Isaiah 45:1

Isaiah 45:1 says, Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;  Matthew Henry points out that more is said about Cyrus now, because he was a type or representative of what Jesus Christ would do for people.  He also says that there is some question about Cyrus’s origin, but that he soon made himself powerful and famous.  Of course, there is no doubt about the origins of Jesus Christ.  He is the only begotten Son of God.  Isaiah said that God was to open two gates before Cyrus who was referred to as His anointed, and they would not be shut.  When God opens a door for us, nothing can ever shut it.  God was going to give Cyrus victory over more than one kingdom, but He wouldn’t start with Babylon.  That would come later. 

Verse two adds, I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:  God said He was going before Cyrus, and the first thing he said He was going to does make the crooked places straight.  This is the first thing that happens when people hear the gospel and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Then, just as God broke down all the gates that stood between Cyrus and victory, He will break down all strongholds that stand between Himself and us.  Cyrus would not have to break them down, but God would open them for Him.  We as Christians don't have to break down doors of opposition but only have to share the gospel, then God will work to convict the ones to whom we witness to accept His gift of salvation.

Verse three continues, And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.  God said He would give Cyrus the riches hidden in these kingdoms so that he would know that God was God.  God gives us the spiritual riches of His kingdom when we accept Jesus Crist as our personal Savior and Lord.  Until we accept Him, these things will always be hidden to from us, and we will never receive them by our own merit. They are a gift from God, and we need to give Him the praise for them.

Verse four states, For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.  God said He was going to work through Cyrus for the sake of the descendants of Jacob and Isreal, even though Cyrus had not known God.  He was not born into the kingdom of Israel but was still going to be used by God to achieve His purpose.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we do not really know God.  It doesn’t matter what family we were born into or weren’t born into.  Christianity is not based on nationalism and being a believer in God really wasn’t in the Old Testament either.  The people of Israel weren’t special because they were somehow morally superior to others because of being born to the family of Abraham.  They were special because God called them into a relationship with Himself so He could work through them to reach the whole world.  The same is true of Christians today.  

Isaiah 44:18

Isaiah 44:18 says, They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.  Isaiah said that they could not see or understand because God had shut their eyes and their hearts, but I believe the that they had shut their eyes to seeing God at work and their hearts to feeling a need for God.   Although it says God had prevented them from doing so, I believe that they were just to hardened in the heart by their own actions to understand that these idols were no gods.  I believe that God will always give us freewill to either accept or deny Him, but He will never make it impossible for certain people to not be saved. 

Verse nineteen adds, 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 baked 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?  Isaiah pointed out the absurdity of their actions.  They had used part of the tree to warm themselves by and to cook food with, but then they were bowing down to the rest of it like it was a god that could help them in any way.  We may think that they were very foolish, but sometimes we bow down to the things of this world more than we put our faith in God.  We may think money or power are the answer to our problems and worship them more than we obey God. 

Verse twenty continues, 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?  Isaiah said that they continued to worship these idols instead of acknowledging that they were just powerless, manmade things.  As followers of Christ, we can not afford to let anything become more important to us than God is. 

Verse twenty-one states, 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.  Isaiah said that God called on the people of Jacob and Israel, those who had entered into a covenant relationship with Him, to remember Who He is.  This would indicate that He wasn’t the One stopping them from worshipping Him by keeping them from knowing Him, but they were.  If we find ourselves worshipping anything other than God as Christians, He will always be calling us to remember Who He is.  God did not forget His people then, and He will not forget us today. 

Verse twenty-two adds, I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.  God said that He had blotted out their sins like a dark cloud and called on them to return to Him.  He did not force them to do so, but He asked them to come back to Him.  God does not force anyone to come to Him, though He could, but He calls us to come to Him willingly, and if we do and we then stray away from Him, He still doesn’t demand that we return.  He simply stands calling for us to do so.  He also washes our sins away completely when we come to Him. 

Verse twenty-three continues, 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.  Isaiah said God called on the whole earth to rejoice at the fact that He had redeemed the people of Israel.  God redeems us so that He may be glorified and not so that we may be.  We will always be but sinners saved by grace.

Verse twenty-four says, 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;  Isaiah said that God declared Himself to be the Creator of everything and He is.  The people worshipping these idols had evidently forgotten that God created even the things that they were not worshipping.  As Christians, we need to always remember that God is the Creator of it all. 

Verse twenty-five adds, That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;  God said that He made everything that people tried to put before Him foolishness, and it always will be.

Verse twenty-six continues, 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:  Isaiah said that God was going to restore Jerusalem and the cities of Judah.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, He restores us to a right relationship with Him.  We become one of His children, and nothing can ever take us away from Him.  If we do then fall back into sin, He awaits with loving arms to restore us to that right relationship with Him. 

Verse twenty-seven states, That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:  Isaiah said that God could say to the rivers to dry up and they would.  He was, is, and always will be the all-powerful God. 

Verse twenty-eight adds, 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.  Isaiah said that God was going to work through Cyrus, who He called His shepherd, to bring about the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple there. Cyrus was not born into the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, but he was going to be used by God to bring about their restoration.  The people of Israel were never the only people that God was going to save, but they were just the ones He was going to work through to redeem the rest of the world.  We as Christians are not saved because we are more valuable to God than anyone else, but we are saved in spite of our unworthiness to be saved.  Also, we are saved to reach out to the rest of the world with the gospel and not to hoard it for just certain people that we may like.  Jesus Christ died for the salvation of everyone who will put their faith in Him and not just for certain ethnic groups.

Isaiah 44:9

 Isaiah 44:9 says, 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.  Isaiah said that those who made graven images were full of vanity, or we could say putting their faith in nothing, since vanity can also mean nothingness.  These false gods could see or know nothing.  We can be certain that if we put our faith in any idol that we are putting our faith in nothing, because only God has the power to deliver us from the penalty of sin and death. 

Verse ten adds, Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?  Isaiah said that they had formed a god that was worth nothing.  No matter how powerful we may think anything of this world makes us, if we put it before our relationship with God, it has become a worthless god to us. 

Verse eleven continues, 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.  Isaiah said that all the workmen who had helped make these idols should be ashamed together.  They were called on to defend their taking part in attempting to make a god when they were but men themselves.  No person can ever create a god, since the one true God created men and people have limited power. 

Verse twelve states, 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.  Isaiah said that the smith who formed the idol was but a man and would faint from hunger and thirst himself.  The implication was that if he could keep himself from suffering this way, how did he think he could make a god that would keep others safe and prosperous.  Matthew Henry says this means that the smith was in such a hurry to get the god made that he didn’t take the time to eat or drink, which could be true, but I believe that my statement about their lack of power is equally true. 

Verse thirteen adds, 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.  After the smith formed the basic idol, the carpenter then began to make it look better so it would look beautiful in the house.  It would take the work of more than one craftsman to attempt to make a presentable god that people would want to worship, and today often more than one person is involved in attempting to make a beautiful false god.  They will one day all be ashamed of their doing something that leads others away from God, and if we promote anything that stands between people and God, one day we are going to be ashamed as well.  

Verse fourteen continues, 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.  Isaiah said that the material that the carpenter used, the wood, came from a tree that was no better than any other tree, whether it be cedar, cypress, or oak.  Men might put more value in one than the other, but they were all still just wood.  No matter how much people may value things that we make idols of today, they are still just made from something that God created.  They have no power themselves. 

Verse fifteen says, 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.  Isaiah said that those who worshipped these idols that were made by men, especially those that were made of wood, were of no more power than the wood that the people burned to warm themselves or to make bread.  To then think that a tree  made into an idol was more powerful would be insane.  If we are putting our faith in anything other than God, we are spiritually insane I believe. 

Verse sixteen states, 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:  Isaiah said that they used the leftovers from the wood used to make idols to burn in the fire.  If any of the wood could be burned so easily, it stands to reason that the part used for the idol was no more powerful, yet people put their faith in it.  If things that we worship can be destroyed, and everything can be, then it is powerless to help us.  Anything that we may worship is created by God and He can destroy it just as easily as He created it.  

Verse seventeen adds, 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.  Isaiah said that the one who created this idol and then burned up the left overs of the wood then fell down on the idol and worshipped it.  Once more, this should have made them see the fact that the idol was powerless, but they still worshipped it.  God will let us know how powerless our idols are if we are only willing to look at them reasonably.

Isaiah 44:1

Isaiah 44:1 says Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:  Even though God had pronounced judgment on the people of Israel, He had not completely turned away from them.  He called on them to yet hear, since He had chosen them as the people He was going to work through to reveal Himself to all the world.  As followers of Jesus Christ, if we have strayed away from God’s law, He still calls on us to hear His word. 

Verse two adds, 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.  God called on the people of Israel to not be afraid because they were under the care of the One Who created them.  As Christians, we have no reason to fear anyone as we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Now, if we are ignoring God’s guidance, that is a different story.  The people of Israel had already found out what happened when they relied on the powers of the world or even the nation of Israel itself to keep them safe outside of God’s will.  We should never expect God’s protection if we aren’t living by His will, but we should never doubt it if we are.

Verse three continues, 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:  God first said He would pour water on the thirsty, and I believe this refers to the Living Water that Jesus Christ said He would give those who believed in Him.  God also said He would pour out His Spirit on them and on their offspring.  Though Jesus Christ died to redeem all of mankind, for us to have the Holy Spirit poured out on us, we must accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord, but until He returns in victory, the Holy Spirit will always be at work trying to convict people of their sin and need for repentance.  It is our calling too share this good news with the world.

Verse four concludes, And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.  Isaiah said that when God restored the people of Israel after they return to their covenant relationship with Him that they would once more grow in numbers.  As Christians, we should be at work spreading the gospel so that the number of Christians might increase. 

Verse five states, 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.  The people of Israel who repented and turned to God for strength and guidance once more would identify themselves as belonging to Him.  As followers of Christ, we must do the same thing in the world today, identifying ourselves as His people. 

Verse six adds, 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.  Isaiah said that God once more declared Himself to be the only God there is, and this will never change.  In order for this to be true in our life, we must first accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Then, we should never allow anything to come between God and us. 

Verse seven continues, 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 shew unto them.  God asked who beside Himself could restore the people of Israel, and the answer was no one.  As Gentiles who are followers of Christ this applies to us as well.  There is no one other than Jesus who can restore us to a right relationship with God. 

Verse eight concludes, 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.  God said those who were His people were to put their faith in Him  He asked who was God other than Him.  He also said that they had witnessed His power in the past, so they should be a witness to His power then.  We as Christians have seen the power of God when He redeemed us, and we should never doubt His power to keep us safe spiritually as long as we are obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.   

Isaiah 43:21

Isaiah 43:21 says, This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.  God said that the people He had formed, which is everyone, should give Him praise.  As the church today, a fellowship of believers, we called into existence by the power God when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place, and for this we should always give Him the praise.  It shouldn’t be dependent on how well things are going in life, but it should be a continual attitude of praise to God. 

Verse twenty-two adds, But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.  Isaiah then said that God said that Jacob had not called on Him and He had become a weariness to Israel.  The people of Israel and Judah had started to completely ignore their covenant relationship with God, and called on idols for help while believing that putting faith in Him did them no good.  At times, Christians can fail to live by faith in God and doing what He calls us to do can become a weariness to us, but this should never be the case.  Even if everything in life seems to be going wrong, we as followers of Christ need to continue to live by faith in Him and give Him the praise.

Verse twenty-three continues, Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.  God said that the people of Israel had stopped bringing their sacrifices to Him.  They had become cheap in their worship of God, according to Matthew Henry.  They wouldn’t even bring the smallest sacrifices, much less the larger ones. It is not that God needed these things, but He did need the obedience of His people in offering them freely.  We as Christians should offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice every day.

Verse twenty-four states, Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.  God said instead of bringing Him sweet sacrifices, the people of Israel had tried to serve Him while they were still living in sin.   They were being hypocritical in other words.  Our empty worship, just going through the motions while we still continue to sin, will never be pleasing to God. 

Verse twenty-five adds, I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.  God said He was going to blot out their transgressions and not remember their sins.  This only happens when we put our faith in Jesus Christ.  The people then did so by putting their faith in His coming, and we since He came put our faith in the fact that He did.  There is no other way to have our sins blotted out. 

Verse twenty-six continues, Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.  Matthew Henry says this could be seen as God calling on the Pharisees to remind Him of what they had done to have their sins blotted out, and the answer was there was nothing they could do, and neither can we.  He also said it could be viewed as the publicans asking God if their sins could really be blotted out, and the answer is yes.  Even if the people of the world or we ourselves remember our sins, God never will.  We may plead and reason with God that we of our own merit are good enough to be saved, but it will never be true. 

Verse twenty-seven says, Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.  Isaiah said that their first father, Adam, had sinned and that they had followed his example. I believe that we are all guilty by our own self-will leading us to sin, and we are not guilty by the sins of anyone else.  Isaiah also said that their teachers had transgressed against God, and people are still being taught by false teachers today, though we need to pray that they aren’t in the church as they were in the people of Israel were supposed to be God’s people in Isaiah’s day. 

Verse twenty-eight adds, Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.  Isaiah said because of the sins of the people that God had rejected them.  They were the ones who failed to live up to the covenant that they had made with God, and He could not just accept them based on anything other than that covenant.  If we fail to enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, our sins can never be forgiven.

Isaiah 43:14

Isaiah 43:14 says, Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.  Matthew Henry says that at this point the faith of the people that God was going to restore was very low, so God reminded them of Who He is.  He was their Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel.  He had shown His power over other countries in the past and He would now show His power over the Babylonians by bringing down their nobles and over the Chaldeans who had power because of their ships.  In effect, God was telling them there was no power that could stand against Him.  That was true then, and it is still true today.  If we are feeling defeated in the world, we just need to look to God once more.  He has already delivered us from the power of sin and death forever.  

Verse fifteen adds, I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.  This was just a further reminder to the people of Israel that God was their Lord, the One Who had created the nation of Israel to be His people.  He had delivered them out of bondage in Egypt and had given them the promised land, and He was no less powerful now than He was then.  God has delivered us out of the bondage of sin as followers of Christ, and He is no less powerful now than he was when He did this, so we can always have faith in His ability to keep us spiritually safe forever. 

Verse sixteen continues, Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;  God said that the Chaldeans might take pride in the power of their ships, but He was the One Who created the sea so He could make a way for the deliverance of the people of Israel from their power.  No matter how powerful a nation might be today that stands against God, He is still the all-powerful Creator, and we can put our faith in Him no matter what.  

Verse seventeen says, Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.  Isaiah said that God would also remind them that He was more powerful than any army of chariots and horses.  He is still more powerful than any army, so we just need to continue to put our faith in Him as Christians.  He has already won the victory, and if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we already have an everlasting victory spiritually. 

Verse eighteen states, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  God told them not to remember the things that He had done in the past and think that He couldn’t do even more now.  I believe they were looking back and thinking that God had lost His power because they were in captivity once more, and He was telling them to not dwell on what He had done in the past.  We should never forget what God has done for us in the past, but if it seems greater than what He is doing today, we don’t need to allow that to cause us to lose our faith in Him today. 

Verse nineteen adds, Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  God told them that He was going to do a new thing, and that He could make a way in the wilderness and bring forth streams of water in the desert.  Though He had done this in the past, they weren’t to think that He couldn’t do a new thing now to deliver them.  Though He did deliver them from captivity in Babylon, I believe this new thing refers to the coming of Jesus Christ, Who would make a new covenant not only with the people of Israel but with all the people of the world who accepted Him as their personal Savior and Lord. 

Verse twenty continues, The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.  God said that even the animals would honor Him, even when people often didn’t, because He provided for them.  Of course, they would never be equal to people, but God still provided for them.  If He provides for the animals, He will provide even more for His people.  This does not mean that at times animals may not die from lack of water or food, but I believe when they do it is because people have corrupted the earth by sin, and until Jesus Christ returns in total victory over sin, the world will never work as God intended it to.  When we as followers of Christ live in obedience to God, the whole world around us benefits. 

Isaiah 43:8

Isaiah 43:8 says, Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.  Matthew Henry says this refers to idols, which have eyes and cannot see and ears but cannot hear and the people who worship them.  I know that until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord that we can see and hear physically normally, but we are blind and deaf to God’s word, and we need to be brought to Him by faith so that we can hear and see the truth spiritually, then we will no longer put our faith in these man-made idols. 

Verse nine adds, Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.  Isaiah said God challenged people from all over the earth to come and show that these idols that they worshipped had power or to accept the truth that He alone is God.  Ultimately, ever individual must stand before God spiritually and decide if they are going to continue to believe in the powers of this world or put their faith in Him.  If they don’t before, when Jesus Christ returns in judgment, they will realize that God’s word is always the truth and that He alone is God. 

Verse ten continues, Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.  God save the people of Israel and Judah, whom He had chosen to work through to reveal Himself to the world, were to be His witnesses to this fact.  When God entered into a covenant relationship with them, He revealed to them Who He is, which is the only God that there is.  We as followers of Christ are to be witnesses of Jesus Christ in the world today, and we are to acknowledge that He alone is the way to salvation. 

Verse eleven states, I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.  God once more declared that He alone was God and that He alone could save people or restore them to a right relationship with Him.  This is to be our message to the lost people of the world today.  Faith in Jesus Christ is not just a way to salvation.  It is the only way too salvation.  We cannot accept the fact that there might be other ways, because God has already told us that He is the only Savior there is. I believe there is one qualifier, and that is if someone has never heard the gospel proclaimed but put their faith in the one true God and believe that He will provide the only way to salvation, they can be saved.  Otherwise, their salvation would be dependent on Christians recaching them with the gospel and not on their faith in God, much as the people of the Old Testament times believed the coming messiah was the only way to salvation, even though they didn’t yet know when He would come nor understand exactly Who He would be.  This is my understanding since if there were no way for those who believe in God and that He has the only way to salvation who have not had an opportunity to hear the gospel to be saved, then to me God would be an unjust God.

 

Verse twelve adds, I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.  God said He had already shown them the truth of His power when He had delivered them in the past.  There were no idols present who they could claim had done this.  When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we put away faith in anyone or anything else to save us.  God showed us His power when Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised again to everlasting life.  All we have to do to enter into an everlasting covenant relationship with God is to put our faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Verse thirteen continues, Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?  God said that before there was anything, He was.  God is eternal, and when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, there is no one who can take us out of His hand.  We have everlasting security spiritually if we have accepted God’s gift of salvation.  

Isaiah 43:1

Isaiah 43:1 says, But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.  I believe that this refers to those who were spiritually the descendants of Jacob and not everyone who was physically one of his descendants.  God doesn’t redeem people based on physical birth but on a spiritual rebirth.  Though Jesus Christ had not yet come, it was because of Jacob’s putting his faith in His coming that he was redeemed and when the people of Israel remained true to the covenant that God made with Jacob they were also redeemed by their faith.  Through Matthew Henry makes it sound like they were God’s people regardless of their refusal to put their faith in Him, I believe this refers to those who did turn to Him in repentance and faith. 

Verse two adds, When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.  Isaiah said that God would be with them when they passed though the waters and the fire.  I think of the people of Israel leaving Egypt by passing thorough the Red Sea without getting wet and the three Hebrew children thrown into the fiery furnace who were not burned.  We serve this same God, so we have no reason to fear.  He has already defeated even our most powerful enemy, which is death. 

Verse three continues, For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.  God reminded them of Who He is.  He is the Lord our God, the Holy One of Israel and our Savior if we have accepted His gift of salvation and entered into a covenant relationship with God.  He was also God Who gave them victory over their enemies, and He still is God Who gives us spiritual victory over all our enemies. 

Verse four concludes, Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.  God said that the people of Israel, I believe who remained faithful to Him since it says they were honorable, were precious in His sight and He would give them the victory over their enemies.  Once more, I don’t believe all the people of Israel were saved, but only those who put their faith in God were, even if all may have been precious in God’s sight.  Jesus died for the sins of everyone, because people are precious in God’s sight, but only those Who put their faith in Jesus Christ will be redeemed to God.

Verse five states, Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;  God told them not to fear, because He was going to gather the people of Israel together once more.  We as followers of Christ will one day be gathered from all over the world to go to our heavenly home. 

Verse six adds, I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;  Isaish started  by saying God was going to bring His people from the east and west home, and now He added the north and south.  God said He would bring His sons and daughters home from the ends of the earth.  As Christians, we have that same assurance that when Jesus Christ returns, no matter where we may be in the world, He will bring us home to be with Him forever. 

Verse seven continues, Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.  God said this applied to all who were called by His name and reminded them that He was the Creator of all, so He alone had the power to do this.  We can be saved only by accepting the free gift of salvation given to us when Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of all people for all time, so He is the only One qualified to do this.  Not only is God the Creator of everything, He is also the only Redeemer that there is.  We just have to accept His gift of salvation. 

Isaiah 42:17

Isaiah 42:17 says, They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.  Isaiah said that those who had put their faith in idols would be greatly ashamed.  They may have thought that they were made powerful by putting their faith in these idols, but they would be turned back into defeat.  Idols that people worship will never lead to anything but defeat, since they lead people away from putting their faith in God. 

Verse eighteen adds, Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.  Here, Isaiah was speaking to those Jews in captivity who were just as evil as their captives.  Isaiah asked for those who were spiritually blind to hear the truth of God’s word and see the truth of the uselessness of idols.  Many people who profess to be Christians are just as evil as those who deny God.  In both case, they need to hear God’s word and believe it while acknowledging that He alone has lasting power in the world. 

Verse nineteen continues, Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord's servant?  Isaiah here makes it very clear that God is now speaking to those who are supposed to be His people, the Jews.  We as followers of Christ need to pray that we are never so spiritually deaf and blind that God has to call us out for our behavior. 

Verse twenty states, Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.  God said that even though they saw many things that He was doing in the world, I believe, that they didn’t observe them as His work and that hearing His word spoken, they didn’t hear it spiritually.  Matthew Henry relates this to the Jews in Jesus’s day who saw many prophesies being fulfilled and heard the truth of God’s word being proclaimed but refused to see or hear that truth.  God’s work can still be seen clearly in the world today and the gospel is being preached, but too often those who claim to be His people refuse to see His works or hear the truth of the gospel.  They attempt to make salvation about their worthiness and not their inability to find salvation on their own. 

Verse twenty-one adds, The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.  Isaiah said God was well pleased with those who were made righteous by putting their faith in Him.  He also said that God would magnify His law and make it honorable.  We know that we will never be righteous by our own merit, but we can be made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ.  If we put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord, God will be well pleased with us, and though we cannot be saved by the Law of God, He will still magnify it.  God’s law does not cease to exist when we become Christians, but we are still expected to obey it because it will always be truth. 

Verse twenty-two continues, But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.  Isaiah said that those who were supposed to be His people were robbed, spoiled and imprisoned because of their lack of faith in Him and their looking to idols for help.  There was no one to help them since they had basically been forgotten.  If we have put our faith in anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ, there is no one who can deliver us from the power of sin and its death penalty. 

Verse twenty-three says, Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?  Isaiah said that God asked who would hear His words and obey them.  Not everyone who heard God’s word was going to respond to it in belief, but that didn’t mean that God was not going to continue to have His word proclaimed.  We may witness to many people and very few may believe in Jesus Christ when we do, but that doesn’t mean that we are to stop witnessing. 

Verse twenty-four adds, Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.  Isaiah said that God had allowed the people of Israel to be defeated because they would not live in obedience to Him.  We call ourselves a Christian nation, but if we do not obey God’s word, we may find ourselves defeated.  Just saying we believe in God while living as though we are no different than the rest of the world is never going to save us. 

Verse twenty-five continues, Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.  Isaiah said that even though the people of Isreal felt the sting of God’s anger at the way they were living, they still would not turn away from their idols and turn to Him.  God is not necessarily going to send down His fire on us to get us to turn away from sin, but if we do not turn to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord so that our sins may be forgiven, then one day we will be sent away to everlasting punishment in hell, the lake of fire.  The choice of whether we accept God’s gift of salvation or not is every individual's to make.

Isaiah 42:8

Isaiah 42:8 says, I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.  Isaiah sad that God said that He alone was God and that was His name.  He was the God Who had entered into a covenant relationship with the people of Israel even before they were a people and He is still the same God.  God said He wouldn’t share His glory with anyone else, since He alone was the Creator and Sustainer of everything.  He also said He wouldn’t have the praise that should be coming to Him given to graven images.  We need to worship God alone and give all our praises to Him. 

Verse nine adds, Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.  God was one day going to do a new work when He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to redeem mankind, but this should not have come as a surprise to the people of Israel.  Even in that day, they were looking for the coming Messiah Who would restore the people to God completely.  The fact that Jesus Christ came, lived, died, and rose again is certainly no surprise to believer today, but until by faith we have our eyes spiritually opened it remains an unknown truth. 

Verse ten continues. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.  Isaiah said that God called on the whole earth to sing a new song to Him.  I believe this would be the song of redemption by faith in Jesus Christ Who died not just to redeem the people of Israel but to redeem the whole world.  This is the song we as Christians should sing today. 

Verse eleven states, Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.  Isaiah said that God called on everyone to sing praises to Him.  The people everywhere were to sing praises to God, and not just the people of Israel and this is still true today.  People from all over the world are a part of God's kingdom and should be singing praises o Him every day.

Verse twelve adds, Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands.  The songs that they sang were to give glory to God, and the songs that we sing, especially as we gather together as the church, should give glory to God. 

Verse thirteen continues, The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.  Isaiah said that God would go before them like a mighty man of war and that He would defeat all His enemies.  This has already been accomplished spiritually and there is no one who can defeat us spiritually as followers of Christ as long as we put our faith in God.  In the meantime, we as Christians are to go into the world unafraid to proclaim the gospel, which should turn the world upside down.     

Verse fourteen says, I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.  For a long time, God had held His peace as the Gentile world failed to acknowledge Him and even fought to destroy His people, but this was going to change.  He was going to devour and destroy them.  I believe this would refer to the second coming of Jesus Christ more than anytime in between.  God continues to hold His peace, to not destroy the evil in the world, but there is coming a day when this will no longer be true. 

Verse fifteen adds, I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.  This may have happened many times in history in certain places, but I still believe that this refers to when Jesus Christ returns in judgment. 

Verse sixteen continues, And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.  God said that the spiritually blind would be given sight as He led them by a way that they didn’t know before.  This way was salvation through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to bring forgiveness to all who would accept His gift of salvation.  People still continue to look for a way of salvation but refuse to see that the only way is by faith in Jesus Christ.  They will remain spiritually blind until they accept this gift of salvation, even though they may have heard the gospel proclaimed many times.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, our spiritual darkness will be filled with His light, and we can be certain that He will never abandon us.