This whole chapter is in effect an elaboration of the last two lines of 45:20, “Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.” Bel and Nebo were pagan gods. Cyrus’s conquest of Babylon enhanced the status of Bel and Nebo rather diminishing it. But how different things are now; the greatness of Bel and Nebo is a distant memory, while the Lord is known and worshipped by millions. It is easy, of course, to see this in hindsight. It’s much harder to take the long view when evil is in full flight. That, however, is exactly what Isaiah does here. He asks the exiles to look beyond the present to what will finally be the case, and paints a graphic picture of the shame and disgrace that await all man-made religion and those who trust in it.

But he goes further. In verses 3-7 he asks Israel to reflect again on the fundamental absurdity of idolatry and the contrast between it and their own covenant faith. “Idolaters carry their gods,” says the Lord, “but I carry you. I have carried you since you were born, and I will never stop carrying you until your days are done.” There it is in a nutshell; false religion is based on works, true religion on grace. So it has always been and so it always will be (see Eph. 2:8-9)

The last part of the chapter, though, comes as something of a shock (vv. 8-13). Surely if God carries His people in His arms He could be expected to use only affirmative, comforting language in His dealings with them. Not so! God’s love is robust, not weak and indulgent. He cares for His people too deeply to deprive them of necessary rebuke. Rebels, He calls them, stubborn-hearted, and you who are far from righteousness (vv. 8, 12). We might think for a moment that He has turned His attention to the pagan idol-worshippers. But this is clearly not the case. Remember this in verse 8 is the sequel to listen to me, O house of Jacob in verse 3. The audience is the same.

So what then is the reason for the strong language the Lord uses? The answer lies in His reference to Cyrus as a bird of prey in verse 11, probably reflecting again the shocked response which Isaiah expected the Lord’s choice of Cyrus to evoke. How could it be right for God to choose such a man, and how could He have His people’s best interests at heart in doing so? But such a response is equivalent to rebellion against God, for it calls into question not just His sovereign freedom, but His goodness – and that is to strike at the very heart of the covenant relationship. It was because He loved Israel that the Lord chose her in the first place, and because of that same love that He had carried her ever since. How dare they doubt His goodness? The strong language is shocking, but it is the language of loving discipline rather than rejection. It is intended to jolt the people of God out of a very dangerous and sinful state of mind, and has their ultimate good in view. However many rough patches there may be in His relationship with them along the way, it is the Lord’s grace rather than their sinfulness that will triumph in the end; He will grant salvation and splendor to His people (v. 13). The two problems that have to be overcome are their circumstances and, more importantly, their heart condition. Both will be taken up afresh in our next study of chapters 47 and 48.

Isaiah 46:1-13 Reflection Questions:

What are some man-made religions today in the 21^st century?

Where in Exodus does God talk about carrying His people?

What have you learned about God’s character from this study?

We have now reached one of the grandest moments in the book. Cyrus fades into the background and the whole scene is dominated by the uniqueness and glory of the One who has chosen to use him. The Lord alone is God, and salvation is to be found in no-one else. Cyrus’s mission will demonstrate this fact, and one day people everywhere will acknowledge it. There are two speeches by the Lord in this passage, and two short responses by Isaiah.

The first speech, in verse 14, is addressed to Jerusalem, as indicated by the use of the singular pronoun “you”. But here Jerusalem stands for the people of God – the citizens of Jerusalem – scattered by their enemies, but destined to return. The astounding assertion of this speech is that they will rule the world! The rich agricultural products and other merchandise of the Nile valley will flow into Jerusalem, and the tall Sabeans, the inhabitants of its most remote upper regions, will come like prisoners in a victory parade, confessing that there is no God but the One who reigns in Jerusalem. Like the Magi who came to worship Jesus, they represent all that is remote and exotic in the world, while Egypt represents everything cultured, rich and oppressive. Although the imagery is commercial and military, what is ultimately in view is a conquest that is intensely spiritual in nature, the final triumph of the truth about God. This victory, the Lord declares, will be achieved through Jerusalem, His people whom He is soon to restore to their homeland.

Isaiah’s response (vv. 15-17) is like a grasp of amazement at the sheer audacity of God! No-one who saw the captives from Judah struggling to rebuild their shattered lives in Babylon would guess their significance. They were not a nation – scarcely even the remnant of one, since all their national institutions had been destroyed. God’s purposes, for the present, were hidden in them (v. 15), but would one day become visible. Then the tables would be completely turned; idolaters, presently so powerful, would be put to shame, while God’s people, presently weak and insignificant, would be saved with an everlasting salvation (vv, 16-17). Jesus later made the same point in His teaching about the kingdom of God. Paul put it, “the saints will judge the world”.

Great care is needed in talking about the hiddenness of God. It can suggest that He has deliberately made Himself and His purposes obscure, so that people are driven to seek Him by superstitious, occult means. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, as the Lord’s second speech makes absolutely clear (vv. 18-24). Religious superstition in all its forms, especially idolatry, is quite inexcusable (v. 20b), for God has spoken to His people (and through them to the world) truthfully and clearly, making possible an open and trusting relationship with Him (v. 19). He has also backed up His words through the prophets with actions, such as the raising up of Cyrus, that confirm His claim to be the only God and Savior (v. 21). So people everywhere have been put on notice; one day they will all have to bow the knee to the Lord and confess the truth about Him (vv. 23-24a). The question is whether they will do so now. The salvation He offers must be understood in the light of verses 16-17. It is a share in everlasting salvation, the final state of blessedness He has in store for His people Israel, and escape from everlasting shame and disgrace that will be the lot of idolaters. What an offer! Isaiah’s response (vv. 24b-25) is simply a quiet, respectful summary of it. The hidden God has revealed Himself, and the implications are awesome.

The ultimatum that has come from the throne of heaven is universal in its scope (all you ends of the earth) and yet intensely personal in its reference (every knee, every tongue). And it contains a great imperative within it: such news must be published! The fate of men and women everywhere depend on it. In the final analysis, the vision of Isaiah is a profoundly missionary vision.

Isaiah 45:14-25 Reflection Questions:

Where in the New Testament does Jesus talk about the meek inheriting the earth?

Where does Paul talk about “the saints will judge the world”?

How are you sharing the “good news” of “eternal salvation”?

Do you think God is hidden?

This important passage about Cyrus bursts upon us rather surprisingly and shockingly at this point. The surprise is that he should be spoken of as the Lord’s shepherd (v. 44:28 and His anointed (v. 45:1), directly after a passage in which idolatry has been so comprehensively condemned. For Cyrus himself was a pagan idolater. As we shall see in verses 45:8-13, the Lord’s choice of such a person was to cause Israel considerable bewilderment. But surely there is an important lesson here which the very placement of this passage serves to drive home. God may disapprove of idolatry but use an idolater for some good purpose. The fact that He uses someone in a specific way does not mean that He approves of that person’s total lifestyle. We should neither stand in judgment on God’s actions nor draw wrong conclusions from them, but praise Him for His sovereignty (v. 45:8). His use of Cyrus to shepherd His people home was a stunning demonstration of that sovereignty.

There has been constant reference to creation and redemption in the preceding chapters. Now these two great themes are woven together in a powerful statement by the Lord of His total mastery of the historical process (vv. 44:24-28). In a sense nothing new is said here; it is more like a summary of all that is already “on the record”, so to speak. But the concentration and power of it are impressive, building to the climactic announcement of verse 28. That this pagan emperor, identified by name, will fulfill so exactly what the Lord has announced beforehand will be the final proof that the Lord is indeed who He claims to be. The fact that Cyrus did in fact do just that is a matter of historical record. The Lord’s claims have been vindicated; He is indeed the Creator and Redeemer, not just for Israel, but of the whole earth.

While Cyrus himself is addressed in verses 45:1-7, the words are not primarily intended for him, but for those who were to wait anxiously for his arrival in Babylon. These verses disclose exactly what is in God’s mind concerning him: how God regards him, what help He will give him and why. Three things are said about Cyrus’ mission in these verses: It would be accomplished by God’s help (vv. 1-3a); it would be accomplished for the sake of God’s people (v. 4); and it would be accomplished so that all (v. 6), including Cyrus himself (v. 3a) might know that the Lord alone is God. In short, God was going to use Cyrus to put His people back in Jerusalem, so that from there, the place He had chosen to be the center of His kingdom on earth, the truth about Him might become known everywhere. In the longer plan of God, of course, it was to Jerusalem that Israel’s true Messiah, the Son of David, eventually came to fulfill His mission, and it was from there that the gospel went out to the whole world.

What an appropriate response verse 8 is to the announcement of Cyrus’s mission. God commands the heavens and the earth to respond by bringing forth righteousness and salvation. This echoes the original creation commands of Genesis 1, but what is in view now is the new creation – the new heavens and the new earth – that will eventually emerge from what Cyrus will accomplish. The restoration of Jerusalem would be only the first step, of course, but God can see what it will lead to. No wonder He is enthusiastic!

Sadly though, God’s people do not share His enthusiasm. They cannot see past the fact that Cyrus is a pagan, and because God’s chosen way of working does not fit their own notions of what is proper, they cannot rejoice in it. They are trapped in small-mindedness, like the Pharisees of later times. And God, we sense, can scarcely contain His exasperation with them in verses 9-10. It is often hard to move beyond theologizing to trusting, but we must do so if we are to exercise the kind of faith which God requires of us and without which we cannot please Him. Theological insolence is the blight of religion in every age, and God is rightly angered by it. But He is not deterred by it. He stoutly defends His sovereign freedom as Creator to use anyone He pleases, and the rightness of His choice of Cyrus (vv. 11-13). But how sad that He has to press on with His good plans for His people in the face of their complaints instead of to the joyful strains of their praise!

Isaiah 44:24-45:13 Reflection Questions:

Have you lost your enthusiasm about God’s ultimate plan? Why or why not?

What does this study say to you about being judgmental of others?

Are you trapped in small-mindedness or are open to the sovereignty of God?

Are you working with or against God’s plan? In what ways will you improve on this?