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.
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