bless them again
Cyrus is his shepherd in Isa 44 and verse 28.
Meaning God has Cyrus control over a certain period of time in order to do good to his people once again.
So lets begin today...
1 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
These are the words that the Lord has spoken, verifying the message that is being delivered...
When you think of the term anointed, as in relation to a person, for Israel when God spoke of this it was usually around a king or priest, but here it is a Mede-Persian king, God has called and used this person for his purposes.
It says whose right hand I have grasped speaks to God using the this man for his purposes, controlling the right hand is the hand that did as God directed him.
God used Cryus and his Kingdom to loose the belts of other kings, making them helpless and unable to do anything else, they are defenseless now.
God opens the doors before him and closes others as he wins and defeats the kingdoms before him.
God is the one who is in control my friends.
Verses 2-3 Isa 45:2-3
2 “I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
God is speaking to this King and he is allowing His people to see what God will do through him (Cyrus).
God starts out saying I will go before you… God himself will do this himself, He will level the city walls, God will shatter the bronze gates and will cut through the iron bars. And God says I will give you King the treasures you have not seen or knew about there.
Just as God used Moses and the children of Israel to defeat their enemies, He can and will use this King to accomplish the Lord’s will.
Do you ever stop and think that at times God uses the most unlikely of people to accomplish His will?
God can and does, we have seen it before… God is in charge my fiends. and you know what? He deserves all honor and praise.
And God will do this so that all will know that it is the Lord your God who is at work. The one whom you call by name.
Verse 4 Isa 45:4
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
We know that Cyrus did not know the God is Israel and the world, He followed other false gods we think, but nonetheless, God called him and raised him up.
Now lets move on…
Verses 5-7 Isa 45:5-7
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness;
I make well-being and create calamity;
I am the Lord, who does all these things.
Cyrus may not have known or worshipped God. But God declares His title, I am the Lord. The only one God who controls history.
God says again that He equipped Cyrus, he raised him up and blessed him so that he could lead, even if he didn't know God. He did so, so accomplish His will.
And God will do this that the whole world might know from the rising to the setting o fthe sun, as far is the east is from the west.
To know what? To know there is no other one like our God.
God is the one who formed the light and separated it from darkness.
He is in control of the good times and the bad times, in fact He is sovereign, the one who is in control of all things.
He is the Lord and he will carry out His will for the good of His children and for His glory.
Verse 8 Isa 45:8
8 “Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout;
I the Lord have created it.
God’s desire and will is that heaven and the clouds should shower down righteousness on the earth like rain, that the earth should be wide open and produce salvation and righteousness.
God is encouraging his audience to trust him, He desires to bless the land and with it his people. But this isn’t just physically, God is speaking of a spiritually as well, that salvation would come upon the world… we know that will come in jesus later on.
God sent them into captivity, he put them away because of this sin. he did not want to leave there,he had a future plan for them.
Verse 9 Isa 45:9
9 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,
a pot among earthen pots!
Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
or ‘Your work has no handles’?
Isaiah mourns, or laments that the Israelites are unwilling to accept the plans that God has for them. Instead of trusting God, they prefer to argue, quarrel and complain about the God who formed them.
They complain about the plan God has for them, and while it is not spelled out, they are unhappy.
They don’t complain about the good things God will do through Cyrus, so it must be what they must go through, namely the captivity.
Isaiah points out the clay doesnt say to the potter what are you making or why are you doing this… No it doesnt happen.
What we see is a absurd thing for them to do, argue or complain against God. But if they had obey God as his people, things would have been different.. just looking back at the events that transpired...
Verse 10 Isa 45:10
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’
or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’ ”
This second lament is within the social family unit. So think of this, a child questioning the Father or Mother about the child they are going to have… In that day they could not know until the child came into the world.
And it would be foolish for a child to interrogate the parents, why do you need another child.
for the Israelite, instead of questioning God about the negative, they should be comforted about the promises God is speaking to them about for the future.
Verse 11 Isa 45:11
11 Thus says the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him:
“Ask me of things to come;
will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands?
God beings here by reminding his children who he is, he is Israel’s maker, he has the same role as the potter, he is YHWH, the holy one of Israel, the one who formed Israel.
These titles emphasize who He is, His identity, His very nature. God, his name and his power and authority is over Israel, they are the work of his hands and they should not think they could question Him.
Verse 12 Isa 45:12
12 I made the earth
and created man on it;
it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,
and I commanded all their host.
Having kind of spanked them, chastised them for their attitude and questions, God reminds them that in the distant past, “I” made the world, I created it and all that is above and below the earth.
The greatest of creation is man, and if God can crate the heavens and the earth, can he not take care of man? Yes, he is able, they should start trusting God.
Also, they should close their mouth and spot complaining.
Verse 13 Isa 45:13
13 I have stirred him up in righteousness,
and I will make all his ways level;
he shall build my city
and set my exiles free,
not for price or reward,”
says the Lord of hosts.
This reminds the people of God’s plans for them. Although they may be facing hardships because of their sin, and while they want to question God and at times blame him. They can still trust Him...
God in the days to come will cause the one He raises up to do His will, and look at what he says.
He will act in righteousness, He will be just and he will build my city and set my people free and he will not require any thing in regard to payment from them.
Why? God is the one directing Cyrus steps...
Verse 14 Isa 45:14
14 Thus says the Lord:
“The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,
and the Sabeans, men of stature,
shall come over to you and be yours;
they shall follow you;
they shall come over in chains and bow down to you.
They will plead with you, saying:
‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other,
no god besides him.’ ”
So, God speaks to ensure them He is at work.... God identifies people from 3 African nations — Egyptians, Cushites and Sabeans who will come over or pass over to you by their own free will.
We know these nations are ones who Isaiah has already prophesied that they will turn to God and bring him gifts. They will bring possessions, gifts and tribute to God.
This is not to restore what Israel has lost in being in captivity, these people come to honor them and thus God who called them.
They will come out of respect to God, submitting themselves Bowing down and pleading to God in prayers, they understand there is no God like Him, in fact He is the only God.
Verse 15 Isa 45:15
15 Truly, you are a God who hides himself,
O God of Israel, the Savior.
This appears to be a confession of faith by these foreigners, who come to Jerusalem. These 4 things they say is, this is what they believe
God is with the Israelites,
There is no other God
God hides himself (hid himself from them earlier)
God of Israel is a Savior.
We are not sure why they state these things, but they now know God.
Verses 16-17 Isa 45:16-17
16 All of them are put to shame and confounded;
the makers of idols go in confusion together.
17 But Israel is saved by the Lord
with everlasting salvation;
you shall not be put to shame or confounded
to all eternity.
Isaiah is drawing a sharp contrast between the people in the foreign nations who confess their faith in God as the only God and the others, namely those who have bowed down and worshipped these crafted things...
But Israel (regardless of what they have done in the past) in this covenant relationship with God is the one who enjoys the experience the salvation that God provides, this will happen by the Lord’s hand.
Verses 18-19 Isa 45:18-19
18 For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it empty,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘Seek me in vain.’
I the Lord speak the truth;
I declare what is right.
Wow, what a declaration. This tells us that what is being said is the authoritative word of God. So one can count on what God says...
His identity as Creator and Speaker of the truth is the firm foundation for understanding and believing what He has promised for the future.
God’s work did not end with just the creation of man and telling him to be fruitful and multiply… He is always at work.
We know the land of darkness is speaking of Babylon,
God created his people with the truth they could hear from Him, declaring what is truth and right, even in difficult times.
Verses 20-21 Isa 45:20-21
20 “Assemble yourselves and come;
draw near together,
you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge
who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
21 Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
Now the Israelites hear the message to come together, it is a command not a suggestion....come or gather together.
The survivors (from exile) to come and hear what God has to say. But there are still some in the foreign nation who still foolishly carry about their wooden idols, even praying over them seeking help.
They still put their trust in them, even though they cannot save them..
There in verse 21 the nations care challenged to consult together and tell who spoke, is it the idol or God.
God calls them to do this to prove how worthless the idols are...
Was it not I the Lord, He says…God foretold what would happen before it did, this demonstrates that YHWH is the one true God, and savior.
He is a righteous God, He does what is right, He teaches them and directs them in a right path and by his righteousness, He saves.
Verses 22-23 Isa 45:22-23
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
That first statement is what is needed… Turn to me and be saved… not just Israel… no the ends of the earth. The world is called to come to God.
The key there is to turn, which relates repentance and come to God. He is God and there is no other...
He calls for repentance, but in righteousness, he will judge those who fail to come to HIm…
His words, they speak to the reliability of His words, He will save those who come to him.
And since He acts in righteousness, because He does justice and is truthful, his words will never turn and take a different direction. They are sure and firm and God will continue to call people unto Salvation until the last day.
Ultimately, The world and the people in it are His and one day the world will stand before the Lord their God, their King and every person will swear allegiance.
The Bibles tells us that a coming day says that every tongue will confess and every knee will bow, that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Now verses 24-25 Isa 45:24-25
24 “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
all who were incensed against him.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall be justified and shall glory.”
This section ends with one more description of what will happen in that future time of salvation,
First God says They will say of me… or say to me.. those who are bowing before him, they will swear a commitment, and give praise God.
And their words say Only in YHWH, are righteousness and strength. This confession of faith recognizes YHWH as the one true God who possess these traits… He alone is able and will save those who come to him.
In verse 25, the offspring of Israel, will be saved and they will praise the Lord, God will lead them in righteousness in the days to come.... and they will bring him praise
There is hope in the future for Israel and for the foreigner, Gentiles are saved in the future...
Remember, All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved...
Glory...