By Eugene Garner

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 44

THE FAITHFUL GOD BLESSES HIS PEOPLE

   Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

    1. Jacob is Jehovah's servant, (vs. 1-2; 41:8).
      a. Having formed him from the womb, the Lord will be his constant help, (vs. 2a; 43:1, 7; 4l:10).
      b. Thus, Jesurun (a diminutive form of endearment, meaning "perfect" or "upright"), the Lord's chosen, must not fear, (Deut. 32:15; 33:5, 26).
    2. Refreshment will be divinely provided for the Lord's own heritage, (vs. 3.4).
      a. Water for the thirsty, (vs. 3a).
      b. The Spirit of God will be poured upon the seed of Jacob; divine blessings upon his offspring, (vs. 3b; Ezek. 36:27; 37:14; 39:29; Isa. 32:15; 59:21).
        1) The outpouring on the Day of Pentecost was a mere "earnest" of what is to be bestowed in its fullness during the millennium, (II Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 10:14).
        2) For the bodies of the saints it will involve: resurrection, quickening and glorification, (Rom. 8:11, 23; Jn. 6:63; II Cor. 3:6).
        3) The souls of men will be enriched by the Spirit's bestowment of: knowledge, wisdom, utterance and such endowments as will enable men to serve and worship God in a perfect way.
      c. The offspring of Jacob will spring up luxuriantly, as willows by the water courses, (vs. 4).
    3. Divinely refreshed, the seed of Jacob will joyfully acknowledge themselves servants of Jehovah, and the spiritual heritage that he has so richly bestowed upon them, (vs. 5; Jer. 50:5; I Cor. 6:19-20; II Cor. 8:5; comp. Psalm 87:4-5).
    4. Jehovah is the King of Israel, (41:21; 43:15); Jehovah of hosts his Redeemer, (vs. 6; 41:14; 43:1, 14).
      a. He is the first and the last, (41:4; 48:12; comp. Rev. 1:8; 2:8; 22:13).
      b. Beside Him there is no God, (vs. 8; 43:11; 45:5-6, 21).
    5. There is no other who can call and order the lives of a people as God has done with Israel, (vs. 7; 41:22, 26).
    6. Therefore, the people of God are not to be afraid - astounded, or distracted by fear, (vs. 8).
      a. That He has faithfully guided their destiny in the past, they are witnesses, (43:10).
      b. Beside Him there is no God - no Rock of refuge and strength! (45:5; Deut. 4:35, 39; I Sam. 2:2; Joel 2:27; Isa. 17:10; 26:4; 30:29).
      c. He Who knows ALL knows of NO OTHER GOD! (I Sam. 2:3; Dan. 2:22; Heb. 4:13; Col. 2:3).

   They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.

    1. It is in emptiness and confusion that one makes a graven image that cannot be of any profit; if he were not blind and ignorant he would be ashamed of such works of his own hands, (vs. 9; 41:24; Psa. 115:4-8; I Cor. 8:4; Acts 14:15; Deut. 32:21).
    2. No one has ever fashioned an idol that was profitable for anything! (vs. 10; 41:29; Jer. 10:5; 14:22; Hab. 2:18; Acts 19:26; 17:29-31).
    3. But fear and shame is the end of all who put their trust in manufactured gods! (vs. 11; 42:17; 45:16; comp. Psa. 97:1-7).

   The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baken bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

    1. Isaiah has already insisted that idols can do nothing because they ARE NOTHING but artistic blocks of metal or wood.
    2. Here his argument reaches its climax in an outburst of derisive, prophetic laughter! (vs. 12-17).
      a. With an irony that seems almost savage, he taunts idolaters with the non-existence of their gods, Psa. 115:4-8.
      b. With burning satire, he paints the stupidity of anyone who would presume to make a god out of the same piece of wood that furnished fuel for cooking his dinner!
      c. For a descendant of Abraham to trust such an idol was doubly stupid!
    3. Isaiah views the God of Jacob as the God of history - who plans and executes the affairs of men and nations according to His own free and perfect will.
    4. Israel must not presume that the calamity which has overtaken her (that is, her captivity) is anything but a necessary, and richly deserved, judgment upon her sin, (42:24-25; 48:17-19); it is not an evidence of God's helplessness, but has been HIS OWN DOING!
      a. Israel has not understood because, having rejected knowledge, God has blinded her eyes and hardened her heart, (vs. 18).
      b. She cannot comprehend her own folly, (vs. 19).
      c. Thus, Isaiah pictures her as "feeding on ashes" unconscious of a deceived heart, and that she holds a lie in her right hand, (vs. 20).
    5. The people of God must ever trust Him to bring history to the goal for which He created the earth, called the Israelites into a relationship of covenant-fellowship with Himself, and commissioned them to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth!
    6. God still has a glorious future for this people once they fully entrust the direction and keeping of their lives into His capable hands.

Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

    1. The Lord's servant, whom He has formed, should remember his Maker; the Lord surely will not forget Israel! (vs. 21; 49:14-15).
    2. Since He has blotted out her sin and transgression, Israelis called upon to RETURN to her Redeemer - involving genuine repentance! (vs. 22).
      a. There can be no restoration without repentance.
      b. But, the nation WILL REPENT, and in an extraordinary way, (Micah 7:15-20).
        1) It will be accomplished through divine discipline, (Isa. 30:18-19; Hosea 5:15).
        2) It will be connected with the return of the King, (Ezek. 20:33-44; Mic. 2:12-13).
        3) It will be such as proves the faithfulness of God, (43:25; Ezek. 36:22).
        4) A marvellous transformation will take place in the land of their fathers, (Ezek. 36:24-35; Jer. 32:37-44; 33:7-16).
        5) Israel's repentance and restoration are closely associated with the establishment of Messiah's reign, (Jer. 23-3-8; Ezek. 34:23-31).
    3. The commands of verse 23 come in response to Israel's repentance and restoration.
      a. The heavens, mountains, and forests are called to singing, the lower part of the earth to shouting, (vs. 23a).
      b. The reason: "the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel" (vs. 23b; 43:1; 49:3; 60:21; 61:3).
    4. The supremacy of Jehovah is manifested in His mighty works, (vs. 24-28).
      a. In the work of creation, (vs. 24; Psa. 19:1-3; 8:3-4; 89:11; 102:25; John 1:3; Col. 1:17).
      b. In the frustration of liars and the humiliation of proud pretenders, (vs. 25; 47:13-15; 29:14; Psa. 33:10-11; Jer. 51:57; I Cor. 1:20, 27-30).
      c. In confirming the word of His servant and performing the counsel of His messengers, (vs. 26a; 55:11; Zech. 1:6).
      d. In returning the exiles to Jerusalem and rebuilding the cities of Judah, (vs. 26b; 48:7-20; Jer. 32:1,5, 44).
      e. In drying up the deep with a word of command, (vs. 27; 42:15; 43:16; 50:2; Jer. 50:38; 51:36) possibly suggesting that He inspired the engineering device whereby Cyrus was enabled to take Babylon by surprise.
      f. In His summoning of Cyrus to act as His shepherd - accomplishing His will, (vs. 28; 45:1).
        1) In the rebuilding of Jerusalem, (14:32; 45:13; 54:11-13; II Chron. 36:22-23).
        2) And in laying the foundation for a new temple therein, (Ezra 1:1-4).