1-8 God's Blessing on Israel
1-5 O Israel, the one who made you will nourish you and pour his spirit on your descendants; they will continue your legacy.
6-8 Thus says the LORD, "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god." Do not fear, or be afraid.
9-20 The Absurdity of Idol Worship
- All those who make idols and all those devoted to idols shall be put to shame.
- The ironsmith is so intent on his idol-making he becomes faint from hunger and thirst before he finishes. A person sacrificing himself for his belief doesn't make his belief valid.
- The carpenter cuts down trees to make his craft: part of the wood he burns for fuel; the other part he fashions into an idol.
- He cannot see the irony in what he has done because he has lost all his understanding. He is deluded. See 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12, about people who refuse to love the truth, so that "God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false..."
21-22 Remember, Jacob and Israel, I formed you, I have not forgotten you, I have removed your sins. Return to me.
23 Sing, oh heavens and earth, for the LORD has redeemed Israel!
24-28 I am the LORD, who made all things. I frustrate liars and the wise, but I fulfill my messengers' words. I declare that Jerusalem will be rebuilt and I will use Cyrus as my shepherd.
Isaiah 45
1-19 Cyrus, God's Instrument
1-7 The LORD says to Cyrus, his anointed: though you do not know me, I give you power to subdue nations so you may know that I am the LORD, that it is for the sake of my people Israel that I arm you. God declares here that he is not a localized God, but that he will use other nations to carry out his plans.
8 "...let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may spring up."
9-12 Woe to you who strive with your Maker. Will the clay pot complain to the potter? Will you question me about my children? Paul uses this same language in Romans 9:19-24 in defense of God's using the Jews to accomplish his ultimate purpose of bringing Gentiles into his fold. He even makes reference back to Isaiah in verse 27 of the same chapter.
13-14 In righteousness Cyrus will build my city and set my exiles free, and eventually Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Sabeans will follow you and recognize that I am with you, and that there is no other god beside me.
15-17 They will say I have been hidden and will be ashamed of their idols. But Israel will not be ashamed.
18-19 But I have not been hidden. I created the heavens and earth and made the earth for habitation. "I the LORD speak the truth, I declare what is right."
20-25 Idols Cannot Save Babylon
20-21 To those who pray to wooden idols that cannot save, remember that I declared long ago that this would happen.
22-23 "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!...To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." The last part of this passage is repeated in Romans 14:10-11, which seems to be a quote from Isaiah, and Philippians 2:10-11, where it expands to declare that everyone will recognize Jesus as Lord.
24-25 Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength; all who were incensed against him shall be ashamed. I like the word incensed in the RSV (and the ASV) translations. Don't we see a lot of people today who are "incensed" that people who take the Bible seriously would object to killing our young and encouraging the practice of homosexuality?
No comments:
Post a Comment