Grace Institute: Isaiah: Deliverance from Babylon

Deliverance from Babylon Isaiah 41-48 Fall 2008

For the first 38 chapters of Isaiah, the great threat to Judah was the Assyrian empire. Isaiah's prophecies proclaimed judgment against the arrogance of Assyria and assured the people of Judah that if they trusted in the LORD that they would be delivered.

However, beginning in chapter 39, the focus of the book shifts from the current Assyrian threat to the future threat from Babylon. In chapter 39, Isaiah warns King Hezekiah that one day Babylon would carry the kingdom of Judah into exile. This forces the reader to wonder: if God is powerful enough to rescue Judah from the Assyrians, why then can He not also rescue them from Babylon. Chapters 40—48 answer the question. Judah's future exile at the hands of Babylon is not outside of God's control. God's ability to announce the future exile and Israel's redemption from exile will demonstrate, in fact, that the Lord is the one true God, and that He controls the rise and fall of the nations. Therefore, Judah need not fear the coming exile but can trust in the one true God, the Holy one of Israel.

Chapter 40 presented this case in broad poetic scope. Chapters 41—48 will be more specific, but no less poetic. The Lord will demonstrate his care for His people and His sovereignty over the nations as He moves kings and empires. He will raise up a new leader, Cyrus, who will return His people from Babylonian exile. Furthermore, the fact that this is predicted nearly two centuries before the events take place further demonstrate that the LORD is the one true God, and that there is no other god like Him.

Israel's Redemption as Proof that the Lord is God (Isaiah 41:1—44:23)

God Will Redeem Israel (41:1—29)

“Fear Not, I am Your Redeemer” (41:1—20)

Chapter 41 begins with a prophecy of one who is stirred up from the east (41:2), one coming from the place of the rising sun (41:25). While veiled in this chapter, we will learn the name of this one, Cyrus (45:1). He will achieve victory because God grants it (41:2). His success is due entirely to the Lord , the first and the last (41:4). It is through Cyrus that God will call his chosen people (41:8) from the ends of the earth (41:9). The Babylonian exile does not mean God has ignored the covenant with His people. They are still the offspring of Abraham (41:8) and he has not cast them off (41:9). He remains their God, and He will strengthen and help them in the midst of their exile (41:10). Therefore, in the midst of their exile, Judah needs not fear, for God is with them (41:13-14).

Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel!
I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;
Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel
(Isaiah 41:14 ESV)

The Lord will not only protect His people, but will provide for them as well. When the poor need water (41:17), He will open rivers of water (41:18). He will cause the wilderness to prosper (41:19).

The Other gods are a Delusion (41:21-29)

The Lord 's ability to predict and control the fate of His people is used as direct proof that He alone is the one true God. No other god can do this. They are a delusion, their works are nothing, and their images are empty wind (41:29).

The Lord issues a challenge to the other gods. Let us see if they have a case (41:21). Can they accurately predict the future as the Lord has (41:22)? Can their works terrify us (41:23)?

The idols cannot rise to the challenge. They are nothing, and those who worship such futility are an abomination (41:24).

In contrast, the Lord 's works can terrify. He raises conquerors that terrorize the nations (41:25). He can accurately predict the future, declaring from the beginning what would happen (41:26) and being the first to proclaim the return of the exiles to Jerusalem two centuries before these events were to take place (41:27).

The conclusion is simple. You can look at all the other gods, and they cannot compare. There is no one else who can give an answer to the Lord (41:28). They are a delusion (41:29).

The Servant of the Lord (42:1-25)

Identity of the Servant

In chapter 42, we see the first mention of the servant of the Lord . The reference to the servant in this chapter is vague. However, the character and the ministry of this servant will become more specific and clear in later chapters (Isaiah 49—53). For now, the reader is left wondering who this servant might be.

According to this chapter, the servant is one chosen by God, having received the Spirit of God (42:1). It is through this servant that God will bring justice to the nations (42:1b).

One possibility is that the Cyrus is this servant. He is called the Lord 's anointed in 45:1, and he certainly will be the agent by which Judah receives justice. However, this justice does not come in a loud and arrogant fashion (42:2). The servant will bring about justice to the oppressed gently (42:3). This is certainly not the method of Cyrus.

Another option is that the entire nation of Israel is the servant. They are called God's servant in 41:8, and in 42:19. However, the reference in 42:19 speaks of a servant who is blind, unable to see the great works of God. While, indeed, Israel is a servant of God, the blindness of Israel makes it unlikely she is the servant referred to in the first four verses of chapter 42.

The gospel writer, Matthew, tells us in that Jesus is the servant of the Lord mentioned in 42:1-4. In Matthew 12:15-21, Jesus is clearly identified as the fulfillment of this servant role.

Ministry of the Servant (42:1—9)

In Matthew 12:15—21, Jesus had just healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. Because he had plainly disobeyed the Sabbath laws of the Pharisees, these religious leaders began to conspire against Jesus. Matthew comments on this event, telling us that the rejection by the Jewish religious leaders was necessary in order for Jesus to bring salvation, not just to Israel but also to all the nations.

Isaiah confirms this is the servant's ministry. The servant will bring justice to the nations (42:1). He comes to be a light for the nations (42:6). As the servant works to restore Israel, it is through this action of Jesus that the whole world will see the glory of the Lord (42:8a). It is through Jesus ministry of healing and justice that the nations will abandon their idolatry (42:8b). This creates a completely new paradigm (42:9). Through Israel's redemption, God is demonstrating His glory to the entire world.

The Song of Praise (42:10—17)

The ministry of this coming servant is given as a reason to sing out a new song (42:10) and give glory to the Lord (42:12). The LORD has held back until now (42:14), but now he will go forth as a warrior (42:13), laying waste to the mountains, leading the blind (42:16) and putting to shame the idol worshipers (42:17).

Israel's Blindness (42:18-25)

Israel is described as a people who are blind, unable to see the glory of the Lord (42:18—20). Therefore, the Lord caused his people to be plundered (42:24). It was their disobedience which resulted in the exile (42:24-25), not God's lack of sovereignty. Now Jesus healing of the people (Matthew 12:15) is part of an overall healing. While the people were blind, now the servant will lead the blind (42:16) and show them the glory of the Lord as it is revealed to the nation and the entire world.

Fear Not, I Am With You (43:1-44:23)

Fear Not, I Will Redeem You (43:1—15)

Israel need not fear their circumstances, for their God has created them and He has also redeemed them (43:1). He is with them as they go through this trial (43:2), and He will bring them back (43:3). Israel is precious to Him, so He will gather them from the four corners of the earth (43:5-6). Therefore, they have nothing to fear.

As God redeems his people, Israel will serve as a witness to the nations (43:9) that the Lord is the only true God (43:10). He is the Lord , beside Him there is no savior (43:11). He alone is God (43:12).

Verses 14--15 contains some wonderful descriptive names for God, all of which serve as hope for Israel. He is

• The Lord (Yahweh)
• The Redeemer
• The Holy One of Israel
• The Creator of Israel
• Your King

Each of these titles represents not just the greatness of God, but also His very special relationship to His people. He is their King, their redeemer. He is not just the creator of the all, but also specifically the creator of Israel. He is their Holy One.

I Am Doing a New Thing (43:16-44:5)

As God brings Israel back from the exile, He will establish a new way of thinking. Forget the old ways we related, says the Lord . Now I am doing a new thing (43: 19). He is now going to open up the waters in the desert and pour out His Spirit among His people (43:19—21, 44:3—4).

The people will receive His Spirit, not based upon their own efforts. It is not because they called upon their God (43:22). They were weary Him. They had stopped bringing Him sacrifices (43:23). All they could bring to the Lord was their sin (43:24). However, God took their sin and blotted it out. He forgives them (43:25).

Nonetheless, the nation is still going to have to endure the exile (43:26—28). Think about it, God says (43:26). Your fathers sinned, and therefore you were very nearly destroyed (43:28). Nevertheless, their God whose chose them will still pour out His spirit, so Israel need not fear as they endure His discipline (44:1-4). Having endured the exile, Israel will finally identify themselves with the Lord (44:5).

There is no God like Me (44:6-23)

The coming redemption of Israel serves as the great proof that the Lord , the King of Israel is the one true God. There are no other Gods but He (44:6—8). “Who is like me?” He asks (44:7). Who else can predict the future? What other god can tell you what is going to happen (44:8)?

I am the first and the last, beside me there is no god. (Isaiah 44:6b)

Therefore, Israel has nothing to fear (44:8).

Isaiah then goes on the offensive, demonstrating that all the false gods are merely idols created by the hand of man (43:9—17). He goes into great detail showing how the ironsmith and the carpenter are the ones who have created their gods out of ore and out of wood. The same wood which goes into the idol is also burned in a fire to keep them warm (43:16—17), but idol worshippers cannot see this futility (43:18). The delude themselves and are putting their hope in a lie (43:19).

While men form the idols out, it is the Lord who formed Israel (44:21). These idols made of wood cannot rescue the people. However, God will not forget His people. He will forgive their sins and redeem His people (44:21—22).

This is what makes God unique among the false gods. Our God walks through the fire with us (43:2). He redeems us and protects us. Yes, he also disciplines us (43:27—28). However, He will ultimately forgive us (43:25) because of His grace, not because of our great devotion to Him (43:22). His grace and redemption are the final proof that He alone is God (44:6). Only a God like this is worthy to be praised (44:23).

World Events as Proof that the Lord is God (Isaiah 44:24—47:15)

Cyrus' Rise Proves the Lord is God (44:21-45:13)

The evidence that the Lord is God now becomes more specific. It is not just a vague redemption of His people. Indeed, the Lord will show the details of His redemption long before it actually takes place to show the world that He is the God outside of time.

This is not just the God of Israel, but also the creator of the universe (44:24). Therefore, He will frustrate the prophets of the false gods (44:25) and confirm the word of His prophets (44:26). The false prophets could never have predicted what will come. The true prophets of the Lord , however, have predicted that after the destruction of Jerusalem, she would be rebuilt and inhabited (44:26). The Lord will use Cyrus for his purposes, as He declares that Jerusalem and the temple to the Lord shall be rebuilt (44:28).

The Lord will appoint Cyrus to be his agent. He will make conquering the nations easy for him (45:1—2). God calls out this coming agent by name, even though Cyrus does not know the name of the Lord (45:4).

God will call Cyrus as His agent for three reasons:

• So that Cyrus himself will know it is the Lord , the God of Israel who has called Him (45:3).
• For the sake of Israel, God's chosen people (45:4).
• So that all the people throughout the earth may recognize that the Lord is the only true God (45:5—6).

Therefore, having proved that He is the only true God, then why strive against Him (45:9)? It is the Lord who created the universe and commands the stars (45:12). He is the one who will also command Cyrus to free His people and rebuild His city (45:13).

The Fall of Babylon Proves the Lord is God (45:14-47:15)

He is Greater than Babylonian gods (45:14-46:13)

As Cyrus, a king who does not know the Lord , rebuilds the Lord 's temple, this serves as proof that indeed the Lord is the one true God. Cyrus' will come and destroy Babylon, and in so doing will prove that the Lord is greater than the gods of Babylon.

The idol makers of Babylon will be dumbfounded (45:16) as Israel is saved by the Lord (45:17). This will prove that the Lord alone is the creator; there is no other (45:18). When the Lord told Israel to trust Him alone, He spoke the truth. He is able to deliver them (45:19).

However, those who trust in idols are praying to gods that cannot save them (45:20). Can these false gods predict the future? Did any of them see this coming (45:21)? Only the Lord could declare that Cyrus would come, Babylon would be destroyed, and that Israel would return from exile (45:21).

Therefore, turn the Lord and be saved (45:22). If you do not turn to the Lord , there will still be a time when you are forced to do so for

To me every knee shall bow,
Every tongue shall swear allegiance
(Isaiah 45:23b)

The false gods of Babylon are worthless to save. The idols to the Babylonian gods Bel and Nebo are knocked over and carried away on animals (46:1). While God will carry His people from their exile (46:3—4), the gods of Babylon are carried into exile (46:2).

No idol can compare to the one true god (46:5). Idols are merely manmade objects without any power to save (46:6). God has proven this by predicting that in the future that He would save Israel by sending Cyrus, the bird of prey from the east, to release them from exile (46:8—11).

The Fall of Babylon (47:1-15)

Chapter 47 is a lament for the fall of Babylon at the hands of Cyrus. The fall of the Chaldeans serves as further proof that the Lord , the God of Israel is sovereign over the nations. Israel's exile into Babylon does not mean that God has ignored His people, for they are merely his pawns, and when he is done with them they will be punished for how they treated Israel.

In chapter 46, Isaiah has demonstrated that the gods of Babylon were unable to save them. Now in chapter 47, the astrology and wisdom of Babylon will not be able to save them either.

Babylon is first compared to a young woman, stripped naked (47:1—3). In her glory days, Babylon enjoys the fruits of success, and is thus called the mistress of the nations (47:5, 7—8). Babylon arrogantly thought they their success would last forever (47:7).

However, her success was not her own doing. God had given Babylon success so that he might discipline Israel. Babylon went too far and showed no mercy to the people of God (47:6).

Just as God had proclaimed in past chapters, “there is none beside me,” Babylon was making that same bold claim (47:8, 10). They thought themselves to be god.

Furthermore, just as God has accurately predicted the future, the wise men of Babylon believed that through their astrology and sorcery that they too could predict the future. However, their wisdom would lead them astray (47:10). Their charms would be unable to deliver them from destruction (47:11). Their astrologers would be unable to determine from the stars how to save them (47:13). No one can deliver them (47:14).

The Babylonians have trusted in their own arrogance, their false gods, and their own wisdom. This tale of misplaced trust results only in this bold statement: “there is no one to save you” (Isaiah 47:15).

Plea for Israel to Believe that the Lord is God (Isaiah 48:1—22)

The people of Israel and Judah have called themselves by the name of the Lord , and even have confessed proper theology. However, they did not confess truthfulness and righteousness (48:1). They are obstinate (48:4) and they ignored the commandments of God (48:18). They knew the right things to do; they just did not do it.

God is declaring up front what will happen so they will not be tempted to believe that some idol is causing the events to take place (48:5). The Lord is declaring the future now (48:6) so they would remember and not say this was just the same old stuff they had heard before (48:7).

He will indeed cause their exile to Babylon, but he will defer his anger and not cut them off (48:9). He will bring them back (48:20). He will use the captivity to refine them (48:10-11). He has to do this, so that He does not profane His own name (48:12). This refinement process will demonstrate the glory of God (48:11) and prove him to be the first and the last (48:12), the creator of the heavens (48:13).

In light of this, the Lord calls on his people, “draw near to me” (48:16). He is their redeemer, he is their God (48:17a). Therefore they should follow where he leads, paying attention to his commandments (48:17b—18).

If they draw near, they will receive peace like a river (48:18). The remnant will be redeemed (48:20), and shall find water in the desert (48:32). However, the wicked will find no peace (48:22).