Isaiah 46:1

Isaiah 46:1 says, Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.  Isaiah said that the people of Judah were carrying idols that weighed down their carriages.  There are different thoughts about who Bel and Nebo were, but they were false gods and could not harm or help anyone.  Matthew Henry says that after they were brought down from their places on high, the gold that was used to make them is what weighed the carriages down.  I do know that since they could not move themselves, that if they had to be moved, it was a burden to those who moved them.  Any idol that we worship today will only be a burden to us and can never help us.

Verse two adds, They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.  These two idols, like all idols, were not a help to those who worshipped them but a burden.  No idol will ever be able to help anyone, but they can certainly be a burden to those who worship them.  If nothing else, they stand between people and the only God that there is, Who will never be dependent on anyone to move Him from place to place.  He is the God Who can move everything. 

Verse three continues, Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:  God called on the people of Judah and the remnant of the people of Israel to remember that He was the One Who had called them to serve Him.  They had entered into a covenant relationship with Him, and He had never failed in His part of the covenant.  Now, He was calling on them to return to their part of the covenant.  If there is ever a time when we as followers of Christ are separated from Him, it will be because we have failed to live faithfully to our covenant with Jesus Christ, and He will always call on us to remember it and return to Him. 

Verse four concludes, And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.  God said that even when they got old and grey, that he would still carry them.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, He will never forsake us, no matter how old we get.  Even beyond that, when we die, we are still spiritually His forever.  He created us and He will keep us safe forever if we have accepted His gift of salvation.  He will always carry and deliver us spiritually. 

Isaiah 45:17

Isaiah 45:17 says, But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.  God said that the people of Israel, those who had truly put their faith in God and not just those born into the kingdom of Israel, would be saved and not ashamed or confused.  We who have put our faith in Jesus Christ are a part of that kingdom, and we should never be ashamed or confused about who we are.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are a part of that world without end, God’s coming kingdom. 

Verse eighteen adds, For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.  Isaiah said that God said He was the Creator of the earth, and He created it to be inhabited and that He didn’t do so in vain.  God will inhabit His earth with those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, and the earth will be restored to what He created it to be. 

Verse nineteen continues, I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.  God then added that He had not worked in secret but declared Himself to the seed of Jacob.  It is not that they alone were to be able to know God, but that He was going to work through them to reveal Himself to the whole world.  As Christians. God has revealed Himself plainly to us, and He then expects us to proclaim His gospel to the whole world.  

Verse twenty states, Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.  Isaiah invited the people who had escaped from captivity to assemble together and to acknowledge that the idols that had been worshipped had no power to deliver them.  Only God did then and only He does now.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we have been set free from sin’s power, and we can walk calmly in the world without having to run in fear. 

Verse twenty-one adds, Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.  What they were to declare when they did assemble together was that from the beginning, there had been but one God.  People had declared this in the past under His authority, and they were to declare it again.  He was not only the Creator, but He was a just God and the only Savior of mankind.  This is never going to change, and when we assemble together in His name, we need to make sure that this is what we are proclaiming today.  There is only one God and one Savior. 

Verse twenty-two continues, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.  God called on people from the ends of the earth to look to Him and be saved because He was the only God and therefore the only One Who can save them.  This is just a true now as it was then.  God never called the people of Israel into a covenant relationship with Him because they were the only ones He intended to save.  He called them into a covenant relationship with Him so He could work through them to save anyone and everyone who would put their faith in Him, and that is still true for Christians today.  We are just as unworthy of salvation as anyone else, but when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are redeemed from the penalty of sin, and our purpose becomes to reach out to other people with the gospel and not to sit back feeling superior to them.  

Verse twenty-three says, I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.  God said that He had proclaimed that one day every knee would bow and ever tongue would confess that He alone is God.  He is the only way to righteousness.  The question is, will we do that in this lifetime and accept His gift of salvation or will we wait until Jesus Christ returns in judgment and proclaim it after being forever separated from God’s forgiveness. 

Verse twenty-four adds, "Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed."  God said that anyone who said that they had righteous with God would have men coming to him to find out about this righteousness.  We as followers of Christ know that our righteousness does not come from our own goodness, but it comes from our relationship with Jesus Christ once we put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord, and we should then live our lives in such a way that people will be called to Him by our witness. 

Verse twenty-five continues, In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.  All the seed of Israel were those who had remained true to the covenant that they had made with God and not everyone who was born into the nation of Israel.  This was true because God was going to send the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to die for their sins and they had put their faith in His coming to do so.  We today, no matter where we were born, become a part of the people of God if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and that is the only way we can be justified, and we then should always give all the glory to God.

 

Isaiah 45:11

Isaiah 45:11 says, Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.  I believe this refers to Jesus Christ, our Lord, and His Maker refers to the heavenly Father Who did make the Son to be human. I believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One, even if I don’t understand exactly what this means.  One day, the question will be answered.  God invited them, and us, to ask Him about His creative work, but He didn’t invite them to dispute with Him as Matthew Henry states.  I may not understand everything about God, but He invites me to ask Him anything.

Verse twelve adds, I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.  God says that He created the heavens and the earth by stretching out His hands.  I think this refers back to the example of the potter who shapes the vessel by his hands and not to the fact that God has to use His hands to make anything.  I believe He can just speak things into being or speak them out of being.  Again, one day I will know for sure.

Verse thirteen continues, I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.  This could refer to Cyrus being made righteous by God and freeing the people of Israel to return and rebuild Jerusalem, but I believe it refers to Jesús Christ, the righteous One, Who came to set all the captives of sin free if they will only accept Him as their Savior and Lord.  

Verse fourteen states, Thus saith the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.  God then said that the people of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia would come to Israel asking for help from their God, who they would acknowledge as the only true God.  Even when being released to return and rebuild Jerusalem, the people of Israel were poor and weak, but God promised them that He would provide for their needs.  When we come to Jesus Christ, we are spiritually poor and weak, but He will provide all that we need to live strong spiritual lives under the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Cyrus was the earthly provider of their needs, but God was the One Who was directing him.  We may have people helping us materially as Christians, but we need to recognize that God is the One ultimately responsible and give the honor and praise to Him. 

Verse fifteen adds, Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.  God was referred to as a God Who hid Himself.  Matthew Henry says this refers to the fact that when people of God turn away from Him, He hides Himself from them.  I believe that it means  when the people of God turn away from Him, they just don’t see Him anymore, but He is still very much present if they only repent and return to Him.  Also, even though God reveals Himself through His creation, the truth of Who He is remains hidden until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. 

Verse sixteen continues, They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.  God said that those who didn’t see God would go away  ashamed and confounded by the lack of power on the part of their gods.  Even if they don’t do so in this lifetime, there is coming a day when all who refuse to acknowledge God for Who He is, the only God Who exists, are going to go away in shame and confusion over how they could have been so wrong. 

Isaiah 45:5

 Isaiah 45:5 says, I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:  God proclaimed Himself to be the only true God.  He didn’t do this just to exalt Himself, but He did it so that Cyrus and all those who heard Him would know the truth.  There are no other gods.  Matthew Henry says this is so that when he became rich and powerful, Cyrus, who had grown up worshipping idols, would remember that he was just a man and that there is but one God.  When we proclaim ourselves to be followers of Christ, we don’t do it to exalt ourselves, but we do so that the rest of the world might know God and exalt Him. 

Verse six adds, That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.  God said there was no other real God from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun, or in other words, anywhere in the world.  This will never change. 

Verse seven continues, I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.  God said He made light and darkness.  He then said he made peace and evil.  I do not believe this means that God created evil in and of itself, but that He created evil between those who engage in evil and Himself, just as He created peace between those who put their faith in Him by accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and Himself.  

Verse eight states, Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.  God called on righteousness to drop down from above and let the earth bring forth salvation because God had created it in goodness.  Righteousness can only come from above, because there is none righteous here in the world of their own merit.  The righteousness that came down from above, Jesus Christ, brings salvation to all who put their faith in Him.  Matthew Henry points to the reformation as the fulfillment of this prophesy, but I believe it refers to the coming of Jesus Christ, even if the world might have improved for a time during the reformation. 

Verse nine adds, Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?  God then pronounced woe on those who would strive with Him.  He once more equated it to the clay telling the potter what it would be made into.  It is not ours to question what God has called us to do, but it is our responsibility to do what He calls us to do knowing that He alone knows what is best.  If we start to attempt to tell God what is best for us, then we may find our lives filled with woe. 

Verse ten continues, Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?  Then, God pronounces woe on children who attempt to blame their parents of their faults, or that is my understanding, and even from a greater perspective, for people to try to blame God for their failures.  We are never going to be in a position to blame God for anything.  He always has and always will know what is best for us, but that begins by acknowledging that He knows what is best for us even when we don’t.  

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.