This sermon divides into two principal divisions: A challenge to idolaters (vss. 1-20); and, a challenge to idols (vss. 21-29).
 

In verse 1 of this chapter the prophet summons the nations to come together in a mighty concourse with himself to consider the question of idolatry and the ability of the idols to make known things regarding the past history of the nations and to foretell future events connected with them. He wants the peoples of earth to put their wits together and to make out their case for idolatry. Hence he insists that no one hinder their making the case as strong as possible. This summons to such an international convention for the discussion of the question reminds one of the contest which Elijah had with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel as recorded in I Kings, chapter 18.

In his dramatic manner the prophet did not wait for the assembly to take place, but presented the case for the Almighty. He did this by asking the following questions: "Who hath raised up one from the east, whom he calleth in righteousness to his foot?" Isaiah looked out into the future and saw some great conqueror coming from the east whom, he declared, God had raised up for the carrying out of His plans and purposes. Moreover, he asserted that it is Jehovah, the God of Israel, who "giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings." In fact, He subjects the nations before this conqueror "as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow." Thus we see this victor in his whirlwind conquest as he subdues various nations under his mighty power. In his campaign he pursues his victims and passes by safely over roads and ways over which he had never gone before. According to military tactics today, the general staff of an army knows the terrain over which it expects its armies to march and where they will make their stand. Not so with this conqueror. He invades new territory without any map, chart, or advance information from an intelligence service. Nevertheless, he is successful in all his attempts.

Why is this leader so very successful and meets neither rebuffs nor setbacks? The answer to this question is found in the query and the answer thereto given in verse 4: "Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he." The solution to the whole problem is that the Eternal God who sees and knows all things from the beginning, and who has a plan and purpose which runs through the centuries is the one who, with His unseen hand, is guiding the onward march of this great eastern conqueror. According to this verse God planned and charted the course of history and the movement of the nations from the beginning. The beginning of what? The beginning of creation, for there could be no beginning of eternity in the past. This statement is in accord with others here and there in the Scriptures that attribute to the Almighty a planning and a purposing regarding the course of history before the creation of the universe, which part of eternity is called "the beginning."

The Almighty existed throughout all eternity of the past--prior to the creation of the world--and was "the first." Moreover, He marches steadily forward throughout that part of eternity known as "time" and will be here in all the plenitude of His power when the material heavens and earth, which are now, pass out of existence.

According to this passage, then, the nations with their armies, in their great conquests and movements back and forth, are simply carrying out the prearranged plan and purposes of the Almighty. While we recognize this truth, let us remember always that man is a free moral agent and that the Lord never coerces anyone's will, but permits him to exercise his own free choices (cf. Isa. 10:5-12).

Let us keep in mind that Isaiah, in his challenge to the idol-worshipers, simply foretells, in this prophecy, that God is going to raise up one from the east whom He will prosper and cause to carry out His prearranged will. But at this point of time, he does not give us the name of this future conqueror. He does this, however, in another discourse--uttered later on--as we shall see in our study of chapter 45 of this book.

In verses 5-7 the prophet sees the consternation that is caused by the rapid and triumphal advance of this conqueror, as he goes from victory to victory, subduing the nations in the path of his onward march. In their mad frenzy and in a vain effort to stem the onrushing tide of foreign aggression, the nations feverishly order the manufacture of more idols of wood and stone in order that these created gods might deliver them from the impending danger. Thus the prophet sees the carpenter and the goldsmith--and others--engaged in the manufacture of more idols, encouraging one another concerning the excellency of his craftsmanship in bringing these gods into existence.

To us who have the light of the Word of God and the illumination of the Spirit in regenerated hearts, idols are nothing but the creation of man's hands. At the same time, however, we know from Psalm 106:34-38 that idolatry is backed by demonism. At the same time we know, that the actual idols which the nations worship are naught and are impotent. For a fine description of them see Psalm 135:15-18.

When we read this prediction concerning this one whom God, according to Isaiah, raises up from the east and leads on in his triumphal conquest, we do not see the purpose which the Almighty has in view in doing this. In the sermon consisting of Isaiah 44:24-45:25 we learn that His purpose in raising up this one, who is none other than Cyrus, the Medo-Persian king, was that he might restore Israel from captivity in Babylon after He will have accomplished His plan in sending them into exile. Concerning the full details of this matter, we shall learn when we reach the discussion of this latter sermon.

In Isaiah 41:8-20 the prophet is carried forward to the end of this age and sees God regathering Israel from her international dispersion and restoring her to her own land. This method of describing the restoration from Babylon and then blending it with the future world-wide regathering of Israel is common to all the prophets. In their speaking thus, they were following what is known among Bible students as the "law of double reference." Like the stereopticon which gives the dissolving effect in blending one picture into another, the prophets often blended descriptions of events similar in nature but removed from each other by long intervals. Hence the description of the work of Cyrus in restoring Israel after the Babylonian captivity fades into the prophecy of God's regathering Israel to her land in the end time.

In verses 8 and 9 we have this statement: "But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, 9 thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away ..." We here meet the expression, "Israel, my servant," for the first time in Isaiah. It has three connotations, which are to be learned from the facts of each context in which it appears. In this one the circumstances show that the prophet was speaking of Israel, scattered among the nations, that is to be gathered back into the land of Palestine and restored to fellowship with God. This is the faithful remnant of Israel of the end time, but in 42:1-4 we have another servant passage. An examination of the quotation in the light of the longer context here shows that this one is none other than the Messiah of Israel; but in 44:18-22 we have the word servant used in its broadest signification. Here, according to the facts of the context, it signifies the entire nation of Israel. In view of this threefold usage of our term, we must examine the facts of each context to determine its particular meaning in a given case.

That the servant of Isaiah 41:8 is the faithful remnant is seen from the fact that she is "taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof ..." To these the Lord gives the assurance that they should not fear because He is with them and will give all necessary assistance to them in order that they might survive the ordeals through which they are passing. By some this passage has been referred to as embracing the entire nation of Israel, but this interpretation cannot be correct because these who are thus designated as the servant are those whom God regathers and restores to the land of the fathers, and whom He assists, protecting them from all harm.

We should note that God promises assistance with "the right hand of my righteousness." This expression shows that all which is done in connection with their restoration is in accordance with the principles of God's righteousness. According to verses 11 and 12 all those that are incensed against Israel--the anti-Semites and the persecutors of the Jews--are to be put to shame and confounded. They shall, according to this promise, be brought to nothing and shall perish. After the judgments of that time shall have spent their force, the persecuted remnant of Israel will look for her enemies, but they will not be found, because they will have been blotted from the face of the globe. They will in reality be brought to naught.

In assuring her of this aid, the Lord reiterates the fact that He is Israel's God. He revealed Himself to the nation as He has done to no other people. Throughout the Prophets God speaks of Himself as the God of Israel. Realizing the impotency of the faithful remnant of the end time, the Lord speaks of it as "thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel." Although they will be as helpless before their enemies as a worm under the foot of a man, the Lord guarantees that He will help them, He being their "Redeemer ... the Holy One of Israel." Although they will have no strength of their own nor any ability to stand against their enemies, the Lord will make them into "a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth." Being thus strengthened, they will "thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff." That is, they will, by divine strength and assistance, be able to be victorious in their conquest against their enemies. In the ancient East, as at present, the threshing of the grain was done with a threshing instrument. After this operation the wheat was separated from the chaff by the wind that blows the chaff away. Thus God says that He will do with this faithful remnant in His protecting it and destroying its enemies. The Lord therefore calls upon Israel to rejoice in this fact and to glory in the Holy One of Israel.

In verses 17-20 Isaiah makes known to us the awful conditions that will exist at the time of the great Tribulation when Israel is to be delivered. From other passages we know that there will be great droughts that will cause famines during that time of unparalleled distress.

There will be a scarcity of water as well as food. But to "the poor and needy" who seek water but do not find any because of these judgments, the Lord will give drink miraculously. He therefore assures them that He will answer them and will not forsake them. According to verse 18 He will "open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys." There will appear in the wilderness "a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water."

Following this miracle of providing water for the earth, the Lord will place in the wilderness "the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree." He will "set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box tree together." In other words, the prophet is here speaking of God's lifting the curse from the earth and restoring Edenic conditions everywhere.

When this is done, saved Israel, as well as the peoples of earth, will realize that the Lord is the one who performs this miracle and that it is an act of creation by His own omnipotent hand.
 

II. A CHALLENGE TO IDOLS (vss. 21-29)