EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 44:28
The *Lord names the foreign soldier whose army will bring about the *Lord’s purpose. So the *Lord shows that he knows about the future. Cyrus was not born until long after the time when Isaiah lived. Cyrus made the order to rebuild the *Temple about 200 years after Isaiah wrote these words (Ezra 1:1-2).
bless ~ to show great kindness.Lord ~ God’s personal name in the Bible. In the original language, God’s name ‘Lord’ means ‘head over all’ and ‘God always’.
tribe ~ group of the later family of one father.
idol ~ home-made image of a god.
idol ~ home-made image of a god.
glory ~ the splendid beauty and wonderful light of God’s most holy character.
sins ~ evil deeds.
Jerusalem ~ at the time of David and Solomon, the capital of the country called Israel. During the time of Isaiah, Jerusalem was the capital of the country called Judah.
Temple ~ special building in Jerusalem where the Jews praised God and offered him prayers and gifts.
Jerusalem ~ at the time of David and Solomon, the capital of the country called Israel. During the time of Isaiah, Jerusalem was the capital of the country called Judah.
Jews ~ people who belong to the countries called Judah and Israel; people who belong to the 12 tribes of Israel.
tribe ~ group of the later family of one father.
Israelites ~ God’s special people, also called the ‘Jews’. He freed them when they were slaves in Egypt. He gave them the land called Israel and Judah. But they had to leave that land as a punishment when they refused to obey God. However, God promised that he would free them again.
Jews ~ people who belong to the countries called Judah and Israel; people who belong to the 12 tribes of Israel.
tribe ~ group of the later family of one father.
covenant ~ special personal agreement that the Lord made with Israel (see Exodus chapter 24).
Lord ~ God’s personal name in the Bible. In the original language, God’s name ‘Lord’ means ‘head over all’ and ‘God always’.'human, human being ~ a person.
Isaiah: New *Heavens and a New Earth
God’s Servant Saves God’s People
Isaiah Chapter s 41 to 55
Gordon Churchyard
The words in square brackets, […], are not in the *Hebrew Bible. They make the book easier to understand in English. Isaiah wrote his book in the *Hebrew language. Words in round brackets, (…) are explanations.Chapter 44
v1 ‘But now listen [and obey me], my servant Jacob. [Listen to me] Israel, whom I have chosen.’
v2 This is what the *LORD says. He [is the *LORD] who made you. He shaped you when you were still inside your mother. And he will help you. [He says], ‘Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant and Jeshurun (Israel), whom I chose.
v3 [Do not be afraid], for these reasons.
I will pour water onto land that is without water.
I will pour streams [of water] onto dry ground.
I will pour out my Spirit onto your children.
I will bless (be kind to) your children’s children.
v4 They will spring up like grass in a field. [They will grow] like tall trees by streams of water.
v5 One [of them] will say, “I [belong] to the *LORD.” And another [person] will call [himself] by the name Jacob. Then another [person] will write on his hand, “[I belong to] the *LORD”, and he will name [himself] Israel.’
v6 This is what the *LORD says. [He is] the King and *Redeemer of Israel and the *LORD of Everything. [He says], ‘I am the first [God] and I am the last [God]. There is no God apart from me.
v7 Is there [any God] like me? [If there is], let him say so. Let him declare it. And let him tell me [this].
What has happened since I established my people in ancient [times]?
What will happen in the future?
Yes! Let him say what will happen!
v8 Do not tremble and do not be afraid. I told you this long ago. I said that it would happen. You are my witnesses. Is there any God apart from me? No! There is no [other] Rock. I know [that there is] not one.’
v9 Everybody that shapes an *idol [is] of no use. And the things that they have delight in will bring no advantage. Their witnesses cannot see [anything]. Also, they will be ashamed, because they know nothing.
v10 Everybody who has shaped a god has [only] made an *idol. It will bring [them] no advantage.
v11 Really, everybody like them will be ashamed. People who make [such things] are only human. Let all of them come and stand together [by their *idols]. They will tremble [with fear]. They will suddenly realise what fools that they are.
v12 A man that works with iron [takes] a tool. He holds [the iron] in the fire [with the tool]. Then he shapes [the iron] with hammers. He has made [an *idol] with the strength of his arms. But he gets hungry and he loses his strength. He drinks no water and he feels weak.
v13 A man that works with wood measures [it] with a ruler. Then he makes an outline with a pencil. He uses one tool to give [the wood] a rough shape. He uses another tool to make the outline more accurately. Then he shapes it in the form of a man. [He has made] a human [shape] with all its beauty. It will remain in a house.
v14 [A man went] to cut down cedar trees for himself. He had taken cypress trees and oak trees. And he had let them grow for himself, among the trees of the forest. He had planted a pine tree and the rain had made it grow.
v15 It is [fuel] for [the] man to burn. So he takes some of it and he warms himself. Yes, and now he lights a fire and he bakes bread. And then he makes a god and he *worships it. He makes an *idol. And he bends down on his knees in front of it.
v16 Half [of the wood] he burnt in the fire. He prepared his meal with [this] half. He cooked his meat. He ate as much as he wanted. He also warmed himself and he said, ‘Ah! I am warm. I can see the fire.’
v17 From the rest he made a god. [It is] his *idol. He bends down on his knees in front of it. And he *worships it. And he prays to it and he says, ‘Save me, because you are my god.’
v18 Such people know nothing. They understand nothing. [It is as if] the substance called plaster is covering their eyes. Therefore they cannot see [anything]. Also their minds [cannot think properly]. So they cannot understand [anything].
v19 Nobody really thinks about it. Nobody has the knowledge or the intelligence. [Nobody] says, ‘I burnt half of it in the fire. I even baked bread with that wood as it burned. I cooked meat and I ate [it]. [It would be very wrong] for me to make something awful from what remains. [It would be very stupid] for me to kneel in front of a lump of wood.’
v20 He is feeding on ashes. His mind is *mistaken and it leads him away [from the truth]. He cannot save himself. He does not realise that the thing in his right hand is a lie.
v21 ‘Jacob, remember these things, because you, Israel, are my servant. I shaped you [to be] my servant. Israel, I will not forget you.
v22 I have swept away (forgiven) your *sins like [the wind sweeps away] a cloud. The wrong things that you have done [have disappeared] like the morning mist. Return to me, because I have *redeemed you.’
v23 Skies above [us], sing [because you are so happy]. [Sing], because the *LORD has done this! Earth beneath [us], shout as loudly [as you can]. You mountains, burst into song. [Do the same], you forests and all your trees! [Do this], because the *LORD has *redeemed Jacob. He has shown his *glory in Israel.
v24 This is what the *LORD says. He is your *Redeemer. He shaped you [when you were still] inside your mother. ‘I am the *LORD, who has made everything. I alone stretched out the skies [like a curtain]. I spread out the earth by myself.
v25 I spoil the signs of the false *prophets. When people pretend to know the future, I make them into fools. I turn back the knowledge of wise people and I make it into nonsense.
v26 I carry out the words of my servant. I perform the words of the people who bring messages from me. I say about Jerusalem, “People will live there [again].” [I say] about the towns in Judah, “[People] will build them.” [And I say] about the [places that the enemy] ruined, “I will rebuild them.”
v27 I said to the watery deep (sea), “Be dry! And I made your streams dry.”
v28 I say about Cyrus, “He is my *shepherd. And he will do everything that pleases me.” [Cyrus] will say about Jerusalem, “Rebuild it!” And [he will say] about the *temple, “Lay out its base (stones).” ’
Notes on chapter 43
Verse 1 Notice how the words become more personal through the verse.
created. This means that God made something by his great power.
- shaped. This means that God was careful to put even the smallest thing in its right place.
- *redeemed. This means that God made Jacob and Israel into part of his family.
- called by name. This means that God knows the name of every one of his people.
So God says (in the *Hebrew order of words) ‘Mine you are’. This order is important. It emphasises God, not his people.
‘*Redeem’ is a special Bible word. It means ‘buy back’. It is as if God is buying people back from the authority of evil people or from the devil. But it meant more than ‘buy back’ to Isaiah and to his people. They believed that they had a duty to *redeem their family members. Because of that duty, they paid to free relatives that were in trouble. So, when God *redeemed people, he was declaring them to be part of his family. Jacob and Israel are names for God’s people.
Verse 2 Water and fire are both dangerous. Here they warn God’s people about the dangers that they might meet. God will be with them in these dangers. The river is not an actual river. The fire is not an actual fire. They could be any danger. These things may hurt God’s people, but they will not completely destroy them. Some Bible students think that this verse is about the journey into *exile in Babylon.
Verse 3 Here are two names for God.
The *LORD your God. This is the name that the Book of Exodus used.
- The *Holy [God] of Israel. This is Isaiah’s special name for God. ‘*Holy’ means very, very good. God is so good that he is separate from everybody. For Isaiah, God’s name was *Holy of Israel!
Ethiopia (or Cush) was part of southern Egypt. God gave Ethiopia and Seba to *ransom his people. ‘*Ransom’ means ‘give money or goods for’. It is similar to ‘*redeem’, but in the Bible there is an important difference. ‘*Ransom’ emphasises the money, but ‘*redeem’ emphasises the family connection.
Verse 4 The *Hebrew word for ‘a man’ is ‘adam’. We can translate it ‘mankind’, which means ‘all men and women’. So ‘I will exchange a man for you’ and ‘I will exchange people for your life’ mean the same. It is a typical example of *Hebrew poetry. But who are the people that God will exchange for his people? The answer is ‘the people from Babylon’. Cyrus (verse 28) would defeat Babylon and free God’s people, the *Jews. But notice the way that the Bible can mean two different things at the same time! ‘A man’ is also God’s servant in Isaiah chapter 53. John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 tell us that the servant’s name was Jesus. As we read through Isaiah, Jesus becomes more and more important as God’s servant. The *Jews and Cyrus become less important.
Verses 5-7 In the *Hebrew Bible, the word for ‘child’ or ‘children’ is ‘seed’. A seed is a part of a plant. From the seed, a new plant grows. But here in the Bible, ‘seed’ can also be a very special word. It means the new people that become Christians. It is as if they ‘grow’ like a plant. Jesus said that they are ‘born again’ in John 3:3. We may wonder why God used the word ‘seed’ here. ‘Seed’ or ‘children’ means *Jews from all over the world. They are from east and west, north and south. ‘Sons’ and ‘daughters’ also mean *Jews. And Christians are the seed that Paul mentions in Romans 4:16. ‘The ends of the earth’ is another way to say ‘far places’. But as verse 4 is about more than just the return from Babylon, so are verses 5-7. They are about the results of Jesus’ work. Not only *Jews, but everyone who ‘is called by my name’ will return to God. Christians are called by one of God’s names. It is ‘Christ’, because Jesus is God.
Verse 7 This verse ends a section which has this structure:
A1 The *LORD’s relationship with his people, verse 1.
B1 The *LORD is always with his people, verse 2.
C1 The *LORD looks back to the past, verse 3.
C2 The *LORD looks to the future, verse 4.
B2 The *LORD commands the world to send his people home, verses 5-6.
A2 The *LORD’s relationship with his people, verse 7.
There are many structures like this in Isaiah. Bible students call them ‘*inclusios’. This one is like an image in a mirror. But the first half is in the past, the rest is in the future.
Verses 8-13 Here is another of Isaiah’s techniques: a picture of a court of law. Here is the structure of the picture.
A1 The *LORD calls his people (verse 8) and the nations (verse 9a).
B1 The *LORD announces the problem (verse 9b).
C1 The *LORD’s witnesses (verse 10).
C2 The *LORD’s statement (verse 11).
B2 A decision (verse 12).
A2 A result (verse 13).
Verse 8 The blind and deaf people mean the *Jews, read Isaiah 6:9-10 and 42:18. People lead them because they cannot see. Also they cannot hear. But then Isaiah astonishes us. In verse 10, the *Lord declares these people to be his witnesses. But we cannot see how blind and deaf people can be witnesses!
Verse 9 9a means the first part of verse 9. 9b means the second part. In 9b, we can imagine that the judge in the court is speaking. ‘This’ and ‘in the past’ probably refer to the *Jews when they escaped from Egypt. You can read about that event in the Book of Exodus.
Verses 10-11 ‘I am’ in the phrase ‘I am [God]’ refers back to the escape from Egypt, Exodus 3:14. ‘I am’ is one of God’s names. Notice that in verses 8 and 9 God refers back to the false gods in Chapter s 41 and 42. Somebody ‘made’ them, but nobody made the real God. Nobody made the God whose name is ‘I am’!
Verse 12 What *idols cannot do, the *LORD has done! The order of the words showed, saved and told is important.
First, God ‘showed’ his plans to his people. In other words God made his plans clear to people. They did not think of it for themselves. An important word for that in the Bible is ‘revelation’. ‘Revelation’ is what God ‘reveals’ (shows) to people. He shows his plans to people. And then he carries out his plans: he saves people.
- Then, God ‘saved’ his people. In other words he made them safe. For the *Jews, God saved them so that they were ‘safe from Babylon’. For Christians, God made them ‘safe from the devil’.
- Lastly, God ‘told’. He does that after he has saved people. He tells them the truth. He does it through the Bible, or through Bible teachers.
Verse 13 ‘Yes! From long ago’ has three possible meanings.
Since time began.
- Now, today.
- In the future.
In the past, the present and the future, nobody can change what God does!
Verse 14 There is a note on ‘*redeem’ at verse 1. ‘*Redeemer’ is another name for God. Isaiah does not say yet who the army is. He just wrote, ‘I will send to Babylon’. Bible students are not sure how to translate the last part of the verse. Here are two possibilities:
| New International Version, Buksbazen’s Commentary, and many other books. | Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Watts’ Commentary (for Word), and many other books |
| And I will bring down all the *Babylonians as prisoners | And I will knock down all the bars of the prisons |
| in the ships of which they are so proud. | and the *Babylonians will start to sing sad songs. |
On the left, the army that God will send will defeat Babylon. The people from Babylon will become prisoners. On the right, the army will free the people that Babylon has kept in prison. Both those statements are true. So it is not possible for us to say which is the correct translation. Buksbazen is a *Jew that wrote a book about Isaiah. Watts is a Christian that wrote a book about Isaiah. The New International and New Revised Standard Versions are Bibles that people in the Protestant Church use. The Jerusalem Bible is a Bible that people in the Roman Catholic Church use.
Verse 15 There are notes about some of the names of God at verse 3.
Verses 16-17 Verse 3 linked the name of God to the escape from Egypt. The escape happened about 700 years before Isaiah wrote his book. But now Isaiah refers directly to it. In verse 16 he reminded people that God made a road through the sea. This sea was the Red Sea. God made a way for his people to escape. In verse 17 he reminds people that the same way brought about the deaths of their enemies. A chariot was a special cart that soldiers rode in. Horses pulled the *chariots.
Verse 18 ‘Forget the past’ really means ‘think about the future’. Isaiah 44:21 emphasises the need to remember what God has done. Psalms 78 tells people to teach these things to their children. So, ‘forget the past’ is a kind of poetry. It means, ‘Do not think about the escape from Egypt. Concentrate on the escape from Babylon.’
Verse 19 The escape from Babylon is the ‘something that is new’. The road is the way home from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Verse 20 Jackals are wild dogs that hunt in groups. An *owl is a bird that hunts at night.
Verses 22-24 Notice the words ‘me’ and ‘tired’ in these verses. ‘Tired’, here, means that ‘people or God does not want anybody to do it again’. God is saying that all their religion was false. They were serving themselves, not God. This was because they used their religion like magic. They did not do what God wanted them to do in their lives. *Incense and calamus (a substance from a plant) made things smell pleasant.
Verse 25 This starts a section that ends in Isaiah 44:5. It is another picture of a court of law. Here is the structure of the section.
A1 God asks his people to reply to this question. Is there any evidence that makes it fair to forgive you? Verses 25-26.
B1 God remembers what happened in the past. Verses 27-28.
C1 Israel still belongs to the *LORD. Verses 1-2a.
C2 The *LORD tells Israel not to be afraid. Verses 2b-3a.
B2 God will be kind to future people in Israel. Verses 3b-4.
A2 The future reply of God’s people. Verse 5.
The first words emphasise God’s work. It is God who sweeps away (removes or forgives) people’s *sins. Nobody else can do it. He does not do it because of us, but because of himself. It is part of his character. We could translate ‘sweeps away’ as ‘wipes clean’. The same *Hebrew words are in Isaiah 44:22 and at the end of Psalms 51:1, which says, ‘sweep away my *sins’. ‘*Sins’ are the acts that do not obey God’s laws. ‘*Sinned’, in verse 27, means to do these acts. The promise at the end is extraordinary, but true: God will not remember his people’s *sins. Two other *prophets tell us that God said the same thing to them: Jeremiah 31:34 and Micah 7:18-19.
Verse 26 ‘Let us talk’ means as in a court of law. God wants everybody to realise that his punishments are fair.
Verse 27 ‘Your first father’ may be Adam, or Abraham, or Jacob. Bible students are not sure. It could even be all the *Jewish leaders many centuries before. ‘The people that spoke’ are the leaders in past times.
Verse 28 ‘*Holy’ means very, very good. It means so good that it separates the *holy person from other people. Here it means the leaders in the *temple. The *temple was God’s house on the hill called *Zion in Jerusalem. These leaders were not really good! God calls them *holy because they were the leaders of his people. God considers his people *holy if they obey him.
Notes on Chapter 44
Verse 1 Although his people had not obeyed him, God still considers them his people.
Verse 2. God promises to help his people. He calls them Jacob. This was the name of Abraham’s grandson. He was one of the ‘first fathers’ in Isaiah 43:27. The name ‘Jacob’ means ‘someone who twists (or changes) things to his own advantage’. It almost means ‘thief’. But the name ‘Jeshur’ (the beginning of the word Jeshurun) means the opposite. It means ‘somebody that always does what is right’. The letters ‘un’ at the end of the word Jeshurun mean ‘that I love’. God says that his people are bad (like the name ‘Jacob’). However, with his help, they will become good (like the name ‘Jeshurun’). The name is also in Deuteronomy 32:15; Deuteronomy 33:5 and Deuteronomy 33:26. There is a note on ‘formed’ at Isaiah 44:21.
Verse 3 The first two promises mean the same, and the last two mean the same. Also, the first two are a picture of the last two. Just as dry ground needs water, so God’s people need his Spirit. ‘Bless’ means ‘be kind’. But its special meaning is to ‘have plenty of fruit’ (see Deuteronomy 28:2-6). It means their plants would have good crops. Also their animals would have many young animals and their people would have many children.
Verse 4 This gives two more pictures in which God blesses his people.
Verse 5 When God blesses (is kind to) his people, they will be very grateful. This is how they will reply to God then. Notice that these four things really all say the same thing! This is typical of Isaiah. Here, the name Jacob appears for a different reason. Although Jacob did some wrong things, he later chose God to be his God. He made promises to God, and God had a special relationship with him. That is why these grateful people choose to call themselves by Jacob’s name.
Verse 6 There is a note on ‘*Redeemer’ at chapter 43:1. ‘*LORD of Everything’ is a special name of God. Another translation is ‘*LORD of *angel armies’. *Angels are the servants of God in heaven. Isaiah probably used the name here because the false gods did not have ‘*angel armies’. Also, God is ‘the first’. Nobody made him. This contrasts with the false gods in verses 9-20. Somebody made them, out of lumps of wood, verse 19.
Verses 7-8 God asks any other god to speak. He asks the other god to say what happened in the past. Had they cared about their people? Also, and perhaps more important, what will happen in the future? There is no answer. God therefore says that there is no other god. There is no other ‘Rock’ (verse 8) to ‘build’ our lives on. This is a word-picture. For a house to be strong and safe, its base should be on the rock (Matthew 7:24-25). So a ‘rock’ means something, or someone, that provides security. Only God gives real security for his people; they should trust him alone.
Verse 9 An *idol is an image of a false god. The section from verses 9-20 is about *idols. But it starts with the people that make *idols. They are ‘of no use’. The *Hebrew word for this is ‘tohu’. It means ‘no shape’. It is the word in Genesis 1:2. It describes a world that has ‘no form’. It has ‘no use’. The witnesses were the people that made the gods. The witnesses know nothing because they cannot see any evidence.
Verse 10 The advantage here is not profit nor money. It is the safety that only God himself can provide. The people that shaped *idols did not make a real God. They only made an object that had no spirit.
Verse 11 People that are ‘only human’ cannot possibly make God. When they realise this, they will tremble with fear. Isaiah then gives two examples in verses 12-13.
Verse 12 Here is the first example. It only makes a man weak to make an *idol. His *idol gives him no strength.
Verse 13 Here is the second example. The *idol is just the shape of a man. All that it can do is to remain in its maker’s house.
Verses 14-17 Isaiah tells us more about the man that works with wood.
He grows many sorts of trees. Isaiah mentions four trees: cedar, cypress, oak and pine.
- He uses the trees for fuel. He can keep himself warm and cook his food.
- The bit that he does not burn, he makes into an *idol.
The man makes a god out of something that is of no further use to him.
Verse 18 What covers their eyes? Isaiah says that it is plaster. He says, ‘Plaster is covering their eyes.’ Plaster is a substance like cement. People use it to cover their walls. But we may ask who put the plaster onto people’s eyes. Perhaps it was God himself. 2 Corinthians 4:4 shows us that it might even be Satan (the devil). There is a note about Satan in Zechariah 3:1-2.
Verse 19 In the *Hebrew Bible, ‘nobody really thinks about it’ is ‘it does not come into his heart’. Also, the word for ‘minds’ in verse 18 and ‘mind’ in verse 20 is ‘hearts’ and ‘heart’. The *Jews believed that you thought in your heart. But in English, there is a further meaning. The heart involves feelings as well as thoughts. Perhaps Isaiah meant feelings as well as thoughts also.
Verse 20 The *idol cannot help the person that made it. The maker made the *idol in whatever form he chose. It could not do what the real God can do.
Verse 21 Jacob and Israel are both names for God’s people, the *Jews. Notice that God did not say that he had ‘made’ or ‘created’ them. He used the same *Hebrew word as in 43:1 and 43:7 and as in 44:2, 44:10 and 44:12. It means ‘to shape’. There is a different *Hebrew word for ‘to shape’ in verse 13. God did this to compare himself to the *idols. Men had to shape the *idols, see 44:9, 44:12 and 44:13. God himself shaped the men! God is therefore very, very much greater. In fact, the *idols are nothing. His people must remember this. If they do, then God will not forget them. Instead, he will look after them. Notice also that God did not just ‘shape’ his people. He ‘shaped them’ to be his servants. In other words he had a special plan for them.
Verse 22 There is a note on ‘*redeem’ in 43:1. The word ‘swept away’ translates the same *Hebrew words as in 43:25 and Psalms 51:1. We could translate them, ‘wipe clean’. This is because our *sins make us *unholy. We cannot come near to God. But when he forgives our *sins, he sweeps them away. *Sin is like an unclean substance that God removes from our lives. So when God forgives us we are not *unholy! We can approach God. Or, as the verse says, we can return to him. He has *redeemed us, so he has made us part of his family.
Verse 23 These are probably words that Isaiah wrote, not God’s words. It is hard for us to imagine that the sky, the earth, the mountains and the trees could actually sing. Perhaps it means that everything will seem beautiful. The wonderful things that God has done have changed everything. Everything that people’s *sin has made dirty will be clean again.
Verses 24-28 This passage introduces a new section, 44:28 to 48:22. The servant is now, not Israel, but Cyrus. The section is about the return of the *Jews from their *exile in Babylon.
Verse 24 The section starts with three descriptions of God.
He is your *Redeemer. He has made you part of his family.
- He shaped you. He made the *Jews as part of his plan.
- He, alone, made everything. He made the world and everything that was in it.
The order in the verse is the opposite of what actually happened. This emphasises that God’s family was the purpose of everything that he did.
Verses 25-26 Notice the way that God contrasts the false *prophets with his servants.
(1) God will spoil the signs of the false *prophets. Their efforts will fail.
(2) God will make the false *prophets into fools. We could translate this, ‘I (God) make them seem mad.’
(3) God will make the knowledge of wise people into nonsense. In other words, their advice will be foolish.
(4) God will do the things that his servants say. Actually, the word ‘servants’ is just ‘servant’ in the *Hebrew Bible. Perhaps it meant Isaiah himself.
(5) God sends the people who bring his messages. They say that God will do certain things. He will do all those things.
(6) God says that he will rebuild the places that the enemy ruined. This includes Jerusalem and the towns round it.
Verse 27 God now refers to the escape from Egypt. He made the Red Sea dry. The *Jews walked through it and they did not drown.
Verse 28 Now God will rescue his people again, as he rescued them from Egypt many centuries before. This time Cyrus, the King of Persia, will be his agent. Actually, God describes Cyrus as ‘his *shepherd’. A *shepherd is a sheep farmer. The ‘sheep’ mean God’s people. Cyrus is like the farmer who cares about his sheep. The *temple was God’s house in Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it in 587 *B.C.
It astonishes Bible students that Cyrus’s name appears here. Isaiah lived more than a century before Cyrus’s birth. Bible students have two possible explanations:
(1) Because God knows everything, he told Isaiah Cyrus’ name. This may surprise us, but God did a similar thing in 1 Kings 13:2.
(2) A later *prophet, and not Isaiah, wrote these words. But in Isaiah chapter 44, God emphasises that, unlike an *idol, he really does know the future. If God told Cyrus’s name to Isaiah, that would be powerful evidence of that fact.
Something to do
1. Add the *inclusio in Isaiah 43:1-7 to the *table in something to do after Isaiah chapter 35. There is another *inclusio in verses 8-13.
2. Can you find other places in Isaiah where he gives us a picture of a court? Try to make 43:8-13 into a dramatic play. You will need three or more actors. One person can speak God’s words. Another person can be a lawyer who will explain the problem. The other actors can be God’s witnesses. Make this court picture into a play!
3. Study how the *Jews remembered God’s kindness to them in Exodus 12:43-13. Then study how Christians remember what Jesus’ work for them, in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Compare the two ideas.
4. Read Psalms 87 and the notes on it in the Easy English Psalms series.
5. Genesis 6:22 says that there will always be a proper time to sow seeds. Read the note on 43:5-7. Pray that more and more people will become ‘the children of the promise’. Romans 9:8 tells us that ‘the children of the promise are the seed of God’. In other words, as people become new Christians, they receive the benefit of God’s promises.
6. Find how many times the word ‘shape’ appears in Isaiah Chapter s 43 and 44.
heavens ~ another word for ‘skies’. It can also mean the place where God lives and the skies above us.
Hebrew ~ the language that Isaiah spoke.
LORD ~ LORD is a special name of God. In the Hebrew language it is YHWH. It may mean ‘always alive’. So LORD is a sign that the Hebrew word is YHWH.
lord ~ master. When it has a capital L (that is, ‘Lord’) it is a name for God.
Hebrew ~ the language that Isaiah spoke.
idol ~ a false god that people made.
worship ~ to tell God (or a false god) that he is wonderful; and also, to tell him that you love him.
mistaken ~ the state of mind of a person who is confused or seriously wrong.
sin ~ not to obey God. Or, what you do when you do not obey God.
redeem ~ a member of your family buys you from an enemy.
glory ~ something that shines and is wonderful. Especially, it is God’s splendid beauty.
prophet ~ someone who says what God is saying.
shepherd ~ a person who looks after sheep.
temple ~ God’s house in Jerusalem. False gods also had temples.
redeem ~ a member of your family buys you from an enemy.
exile ~ a person whom enemies force to live away from his own home or country. Or, the place where that person has to live.
holy ~ very, very good. Only God is really holy. He is so holy that he is separate from everybody else.
ransom ~ to give money or goods in order to rescue someone. The word emphasises the price in order to free that person.
ransom ~ to give money or goods in order to rescue someone. The word emphasises the price in order to free that person.
Jews ~ the people that lived in Judah (which sounds like ‘Jew-dah’) and Israel.
inclusio ~ a style of poetry that Isaiah used. In an inclusio, the first line of a section matches the last line. Then the second line matches the line before the last one, and so on. Sometimes whole verses or groups of verses match, and not the separate lines.
LORD ~ LORD is a special name of God. In the Hebrew language it is YHWH. It may mean ‘always alive’. So LORD is a sign that the Hebrew word is YHWH.
lord ~ master. When it has a capital L (that is, ‘Lord’) it is a name for God.
Hebrew ~ the language that Isaiah spoke.
Babylonian ~ a person from the country called Babylonia, or anything that has a relationship with that country.
chariot ~ a cart that soldiers rode in.
owl ~ a large bird that hunts for its food by night.
incense ~ a substance that makes a sweet smell when people burn it.
sin ~ not to obey God. Or, what you do when you do not obey God.
Jewish ~ a description of something that has a relationship to the Jews.
Jews ~ the people that lived in Judah (which sounds like ‘Jew-dah’) and Israel.
holy ~ very, very good. Only God is really holy. He is so holy that he is separate from everybody else.
Zion ~ a name for Jerusalem.
angel ~ a special servant of God in heaven.
Heaven ~ the home of God.
angel ~ a special servant of God in heaven.
Heaven ~ the home of God.
unholy ~ our state because our sin has separated us from God; not acceptable to God.
sin ~ not to obey God. Or, what you do when you do not obey God.
table ~ a way to set out information in a series of boxes.