Isaiah 45:1-13, 15-17, 20, 22-25

Isaiah 45:1-13, 15-17, 20, 22-25 NIV

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me.

I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it.

“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’? Woe to the one who says to a father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to a mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’ “This is what the Lord says— the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty.”

Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savior of Israel. All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced; they will go off into disgrace together. But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting.

“Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save. “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.’ ”

All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But all the descendants of Israel will find deliverance in the Lord and will make their boast in him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isaiah 45 speaks directly to Cyrus the ruler of Persia. Cyrus is called God's anointed, which is very unusual for a pagan king. Normally such a distinction is for kings of Israel, priests and prophets. It is true, however, that the bible says God places all men of authority in power to carry out His justice. God raised up Nebuchadnezzar Babylon to rule. How God is raising Cyrus to conquer Babylon and many other nations. God used Babylon to chastise wayward. Now God is using Persia to save Israel from Babylon. All this is part of His mission to bless the world with the knowledge of God through holy community. Israel will return to Judea and begin again as God's holy covenant keeping people.

God tells Cyrus of Persia, a pagan king who does not worship or acknowledge Yahweh, the God of Israel, that He has chosen to him. The Lord will go out before him giving him victory as He wages war. God is doing this for Israel, so that all people will know Yahweh is God and there is no other.

Verse 5 says,
"I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God."

That same message appears five times in this chapter in verses 5, 6, 18, 21 and 22. Since this oracle was given to Cyrus, man who worships idols, Yahweh wants to make sure he hearts the message that there is only one God and He is the God whom Israel serves. Now God is sending Cyrus, and aiding Cyrus, to set the Hebrews free from Babylonian oppression.

An interesting passage tells of all God is doing for Cyrus to make him successful in battle. Verse three says, "I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places." The King James version renders this verse differently. It says God will give Cyrus the "treasures of darkness." It could be wealth that God speaks of. It could be hidden truth God intends to reveal. I have a different thought.

In the beginning God made heaven and earth from darkness. God separated darkness from the earth with the firmament or sky. The darkness of space and the darkness of the depths of the oceans hide many secrets, but I think the symbolic purpose here is to unleash the chaotic powers of darkness for Cyrus, that he might destroy every foe. God is letting darkness loose from its prison to wreak havoc on the earth through the Persian war machine. It makes sense in the context. The Hebrew word for darkness in Genesis 1:2 is the same one used here in Isaiah 45.

Isaiah 45:7 KJV

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.

The NIV translation, the one I use most often, exchanges the word disaster for the KJV's evil in verse seven. God created the darkness from which they universe was made. There is no other before Him. God makes peace and brings war, all for His sovereign purpose. Cyrus is hearing that Yahweh is ruler over all, even Persia.

Then God turns His attention to Israel. Does Israel have a problem with God's choice too tartar up a pagan king to deliver Israel? Shouldn't it be a Jew, a son of David who leads Israel to victory over their captors? God asks those in the nation of Israel who think such thoughts, "Who are you to question me?" Can a pot challenge the actions of the potter? That's an absurd notion!

God calls His chosen and all pagans to be done with idols and turn to Him for only He is God. One day, by His sovereign and authoritative word as creator and ruler of the universe, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is God, and only He. For the ultimate Anointed One, Christ Jesus, will bring the knowledge of God to the entire globe and all the universe.

I am most moved by the nation of God's sovereignty and my silly attempts to argue with my creator. Life does not often go as I would like. Instead of complain, fret and suffer more pain, why don't I accept that God is in control and whatever is happening is within God's plan? I think I'd have much more inner peace if I surrendered to faith In God's leadership and choices. Yet I have made a career out of wresting with God. I even have a music project by the name Wresting The Stranger, which is about my struggle with letting God have complete control. Will I wise up?

Isaiah 45:9a NIV

“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker..."