Isaiah 44:15-28
Isa 44:15
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.
The main reason that people cut down trees was for
kindling wood to keep warm and it was also used to place in the oven so they
could cook food and make bread for the family.
Then they take the more fitting part of the tree to fashion a god and
then worship it by making it into an idol and then falling down before it and
paying homage to it. It shows the
mind of man that he takes the same wood to burn for heat and cooking and then
takes of the same wood to make a god and then worships it without even realizing
that the idol and his heating fuel are the same thing.
Isa 44:16
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:
So because the log is too long for him to place it in his
fireplace he cuts the log in two pieces.
He then uses one piece of the log to make his food and then he is
satisfied with the warmth that the burning log has given off.
Then he is satisfied with the warmth that he receiving and he has visibly
seen the fire that is the source of his satisfaction.
Isa 44:17
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.
Then on the other part of the log he creates a false god
by means of a graven image. He then
displays the foolishness of a false religion by falling down before his graven
image and praying to it and expecting the false god to deliver him from whatever
he is facing and then he declares that the idol is his god.
He is so blinded by his false religion that he does not realize that the
same material he was burning to keep warm is the same as he is worshipping, just
a dead branch with plaster or other metallic covering.
Isa 44:18
They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut
their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot
understand.
Since these idol worshippers want to have their idols,
they are paying a price of having their eyes blinded to the truth.
When they are confronted with the truth, they neither have known anything
about the true gospel nor have they understood that they are in total blindness
to the truth. God had shut their
eyes as if he smeared something over them and they are unable to see because of
their spiritual blindness.
And for this cause God shall send them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2 Thessalonians 2:11)
People who reject the truth and only choose to believe a lie will be
helped by God who will cause them to go deeper into their false religion.
The deeper they go, their understanding goes with them to the point that
they will actually hate the truth.
Their minds and eyes will be stuck shut unless God chooses to open them.
Isa 44:19
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?
This is the essence of spiritual blindness in that they
cannot conclude in their hearts that they were using part of the log to give
themselves warmth and also to cook their meals upon and helps satisfy their
hunger. Then the second part of
that log was used to make a false god, an idol, and they cannot piece the
situation together that the idol is nothing more than the second half of the log
they brought into the house. How
come half is burned as a necessity and the other half is considered sacred?
They cannot make that connection because of their spiritual blindness.
They don’t realize that what they are bowing to is the stock or that
which comes out of the tree.
Isa 44:20
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?
The part of the log which he uses for warmth is of no
more value than the idol he fashioned out of the other part of the log.
In other words, this man is bowing down to ashes which is the result of
the burning of the log. He has
become so darkened in his idolatry that his heart is actually deceived into
believing that his god can deliver him when in reality that idol cannot deliver
his soul from any earthy situation or any spiritual situation.
He is so blinded that he cannot even realize that the idol he holds in
his hand amounts to nothing more than a lie.
I have not written unto you
because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the
truth. (1 John 2:21) If you
brought this up to today it would be like a Mormon who holds the Book of Mormon
in his hands and because his heart is deceived cannot realize that he is holding
a lie in his hands.
Isa 44:21
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.
Then the LORD tells Judah and Israel that they need to
remember these things which they just learned concerning idols and their origins
that they are no more than just the imaginations of men and fashioned by sinful
men that have no ability to create anything with a divine nature.
Then the LORD contrasts his truths with what was just taught.
He reminds Israel that they are still his servant even when they go into
Babylon for seventy years. God was
the one who formed them and they did not form him as the craftsmen who formed
gods after their own likeness.
Since God is the true God of Israel, he promises that they will not be forgotten
by him because he is not a dead piece of wood like the trees which are fashioned
into idols and can do nothing for the worshippers.
He has a real relationship with the people he formed and the elect within
those people.
Isa 44:22
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 assures Israel that he has blotted out their
transgressions. The word
“transgressions” carries with it the meaning of “rebellion” which they did
against the LORD by partaking in forms of idolatry.
When they have returned from the seventy years in captivity, their former
sins will not be counted against them because the LORD himself has redeemed
them. He will bring them back into
the land so the temple can be built and the Messiah will be able to come through
them. This verse is also a great
promise to the true believers that God has completely blotted out their sins and
has redeemed them through the blood of Christ.
The word “blotted” carries with the meaning of “abolish or wipe away.”
Isa 44:23
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.
And every creature
which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in
the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and
glory, and power, be unto him
that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (Revelation
5:13) Isaiah 44:23 and
Revelation 5:13 have much in common.
There is much joy in Heaven because the LORD himself has redeemed Jacob
and have glorified himself in Israel.
Those who are the true believers are the true Israel of God and as a
result everything in the world will rejoice because of the redeeming hand of
God. The lower parts of the earth
could be referencing the Gentiles who would be saved out of idolatry and false
religions. The mountains shall
break forth in singing which means the kingdoms of the world will rejoice
especially when the LORD himself will reign upon the earth forever.
And the seventh angel sounded; and
there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdoms of our Lord, and
of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)
The forest and trees will also rejoice which is a reference to the
believers.
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of
praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah
61:3) When the Lord Jesus
Christ went to the cross, he redeemed the entire body of believers which were
named before the foundation of the world.
The Israel in view would be the true body of believers who are called the
Israel of God.
Isa 44:24
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;
From the beginning of their formation, God was their
redeemer. This is speaking of the
Lord Jesus Christ who came to redeem all the elect of God named from the
foundation of the world. The LORD
then declares that he is the Creator and makes all things whether they be in
space or on the earth and that includes the creation of man.
He is the one who stretched forth the heavens and made all the galaxies
in the universe. He also made the
earth and all its vastness of land where he placed man to dwell.
He did all of this by himself and he did not need help from anyone
because he is the self-existent one.
Isa 44:25
That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh
diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge
foolish;
Then all the truths which God shared with Israel through
Isaiah would frustrate the signs or tokens which the liars of the false gods
would attempt to bring forth and how they would attempt to foretell future
events. Then the diviners would
become mad which would be enraged when their astrology or soothsayers would be
proven wrong with their prognostications.
Then there are the wise men among the Gentiles who would be proven wrong
especially when they come into contact with the real gospel.
Where
is the wise? where
is the scribe? where
is the disputer of this world?
hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (1 Corinthians 1:20)
All of these things would be found in Babylon and Israel is being
forewarned that their false prophets and wise men will be found totally wanting
before the true God.
Isa 44:26
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:
In contrast God had confirmed the word of his servant and
in this case would be Isaiah and the counsel that he gave to his messengers, he
would not fail to fulfill one part.
He confirms that when the seventy years is up, his people will once again be
returned to the land and the cities would be inhabited and those places which
fell into disrepair because of their absence or the Assyrian invasion of the
outer villages in 701 B.C. will be once again built up and inhabited.
Spiritually speaking this applies to the
church of God that it will be built throughout the world and those places which
are decayed or are filled with false gospels shall be raised up to the truth of
Christ.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
Isa 44:27
That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy
rivers:
This may be an allusion to the drying up of the Euphrates
which Cyrus did so he could attack Babylon in a surprising manner.
By drying up the Euphrates, it made the passing of the army of Cyrus much
easier in their campaign against Babylon.
This is also an allusion to the drying up of the Red Sea when Israel left
Egypt and allowed Israel to pass on dry ground.
This also shows that God has complete authority over the creation and can
even command rivers.
And he said unto them, Where is your
faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man
is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. (Luke
8:25)
Isa 44:28
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.