ISAIAH LESSON 51


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 44:1 "Yet now hear, O Jacob
my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:"

     In the last chapter, we had seen an Israel who had displeased
God. The word "yet" lets us know that even though they had sinned,
there is hope. Yet changes the pace of this chapter. It is as if
Isaiah is saying, don't stop listening now. Now comes the best part.
When Israel is called Jacob, it is speaking of the family more than as
a nation.  It is a personal name. Notice, also, that Jacob had never
stopped being God's servant. They had been disobedient, but it had not
taken away their relationship to God. There are two Israels. Spiritual
Israel are the children who have faith in Jesus Christ. Physical
Israel is made up of the physical descendents of Jacob.

     Isaiah 44:2 "Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee
from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant;
and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen."

     Both Israels are a chosen people. The physical house of Israel
had been chosen of God to receive His law. The spiritual house of
Israel was chosen to receive the grace of God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Verse 2 is a reminder that all belong to the Creator. He made
us, and we belong to Him. The word "Jesurun" is another name for God's
people. It speaks of their character. "Jesurun" means upright. It is a
symbolic name for Israel. They may not be upright in the sight of the
world, but they are upright in God's sight. God's people take on the
character of God, when they are saved. The name implies those who have
taken on the righteousness of Christ.

     Isaiah 44:3 "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and
floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and
my blessing upon thine offspring:"

     The water, and the floods, in the verse above, are two entirely
different things. Water, many times, is speaking of the Word of God.
Look, with me, in the following verses at just that. Matthew 5:6
"Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled." John 4:13 "Jesus answered and said unto
her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:" John 4:14
"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life." The water can symbolize the
Word or the Spirit, and really they are one and the same. Notice in
verse 3 above, that only those who are thirsty receive this water.
This is like salvation. It comes to just those who will accept it.
This whole Scripture has to be speaking of the appearing of Jesus
Christ to the seed of Abraham. The believers are His offspring.
Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise."

     Isaiah 44:4 "And they shall spring up [as] among the grass, as
willows by the water courses."

     This is just speaking of the abundance of their growth near the
water. The willows usually grow near water. It is a natural thing for
growth to appear where there is abundant water {Word}.

     Isaiah 44:5 "One shall say, I [am] the LORD'S; and another shall
call [himself] by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe
[with] his hand unto the LORD, and surname [himself] by the name of
Israel."

     Jesus opened the wall of partition for all to come to God.
Christianity is open to all who will believe. The natural Jew is not
excluded, but neither is the Gentile. We all are the LORD's, if we
believe. Since Jesus Christ came to the earth, worship of God was
opened to the heathen man.

     Isaiah 44:6 "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his
redeemer the LORD of hosts; I [am] the first, and I [am] the last; and
beside me [there is] no God."

     We see the Redeemer. This is speaking of Jesus Christ who is the
King. He is the Eternal One, He is LORD of hosts. LORD, in this, is
speaking of the same One as in I John 5:7 "For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and
these three are one."  In Jesus, all the fulness of the Godhead dwelt
bodily. Colossians 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the
Godhead bodily."  Jesus represented Himself, the Father, and the Holy
Ghost on the earth. They all planned the redemption of man through the
shed blood of Jesus Christ. They were in total agreement. Jesus
followed completely the will of all of them.  LORD, many times,
indicates ownership. We are His property. We have been bought by the
precious blood of Jesus.  I AM is speaking of the eternity of God in
the present tense. Whether you lived 4000 years ago are whether you
are living right now, God is your I AM GOD.

     Isaiah 44:7 "And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and
set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the
things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them."

     There is no other god that is capable of doing this. The gods
they had worshipped in Babylon were sometimes people who had been
elevated to godhood. They were not the real God, and could not create
people, or a world for those people to live in. They were like the
idols, nothings. There is no comparison between the LORD and false
gods.

     Isaiah 44:8 "Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee
from that time, and have declared [it]? ye [are] even my witnesses. Is
there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any]."

     The first of the 10 Commandments tell us this. Exodus 20:3 "Thou
shalt have no other gods before me."  Isaiah is trying to express over
and over that there is but One God. God can manifest Himself in the
burning bush, or in a smoke, or fire, but it is One Spirit. God is a
Spirit. John 4:24 "God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must
worship [him] in spirit and in truth."

     Isaiah 44:9  "They that make a graven image [are] all of them
vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they [are]
their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be
ashamed."

     A graven image is a creation of man. The best rule we can go by
is to worship the Creator of all the world and everything in it. We
must not worship anything, or anyone, that has been created. Even the
creator of a graven image, is a creation himself. This makes it twice
as bad. These idols may be pretty to look at with fleshly eyes, but
they have no value. They are nothings. This is a lesson in futility.
If you can see it with physical eyes, do not worship it.  The problem
with people who worship material things, is that a spiritual blindness
has overcome them. A very good example of a false god that was made by
man is the golden calf. The worship of idols is spiritual adultery.
God will not tolerate this type of behavior. Exodus 34:14 "For thou
shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous,
[is] a jealous God:"

     Isaiah 44:10 "Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image
[that] is profitable for nothing?"

     This is about the worst thing a person can do to God. This is
total unfaithfulness. They have no value at all.

     Isaiah 44:11 "Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the
workmen, they [are] of men: let them all be gathered together, let
them stand up; [yet] they shall fear, [and] they shall be ashamed
together."

     It would not really matter how many people were gathered together
to worship this false god. At the appearance of the True God, they
would all tremble and be afraid. When Aaron graved the golden calf,
for the children of Israel to worship on the way to the promised land,
he was so ashamed, he denied it. He pretended the people made him
grave it.  Fear of the LORD changes our thoughts. No one wants to
admit they made an idol, when they find the truth.

     Isaiah 44:12 "The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals,
and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of
his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no
water, and is faint."

     We see from this, that this was no easy task to make the idol.
Sometimes these people make the image to get money to feed their
family. It is still sin, regardless of why they made it.

     Isaiah 44:13 "The carpenter stretcheth out [his] rule; he marketh
it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out
with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according
to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house."

     This just tells of the careful way in which it is made to make it
beautiful to the eye, and acceptable to keep in the home.

     Isaiah 44:14 "He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress
and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the
forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish [it]."

     Even the tree that he cuts down to make the image from, comes
from God. God provided the trees and even caused them to grow when it
rains. They are a gift to man from God, and should not be used to make
idols.

     Isaiah 44:15 "Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will
take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth [it], and baketh
bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth [it]; he maketh it a
graven image, and falleth down thereto."

     The purpose of a tree is for making a house to live in, and to
burn to keep warm. God did not provide the tree, so that you can use
it to make a false god.

     Isaiah 44:16 "He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part
thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he
warmeth [himself], and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:"

     It is a good and useful purpose of the tree to be used for fire
to cook our food, and to warm our houses. The goodness that God has
provided for man's comfort here on the earth, should be used for just
that. It should not be made into a god that would cause God to be
angry. It belongs to God. We should never use it for anything not
pleasing to Him.

     Isaiah 44:17 "And the residue thereof he maketh a god, [even] his
graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth [it], and
prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou [art] my god."

     This is the height of foolishness to make a god of something you
can see, or hold in your hand. They did not even stop to think where
the tree came from. This is as foolish as man can get. God will not
permit this folly.

     Isaiah 44:18 "They have not known nor understood: for he hath
shut their eyes, that they cannot see; [and] their hearts, that they
cannot understand."

     God must open our spiritual eyes, that we might see, and our ears
of understanding, before we can know. He is angry with these idolaters
and allows them to continue in spiritual blindness and deafness. I
have said many times in these lessons, I believe that is what is wrong
with most who proclaim to believe in Jesus today. They are looking
with physical eyes at the Bible, and do not understand God really. My
Bible says God is a Spirit. Since God authored the Bible, it is
Spirit. The only way to understand is in the Spirit.

     Isaiah 44:19 "And none considereth in his heart, neither [is
there] knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in
the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have
roasted flesh, and eaten [it]: and shall I make the residue thereof an
abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?"

     This just shows the height of misunderstanding. Notice, the heart
is where the understanding is, and not in the eyes.

     Isaiah 44:20 "He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned
him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, [Is there] not a
lie in my right hand?"

     An idol is like ashes. It has no permanence. Man's heart is
desperately wicked, before he receives the Lord Jesus. The soul of man
has to do with the will of man. The right hand symbolizes the spirit
of man. This is saying the heart is deceived and wicked, and even the
spirit of man is ruined by it. A man is what his heart is.

     Isaiah 44:21  "Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou [art]
my servant: I have formed thee; thou [art] my servant: O Israel, thou
shalt not be forgotten of me."

     God has saved a remnant of His people through all of their sin.
They sin, God forgives them, and blesses them, until they fall back
into sin again. God will not give up on Israel. They are His, and He
will deliver them.

     Isaiah 44:22 "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have
redeemed thee."

     This is an interesting statement, especially since the sins of
the people on the day of atonement were covered over, not blotted out.
Jesus blotted out the sins with His precious blood. The blood of an
animal cannot do away with sin. Notice in the verse above, "thy sins"
have been removed as a cloud rolls away and is no more. Notice, it is
of our own free will that we come to Him. Redemption is for all men.
Not all men receive redemption, because God will not overrule our
will. Redemption is available to us, but we must want it to receive
it.

     Isaiah 44:23 "Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done [it]:
shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye
mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath
redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel."

     It is not the works of man that has won the victory. It is the
LORD of glory. Not only are the people blessed with the salvation
provided to us by the LORD, but even the elements of the earth. All of
heaven rejoices when one sinner is saved. We know that the heavens
themselves will not be darkened, but alive with life when the
salvation of mankind comes. The animals and the birds are happy that
there is a state of peace prevailing.

     Isaiah 44:24 "Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that
formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things];
that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the
earth by myself;"

     The Word of God is Creator God. The Redeemer of all mankind is
Jesus {Word}. God formed man from the dust of the earth. To fully get
the impact of all this creation, read again the first chapter of
Genesis. God did it all. Not anything was made except for the Word of
God. God spoke the universe into existence for the use of man. Then He
made man to inhabit it. He needed no help. He did it all. We do not
need to figure out how He did it, just accept the fact that He did on
faith.

     Isaiah 44:25 "That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and
maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise [men] backward, and maketh
their knowledge foolish;"

     The knowledge of man is but foolishness to God.

     Isaiah 44:26 "That confirmeth the word of his servant, and
performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem,
Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be
built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:"

     All of God's promises come to pass. He is not a man that He
should lie. God is absolute Truth. His messages many times come from
the prophets and preachers acting as His ambassadors. They may be
simple men, but when they are speaking on the behalf of God, it is
absolute truth. God promises in this verse to restore Jerusalem, and
He will do it. He will restore the people, as well.

     Isaiah 44:27 "That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up
thy rivers:"

     God is in command of this earth, as well as the heavens, and
beneath the earth. Whatever He commands to happen, happens, even if a
river must go dry.

     Isaiah 44:28 "That saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and shall
perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be
built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid."

     Cyrus will rule, because God put him in as ruler. It is not
difficult for God to call Cyrus by name well before he lives. God has
foreknowledge. He even knew what you and I would be named before the
foundation of the earth. Why God chose Cyrus is none of our business.
Of course, this is the rebuilding after their captivity in Babylon. I
believe this, also, points to the time when Jesus will establish
Jerusalem as God's city again.

                          Isaiah 51 Questions


1.  What does the word "yet" tell is, in verse 1?
2.  What is intended when Israel is called Jacob?
3.  What are the two Israels?
4.  What had physical Israel been chosen for?
5.  What does spiritual Israel receive from being chosen of God?
6.  What does "Jesurun" mean?
7.  The name implies what?
8.  Water, many times, is speaking of what?
9.  Quote Matthew chapter 5 verse 6.
10. What else can the water symbolize, besides the Word?
11. Who receives the water?
12. Quote Galatians chapter 3 verse 29.
13. Why do willows grow best near water courses?
14. When did Christianity become available to the heathen?
15. What are the names of God in verse 6?
16. Quote 1 John chapter 5 verse 7.
17. Quote Colossians chapter 2 verse 9.
18. What does the name of God "I AM" tell us about Him?
19. What was a little different about the false gods of Babylon?
20. What is the first of the 10 Commandments?
21. Quote John chapter 4 verse 24.
22. A graven image is a creation of _______.
23. Quote Exodus chapter 34 verse 14.
24. What was God's purpose for a tree?
25. Why did they not understand, and not do this?
26. Understanding is in the _______, not in the eyes.
27. Why is blotted out sin an interesting statement in verse 22?
28. Redemption is for _____ men.
29. What are the animals and birds pleased about?
30. Where should you read to get the full impact of creation?
31. Who is in command of all the elements of the earth?
32. Why will Cyrus rule?