ISAIAH 42:10-17, PRAISING YAHWEH FOR DELIVERANCE

Following the revelation of the Messiah Servant, a song of praise to Yahweh for His deliverance is penned by the prophet in verses 10-12.

“Rounding off this section on the hopelessness and hope of the world which began at 41:21, the ends of the earth, the islands (10), and the Gentile towns of Kedar and (11), combine in praise to the Lord who marches against his enemies (12-13). The lord himself then (14-17) elaborates this cause for praise. His age-long silence is broken (14), he plans a world transformation (15), the world’s needy are cared for (16) and idolaters exposed to their proper shame (17)” [J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary, 262]. These verses are looking at the results of God’s promise to have His Servant bring justice to the world. The world will be covered in thanksgiving and praise when the Servant accomplishes His mission. The upcoming salvation verses concern , but Gentile salvation is also an promise; God will be faithful to fulfill His promises to both groups.

God is about to intervene in history on Israel’s behalf and when He does, the world is going to take notice. Metaphors are used to describe God as a mighty warrior and a woman experiencing the pain of childbirth. He will ultimately triumph over those who put their trust in idols and who proclaim them to be their gods. Songs play a prominent role in the Scriptures, particularly in the Old Testament, but they are part of the books of Luke, Mary’s song, the Magnificat, in Luke 1:46-55, and Revelation (Rev. 5:9, 14:3, 15:3). Notable Old Testament songs, among others, include a song of Moses after Israel’s deliverance from (Ex. 15:1-21), the song of Israel at the well of Beer (Num. 21:17-18), another song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:1-43, the song of Deborah (Judges 5:12), the songs of and the people of on the occasion of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem (1 Chron. 13:8), and Hannah’s song of thanksgiving (1 Sam. 2:1-10).

“Songs were used on occasions of thanksgiving and triumph … Songs were indications of joy, and their absence of sorrow” [Merrill F. Unger, s.v. “song,” The New Unger’s Dictionary, 1209]. “A new song arises in Scripture when someone has learned of something powerful and good that God has done or will do” [Thomas L. Constable, Thomas Constable’s Notes on the Bible, Volume IV, Isaiah-David, 4:119].

[קָצֶה] from the end [תְּהִ לָה] song, Sing His praise [חָדָ ׁש] Isaiah 42:10-12 10Sing to the LORD a new and those [אִ יִים] ,of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands who dwell on them. 11Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. 12Let them give glory to the LORD And declare His praise in the coastlands.

means new or fresh, not old, referring to having relatively and recently come ,חָדָׁשׁ ,New into being or been made, acquired, or discovered. It may refer to something unheard of. “[T]he whole world unites in a new song, that is, a song responding to a new display of

1 the goodness of God, a new song prompted by the ‘new things’ and, as always, the motif of entering with joy into a freely given benefit” [J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary, 263]. This song is a celebration song of praise for God who is going to fulfill His plan for history.

“Sing” is an imperative verb which is a command or, at the least, a request, to do something. This will be a new thing the world has never before seen. People will be singing God’s praise from all over the world. “This new singing of praise to God is a special celebration of God’s new work in the lives of these singers. Once God acts to bring justice to all the earth through the work of his servant, there will be a new reason for these new believers to rejoice and sing God’s praise” [Gary V. Smith, The New American Commentary: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture: -66, 171].

Everything about this situation will be new. The people singing this song will be people who were formerly idol worshiping pagans operating within the parameters of Satan’s world system, but who are saved by this point making them new believers. They have changed their minds about God which has brought about a new attitude towards God and life. God will be doing a new thing to inaugurate His Kingdom which is obviously something He has never done before, at least since the Fall. The time immediately preceding the Kingdom will be a time such that the world has never seen. When the situation is finally, completely resolved, the world will be singing the praises of God.

,means the end, the extremity ,קָצֶה ,This is a prophecy concerning the entire earth. End has the [מִ קְּצֵהׁהָאָרֶ ץ] ”the edge, or the whole. The expression “from the end of the earth sense of from everywhere. A worldwide song of praise is going to rise up in worship of Yahweh.

means an island or a coastland, but it can also include habitable or inhabited ,אִ יִיםׁ ,Islands land. This is the same word translated “coastlands” in Isaiah 42:4. It is a reference to the land areas of the world. Its primary meaning refers to the islands and coastlands of the Mediterranean Sea, but the context of Isaiah 42 broadens the meaning to distant islands and coastlands. All men in all places are commanded to sing praises to God.

Those who go down to the sea refers to mariners and this is also a worldwide reference; it is not restricted to the confines of the Mediterranean Sea.

The whole world will one day praise God, but until then, the world is not only indifferent to Him, it is actively hostile to Him. We cannot imagine the extent of this kind of worldwide means praise, songs of praise referring to ,תְּהִ לָהׁ ,change in attitude about God. Praise speaking positive words about the excellence of another. “This word is derived from the verb halal, which connotes genuine appreciation for the great actions or the character of its object. It is used especially of the adoration and thanksgiving that humanity renders to God. By extension, it also represents the character of God that deserves praise; and the specific divine acts that elicit human veneration” [Warren Baker and Eugene .[The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament, 1214 ”,תְּהִ לָהׁ“ .Carpenter, s.v The point to all this is that the Gentile world is praising and worshiping God in singing this song, and this situation is the kind of thing that won’t happen until the eschatological

2 end. Even an amillennialist recognizes this fact, although, he does not believe in a literal Kingdom. His theology is that the Lord returns to judge everyone and then eternity begins. Nevertheless, his point that this is an eschatological occurrence is sound. “… [B]ecause these are songs of the new economy they are songs of excellence.… [T]hese are songs that are fitting to celebrate the wonders of the new age when the Servant of the Lord performs his matchless work of redemption. They are the songs of the redeemed, the songs of , the songs of those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb” [Edward J. Young, The : A Commentary, vol. 3, 3:125].

“In this brief subparagraph the prophet is trying to persuade his audience to put behind them the pessimism of their present situation and all its problems and to be inspired by what God will do in the future. In the future God’s covenant nation and the people from the ends of the earth and the islands of the seas will sing God’s glory when God sets up his kingdom” [Gary V. Smith, The New American Commentary: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture: Isaiah 40-66, 171].

Nomads and the people in small villages in the wilderness will all be praising God, typified here by Kedar and Sela. Kedar was a son of Ishmael and the father of a nomadic tribe in the Arabian desert area. Sela was possibly the capital city of at one time, and some think it is possibly an earlier name for the place we now call Petra. All these groups of people together represent the people of the world. No corner of the earth, regardless of how remote it is, will be unaware of the work God has done, and they will all be praising Him for it.

The whole world will be giving glory to Yahweh and praising Him for the work He has done. The phrase “all that is in it,” meaning all that is in the sea, and “the wilderness” are references to the praise that will emanate from the entire creation once it is liberated from the curse imposed on it since the Fall (Rom. 8:19-22).

The cause for all this joy will be the triumph of the warrior Yahweh who will be victorious over His enemies. Once that is done, the Kingdom program for history that He originally intended for mankind and His created world will be inaugurated.

like [קִנְּאָ ה] His zeal [עּור] He will arouse ,[גִ ּבֹור] Isaiah 42:13 13The LORD will go forth like a warrior against [גָבַר] a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail His enemies.

We know that Yahweh has fought battles on Israel’s behalf in the past, but this will be the battle to end all battles, and, it will, in fact, end temporal warfare on earth for the duration of the Messianic Kingdom. This verse depicts Him as an invincible God of war. To “go forth” is an indication, in this context, that going to war is the subject (cf. 2 Sam. 11:1; Amos 5:3). This verse is set in a distinctly military context. It is reasonable to suggest that this warrior identified in this verse is connected to the Messiah Servant that was revealed in the first nine verses of the chapter. In fact, due to progressive revelation, we know that it will be the Messiah Servant who saves all Israel and assumes the throne of David in Jerusalem to rule for 1,000 years.

3

means strong, mighty, a hero or a champion, or a mighty man. In this ,גִּבֹורׁ ,Warrior context, it refers to a mighty man who is someone engaged in and/or experienced in warfare. Many Bible versions translate this word as “mighty man” (KJV, NKJV, ASV, ESV). Less often, “warrior” is used (NASB, HCSB, LEB). “Mighty one” (YLT) and “hero” (NET Bible) are also used. Context determines whether or not a warrior is in view, but “mighty man” is more in keeping with the literal meaning of the word. However, Motyer claims the word “is specifically ‘warrior’ in this context [J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary, 263]. The word is used as a simile here which, as a figure of speech, is a comparison, so to say that He is like a mighty man is not to insinuate that God is a man or fights a war as a man fights a war.

means to be hot, ardent, hence to be alert, watchful (in opposition both to ,עּורׁ ,Arouse sleep and to idleness). It also may mean to be awake or to awaken, to stir, or to start to move. It has the sense of causing to be agitated, excited, or roused. In this context, the verb form indicates that the Lord is rousing Himself to action. We should not think this means the Lord has been inactive until this time. He has been active in protecting and guiding Israel, even in the midst of the imposition of divine discipline upon the and their nation, throughout history.

Psalm 121:3–4 3He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.

It is an indication that the time of the end has arrived, and the Lord has roused Himself for the completion of this age. The final stage of world history will be set, and the end as we know it will come in order to make the way for the Messianic Kingdom to be inaugurated.

means ardor, zeal, jealousy. In this context, it refers to zeal which manifests itself ,קִנְּאָהׁ ,Zeal as an excessive fervor to do something or accomplish some end. “This word comes from the verb qānāʾ meaning to be jealous or zealous, and describes an intense fervor, passion, and emotion that is greater than a person’s wrath and anger. It can be either good or bad … Most often, however, this word describes God’s zeal, which will accomplish His purpose, and will be the instrument of His wrath in judgment” [Warren The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old ”,קִנְּאָ ה“ .Baker and Eugene Carpenter, s.v Testament, 1000]. This word brings to mind the fact that Yahweh was described as a “consuming fire, a jealous God” in Deuteronomy 4:24. This is a very strong word indicating the ferocity that is going to be unleashed on the world during the time of judgment and restoration this verse is revealing. This seemingly never-ending state of rebellion against Yahweh and His plan for history is going to come to an end, and He is very jealous for His plan for history. This end times resolution of mankind’s rebellion is part of that plan and it will come to pass.

The picture .(אִ יׁשׁמִ לְּחָמֹות) ”Another simile is used to reveal that He will be like a “man of war presented to us here is one of a mighty man, a man skilled in conducting warfare, who conquers His enemies.

Shouting and raising a war cry suggest that during this battle, the Lord will be manifesting Himself in ways that will frighten to death those who are engaging in battle against Him.

4

This is an expression of the passionate zeal with which He will wage this war. Battle cries are used as a method of psychological intimidation against the enemy. We can only imagine how terrifying the battle cry of the Lord will be, in whatever form it takes, when He is in the process of destroying His enemies.

means to be strong, to prevail, to be or to make superior referring to showing ,גָבַר ,Prevail oneself to be strong in a conflict. It is used to show superior strength or success over someone. The verb form used here indicates intensity, that is, Yahweh will intensely prevail over His enemies. This leaves no room for understanding this to mean anything less than total victory for Yahweh and complete defeat for His enemies.

These enemies are Israel’s enemies and they are the enemies of the church as well as God’s enemies, but ultimately, they are particularly God’s enemies as this verse reveals. When they attack Israel and the church, they are really attacking God Himself. When Paul encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus, the Lord did not ask him why he was persecuting the people of the Way. Instead, He asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4), and He identified Himself by saying, “I am whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). We will not prevail, in a physical, temporal sense, against the enemies that come against us in this life, but Yahweh will prevail over them in the end according to His timetable and His plan for history. In fact, in the temporal realm subject to Satan’s world system, we can expect persecution and hardship (cf. Phil. 1:29-30; 2 Tim. 3:12). Having said that, we do need to remember that in Christ Jesus, we have prevailed over our enemies in a spiritual sense.

1 John 4:4 4You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

1 John 5:4 4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

In the next verse, God reveals that He has been silent for a long time. He has allowed Satan to run this world within the limits He set for governance by the evil one. While Satan has been kept on a leash, we have to admit that since the Fall, he has been operating under the restrictions of a very long leash. But now, the time has come to put an end to Satan’s world rule. In the sense that this particular time has come, God has roused Himself to execute His wrath on this sinful world and to bring the Remnant into the land to enjoy the fulfillment of the unconditional promises Yahweh made to them so many years ago.

and [חָרֶ ׁש] I have kept still ,[עֹולָם] for a long time [חָׁשָ ה] Isaiah 42:14 14“I have kept silent [נָׁשַ ם] I will both gasp ,[פָעָה] Myself. Now like a woman in labor I will groan [אָ פַק] restrained .[ׁשָאַ ף] and pant

As I mentioned earlier, this does not mean that God has been absent from world affairs, particularly world affairs as they involve Israel and the Israelites. God has been working behind the scenes to ensure the survival of Israel in the midst of His divine disciplinary program for the nation, but it appears to the Israelites that He has been largely silent. It does mean that He has a specific timetable in mind for the resolution of mankind’s

5 rebellion and the restoration of matters in this age, matters involving both Jews and , so that the Messianic Kingdom can begin.

,(means a very long time, eternity or everlasting, futurity (looking forward ,עֹולָםׁ ,Long time or antiquity (looking back). In this context, it cannot be a reference to eternity because temporal, time limited issues are involved. The phrase ‘from ʿôlām’ [which is the literal reading of our text] can mean either ‘a long time ago’ or ‘for a long time, since long Lexham Theological Wordbook, Logos ”,עֹולָםׁ ,ago’ [Rachel Klippenstien, s.v. “Eternity electronic ed.]. In the same way, with the preposition “from,” it is a reference to “from New International ”,עֹולָםׁ“ .ancient times, from antiquity” [Willem A. VanGemeren, s.v Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, vol. 3, 3:346].] which is the sense as it is used here.

means to keep silence, to be still referring to being or becoming marked by ,חָׁשָ ה ,Silent absence of sound perhaps indicating peace as well. The verb form here indicates causative action meaning that something caused Him to keep this silence. Only He can cause Himself to do anything one way or the other; therefore, I have to conclude that He determined to allow world history to run its course with some significant degree of freedom until such time as His plan for history calls for His end times intervention. This word may also mean to be inactive, to do nothing, or to sit still and do nothing, but we know these things do not characterize the activity of God since the Fall. He has been active, but He has allowed the world system to carry on in its rebellion, with limited divine interference in significant ways, but that will end when God rouses Himself to conduct His end times business with Israel and the world.

In terms of God’s silence, we have to consider that He was largely, with some very few exceptions, silent in connection with the Gentile world. He created Israel to be the nation through which He would reveal Himself to the world and He communicated with and through that nation. Even at that, His communication with them was not consistent; sometimes it was more and sometimes it was less. Once the canon of Scripture closed, His direct communication with Israel seems to have ceased as well. We also have to consider the fact that God has been speaking loudly and clearly through the provision of His Word, especially since the invention of the printing press that has made His Word available to billions of people over the past few centuries. Nevertheless, He has been silent in comparison to the way He is going to make Himself known to the world at the time of the end.

These thoughts are reinforced by the concepts of keeping still and being restrained. These words are expressed as imperfect verbs meaning that keeping still and restraining were ongoing aspects of God in relation to His world. Some theologians restrict this to Israel, and that is possible, but the end times sense of these verses indicates that God is not only dealing with Israel, but He is dealing with the world. Why else would the world rejoice over the work God will do in that day? The world will not care about God’s dealings with Israel until the very end of history as we know it when they will finally realize what God is doing with Israel and with the world in total.

meaning to be silent referring to being or ,חָׁשָ ה ,is a synonym of silent ,חָרֵׁשׁ ,Kept still becoming marked by absence of sound perhaps indicating peace as well.

6

-means to hold, to hold fast, to restrain or control oneself by being self ,אָ פַק ,Restrained controlled over actions or emotions. The verb form used here indicates that God intensely restrained Himself. Again, we must conclude that the reason God kept silent and restrained Himself from forcefully intervening in world events in the way that He will do so at the end is due to the fact that He has a plan for world history and that plan must be fulfilled in the way it was designed by God to be worked out.

The pregnancy metaphor is a figure of speech that confirms this theory as fact. Just as a pregnancy must come to term and then reach fulfillment with the birth of a child while in travail, God’s plan for history must come to fulfillment in travail as well. God had a plan to restore His Theocratic Kingdom and the time for that plan has come. The words used here indicate that it has been a difficult thing for even God to endure the things going on in the world, but now the time for the birth of the Messianic Kingdom has arrived but it will be through war and difficulties that it will be birthed.

The arrival of the Kingdom will be accompanied by the indications that a birth, an event that is not without pain, is taking place: groaning, gasping, and panting.

means to groan, to cry out, to moan expressed as an involuntary guttural ,פָעָהׁ ,Groan sound as a signal of pain. The sense of the word refers to a vocal indication of pain, discomfort, or displeasure, and it is almost always expressed in an inarticulate manner. The picture here refers to God crying out as He imposes His judgment on His enemies.

means to pant, to puff, to breath heavily referring to breathing noisily as when ,נָׁשַ ם ,Gasp one is exhausted or does not have enough air. The BDB lexicon suggests the word may mean to seek a thing with labor and perseverance.

in this context, it means to swallow up, sometimes translated as devour. In this ,ׁשָאַףׁ ,Pant verse, it is describing the Lord’s work as He figuratively devours His enemies.

Gasp and pant are used as synonyms and used interchangeably among the various English translations. Pant and gasp (NKJV, NET Bible, LEB) and gasp and pant (NASB, ASV, ESV) are both used.

Other versions translate this verse differently in ways that I think make a lot of sense in this context. The problem is some of the lexical support for those translations is slim for their .(gasp) נָׁשַ ם translation of the word

The may have the best translation, but I can’t find any lexical support gasp, NASB) as “destroy.” “Now I will cry like a travailing woman; I will) נָׁשַםׁ for translating destroy and devour at once” (KJV). Young’s Literal Translation is similar translating the same word as “desolate”: “As a travailing woman I cry out, I desolate and swallow up together” (YLT).

“To the figure of a hero there is now added that of a travailing woman; [groan] is short breathing; [gasp] the snorting of violent inspiration and expiration; [pant] the earnest longing for deliverance pressing upon the burden of the womb; and [both] expresses the

7 combination of all these several strainings of breath, which are associated with the so- called labour-pains. Some great thing, which Jehovah has, as it were, long been pregnant, is now about to be born” [C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament: Isaiah, volume 7, 7:420].

The metaphors of a warrior and a pregnant woman are both focused on the cry shouted at the moment of the attack and at the moment of birth. “The common factor in each is the outcry at the climactic moment. All the apparent inactivity in lengthy preparation for battle, and in the nine months of gestation, comes to a crashing end in the cry of attack and of birth” [John N. Oswalt, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40-66, 125]. Suddenly, after what seems like a very long time of silence and inactivity, God will break into human history introducing a time of wrath and judgment exhibited very publicly and with mankind’s full knowledge that God is working through the things happening around them and to them (Rev. 6:15- 17) with the result of changing history as mankind has known it since the Fall.

Unger recognized the end times meaning of the pregnancy metaphor. “Like a woman in childbirth, who after having held back her normal breathing for a time, at last, overcome with labor pains, cries out piercingly, grasping and panting at the same time, so the LORD will give full vent to His pent-up wrath during the Great Tribulation, when His long silence will be broken” [Merrill F. Unger, “Isaiah” in Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament, 1256].

The prophet next reveals what it is that God is going to do.

all their [יָבֵׁש] the mountains and hills And wither [חָרֵ ב] Isaiah 42:15–16 15“I will lay waste the ponds. 16“I will [יָבֵׁש] the rivers into coastlands And dry up [ׂשּום] vegetation; I will make the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide [הָלְַך] lead .them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains [דָרַ ְך] ”.them undone [עָזַב] These are the things I will do, And I will not leave

Many theologians believe this revelation is restricted to the return from the , but these things did not happen at that time. This is referring to some seriously disruptive and destructive worldwide geographic events (cf. Is. 2:12-22) that have yet to take place. It is also referring to the resolution of mankind’s spiritual blindness which also has yet to take place on a large, worldwide scale. This is talking about the end times when both Israel and the Gentile world will suffer the wrath and judgment of God leading to the identification of both the Remnant Jews and the believing Gentiles who will enter the Messianic Kingdom. Motyer believes this is dealing with Gentiles only. “It is the Gentile world, blind without divine revelation, being brought from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” [J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary, 264]. The worldwide scale seems to include Israel which will also suffer great damage at the end.

Verse 15 contains four verbs of destruction: waste, wither, make, and dry up. These are all things that God is going to do. Three of the four verb forms are causative (make is the exception) meaning that God is going to cause these things to happen. The things described here will be brought about by the supernatural power of God.

8

means to be in ruins, to lay waste, to be desolate referring to being in a state ,חָרֵבׁ ,Waste of destruction, a fearful condition. In this context, it is God who is going to cause to lay waste to the earth, not just Israel, during which He will cause extensive destruction and utter ruin.

The book of Revelation details the degree of destruction that is going to take place at the time in question. The Lord said that unless those days were limited in number, no one could survive (Mt. 24:22).

,meaning to dry up, to become or to be dry ,יָבֵׁשׁ ,Wither and dry up are the same word to wither resulting in becoming completely, thoroughly dry. Here too it is God who is going to cause this state to come about. Dry up has the same meaning and the verb form again indicates that God is causing this state to come about. All the translations I routinely consult for purposes of comparison use “dry up” to translate this word except for the NASB.

means to put, to place, to set, to arrange, or to establish. The sense is that of ,ׂשּוםׁ ,Make putting into place by moving and setting into a certain place.

The emphasis here is focused on the supernatural activity of God to bring about this devastation. We know that the earth will not remain in this deconstructed state of affairs. Once the Kingdom begins, the earth will be not only restored, but it will be productive and hospitable to human habitation in ways it has not been since the Fall (cf. Amos 9:13).

The concept of blindness involves spiritual blindness, which is a reference to the spiritual condition of the world’s people. Unger believes this is a reference to Israel only, and while I disagree with that position, what he says about their condition and restoration is nevertheless true. “The blind are God’s people, Israel, in captivity, afflicted with spiritual blindness, with particular reference to their final worldwide scattering and judicial blindness previous to regathering for Kingdom blessing and national conversion” [Merrill F. Unger, “Isaiah” in Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament, 1257]. The blind will have a spiritual path revealed to them, a path they have not known before this time.

However, we can’t abandon the idea that Gentile salvation will take place during this time as well. They too will receive the blessing of spiritual sight once they believe.

,means to go, to come, to walk referring to changing location, moving ,הָלְַךׁ ,Lead traveling or proceeding. This verb form is causative; God will cause them to go by means of this way that they do not know.

.means to tread, to march ,דָרְַךׁ ,Guide

I like the more literal interpretation Young gives to this clause of the verse:

Isaiah 42:16 16And I have caused the blind to go, In a way they have not known, In paths they have not known I cause them to tread … (YLT)

9

The reference to making darkness into light has obvious spiritual meaning. Light and dark are frequently used in the Bible as contrasts between good and evil, life and death, and saved and unsaved. This refers back to verse 7, which reveals that the eyes of the blind will be opened and the those who dwell in the darkness of prison will be released.

Making rugged places into plains is also related to spiritual truth. A better translation here is about making “rough places into level ground” (LEB). This spiritual truth is also applicable to the Gentiles who will come to faith during the Tribulation. Beginning in verse 18, the focus definitely shifts to Israel, but here both Jew and Gentile are the subjects.

These are things God promises that He is going to do for everyone who comes to faith during this time.

I believe there are better translations than the NASB translation, “And I will not leave them means to leave or leave behind, forsake, or to loose. The sense is to ,עָזַבׁ ,undone.” Leave abandon by forsaking or leaving behind. The NASB makes it sound like the reference is to the completion of tasks, but the reference is to God’s fidelity to those who are saved. He will not forsake or abandon anyone, Jew or Gentile, who comes to faith during this time.

The ESV best captures the sense of the perfect verb and the context of the verse: “… and I do not forsake them” (ESV). The NET Bible highlights the fact that God will never abandon those who are His: “… I will not abandon them” (NET Bible).

Those who trust in idols are going to be put to shame for their rebellious rejection of the true God.

[ּבָטַ ח] Who trust ,[ּבֹּׁשֶ ת] Isaiah 42:17 17They will be turned back and be utterly put to shame in idols, Who say to molten images, “You are our gods.”

During the Tribulation, most idolaters will refuse to turn from their idolatry (Rev. 9:20). At some point, they are going to feel shame over the choices they have made. We know that some of the pagan Gentiles living during the Tribulation will come to faith (v. 16). Even though their numbers will be considerable, they will still be few in comparison to the total population of the earth.

We can’t see it in English, but the repetition of the Hebrew words in this clause makes this a very emphatic statement. It is literally translated, “They shall turn back back; they shall be ashamed shame.” A more grammatically correct way to say it in English is, “They are turned back; they are ashamed with shame.” “The effect of the destruction is in a backward direction, which suggests the total, utter desolation of the idolaters” [Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah: A Commentary, vol. 3, 3:130].

The problem for the idolaters is that their idols have no power. Everyone will know the powerlessness of idols and idolatry when faced with the omnipotence of the Creator God.

10

By the end of the Tribulation, Satan and those who vicariously follow him by means of their idols, which are, to a large extent, self-worship, are totally defeated. There will be no demonic/Satanic activity on earth for the duration of the Messianic Kingdom.

means shame, humiliation referring to being in a state of dishonor. “[T]he ,ּבֹּׁשֶ ת ,Shame meaning of ‘shame’ always has to do with a negative condition or experience as a result of a relationship in which perceived codes of conduct, honor, position, or expectations are not fully met or are violated.… The violation of the relationship of trust with God will end in the disgraceful experience of rejection and punishment” [Willem A. VanGemeren, ,New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis ”,בוׁשׁ“ .gen. ed., s.v vol. 1, 1:622, 623].

.this word remains untranslated in our English texts) means to be ashamed) ,ּבֹוׁש ,Ashamed The sense is to have a painful feeling and emotional distress, sometimes to the point of despair, by having done something wrong, with an associative meaning of having the disapproval of those around them.

This should put the Israelites at ease and be an encouragement to them to forsake idolatry, but we know that the Israelites disregarded the exhortation to turn from idols. By the time Yahweh left the Temple just prior to its destruction at the hands of the Babylonian Army, the Temple Mount was overwhelmed in idolatry (Ezek. 8:1-18). Today, the Jews have idols in many forms particularly wealth and professions.

Those who trust in idols are facing certain defeat; their trust, faith, and belief is in the wrong object and that object cannot save them. Molten images and other manmade objects are not gods.

means to trust, to be full of confidence, to set one’s hope and confidence in. It ,ּבָׁטַחׁ ,Trust is a word meaning to trust, that is, to have faith in which is to have a strong confidence or reliance upon someone or something.

Those who have placed their faith in such things are going to one day realize that their faith was misplaced, but for most of them it will be too late. Their hard hearts will not allow them to turn to the one true God in faith.

11