Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Isaiah 45:18-25
So Yahweh Calls Men Around The World To Repent (Isaiah 45:18).
God then points out that He did not create the world to be empty, but to be inhabited. It was not just Jerusalem that He wanted to be inhabited with His own (Isaiah 44:26), it was the world. Nor did He proclaim His word in secret, as in a secret society. His words were not empty of meaning, like stilted phrases of a cult. His world was intended for all, and so were His words, that all might live in it and know righteousness, and what is right. Thus He calls on such inhabitants of the world as have turned from their useless idols, to come together to consider things. Was it not He Who had told them about these happenings from the beginning? So let those at the ends of the earth turn to Yahweh, and let them recognise His sovereignty. For He alone provides strength and reality.
‘For thus says Yahweh who created the heavens,
He is God.
Who formed the earth and made it.
He established it.
He did not create it a waste, He formed it to be inhabited.
“I am Yahweh and there is none else.”'
The rather complicated structure of the verse is in order to stress Yahweh's design and purpose in creation. He ‘created', then He ‘fashioned', then He ‘made' it what it became, then He established it. Thus His purpose was not to leave it empty and a waste (tohu - compare Genesis 1:2). He wanted it to be designed and inhabited and established. It was not created in order to be a ‘waste', it was created for a specific purpose resulting from what God would do with the ‘waste'. Indeed He made it for man to live in, He made it for all men, and He wanted them to live in it as His people. (For ‘be inhabited' compare Isaiah 44:26). And who did this? It was Yahweh, the One Who is God (Psalms 96:5). It was Yahweh and no other. The implication therefore is that all should look to Him
This does not mean that the creation was not originally created ‘empty' before light came and gave it substance. Genesis 1:2 says that it was precisely created in that way, as Isaiah is well aware (that is why he mentions it). It means that that was only the very first stage in the process of creation. After that would come His forming process, the final stage of which was man. Into the darkness He brought light. Into the emptiness He brought electromagnetic waves. So the world owes all to His activity in design.
“I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness.
I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek me in emptiness (tohu).'
I, Yahweh, speak righteousness. I declare the things that are right.”
In the same way that the world was made in order to be inhabited, so were Yahweh's words spoken in order to have effect. He has not spoken in secret, or in some place in a land of darkness where nothing can be seen and men can meet in secret. It was not to some secret society. Nor did He tell His people, the seed of Jacob, to seek Him in what was empty and barren, in the kind of empty words which often accompany rituals, or even in an empty land. Rather He speaks righteousness, and declares the things that are right. His message is not empty or turgid but positive and demanding and full of content. And it is all about righteousness and goodness and truth, that which all men in their inner hearts all men long for.
Alternately ‘the land of darkness' may refer to the countries to which exiles have been taken away from ‘the land of light', from Israel. Then we would remove the comma and read ‘I have not spoken in secret in a place of the land of darkness', the idea being that He has spoken openly there, not with empty phrases but about righteousness.
“Assemble yourselves together, and come,
Draw near together, you who have escaped of the nations,
They have no knowledge who carry the wood of their graven image,
And pray to a god who cannot save.”
Those who have escaped of the nations are invited to, as it were, assemble themselves and to come and draw near to consider a verdict. The impression given is that these escapees have escaped from idolatry, for they are contrasted with those who have no knowledge, being idolaters. Idolatrous people are derided, for they look to a god who cannot save. Alternately they may be being called on to now recognise and face up to the folly of idolatry.
These words could be referring to faithful Israel among the worldwide exiles who have returned to purity of religion, or it may have in mind Gentiles who have been attracted by the faith of the dispersed of Israel, or those who have been disillusioned about the gods by what has come on the earth, or indeed all who have escaped the judgments which have come on the earth and are seeking answers. In other words those whose hearts might be open to truth.
They are contrasted with those who carry around wooden graven images at their religious festivals (see Isaiah 46:1), who are without sense and spiritual awareness, praying to a god who cannot save, and they are called to a positive response, to consider the facts.
The gods who cannot save are in striking contrast with the One Who calls on the whole world to be saved if they will but look (Isaiah 45:22). And the gods who have to be carried about on carts (compare Isaiah 46:1) are in striking contrast to the God Who is over heaven and earth and created all things (Isaiah 45:18).
“Declare and bring it forth,
Yes, let them take counsel together,
Who has shown this from ancient time?
Who has declared it of old?
Have not I, Yahweh?
And there is no God else beside me,
A righteous God and a saviour,
There is none beside me.”
The appeal continues to those who are disillusioned with idolatry. They are to declare and bring forth what they now think. Then he calls on them to gather in solemn court and speak to each other and discuss matters together and to recognise Who has shown ‘this' from ancient time, and declared it of old. ‘This' may be the fact of their exile experiences and their intended purifying effects, or more likely Isaiah's and other more ancient prophecies concerning all the events and judgments which have disillusioned men. In view of the reference to ancient time the latter is probably more likely.
And Who has shown it from ancient times? Why, none other than Yahweh of course, the One beside Whom there is no other (repeated twice). The One Who is righteous and Who can deliver. Note again the stress on righteousness. This is central to the appeal. And it is further stressed that not only is He righteous but also a Saviour. He does not leave those who seek Him in unrighteousness.
We should note that God is righteous because He is the source and arbiter of righteousness. All is measured by His standards, and He is holy. He is the perfect standard of what right is. (That is why to sin is to come short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23). And His righteousness is revealed in the salvation which He brings to His repentant people through the blood of offerings. And because He is righteous He expects righteousness from all who would worship Him.
“Look to me and be saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else.”
So the call goes out to the ends of the earth to look to the only God for deliverance. All these wondering people must now turn to Him. In Him is salvation. The non-mention of the name Yahweh would suggest that the call is intended to include all nations as ‘all the ends of the earth' suggests. It is a universal cry. But the call can only go out through His Servant, for there is no one else to take it. This is to be the Servant's present task. It may well be that Isaiah was in touch with many exiles and was able to get his writings through to them.
“By myself have I sworn,
The word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness and will not return,
That to me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear.”
‘Only in Yahweh,' one will say to me, ‘is righteousness and strength.'
Even to him will men come,
And all who were incensed against him will be ashamed.
In Yahweh will all the seed of Israel be put in the right, and will glory.'
Notice the continued emphasis on righteousness. It lies at the root of this whole section. God is calling the nations to righteousness. And that righteousness can only result in every knee bowing to Him, and every tongue swearing fealty to His name. The fact that they can be ‘saved' signifies that righteousness can be made available to them through forgiveness (compare Isaiah 44:22). It proclaims that they can both be ‘put in the right' and then ‘made right'. Righteousness became almost parallel in meaning with deliverance and salvation precisely because Israel came to recognise that God's salvation would produce righteousness, and a people acceptable to God. It would be a righteous deliverance. Full deliverance must involve righteousness, for before Yahweh, the righteous One, there can be no true deliverance without it. To walk rightly is to have been freed from all unrighteousness.
A mighty word which will accomplish its purpose has now gone out from Yahweh, and He has guaranteed its fulfilment by an oath (compare Genesis 22:16). He will bring it about buy His sovereign power. And the fulfilment of it is that ‘to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear.' It is a word that has gone out in righteousness, so that its results will be righteous. Thus the submission will be on the basis of righteousness. Those accounted righteous will submit in order to serve, the unrighteous in order to fear the consequences. Those who refuse His righteousness will be ashamed (Note here how it is to be part of the Servant's activity to make many accounted righteous, because He will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11)). And it is a submission that is certain for everyone. Every knee will have bow. All nations round about might in the future be bowing to Cyrus, but one day he will be replaced. In that day every knee will bow to Yahweh and every tongue swear fealty. The whole world will own Yahweh as King, whether for blessing or for judgment. (In Philippians 2:5 this is applied to Jesus Christ by Paul as the One to Whom all would bow).
Indeed in that day men will say, ‘Only in Yahweh is righteousness and strength.' They will know that there is nowhere else to look. They will know that there is no other name in heaven and earth whereby men can be saved. He alone will be able to provide men with righteousness. He alone will be able to give them strength. He alone will be able to vindicate them.
But there will be those who will still be antagonistic towards Him. They too will have to come and bow the knee, but for them it will be to hear the sentence of judgment. They will be ashamed before Him. They will weep and gnash their teeth as sentence goes against them.
In that day all the true seed of Israel, those taken within the protection of Israel, will have been put in the right (Isaiah 53:10), and they will be able to glory, and cry ‘glory to the Righteous One' (Isaiah 24:16). They will be justified and will glory. These represent those are the faithful in Israel, and all those who unite with the faithful in Israel through the cross (Ephesians 2:12).