Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Isaiah 41:21-24
Yahweh's Challenge To The Gods of the Nations (Isaiah 41:21).
“Produce your cause,” says Yahweh.
“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.
“Let them bring them forth and declare to us what will happen.
Declare the former things, what they are,
That we may consider them and know the latter end of them,
Or show us things that are to come.
Declare the things that are to come hereafter,
That we may know that you are gods.”
Yahweh now lays down His challenge to the nations and to their gods. Let them come as it were before the court and prove their case. Let them bring out their idols. (Note that the idols have to be brought out. They cannot come of themselves). Let them prove themselves, and produce their strong arguments. Let them declare the future, and show what is to happen. Let them explain the past and its significance, and show what will be its results. Let them declare the significance and impact of the coming of Abraham. Let them show the things that are to come from it. Then all will know that they really are gods. This is what God has been doing. Let them do it as well.
This confirms that in this passage God has been speaking of what has happened in the past as well was what is to happen in the future, and the title ‘the King of Jacob' ties it in closely with the time of the patriarchs, thus confirming that the coming one from the east was Abraham.
‘The King of Jacob' is a significant title. God is not ashamed to be the king of the patriarch Jacob, to be the king of the worm (Isaiah 41:14). Indeed He boasts about it. So the nations see His people as nothing, as unimportant, as having something of a past history but as now no longer counting? Well, this is proof that they cannot see the future. Why, He declares, He is their King. Their past is significant. And from that worm will He produce glorious things. And only a ‘God Who is' could use a worm to establish the everlasting kingdom. But had the gods really been gods, they would have known of it.
“Yes, do good or do evil,
That we may be dismayed (bewildered) and behold it together.'
The challenge is expanded. These gods not only know nothing, they do nothing. He is going to do something, so let these also at least do something, anything, whether good or evil. Then at least all would be able to be bewildered and dismayed, and behold it. ‘Do good or do evil' is often seen as the equivalent of ‘do anything at all'.
“See, you are of nothing, and your work of nought.
An abomination is he who chooses you.”
The assumption is made that nothing will happen, and the argument is now applied. These gods are of nothing, and their work is nothing. Thus anyone who chooses them is an abomination, because they choose an abomination. We are what we choose. Note the strength of language. They are hateful to God.