Isaiah 47:1

Isaiah 47:1 says, Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.  Isaiah said God called on the virgin daughter of Babylon to come and sit on the ground in the dust because there would be no throne left for her to sit on.  It seems that God had sent a messenger to Babylon, who was referred to as a virgin daughter, to get ready for the destruction that He was going to bring.  They had been high and mighty, but God was going to bring them down to earth.  All of God’s enemies will one day likewise be defeated and brought down, not to the dust of the earth, but to the pits of hell. 

Verse two adds, Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.  I believe this refers to Babylon being stripped bare of all that they thought was great for them.  

Verse three continues, Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.  God said that He was not going to meet them as a man who might be defeated, but He was going to meet them with His power and judgment that they could not defeat.  He would strip them bare of all their power.  When we meet Jesus Christ, we must strip ourselves bare of all pride and acknowledge that we can never be more powerful than God.  We must submit totally to the will of God if we are to be saved. 

Verse four declares, As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.  Isaiah said that their Deliverer was the Lord of Hosts and the Holy One of Israel.  This refers to Jesus Christ, Who had yet to come, but for those who lived before He came and all those who have lived since, He is the only Redeemer there ever was or ever will be. 

Verse five adds, Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.  God said that the Chaldeans were to sit silent and in the darkness.  They were no longer to be exalted.  Babylon had been noted for being in power over many people and thought of as a great lady, since most countries are referred to as she.  Now, she was going to be stripped bare and go away to hide in the darkness.  No matter how great we may think we are as a nation or as an individual, when God comes in judgment, if we have not accepted His gift of salvation, we will be stripped bare of everything and sent away into the darkness that exists without the light of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 46:5

Isaiah 46:5 says, To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?  God asked to whom could the people compare Him.  There are people today who say that it really doesn’t matter which god we worship since they are all basically the same, but this was not true in Isaiah’s day and is not true today. There is but one God, and there is none that He can be compared to.

Verse six adds, They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.  God said that people weighed out gold and silver, hired a goldsmith and fashioned a god out of it.  We may not make the into actual idols, but sometimes today we worship gold and silver more than we worship God. 

Verse seven continues, They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.  God said that people would then carry this idol that they had made to a place of honor and bow down to it, but it could never help them.  Whatever we are bowing down to today instead of God is never going to be of help to us spiritually. We may think that having riches makes us better than other people and we may begin to worship our riches, but they will never help us spiritually.  Only a personal relationship with the only living God that we get by putting our faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, can help us spiritually, and the material things will never be of any permanent importance.  

Verse eight states, Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.  Isaiah said that God called on the people of Judah and Israel to remember Who He is and what He had done for them.  They were transgressors, but God was calling them to repentance.  We are all transgressors, and God calls us all to repentance.  If we have become a follower of Christ, we should never forget what He has done for us, but if we do and stray away from His will, God continues to call us back to Him one more.

Verse nine adds, Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,  God called on the people to remember things of the past, and that He was the God that called them into a covenant relationship with Him, and that He alone is God. Sometimes, we as Christians need to look back at what God has done for us, especially if our faith starts to falter. 

Verse ten continues, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:  God said He could declare the end of things even from the beginning, because He was both.  His counsel would always stand, and He would act at His pleasure to bring about His purpose.  Fortunately for us, it was His pleasure to create us and to provide a way of redemption when we failed.

Verse eleven says, Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.  This referred to Cyrus whom God was going to call to defeat the Babylonians who were enslaving His people.  Still, Cyrus was but a temporary deliverer who could only deliver the people of Israel from physical bondage.  God sent the only Savior Who can bring us everlasting salvation when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die in our place. 

Verse twelve adds, Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:  God called on the stout hearted of Israel to listen to Him, even if they were currently far from righteousness. Matthew Henry says it could also refer to the proud Babylonians who felt that they were undefeatable.  I tend to believe that it is a call to the proud Jews who had so far refused to humble themselves before God.  Of course, both groups needed to do so.  If we become proud of our own abilities and don’t feel the need for God, whether we are a Christian or not, we need to hear God’s call to come humbly to Him once more. 

Verse thirteen continues, I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.  Isaiah said the God had stated that His salvation was not far off, and that His salvation would bring righteousness to the people who accepted it.  God’s ultimate salvation didn’t come for several hundred more years, though the physical deliverance from Babylonian captivity came much sooner.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, which is the only way to be made righteous before God, we are forever delivered from the power of sin and death, even if it takes many years before we are finally delivered to our home in heaven.  We just need to rest securely in that promise.

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.