Isaiah 45 No God Besides Me Intro: Isaiah’s Overall Theme is: Salvation and Deliverance of the Lord. Last week we covered (Ch. 44) which completed the sub-theme of (Chpts. 40-44); “Fear Not.” Tonight, we will cover chapter (45). In this chapter the theme obvious: “No God Besides Me!” This is revealed by the fact that God has a master plan for Israel and all nations! God’s Plan Required… I. GOD’S SHEPHERD (45:1-14) – Shepherd, a title applied to kings who lead God’s people (2 Sam 5:2; Jer 3:15). The “shepherd” that God ordained to be His instrument, was foretold by Isaiah 150 years prior to his birth. His name was Cyrus. CyrUs was the "King of Persia" (Elam). He was the son of Cambyses, the prince of Persia, and was born about (B.C. 599). In the year (B.C. 559) he became king of Persia, and soon after acquired the Medes. CyrUs was a “Great Military Leader,” bent on universal conquest. The kingdom of Babylon fell before his army (B.C. 539) on the night of Belshazzar's feast (Dan 5:30), and then the ancient dominion of Assyria was also added to his empire (Isa 21:2). CyrUs was raised Up by God, to be an instrument of “His pleasure” (Isa 44:28), and to execute “God’s divine plan” upon Israel and the nations (Isa 45:1-14; 46:11). God used Cyrus to issue the decree of liberation to the Jews in (B.C. 536) and rebuild Jerusalem, as declared in (2 Ch 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-2 Read 4:3; 5:13-17). A. God’s Calling (1-3) – Cyrus is called “God’s anointed” (Isa 45:1), who's right-hand Jehovah upholds, and “My shepherd” (Isa 44:28), who performs all of the Lord’s pleasure. He is likewise called a “Ravenous bird” from the East (Isa 46:11); (prob. ref. to his swift attack methods). 1. God Promised to go before Cyrus and “subdue nations,” opening gates, double doors, and making crooked places straight (1-2) Well, (Dan 5:30) mentions that the Medo- Persians overtook the mighty fortress of Babylon, whose walls were 350 feet high and over 80 feet thick. It also had 270 watchtowers and granaries which held a 20 year supply. It was thought to be invincible! Such “security” prompted king Belshazzar to have a drinking festival while his enemies were outside his gate. God gave Cyrus the wisdom to divert the Euphrates River several miles upstream in order to gain entry through the dry riverbed that led into the city. As this took place, God’s hand wrote Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin on the palace wall (Dan 5:25), which meant “You have been weighed, found wanting, and your kingdom is NOW divided.” King Belshazzar’s kingdom was SUBDUED that very evening! GIVEN TO KING CYRUS! (God goes before His people!) 2. God Personal Revelation to CyrUs (3) That you may know that I am God! The Jewish historian, Josephus recorded that Cyrus was aware of Isaiah’s & Jeremiah’s prophecies, and knew that the “God of Israel” was with him; as made know by Daniel the Prophet. B. God’s CaUse (4-6) – One of the reasons God was using Cyrus was: For Jacob’s sake (4), that they may know that there is “No God Besides Me”(5). God repeats this phrase eight times in this section of Isaiah (43:11; 44:6,8; 45:5,6,21; 47:7,10). 1 C. God’s Command (7-8) – He forms light and creates darkness. When we think of light, we think of sunlight, but here we are told that God forms light! In (Gen 1:3,4) God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. Darkness is the absence of light, and God divided the two. (Lit. , Met., Spir.) 1. God also makes peace and calamity (7). We all agree that God makes peace, but it is hard to comprehend that God makes Calamity (Heb. “ra,” evil or catastrophe). God allows certain situations in our lives that can seem catastrophic or even evil. (His purposes, often unbeknownst to us, will produce an eternal weight of glory, which we cannot fully comprehend now). (Heb 12:11) Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteoUsness to those who have been trained by it. 2. RighteoUsness (8) is what the Lord will ultimately “reign down” and allow to “spring up.” It is part of His salvation plan, which He has created! (He calls it into existence here) D. God’s Challengers (9-10) – God pronounces “woes” on those who would foolishly question His creative plans for Israel. He uses figures of the Potter and Clay, and of Parent and Child to reveal such. God knew that many Jews would see the captivity and restoration plan as absurd; let alone the use of pagan kings in His plan. (God can do whatever He wants!) E. God’s Control (11-14) – God challenges His people to inquire of His great plan for Israel (11). The “Asking” and the “Command” that He prompts can be translated: Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? (Rhet. NO, because God can do whatever He wants…He is in control!). He then makes a strong declaration about His work (12); having made, created, stretched out, and commanded it all! (It is all under His control!) After all this, God retUrns to validate Cyrus’s calling (13). Because God predicted it, Cyrus “WILL” build God’s city: JerUsalem. And furthermore, Cyrus “Will” let Israel return home. There was no gain in it for Cyrus, so he let them go freely, as predicted. BecaUse God’s hand was Upon CyrUs (14), nations from the south would submit (lit. bow down) to Cyrus during his reign, because they recognized that God was in him; and there is No Other God Besides Him. In the Millennial Reign of the Messiah, all nations will submit to Israel in like manner (Isa 49:23; 60:14; Zech 8:20-23). Closing ThoUghts: God raised up Cyrus to execute God’s perfect will, and nothing could prevent it from happening! What God speaks, will come to pass. This also translates into your life today. Your personal circumstances do not change God’s divine will. (Seek His will for your life!) God’s Plan Includes… II. GOD’S SALVATION (45:15-25) – In this section God reiterates His great plan of salvation for Israel. This is something that has not fully manifested yet, however it will happen, because What God Speaks will come to pass. The apostle Paul comments on this fact in the book of Romans, chapters’ 9-11. (Rom 11:25) says, For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 2 God’s Salvation is… A. Declared By Isaiah (15-18a) – Isaiah was well aware of the fact that God was Israel’s Savior (15). But he, along with Israel (Ps 44:24), often questioned why God would seem to hide from them. (Do you ever feel like God is hiding from you?) 1. Isaiah knew who God hide His face from (16) Idolaters! (Deut 31:18) And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods. (Anyone who worships false idols will end up like these: ashamed, disgraced, and confused!) 2. Isaiah was Confident of Israel’s Salvation (17-18a) Creation exists for man reasons; one being that God desired to work out His Great Plan of salvation. Proof is in the text: a. Israel shall be saved (17a) – This is foretold in the O.T. & the N.T. (Ish 59:20-21; Rom 11:26-27) And so, all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” b. Israel’s salvation would be everlasting (17b,d) c. Israel would not be ashamed (17c) d. The earth was not created in vain (18) - God, who created, formed, and established the earth, made it to be inhabited! (He has a purpose and a plan!) God’s Salvation is now… B. Declared By God (18b-25) – God identifies Himself again (18b), then clarifies that He has not spoken in secret at all (19a)! God spoke His true revelation through His true Prophets. Though mysterious at times, they were not like the false prophets who uttered nonsense (Isa 8:19; 29:4) 1. God does NOT speak falsehood or deceit (19b) – He would never ask anyone to “Seek Him in vain,” because He declares things that are right! – When we seek for God with all of our heart, we will find Him. (Jer 29:13) says, And you will seek Me and find Me, when yoU search for Me with all yoUr heart. (Heb 11:6) says, he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.