ISAIAH LESSON 54


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 46:1 "Bel boweth down, Nebo
stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your
carriages [were] heavy loaden; [they are] a burden to the weary
[beast]."

     Bel and Nebo were both false gods worshipped by the Babylonians.
They believed in many false gods, of which these are just two.
Belshazzar's name was an extension of Bel. Nebo was the false god of
learning. These images were so heavy they had to be carried by beasts
of burden.  They were probably made of some heavy metal such as gold.

     Isaiah 46:2 "They stoop, they bow down together; they could not
deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity."

     It appears that these figures of the false gods were taken as
spoil when the Babylonians are overthrown. As we said above, these
idols were many times made of gold and would make them desirable to
the captors for the amount of gold in them. This would, also, make a
terribly heavy load for these beasts of burden to carry very far.

     Isaiah 46:3  "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the
remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne [by me] from the
belly, which are carried from the womb:"

     Hearken means to listen carefully. They must see that these idols
are of no help in time of trouble. Israel became a nation, because God
called them to be His people. He was their Father. There had been a
remnant that had not bowed their knees to false gods. God wants them
to learn a lesson in all this. When they are faithful to God, He
blesses them. When they follow false gods, He will not protect them.

     Isaiah 46:4 "And [even] to [your] old age I [am] he; and [even]
to hoar hairs will I carry [you]: I have made, and I will bear; even I
will carry, and will deliver [you]."

     God will be with them all of their lives. He will never abandon
His own. God reminds them again that He is their Maker and He will
protect them all of their lives, from infancy to death. "Hoar hairs"
is speaking of grey hair of old age. He is a very present help for His
children.

     Isaiah 46:5  "To whom will ye liken me, and make [me] equal, and
compare me, that we may be like?"

     God alone is God. There is no other. To compare God to an idol,
or false god, would be blasphemy. It appears that some of God's people
had wandered into idolatry in Babylon. They did not stay true to faith
in the One True God. To be unfaithful to God with these false gods is
to commit spiritual adultery.

     Isaiah 46:6 "They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in
the balance, [and] hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall
down, yea, they worship."

     We have said this many times before, but it is worth repeating.
These idols of silver and gold were the creation of man. They are not
the Creator. In fact, they have no power to do anything. They are not
alive and never have been. The Creator of the universe, and
everything, and everyone in it, is the one to be praised. God is the
Creator. The Word of God created everything and everyone, and He alone
should be worshipped.

     Isaiah 46:7 "They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and
set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not
remove: yea, [one] shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save
him out of his trouble."

     God lifts the burdens of His people. These idols are a burden to
the people who worship them. The greatest example of this that I can
think of, is when the prophets of Baal were challenged by Elijah. Read
with me the story of what happened. I Kings 18:17  "And it came to
pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, [Art] thou he
that troubleth Israel?" I Kings 18:18 "And he answered, I have not
troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have
forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim."
I Kings 18:19 "Now therefore send, [and] gather to me all Israel unto
mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the
prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table."
I Kings 18:20 "So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and
gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel." I Kings 18:21 "And
Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between
two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then]
follow him. And the people answered him not a word."  I Kings 18:22
"Then said Elijah unto the people, I, [even] I only, remain a prophet
of the LORD; but Baal's prophets [are] four hundred and fifty men."
I Kings 18:23 "Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them
choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay [it]
on wood, and put no fire [under]: and I will dress the other bullock,
and lay [it] on wood, and put no fire [under]:" I Kings 18:24 "And
call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the
LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the
people answered and said, It is well spoken." I Kings 18:25 "And
Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for
yourselves, and dress [it] first; for ye [are] many; and call on the
name of your gods, but put no fire [under]."  I Kings 18:26 "And they
took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed [it], and
called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O
Baal, hear us. But [there was] no voice, nor any that answered. And
they leaped upon the altar which was made."  I Kings 18:27 "And it
came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud:
for he [is] a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is
in a journey, [or] peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked."
I Kings 18:28 "And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their
manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them."
I Kings 18:29 "And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they
prophesied until the [time] of the offering of the [evening]
sacrifice, that [there was] neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any
that regarded." I Kings 18:30 "And Elijah said unto all the people,
Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he
repaired the altar of the LORD [that was] broken down."  I Kings 18:31
"And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes
of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying,
Israel shall be thy name:" I Kings 18:32 "And with the stones he built
an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the
altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed." I Kings 18:33
"And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid
[him] on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour
[it] on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood." I Kings 18:34 "And he
said, Do [it] the second time. And they did [it] the second time. And
he said, Do [it] the third time. And they did [it] the third time."
I Kings 18:35 "And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled
the trench also with water." I Kings 18:36 "And it came to pass at
[the time of] the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, that Elijah the
prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of
Israel, let it be known this day that thou [art] God in Israel, and
[that] I [am] thy servant, and [that] I have done all these things at
thy word."  I Kings 18:37 "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people
may know that thou [art] the LORD God, and [that] thou hast turned
their heart back again."  I Kings 18:38 "Then the fire of the LORD
fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones,
and the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench."
I Kings 18:39 "And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their
faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the
God."

     Isaiah 46:8 "Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring [it]
again to mind, O ye transgressors."

     God is stating that they must be men enough to decide between Him
and these false gods. Many of the troubles of these Israelites was
because they fell away from God.

     Isaiah 46:9 "Remember the former things of old: for I [am] God,
and [there is] none else; [I am] God, and [there is] none like me,"

     This had been shown over and over by God to these faithless
people. God proved Himself, as we just studied above, showing Baal to
be nothing. He discredited the false gods of Egypt, when He brought
the 10 plagues against them. They must now look back at their own
history and see that there is but One God. He is the I AM. There are
no other gods.

     Isaiah 46:10 "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from
ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel
shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"

     With God there is no time limitation. He lives in eternity, which
has no time separation. The beginning of creation until the end of
everything is one eternal day. It is not difficult for God to know
what the future, holds, because He is the future as well as the
present. He is I AM. Whatever God says is fact. It will happen, if He
declared it, because He is absolute Truth.

     Isaiah 46:11 "Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that
executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken [it], I
will also bring it to pass; I have purposed [it], I will also do it."

     All of creation, including birds and people, are under the
command of God. Even Satan and the fallen angels are subject to the
will of God. He is Supreme Ruler. He spoke the entire world into
existence.  Whatever He utters will happen.

     Isaiah 46:12  "Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that [are] far
from righteousness:"

     Those who believe in their own strength, have difficulty
listening to the Words of God. Their strength will pale by comparison
to the power of God. The stouthearted need a Saviour the same as all
the rest. Sometimes they are too proud to admit their need.
God saves the humble. Even the stouthearted become humble at the
presence of Almighty God.

     Isaiah 46:13 "I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far
off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in
Zion for Israel my glory."

     "Zion" symbolizes Jerusalem and the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Salvation comes through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Salvation became available in Jerusalem, when Jesus was crucified on
the cross. Again, physical Israel is the Hebrews. Spiritual Israel is
the believers in Christ Jesus. Romans 9:6 "Not as though the word of
God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are
of Israel:"




















                          Isaiah 54 Questions


1.  Who are Bel and Nebo?
2.  Belshazzar was an extension of _____.
3.  Nebo was the false god of _____________.
4.  Why did the captors desire these false god figures?
5.  Hearken unto me, O house of _________.
6.  The remnant had not bowed their knee to ________ _______.
7.  What does "hoar hairs" mean?
8.  To compare God to a false god, or an idol, is _____________.
9.  Verse 6 says, these idols are made of what 2 metals?
10. These idols were the creation of ______.
11. Who created everything and everyone?
12. God _______ the burdens of His people.
13. These idols _____ a burden.
14. Who did Ahab say troubled Israel?
15. What was the truth about this?
16. What mount were Elijah and the prophets of Baal to meet on?
17. How many prophets of Baal were there?
18. Did Baal answer his prophets request?
19. How did God answer the prayers of Elijah?
20. What did the people do, when they saw what God did in answer to
    Elijah's prayer?
21. Was there any question who God is?
22. What does God tell them to do in verse 8?
23. When was another incident when God discredited false gods?
24. The beginning of creation until the end of eternity, is what with
    God?
25. Who is under the command of God?
26. What is wrong with being stouthearted?
27. What does "Zion" symbolize?
28. Quote Romans chapter 9 verse 6.