Isaiah 44:23-45:25 There Is No Other!

Introduction Now that the people have reassured that Israel has not been forgotten by its God and will be redeemed, this text begins to explain that the Lord is capable of redeeming/saving not only His people, but the entire world. However, He will do so as He sees fit, using the instrument that He chooses. It may be surprising and hard to accept for the exiles, but God assures that it is the “right” way, and will show to them and the world, that He alone is the LORD, and there is no other!

Shout for Joy! He has Done It! – Vs. 44:23-28 Vs. 23 is a classic transitional verse as it closes one section while starting the next seamlessly. Some commentators see verse 23 as ending of the previous section. However, as in 42:10-13, it also introduces the next section as a hymn-like call to praise God in faith for what is to follow as if it had already happened to emphasize its certainty. It calls to the heavens, the depths of the earth, mountains and forests (implying every element of nature) to “Shout for joy1”– a frequent theme in the book as Isaiah uses this verb to shout for joy 14 times! The NIV and even the ESV translate this as “sing”, but all three verbs here mean to give a ringing cry. And what has God accomplished? He has redeemed His people, and God’s glory is revealed in that redemption. Vs. 24-28 begin with a common phrase in this text and through 47:15: thus says the LORD, here qualified with Your Redeemer. This title for God figures very frequently throughout this section of Isaiah (41:14, 43:14, 44:6, 44:24, 47:4, 48:17, 49:7, 49:26, 54:5, 54:8) and is referenced again towards the end in the final section (59:20, 60:16) to emphasize this characteristic of God to His exiled people. And He is not only their redeemer, but the one who formed them, their Creator, and under His control. And indeed, as He explains, He made all things. This initial statement is expounded upon with verse building on verse with all that it implies coming to a rather surprising conclusion:  He, alone, stretches out the heavens and spreads the earth (like setting up a tent)  As the only creator, He is the only one who truly knows what will happen. The Babylonians had experts in astronomy, observing the sun, moon, and planets, and also ascribing astrological meanings to them to foretell human fate. But the true Creator is able to frustrate any attempt to divine the future by human means.  On the other hand, He is able to impart and confirm the future through His true prophets, and the evidence of this will be the restoration of Jerusalem predicted in advance.  Then the surprising conclusion is how God will accomplish this last event – through the pagan, Persian emperor, Cyrus (of all people)! Not only that, but Cyrus is called God’s shepherd, a term reserved for Davidic kings. This is certainly something new.

Cyrus!?! Yes, Cyrus! – Vs. 45:1-13 In 45:1, as in 44:24, the LORD again speaks, but this time His words are ostensibly addressed to Cyrus, His anointed! This would have been another uncomfortable shock for the exiles as that term was only applied to Jewish kings, priests and prophets. Going further, the LORD will even take hold of Cyrus’s right hand to help him even as God had promised His servant Israel in 41:13, “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’” In this

1 For an example of such a shout for joy, check out this clip from Super Bowl XLV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jtU6dbMr_U – 1 – Isaiah 44:23-45:25 There Is No Other! case, God would enable Cyrus to be victorious over nations and literally “loose the belts of kings”, i.e. to strip them of their weapons as in the NIV, and open gates and doors. In Vs. 2-3a, there is an emphasis on what God will do with the repetition of “I will” with the purposes of God’s actions revealed in vs. 3b-8. The imagery describes how it will be God who will smooth his way, break open fortified defenses, and enrich him. 3 purposes are given for God using Cyrus: first, that Cyrus may know that this is not achieved on his own merits, but that he has called by the LORD, the God of little Israel to do this. The second purpose is that this is for the sake of God’s chosen people Israel that He will use Cyrus even if he does not know the LORD (repeated twice in vs. 4 and 5)! God is able to work through anyone, whether they know Him or not! In vs. 5 and 6 is the final purpose that people everywhere (implying all people) will know that I am the LORD and there is no other. That there is no other god besides the Lord is repeated 6 times before the end of the chapter (and then again in chapter 46). What God accomplishes through Cyrus will clearly show that He is the Lord and there is no other to Cyrus, to Israel, and to all people, everywhere! Vs. 7 spells out the significance of this statement using parallel phrases of opposites to indicate complete coverage. He forms light, but also creates darkness. He causes well-being (shalom) but also creates disaster (“bad/evil”). It is the LORD who is in control of all creation and all history and no one else! Does this mean that God creates evil? The word is better understood as the opposite of shalom or bad. And so this is the lesson of Job 2:10: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” As difficult as it may be to understand, God does allow evil to exist for His purposes, but at the same time He is able to redeem evil – evil people and bad circumstances – and bring righteousness as is now stated in vs. 8 where heaven and earth are called upon again, this time to pour forth the righteousness and salvation from God. Vs. 9 begins with the familiar dirge cry of “Woe”. It is not only impossible to resist the plans of the Creator of your life, but such struggle only brings misery. The imagery of vs. 9 is that of a mere earthenware pot among many calling its maker to account, asking for justification for how it is made. It is a ludicrous picture. Vs. 10 then moves to the human plane with the metaphor of a child questioning its parents regarding its birth. The LORD is the Creator; who has the right to question Him? Vs. 11-13 makes clear the introductory metaphors of vs. 9-10. Would we dare to command God? Tell Him what to do with what He has created? No, God made the earth. It was His hands that made it (vs. the human hands that simply make idols). He (again the emphasis on “I” in this section) will cause Cyrus to bring His people home from exile (it will not be for any apparent personal reward), and none can question His decision to work in this way.

Come, Assemble Yourselves – Vs. 45:14-25 Vs. 14 could be addressed to Cyrus, but the ending does not make sense especially if as is emphasized above that Cyrus would not know God. Rather this is in response to the restored Jerusalem promised in vs. 13, and those coming to her recognizing that the only true God can only be found there. The imagery suggests that even distant peoples of wealth or great stature will come in surrender as symbolized by the chains. According to Oswalt, vs. 15 is a verse of considerable controversy2. If God is one who hides himself it seems to be in contradiction to vs. 19. He suggests it could be a statement by the nations in vs. 14 speaking in surprise that the revelation of God might come from the likes of little Israel, of all places. Or perhaps it is our own blindness as we attempt to rely on idols rather than search for truth, and need our eyes opened as the Savior. Vs. 16-17 bring the understanding that in recognition of God, the worthlessness of idols is clear and idol makers are put to shame, but that Israel will never be failed by God but have everlasting salvation.

2 Oswalt, John N. – The Book of Isaiah. Grand Rapids, MI: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986. P. 215 – 2 – Isaiah 44:23-45:25 There Is No Other!

Vs. 18 starts with “For” relating it to the previous verses, and indeed, seems to be a direct statement to assure that the LORD does not hide Himself but has revealed Himself. Verbs for speak occur 4 times in vs. 18-19 for He has revealed Himself in nature (speaking it into existence) and has spoken to His people. Again, it is emphasized, that He is God and there is no other! In response to a paganism of that day that tended to believe in a chaos out of which the gods came, God declares that He stands outside of creation as the author of it. This is applicable to our culture that may not believe in gods arising out of chaos, but refuses to see anything beyond creation. And He has spoken, clearly, not leaving us to grope about in the dark, but has declared what is truth and right. In verse 20, the invitation is now given to all the refugees of the nations – not just the exiles of Judah, to come and compare the idols with the LORD. What good have these idols been that they have held onto? Have they been able to save? No. Those who rely on them lack complete understanding. Instead, the case is made that the One who is sovereign over history, the LORD, has shown that there is truly no other like him who announced this (the coming of Cyrus) long before (implying that all this was written long before). The expectation might be that those refugees who trusted in idols might now be given over to them. Instead, vs. 22-23 now invite all to turn to the one, true God of Heaven and earth to be saved. God’s swearing by Himself and the fact that His word has gone forth and not returned is an expression of the faithfulness of God to His promises. That promise is that every knee will one day recognize Him for who He is. Only in Him will be found righteousness and strength, and all incensed will be ashamed (vs. 24). Vs. 25 returns to Israel, God’s chosen people, not forgotten in the call to all other peoples, for Israel, as God’s chosen people, will be justified for having faith in God all along and will glory in this turn of events

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