How did God pay the redemption price to set sinners free? Let’s begin in Isaiah 44.
Will God give Israel’s dry land water and their descendants the Holy Spirit?
People of Israel, I have chosen you as my servant. I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. Israel, don't be terrified! You are my chosen servant, my very favorite. I will bless the thirsty land by sending streams of water; I will bless your descendants by giving them my Spirit. They will spring up like grass or like willow trees near flowing streams. They will worship me and become my people. They will write my name on the back of their hands. (Isa 44:1-5 CEV)
Does God explain to Israel why they can rely upon His promises?
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” (Isa 44:6-8 ESV)
What profit is there in the business of making useless statues to worship as idols?
All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure does not profit. Their witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame. Who makes a god or casts a metal image for no profit? Look, all its worshipers will be put to shame, and the craftsmen are humans. They all will assemble and stand; they all will be startled and put to shame. (Isa 44:9-11 HCSB)
What futility is involved in the various ways of making idols?
The blacksmith prepares a tool and works in the coals, then fashions an idol with hammers, working by the strength of his arm. He even becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint. The carpenter measures it with a line; he traces its shape with a stylus, then fashions it with planes and shapes it with a compass. He makes the idol like a human figure, with human beauty, to be at home in a shrine. He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress tree or an oak, and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. Or he plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow. He divides it up for people to burn. Taking part of it, he warms himself, makes a fire, and bakes bread. Or perhaps he constructs a god and worships it. He makes it an idol and bows down to it. Half the wood he burns in the fire, and over that half he places meat so he can eat. He sits by its coals, warms himself, and says, “Ah! I am warm in front of the fire.” And the rest of it he makes into a god. To blocks of wood he bows down, worships, prays, and says, “Save me, since you are my god.” (Isa 44:12-17 ISV)
What has God done to the deceived eyes and hearts of idolaters?
They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. 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? 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? (Isa 44:18-20 KJV)
Why should the mountains break forth into a shout of joy? Did God pay the redemption price to set Israel free?
“Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a cloud. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” Shout for joy, O heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Make a loud shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His beautiful glory. (Isa 44:21-23 LSB)
What does our redeemer say about diviners, fortune-tellers and the wisest of us? Did God prophecy of Cyrus rebuilding Jerusalem about 150 years later?
This is what the Lord says, He who is your Redeemer, and the One who formed you from the womb: “I, the Lord, am the Maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth alone, Causing the omens of diviners to fail, Making fools of fortune-tellers; Causing wise men to turn back And making their knowledge ridiculous, Confirming the word of His servant And carrying out the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’ And I will raise her ruins again. I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Dry up!’ And I will make your rivers dry up. It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he will carry out all My desire.’ And he says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’” (Isa 44:24-28 NASB)
Who fulfilled this passage having paid the price for our redemption?
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Eph 1:7 NIV)
How did God pay the redemption price to set sinners free? You decide!
A Chosen People (Isaiah 43)
Do we believe that Christians are a chosen race to speak of the wonderful acts of the One who called us out of darkness into God’s amazing light? Let’s look at Isaiah 43.
What kind promise did God make as Israel passed through different difficulties?
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (Isa 43:1-2 KJV)
Why did God encourage everyone who is called by His name, not to fear?
For I am Yahweh your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east, And gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth, Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” (Isa 43:3-7 LSB)
Did God challenge the nations to either prove their false beliefs or accept Him? Which group of people had witnessed God’s hand?
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And those who are deaf, even though they have ears. All the nations have gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. I, only I, am the Lord, And there is no savior besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And I am God. Even from eternity I am He, And there is no one who can rescue from My hand; I act, and who can reverse it?” (Isa 43:8-13 NASB)
Will God punish Babylon? Is this a dual prophecy which includes the final symbolic Babylon?
This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.” (Isa 43:14-15 NIV)
In what appears to be a dual prophecy, with final fulfillment in the end of all things, does God encourage Israel not to be stuck in the bad memories of the past?
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. (Isa 43:16-21 NKJV)
Why would believers refuse to ask God for His help, but instead burden Him with their sins?
“But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me, O Israel! You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings. You have not honored me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you with requests for grain offerings and frankincense. You have not brought me fragrant calamus [incense] or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your faults. (Isa 43:22-24 NLT)
Does God offer forgiveness for those who repent? Did their teachers commit evil? Do ours?
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Declare your case, that you may be justified. Your first father sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel an insult.” (Isa 43:25-28 WEB)
Is verse 21 (This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise) referred to in the New Testament?
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. (1 Pet 2:9 CEB)
Do we believe that Christians are a chosen race to speak of the wonderful acts of the One who called us out of darkness into God’s amazing light? You decide!
What kind promise did God make as Israel passed through different difficulties?
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (Isa 43:1-2 KJV)
Why did God encourage everyone who is called by His name, not to fear?
For I am Yahweh your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east, And gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth, Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” (Isa 43:3-7 LSB)
Did God challenge the nations to either prove their false beliefs or accept Him? Which group of people had witnessed God’s hand?
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And those who are deaf, even though they have ears. All the nations have gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. I, only I, am the Lord, And there is no savior besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And I am God. Even from eternity I am He, And there is no one who can rescue from My hand; I act, and who can reverse it?” (Isa 43:8-13 NASB)
Will God punish Babylon? Is this a dual prophecy which includes the final symbolic Babylon?
This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.” (Isa 43:14-15 NIV)
In what appears to be a dual prophecy, with final fulfillment in the end of all things, does God encourage Israel not to be stuck in the bad memories of the past?
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. (Isa 43:16-21 NKJV)
Why would believers refuse to ask God for His help, but instead burden Him with their sins?
“But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me, O Israel! You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings. You have not honored me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you with requests for grain offerings and frankincense. You have not brought me fragrant calamus [incense] or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your faults. (Isa 43:22-24 NLT)
Does God offer forgiveness for those who repent? Did their teachers commit evil? Do ours?
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Declare your case, that you may be justified. Your first father sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel an insult.” (Isa 43:25-28 WEB)
Is verse 21 (This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise) referred to in the New Testament?
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. (1 Pet 2:9 CEB)
Do we believe that Christians are a chosen race to speak of the wonderful acts of the One who called us out of darkness into God’s amazing light? You decide!
Behold! My Servant (Isaiah 42)
Did God foretell about a Servant who would bless the Gentiles, a light to guide the nations? Is that Jesus? Let’s look at Isaiah 42.
Is this Servant a clear reference to Jesus, His Elect One, who brings justice to the nations?
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” (Isa 42:1-4 NKJV)
Does God give His qualifications to be able to make such promises concerning Jesus? Do idols made by mere men qualify?
God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” (Isa 42:5-9 NLT)
Will there be a reason for rejoicing in song throughout the region and the entire world?
Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants. Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar [Arabian and Syrian Deserts] inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela [Petra] sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains! Let them give glory to Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands. (Isa 42:10-12 WEB)
Will the Lord abandon us or will he bring us blessings beyond measure?
The Lord will go out like a soldier; like a warrior God will stir up rage. God will shout, will roar; over enemies he will prevail. I’ve kept still for a very long time. I’ve been silent and restrained myself. Like a woman in labor I will moan; I will pant, I will gasp. I will wither mountains and valleys, and I will dry up all their vegetation. I will turn rivers into deserts, and I will dry up pools. I will make the blind walk a road they don’t know, and I will guide them in paths they don’t know. But I will make darkness before them into light and rough places into level ground. These things I will do; I won’t abandon them. (Isa 42:13-16 CEB)
Will those who trust in useless idols be ashamed? What does God say to religious leaders who claim to see and hear but in reality are blind and deaf?
Everyone who worships idols as though they were gods will be terribly ashamed. You people are deaf and blind, but the Lord commands you to listen and to see. No one is as blind or deaf as his messenger, his chosen servant, who sees and hears so much, but pays no attention. (Isa 42:17-20 CEV)
How is the law magnified? Is circumcision now of the heart, is Sabbath now our rest in Jesus, is Jesus our Passover Lamb?
The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, “Restore!” Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? (Isa 42:21-23 ESV)
Did the discipline God gave them, by being plundered by their enemies, bring about their repentance?
Who gave Jacob to the robber, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord? Have we not sinned against Him? They were not willing to walk in His ways, and they would not listen to His instruction. So He poured out on Jacob His furious anger and the power of war. It surrounded him with fire, but he did not know it; it burned him, but he paid no attention. (Isa 42:24-25 HCSB)
Does Matthew confirm Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy?
“Here is my Servant whom I have chosen, whom I love, and with whom I am pleased! I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to unbelievers. He will not quarrel or shout, and no one will hear him shouting in the streets. He will not snap off a broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick until he has brought justice through to victory. And in his name unbelievers will hope.” (Mat 12:18-21 ISV)
Did God foretell about a Servant who would bless the Gentiles, a light to guide the nations? Is that Jesus? You decide!
Is this Servant a clear reference to Jesus, His Elect One, who brings justice to the nations?
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” (Isa 42:1-4 NKJV)
Does God give His qualifications to be able to make such promises concerning Jesus? Do idols made by mere men qualify?
God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” (Isa 42:5-9 NLT)
Will there be a reason for rejoicing in song throughout the region and the entire world?
Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants. Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar [Arabian and Syrian Deserts] inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela [Petra] sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains! Let them give glory to Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands. (Isa 42:10-12 WEB)
Will the Lord abandon us or will he bring us blessings beyond measure?
The Lord will go out like a soldier; like a warrior God will stir up rage. God will shout, will roar; over enemies he will prevail. I’ve kept still for a very long time. I’ve been silent and restrained myself. Like a woman in labor I will moan; I will pant, I will gasp. I will wither mountains and valleys, and I will dry up all their vegetation. I will turn rivers into deserts, and I will dry up pools. I will make the blind walk a road they don’t know, and I will guide them in paths they don’t know. But I will make darkness before them into light and rough places into level ground. These things I will do; I won’t abandon them. (Isa 42:13-16 CEB)
Will those who trust in useless idols be ashamed? What does God say to religious leaders who claim to see and hear but in reality are blind and deaf?
Everyone who worships idols as though they were gods will be terribly ashamed. You people are deaf and blind, but the Lord commands you to listen and to see. No one is as blind or deaf as his messenger, his chosen servant, who sees and hears so much, but pays no attention. (Isa 42:17-20 CEV)
How is the law magnified? Is circumcision now of the heart, is Sabbath now our rest in Jesus, is Jesus our Passover Lamb?
The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, “Restore!” Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? (Isa 42:21-23 ESV)
Did the discipline God gave them, by being plundered by their enemies, bring about their repentance?
Who gave Jacob to the robber, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord? Have we not sinned against Him? They were not willing to walk in His ways, and they would not listen to His instruction. So He poured out on Jacob His furious anger and the power of war. It surrounded him with fire, but he did not know it; it burned him, but he paid no attention. (Isa 42:24-25 HCSB)
Does Matthew confirm Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy?
“Here is my Servant whom I have chosen, whom I love, and with whom I am pleased! I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to unbelievers. He will not quarrel or shout, and no one will hear him shouting in the streets. He will not snap off a broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick until he has brought justice through to victory. And in his name unbelievers will hope.” (Mat 12:18-21 ISV)
Did God foretell about a Servant who would bless the Gentiles, a light to guide the nations? Is that Jesus? You decide!
God or Idols (Isaiah 41)
Who do we look to for help, God or some man-made substitute? Let’s look at Isaiah 41.
How does God reason with the coastlands, asking who is in charge of human history?
Be quiet before me, coastlands [distant lands]. Let the nations renew their strength. Let them approach and speak. Let’s draw near for a judgment. Who has awakened one from the east and has authority to summon him to serve—giving him nations, conquering kings, making them like dust with his sword, like scattered straw with his bow? He pursues them and passes untouched, needing no path for his feet. Who has acted and who has done this, calling upon generation after generation since the beginning? I, the Lord, was first, and I will be the last! (Isa 41:1-4 CEB)
Instead of turning to God, what false gods did the people worship?
Islands and foreign nations saw what I did and trembled as they came near. Worshipers of idols comfort each other, saying, “Don't worry!” Woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and other workers encourage one another and say, “We've done a great job!” Then they nail the idol down, so it won't fall over. (Isa 41:5-7 CEV)
How does God encourage and promise to strengthen Israel?
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isa 41:8-10 ESV)
What does God promise to do for Israel against her enemies?
Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you. (Isa 41:11-13 HCSB)
Should those who rejoice in and boast about the one true God be afraid?
Don’t be afraid, you little worm Jacob, and you insects of Israel! I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. “See, I’m making you into a new, sharp, and multi-tooth threshing sledge. You’ll thresh and crush the mountains, and make the hills like chaff. You’ll winnow them, and the wind will lift them up, and a tempest will blow them away. Then you’ll rejoice in the Lord, and you’ll make your boast in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa 41:14-16 ISV)
Will the one true God provide abundantly things that no idol can?
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. (Isa 41:17-20 KJV)
Does God invite debate about His prophecies and the ability of idols to do any work?
“Bring near your case,” Yahweh says. “Bring forward your mighty arguments,” The King of Jacob says. Let them bring it forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may establish our heart on them and know their outcome. Or cause us to hear of what is coming; Declare the things that are to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. Behold, you are nothing, And your work is non-existent; He who chooses you is an abomination. (Isa 41:21-24 LSB)
How incapable are people to solve our problems? How futile is it to rely upon empty cast metal images?
“I have put one from the north into motion, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, As the potter treads on clay.” Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”? There was no one at all who declared, There was no one at all who proclaimed, There was no one at all who heard your words. “Previously I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’ And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’ But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer. Behold, all of them are false; Their works are nothing, Their cast metal images are wind and emptiness. (Isa 41:25-29 NASB)
Are we reintroduced to the One from verse 4 who is described as the first and the last as Jesus Christ, God made flesh?
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Rev 1:17-18 NIV)
Who do we look to for help, God or some man-made substitute? You decide!
How does God reason with the coastlands, asking who is in charge of human history?
Be quiet before me, coastlands [distant lands]. Let the nations renew their strength. Let them approach and speak. Let’s draw near for a judgment. Who has awakened one from the east and has authority to summon him to serve—giving him nations, conquering kings, making them like dust with his sword, like scattered straw with his bow? He pursues them and passes untouched, needing no path for his feet. Who has acted and who has done this, calling upon generation after generation since the beginning? I, the Lord, was first, and I will be the last! (Isa 41:1-4 CEB)
Instead of turning to God, what false gods did the people worship?
Islands and foreign nations saw what I did and trembled as they came near. Worshipers of idols comfort each other, saying, “Don't worry!” Woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and other workers encourage one another and say, “We've done a great job!” Then they nail the idol down, so it won't fall over. (Isa 41:5-7 CEV)
How does God encourage and promise to strengthen Israel?
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isa 41:8-10 ESV)
What does God promise to do for Israel against her enemies?
Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you. (Isa 41:11-13 HCSB)
Should those who rejoice in and boast about the one true God be afraid?
Don’t be afraid, you little worm Jacob, and you insects of Israel! I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. “See, I’m making you into a new, sharp, and multi-tooth threshing sledge. You’ll thresh and crush the mountains, and make the hills like chaff. You’ll winnow them, and the wind will lift them up, and a tempest will blow them away. Then you’ll rejoice in the Lord, and you’ll make your boast in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa 41:14-16 ISV)
Will the one true God provide abundantly things that no idol can?
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. (Isa 41:17-20 KJV)
Does God invite debate about His prophecies and the ability of idols to do any work?
“Bring near your case,” Yahweh says. “Bring forward your mighty arguments,” The King of Jacob says. Let them bring it forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may establish our heart on them and know their outcome. Or cause us to hear of what is coming; Declare the things that are to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. Behold, you are nothing, And your work is non-existent; He who chooses you is an abomination. (Isa 41:21-24 LSB)
How incapable are people to solve our problems? How futile is it to rely upon empty cast metal images?
“I have put one from the north into motion, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, As the potter treads on clay.” Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”? There was no one at all who declared, There was no one at all who proclaimed, There was no one at all who heard your words. “Previously I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’ And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’ But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer. Behold, all of them are false; Their works are nothing, Their cast metal images are wind and emptiness. (Isa 41:25-29 NASB)
Are we reintroduced to the One from verse 4 who is described as the first and the last as Jesus Christ, God made flesh?
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Rev 1:17-18 NIV)
Who do we look to for help, God or some man-made substitute? You decide!
Good News (Isaiah 40)
Did God begin to comfort His people with good news, Gospel? Was this fulfilled in part by John the Baptist? Let’s begin in Isaiah 40.
What comforting words did God say to Jerusalem to encourage them?
Our God has said: “Encourage my people! Give them comfort. Speak kindly to Jerusalem and announce: Your slavery is past; your punishment is over. I, the Lord, made you pay double for your sins.” (Isa 40:1-2 CEV)
Is the following a prophecy, partially fulfilled in John the Baptist? Will Christ’s return bring this prophecy to complete fulfillment?
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isa 40:3-5 ESV)
What did a voice say to Isaiah about humanity and God’s word?
A voice was saying, “Cry out!” Another said, “What should I cry out?” “All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” (Isa 40:6-8 HCSB)
Where did God tell Isaiah to go and what good news did He tell him to say?
“Climb up a high mountain, you messenger of good news to Zion! Lift up your voice with strength, you messenger to Jerusalem! Lift it up! Don’t be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ Look! The Lord God comes with strength, and his arm rules for him. Look! His reward is with him, and his payment accompanies him. Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep.” (Isa 40:9-11 ISV)
Did God ask Isaiah similar questions to those He had also posed to Job?
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? (Isa 40:12-14 KJV)
How much bigger is God than the entirety of His creation?
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are counted as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the coastlands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him; They are counted by Him as non-existent and utterly formless. (Isa 40:15-17 LSB)
Two whom can we liken the real God, not some fake man-made idol?
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. (Isa 40:18-20 NASB)
In a world where political leaders threaten our freedoms and commercial greed endangers our very lives, is there someone greater than it all?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. (Isa 40:21-24 NIV)
Do we, who live in such a corrupt world, understand who has more strength than us all?
“To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. (Isa 40:25-26 NKJV)
Do we ask if God even sees our troubles? Do we trust that He will help us find new strength?
O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isa 40:27-31 NLT)
How did John the Baptist fulfill the prophecy in verse 3 above?
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!” (Mat 3:2-3 WEB)
Did God begin to comfort His people with good news, Gospel? Was this fulfilled in part by John the Baptist? You decide!
What comforting words did God say to Jerusalem to encourage them?
Our God has said: “Encourage my people! Give them comfort. Speak kindly to Jerusalem and announce: Your slavery is past; your punishment is over. I, the Lord, made you pay double for your sins.” (Isa 40:1-2 CEV)
Is the following a prophecy, partially fulfilled in John the Baptist? Will Christ’s return bring this prophecy to complete fulfillment?
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isa 40:3-5 ESV)
What did a voice say to Isaiah about humanity and God’s word?
A voice was saying, “Cry out!” Another said, “What should I cry out?” “All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” (Isa 40:6-8 HCSB)
Where did God tell Isaiah to go and what good news did He tell him to say?
“Climb up a high mountain, you messenger of good news to Zion! Lift up your voice with strength, you messenger to Jerusalem! Lift it up! Don’t be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ Look! The Lord God comes with strength, and his arm rules for him. Look! His reward is with him, and his payment accompanies him. Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep.” (Isa 40:9-11 ISV)
Did God ask Isaiah similar questions to those He had also posed to Job?
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? (Isa 40:12-14 KJV)
How much bigger is God than the entirety of His creation?
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are counted as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the coastlands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him; They are counted by Him as non-existent and utterly formless. (Isa 40:15-17 LSB)
Two whom can we liken the real God, not some fake man-made idol?
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. (Isa 40:18-20 NASB)
In a world where political leaders threaten our freedoms and commercial greed endangers our very lives, is there someone greater than it all?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. (Isa 40:21-24 NIV)
Do we, who live in such a corrupt world, understand who has more strength than us all?
“To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. (Isa 40:25-26 NKJV)
Do we ask if God even sees our troubles? Do we trust that He will help us find new strength?
O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isa 40:27-31 NLT)
How did John the Baptist fulfill the prophecy in verse 3 above?
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!” (Mat 3:2-3 WEB)
Did God begin to comfort His people with good news, Gospel? Was this fulfilled in part by John the Baptist? You decide!
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