Isaiah 45:1-24

While we are reading this chapter, and thinking of Cyrus, the Lord's anointed deliverer for Israel, let us not forget the greater Deliverer of whom the hymn writer sings,

«Thus saith God of his Anointed;

He shall let my people go Tis the work for him appointed,

Tis the work that he shall do;

And my city He shall found, and build it, too.»

Isaiah 45:1. Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

It was thought impossible for any foreign troops to enter Babylon; yet the gates were found open, and the army of Cyrus marched in, and took possession of the city.

Isaiah 45:2. I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in piece the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

Whenever God calls a man to do any work, however difficult and even impossible it may seem to be, he will certainly accomplish it, because he will have God with him. The Lord will gird his loins, and make him strong, and all the forces of providence shall work towards the accomplishment of the divine end. Has God given thee any work to do? It may be a much easier task than that of Cyrus; so, as the Lord enabled him to succeed in his great enterprise, thou mayest have confidence that his power is sufficient to give success to thee also. It may seem to be presumption for thee to undertake such a work; yet, if thou art called of God to do it, go on without a shadow of doubt, for he will make the crooked places straight, and break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron. We must not forget that, whatever God did in relation to Cyrus, was done with an eye to the welfare of his own people.

Isaiah 45:4. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

And all the powers and princes, that arise in this world, God can use for the good of his Church. All the nations, and kingdoms, and powers the be, are only like so much scaffolding for the building of God's own house, and he makes use of them as he pleases, though, often, they know not what he is doing with them.

Isaiah 45:5. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there it none else.

This was intended to correct the mistake of Cyrus, who probably was a fire-worshipper, a believer in the two great forces of good and evil, which were supposed to be equally eternal and powerful, which the Persians regarded as the god of good and the god of evil. So the Lord says:

Isaiah 45:7. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

There are not two distinct principles that are omnipotent; and though God is not the Author of moral evil, yet whatever there is of evil, which causes us pain and loss, is under his control. There are not two gods, but only one living and true God.

Isaiah 45:8. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together, I the LORD have created it. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?

God, on the ground of his being Creator, demands that he shall not be questioned by human wisdom, nor dictated to by human pride. He is the one supreme sovereign and Lord of all, and he may do absolutely as he pleases. It is a joy and delight to us that he always wills to do what is just and right. Still, his divine prerogative must not be abridged in any way whatever. The potsherds, that he hath made, must never question the action of the great Potter who hath made them; hath he not power to mould and fashion the clay exactly as he pleaseth?

Isaiah 45:11. Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

When we think of this, we ought to worship God alone, and trust him alone, and pay all loyal homage to him. What can there be that is comparable to the Creator of all things? There is not so much as a grain of dust, nor a single fly, that is self-created, or man-made; but everything hath come from God and exists because he wills it. Therefore, give to the Lord the glory that is due unto his name, and rest in his power, and trust in his might.

Isaiah 45:13. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.

And so Cyrus did. It was through him that Jerusalem was rebuilt, and the captive Israelites were delivered.

Isaiah 45:14. Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchants of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee, and there is none else, there is no God. Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

This is a most merciful arrangement, for, if God did not hide himself, none of us could exist. The full blaze of his divine countenance would be our destruction. God said even to Moses, «Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me and live.» But it is also partly in judgment that God sometimes hides even that measure of his presence which, at other times, he reveals in love. But even then, though he is hidden, he is still there. As the blue sky is up yonder, though it is long since you saw it, so is God ever present even though we cannot see him. The mountains, when hidden in darkness, are as real as they are in the light of day; and God is as truly near to his people, to preserve and succor them, when they do not see him, as when they do.

Isaiah 45:16. They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens, God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established, it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, See ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

It is a very consolatory thing for us to be told, not only what God has said, but also what he has not said. Be you sure of this, that there is nothing in the secret book of God's decrees, and nothing in the sealed book of prophecy, which is contrary to the gracious covenant promises which God has revealed to his people in his Word. He does not say one thing, and mean another. You may rest assured that all the revelations that are yet to be given, if there are to be any, (and there are some who are always talking about fresh light breaking from the Word!) will never contradict that which has been revealed of old. God did not tell his ancient people anything which contradicts what he has told us. The poorest and meanest of his people, who have been able to spell out, in the Word of God, their right and title to the divine inheritance, may rely upon it that, if any wise man comes to them with some wonderful discovery which contradict the Bible, he simply comes with a lie, for God has nowhere contradicted what he has plainly revealed in the Scriptures.

Isaiah 45:20. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together:

What wooden god has ever foretold the future? What idol of brass or stone had a word to say about the coming of Cyrus? Not one.

Isaiah 45:21. Who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him. Shall men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.