...Evidential, Yet Unfathomable. (Isaiah 44:24-45:8)
The Lord Made Everything (Isaiah 44:24)
Notice the singularity with which He speaks:
...who made all things – nothing exists outside His creation.
...who alone stretched out the heavens – He needed and received no help because none existed outside of himself.
...who spread out the earth by myself – once more, He alone is responsible for what is.
The Lord Overthrows Godless Wisdom (Isaiah 44:25)
Now that He addressed His sole hand in creation, He moves on to the mind and wisdom, both His and that of His creatures.
He does not deny that humans have intellect and wisdom. He was the one who gave it to men.
But fallen man tries to use God's gift to serve his own wicked ends:
False prophets attempt to predict what will come about. Diviners try to foretell the future and deal in fortunes. Wise men try to use human reasoning to explain away the necessity of God.
God is aware of all this.
When Jeremiah was predicting the sacking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, false prophets abounded claiming otherwise.
When king Jehoshaphat (of Judah) went to visit king Ahab (of Israel) (1 Kings 22:12-17), Ahab asked Jehoshaphat if he would be willing to go out to battle with him against the Arameans. Jehoshaphat wanted to know if this was God's will or not so he asked for a prophet. But all Ahab had around him were false prophets – prophets of the false God's he had allowed in the Northern Kingdom.
Jehoshaphat asked if there was not a prophet of the Lord among the bunch and Ahab replied that there was a guy named Micaiah, but he never prophesied anything good about Ahab.
It was revealed that God was in actuality putting a message in the mouths of the false prophets that would ultimately bring king Ahab to his death.
God is sovereign over the words of the prophet, even the false prophets. He foils their signs. They have no power to bring about what they predict in the first place. Their motives are for their own gain.
And man's wisdom – Ahab for instance – he falls for the wisdom of men and it backfires.
God's wisdom is to be sought out. He will give wisdom to those who ask. But those who reject him will find their own knowledge and wisdom leads down a path of destruction.
The Lord Brings to Pass His Words (Isaiah 44:26-28)
What God's messengers say comes true because the words are from God. God cannot lie.
Anyone claiming to be speaking for God in predicting the future had better be 100% accurate. God does not work with statistical probabilities. He is not mostly right, He is always right and He can't be otherwise. It is impossible for Him not to carry out what He wills to carry out.
And specifically, His will is for the redemption of His people. As we spoke about in past weeks, the Bible is a book about God's redemptive plan. Israel was part of that plan to bring Messiah into the world.
This servant, Isaiah, was given the words from God to foretell the rebuilding, re-habitation, and restoration of Jerusalem. It was going to be done and the instrument of God's choice was even mentioned – Cyrus.
Even the words of Cyrus, in verse 28, are utterances given my God through him: “Let it be rebuilt” (Jerusalem), and “Let its foundations be laid.” (The temple).
God has no problem carrying out the fulfillment of His prophet's words.
The Lord Will Give Cyrus Success (Isaiah 45:1-2)
Cyrus was God's anointed.
Many people in the OT had been anointed. Part of the ordination of the High Priest was the ceremony of anointing with a special oil signifying that he was set apart as holy unto the Lord.
The anointing didn't make him holy in the sense that he was morally pure, but his calling was a holy calling. He was set apart for God's purpose.
Kings were anointed signifying that they were set apart to rule the people.
But here God uses the same term to signify that Cyrus purpose was God's purpose. He was set apart of setting the people free from Babylon and carrying out the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple. And all of this was true in spite of the fact that Cyrus was unaware of his calling. He didn't discover his anointing until after he had been on the job for quite some time.
God anoints and uses those that He sets apart for His glory. And why did He choose to do this with Cyrus?
Verse 3 tells us part of the reason for God empowering and using Cyrus.
The Lord Summons By Name So He Will Know He Is Lord (Isaiah 45:3)
So that you may know that I am the LORD. God uses him, and calls him by name, as part of God's revelation to Cyrus.
But that's not all and probably not (certainly not) the main reason. As we spoke of before, God is unfolding His redemptive plan, and Cyrus is part of it, but so is Jacob.
The Lord Summons By Name For The Sake Of Jacob (Isaiah 45:4)
Even though Cyrus didn't acknowledge God, God uses him – calls him by name – for Jacob's sake. And for the sake of God's covenant with Abraham, and by extension, all nations.
God's will will be carried out. He is completely faithful to fulfill His promise of a Seed of Abraham through which all nations of the earth will be blessed.
The Lord Does This So That All Will Know He Is Lord (Isaiah 45:5-7)
Not only will Cyrus know that God is the LORD. Not only will God do this for Jacob's sake and His covenant with Abraham. But God is revealing that there is not any other god but Him alone and that revelation is going out to all peoples.
From the rising of the sun to the place of its setting (Isaiah 45:6), men may know that I alone am God.
Look at how exclusive these claims are in Isaiah 45:5-6:
I am the LORD, and there is no other
apart from me there is no God
there is none besides me
I am the LORD, and there is no other
The Lord Brings Righteousness To The Earth (Isaiah 45:8)
Ultimately, God is doing all of this work of redemption so that righteousness might reside on the earth. Without God's work of redemption, there would be no righteous, no, not one.
He is the author and creator of righteousness and it comes through salvation that He alone brings.
Principle:
Everything God has ever done is for a purpose.
God's revelation of himself is plain for all people.
Applications:
How are you intentionally acknowledging God throughout your day? How are you revealing God to others through your acknowledgment?
God had a purpose in what He was doing through Cyrus. What purpose does God have for where you are in life today? You occupation? Your location? What are you doing to discover God's purpose for you?
What are you doing to ensure that your purposes in life line up under God's purpose?
...Approachable, Yet Uncontainable. (Isaiah 45:9-13)
Have you ever seen a great piece of art work and said to yourself, “Yuck! I wouldn't have done it that way.” I have. And the reason I wouldn't have done it that way is probably because I couldn't. But I have seen some art work that I probably could have done better, even with the skill set I have.
But often when we look at a piece of art, we are not aware of the artist's intent. If his purposes were fulfilled in the work that he did, then it is a success, and who am I to say otherwise.
God is the Great Designer. The reasons He chooses to use some for one purpose and others for another are not for you and I to question.
Woe To Those Who Quarrel With God For What He Does (Isaiah 45:9-10)
The idea is that those quarreling with God were trying to point out flaws in His plan. Why are you doing it this way. If you are a Good God, then why would you use someone who is evil?
Why do you allow the wicked to go unpunished and the righteous to suffer?
Although there are times when you and I might question why something is the way it is. Why a difficult circumstance is there and we are forced to endure it. That is different than questioning God's perfect plan and trying to advise Him on a better strategy. That is foolish!
It's as foolish as a pot telling the potter how he should use the lump of clay that he is using to make the pot.
Or questioning the good intent of his parents in bringing him into the world. Or better yet, instructing them before hand on whether it would be a good idea.
Absurd! And foolish!
Don't Question God On His Dealings With His People (Isaiah 45:11-12)
And when it comes to the way God chooses to discipline His own, whether it is too harsh or even the right form of discipline, leave that to Him. He is the one who knows what He is creating in us through the difficulties He allows.
If you and I belong to God, we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). And part of that doing is a molding of our character into the likeness of Christ so that his image is seen in us (2 Cor. 3:17-18).
Cyrus Will Do God's Bidding Because God Has Declared It (Isaiah 45:13)
Notice how sure of Himself God is in this last verse:
I will raise up Cyrus
I will direct his ways
He will rebuild
He will set free
And it's not about personal gain
This will be something unusual. Most conquerors were out for their own gain be it territory, money, or just conquest. But this guy won't even know why he is doing it other than God moved upon the heart of Cyrus (2 Chronicles 36:22-23) to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.
God doesn't need to offer a carrot to compel what He wants done, He does it because He has the power to move the will of His vessels in whatever way He chooses.
Principle:
God's plans never require outside advice.
God is all that is needed to carry out His plans.
Illustration:
[An Expert witness in a court]
Applications:
What are you doing for God for a price? Lord, if you do this, I'll do that. We can do this even subconsciously: as long as everything is going okay, I we keep plugging along for you Lord.
How are you questioning God, and is it from a perspective of faith or doubt?
What do you need to start asking God to reveal to you? This might be an opportunity for an A.S.K.
...Undeniably The Only Savior. (Isaiah 45:14-25)
Peoples Will Be Humbled And Acknowledge God's Singularity (Isaiah 45:14)
He starts out by speaking about the products and merchandise of Egypt and Cush. Probably referring to the fact that the treasures they had, and were captured by Cyrus, were part of what was used to rebuild the temple.
Certainly Cyrus had vast amounts of wealth from his conquest. This was not his motivation, however, and he used it liberally to carry out God's purposes for Israel.
But also, the language here appears to be talking about the people being humbled. They see the events unfold ant that there should be no way the ruins of Jerusalem would be rebuilt. There was nothing in it for this great king. But he liberates this people and sends them back home with an abundance of supplies.
And those that witness this are humbled at the work of God and they proclaim it: “Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other god.”
What a proclamation from a polytheistic people. They knew conquest from both sides now. They new that rulers didn't just march in and pour out abundance on exiles and send them home, that is, not unless there is something quite compelling motivating them. God is that motivator behind Cyrus.
God Is Not Visible Like Idols But God Brings Salvation While Idols Bring Shame (Isaiah 45:15-17)
It seems as though verses 15-17 are contrasting the visible gods of the nations with the Invisible God of Israel. Their gods are tangible and yet all they provide are shame and disgrace. God is invisible yet he brings salvation that is everlasting. And those that are recipients of that salvation will never be disgraced or shamed.
What God Speaks Is Plain And True For All To Hear (Isaiah 45:18-19)
And then He addresses what was eluded to in 15 (the hidden nature of God and His ways) by pointing out the fact that all of creation exists by God and that it was formed for the purpose of being inhabited. That creation was made so that men would have a habitation.
And even God's revelation (special revelation) was not secret or dark utterances. It was given to Jacob's descendants and it was not some obscure or vain pursuit.
Look at the descriptions of God's revelation in verse 19:
spoken
said
speak truth
declare what is right
Do you ever get the idea that God's words are important? That what He has declared should and must be observed?
He is actively involved in revealing himself to humanity. The problem with most is not a lack of revelation, but a denial of that revelation.
God is not hiding what He has said, man is ignoring what he doesn't want to hear.
[Example of the rich man an Lazarus]
Idols Cannot Save, God Alone Is Savior (Isaiah 45:20-21)
Idols are impotent because they are nothing. They are in the mind of the creator. They are a concept that has no basis in reality. And as such, they are impotent when it comes to salvation of any kind or even revelation of what lies ahead.
Other gods cannot provide anything to prepare a person for what lies ahead. And they can provide no protection from the inevitability of the certain doom that lies ahead for those who worship them.
But God, the LORD, foretells (long ago even) and brings it about. He is exclusively God. He is a righteous God and the only Savior, period!
God Calls All People To Repent And Be Saved (Isaiah 45:22)
And so, given that God has orchestrated all of these things from the beginning of time, through the working out of his plan of redemption, revealing the reality of His unique divinity, what does He call men to do?
Repent. Turn to me and be saved all you ends of the earth. To turn away from the nothings toward the ultimate being, the Savior and Creator of all things.
If He alone is Savior, then turning to Him is the only means of salvation. No alternative plan. And the clarity of this truth is plain within the Scriptures.
Turn in repentance while there is yet time before the day of judgment arrives when you will meet God. To turn to Him as savior, or meet Him in the end as Judge.
All Will Bow The Knee One Day And Declare That God Is Righteous And Strong (Isaiah 45:23-24a)
Look at the strength of the oath in verse 23:
Sworn by myself
God's mouth has uttered it
Words of integrity
Irrevocable
The oath is that everyone is going to bow before and every mouth will declare this truth:
In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.
And the sad thing is, all will recall the revelation of God throughout their lifetime. No one will be able to say that this is all news to them. I was an atheist and didn't know that God existed.
God's existence is plain to all men (Romans 1:18-20).
The same words were spoken by Paul in reference to Jesus Christ. The same declaration that we see here – Every knee will bow, of thing in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11).
God's Enemies Will Be Put To Shame But His People Will Be Righteous In Him (Isaiah 45:24b-25)
His conclusion is this: my enemies will bow and declare what I have said, but they also will be put to shame. And what a shame it will be for those who come before God and realize that everything life was about was Him and yet they chose to follow their own path. A path in opposition and rage against God and His will.
To deny God is to be His enemy. To be passive about God is to be His enemy. To not turn to Him for salvation is to be His enemy.
But only those who are in the LORD, the true Israel, will be found righteous (which God requires for all humanity) and will exult.
Will rejoice in the great salvation God has wrought by His mighty hand.
Principle:
Denying YHWH is a willful choice for ignorance and it leads to shame and disgrace.
Turning to YHWH in repentance is the path of grace that results in salvation.
Applications:
What thoughts, actions, or motives are you harboring that effectively deny God?
What things are you trying to do to add to a salvation that God alone can give?
How well are you doing at sharing the truth of God's words with your friends, family, and co-workers?
Conclusion
Though no man will ever fully comprehend God, man is gravely mistaken if he thinks denying His existence is a safe place to be.
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