Isaiah 44

1. Isaiah 44

2. ISAIAH CH 44 690 BC

3. Isaiah 44 This is part of 8 consecutive chapters in Isaiah where God speaks in the First Person of His unique status as the One and Only God: the God of power and of creation we can never fathom the God of wisdom and good counsel the God Who can rightly ridicule all pretenders and goddies the God Who loves people and vows to protect Israel the God Who sets kings up and brings them down the God Who uses kings, people, nature and history for purposes of His own the God of the NT Gospel of redemption and restoration, through Christ, His Anointed One (Good News) the God of judgment (Bad News)

4. Isaiah 44 Isaiah 43 ended with a list of charges God has laid against Israel, His Chosen People. Isaiah 44 begins with God reiterating His intention to love and care for them anyway, and to re-educate them in the fundamental precepts of that special relationship. The charges (Israelites are): stiffnecked rebellious forgetful ungrateful insincere liars renegades. Other than that, they’ve done well.

5. Isaiah 44 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: 2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. “Yet now hear…” In spite of the foregoing list of shortcomings, God says, “I’m not through with you; I’ll never be; let me put it this way; come, let us reason (as He beckoned in the first chapter). I have a lesson; surely some of you are willing to listen.” “I made you, from your forefathers right down to the present; I am aware, and I am concerned. Did I mention that I am your God?” “I will help you, in spite of your waywardness; don’t fear – I’m here, ‘my little people’ (that is what Jesurun means). 3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: God is saying, “If you truly thirst, you shall be filled – with what you need, and then some.” We know that water is our foremost need; and we know it is also symbolic of the Spirit. He then transitions to the literal by promising the Spirit, and growth.

6. Isaiah 44 This brings to mind at least 3 scriptures that show us God’s willingness to freely give of Himself to those who want Him: Matt. 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. God’s love, grace and graciousness, His generosity, mercy, longsuffering and forgiveness, cannot be overstated. His offer of fellowship in the Spirit is and always has been open to all, genuine and without exception. All He asks is that our interest in Him be humble and unfeigned, desiring Him and His righteousness.

7. Isaiah 44 4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. Grass symbolizes people; trees symbolize leaders who proclaim God’s goodness in word and in deed. Grass is healthy when it is well-watered. Trees along rivers stand out, even in a dry region. This is what God wants to see in His people. Water, again, is symbolic of the Spirit, which God is willing to freely give. So it is God’s desire to have people on earth to show forth His power, love and goodness, like a meadow of grass or a tree in an otherwise dry place. The contrast alone should suffice to attract others to God. Anyway, that is the purpose – it is for His Name’s sake that He plants us and waters us, not merely for ourselves. So God would admonish Israel; so God would admonish the Church.

8. Isaiah 44 5 One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Notice in this verse that follows God’s promise of the Spirit and the resulting growth of healthy greenery – God includes gentile Christians, Jews who don’t know Christ, and Jews who are also Christians! Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

9. Isaiah 44 6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. This is the lesson; so let’s begin at the beginning. I was the only One there. I shouldn’t have to tell Israelites and Christians these things; but it seems you need reminding. For us as Christians, this unmistakably defines Jesus Christ as the God of Israel: Rev. 1:8I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:  Anything you do, anything you prioritize in your life, ought to reflect your allegiance and devotion to God. There is nothing else that even remotely matters. And then, if you seek first God and His righteousness, everything else you need will be thrown into the bargain. The biggest mistake people make is to minimize God. The first commandment.

10. Isaiah 44 7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. What does God “call” and “declare”? “And God said ‘Let there be light’, and there was light.” “Let there be a firmament…; let the waters be gathered together; let the dry land appear; let the earth bring forth grass; let the waters and the earth bring forth creatures; and let us make man in our image.” And it was so. What else? God calls and declares the future; and it happens just that way. Who else ever did this? Who else can? Rhetorical questions, the answer to which is, “No one else; just God.” If there is anyone else with those capabilities, God says, “bring them forth.” Crickets…….

11. Isaiah 44 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. God here admits that the question was rhetorical; everyone in Israel knows there is only one God (and all the “rest” are just goddies); but sometimes people forget; they listen to lies. They forget mostly, though, because their minds are on other things; they put other concerns first. That’s when trouble begins; and it only gets worse. But, God says, reassuringly, “Don’t worry, never fear; you’re not going to find out someday that you missed out, like ‘Wow; I could’ve had a V-8’; because there just isn’t any other God. Any word to the contrary is just a repetition of the lie told by the father of lies, the devil, to Eve, in the Garden – ‘Ye shall be as gods’, implying that there are more than one.”

12. Isaiah 44 9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. 10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. People know their “gods”, their idols, are just made up; and so are the superstitions that surround them. They convince themselves, or so it would seem. Vanity means “useless, of no value or consequence”. People convince themselves that there is power in the idea or spirit the image represents; and yet they should know that neither the image nor its essence made the worlds, nor sustains the entire universe. The image doesn’t see, or know, or do anything; those who make and serve and worship idols know this from experience, first-hand. They ought to be ashamed. Yet they persist. Do we civilized folk of the 21st century have idols? Superstitions?

13. Isaiah 44 12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. Those who theorize about biology have distinguished “man” as distinct from “other” animals by his use of tools and fire. God uses both in His imagery here. It is also interesting that a metaphor for “any man” is the surname “Smith”. The point is, man the fire-builder, man the craftsman, man the skillful and artistic, is still just a man. He gets tired, he gets thirsty; he has limitations. And he knows it. He knows he is not omnipotent; he knows he is not God. He, instead, is in the image of God. God made man that way. In God’s image, man has choices; man is creative; man has intellect; he can communicate; he can invent; he can solve problems. God took a big chance making man that way. Lucifer had those prerogatives and went foul.

14. Isaiah 44 God made Glen Canyon… …man made the dam, the bridge, the power generating plant, the transformers, the giant electrical towers and cables, and oh yes, by the way, created Lake Powell Recreation Area. Man is in God’s image alright.

15. Isaiah 44 13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. 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. 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: Man is so skilled and intelligent, he is tempted to take God’s place and be a god unto himself; only he is not brave enough to call himself “God”. Instead, he fashions a thing of his own making, and calls it a “god”. Sneaky. But we can see what is going on. It is a ruse. He only pretends to be making a “god”. It is really only a goddie!

16. Isaiah 44 Here are some key questions: Did he make himself? Did he make the cedars, the cypress, the oak or the ash? No, he didn’t; and he knows he didn’t! Well, like the joke says, “Get your own dirt (or get your own cedar)!” Did he make it rain? Did he make the wheat for the bread? Did he make the cow for his roast beef? No, no, no, no, no, no, no and no, he didn’t. And he knows he didn’t. Do you see what is going on here? The man is participating in his own delusion of grandeur. He knows he is not making a god. Anyone that makes anything is greater than the thing that he made. He is making himself to be God. And that is just what the devil told Eve she and Adam could do with knowledge, with “Enlightenment” (“if I only had a brain”).

17. Isaiah 44 He is creating a monster… this doesn’t end well. Too smart… …for his own good

18. Isaiah 44 Isn’t it amazing that, after God brought the Gospel to Europe, and while Europe was busy Christianizing the world, back in Europe, “the Enlightenment”, probably the most aggressively anti-God, pro-man-as-god, movement in the history of the world, came into being? It is that very movement that has created the war over worldview we find ourselves fighting to this very day. And we are not doing as well as I’d like. This chapter is about that war; and God has the upper hand. He is putting forth the challenge for all to see; but who will see it? Who will heed the clear call? Who will lay down his pretensions and recognize the Way the Truth and the Life? Jesus said “…few there be that find it.” That is the most unfortunate fact that I know. The message of this chapter must be heard. Faith comes by hearing.

19. Isaiah 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. 18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. That goes to show just how deluded he is. He worships leftovers. Who worships leftovers? A fool, that’s who. Who is “he” that shut their eyes? God? The devil? The man? I don’t know. But I know this: as soon as you reject the truth, you simply get in line to receive the next lie that comes along. Most of the world is living a lie. That is so sad (and so unnecessary; the Truth is knocking at everyone’s door). 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?

20. Isaiah 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? “He feedeth on ashes…” You are what you eat. He’s been worshipping leftovers, and now that’s all he has to show for his life. Like Job sat down in the ashes in his misery, as those who mourn in sackcloth and ashes, and like the ashes of a funeral pyre, there is nothing but death and misery in the life of this deluded man. Ashes to ashes… “A deceived heart hath turned him aside…” He is self-blinded; he is willingly self-deluded. He has fooled himself and is therefore a fool of his own making. “he cannot deliver his soul…” He cannot deliver. He chokes in the clutch. He strikes out with the bases loaded. He fumbles at the goal line. He trips on the final hurdle. He forgot to ask the Deliverer to deliver him. “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” There is; but he doesn’t know it. He’s been had. He’s been sold a bill of goods.

21. Isaiah 44 A Bill of Goods… A Pig in a Poke A lie in my right hand… And I think this will get me into heaven?

22. Isaiah 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. 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. 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. 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; 25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; 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: Back where we started: God is God; man is not. Deal with it! And the sooner the better! Why live a lie and die, when you can receive the truth, and live?

23. Isaiah 44 27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: 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. First, God gives a hint of how He will topple the Babylonian/Assyrian tyrant that takes Israel captive – by drying up the river-moat that protected the Babylonians under Belteshazzar the night the handwriting was on the wall. …And then, because He alone is God, He even names the Persian who will take over from the Assyrians, and then champion the cause of the Jews’ return to Jerusalem – Cyrus – over 150 years before the man was even born! But that is also how we will begin the next chapter!