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.
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