45. Isaiah Chapter Forty-Five

Isaiah Chapter 45 The forty-fifth chapter begins with a second word from the Lord as to Cyrus. The first, at the end of chapter forty-four, was an utterance about him; now the Lord addresses him personally. The titles assigned to him and the provision made for him are unique. Such things were never said of or to another Gentile monarch. He is called the Lord’s “anointed” as well as “My shepherd.” Jehovah had called him by his name, and surnamed him; the former refers to his actual name (a Persian designation of the sun: cp. Isaiah 45:6-7); the surnaming refers to the two titles now given him as already mentioned. By his conquests nations would be subdued and made to recognize the Person and claims of Jehovah (Isaiah 45:6). Before him the doors would be opened. The Lord would go before him, making the “rugged places plain” (cp. Isaiah 40:4). He would be given the treasures of darkness (his conquest made him immensely rich; he obtained over £126,000,000 worth). And all this because he was the deliverer of Israel, releasing the Jews from captivity and restoring the remnant. In Isaiah 45:5 the Lord reaffirms to Cyrus that He is Jehovah, and that He girded, or equipped, him when he knew Him not. Such are the predetermined counsels of God, unthwartably carried into action at their appointed times. The object for which the title was made known to the Gentile potentate was that people might know Him as Jehovah, the only true God, “from the rising of the sun, and from the west” (Isaiah 45:6), i.e., the whole habitable world. Cyrus’ restoration of the Jews was designed to secure this. That restoration had a preparatory part in leading to the proclamation of a worldwide Gospel in these times. When the Lord says, in Isaiah 45:7, “I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil,” His words are to be understood in the light of the context. He is speaking to Cyrus, whom He had appointed and empowered “to subdue nations” and to give deliverance to His earthly people. The Persians believed in two coexistent principles virtually regarded as gods. The one, Ormuzd, good, symbolized by light, the other, Ahriman, evil, symbolized by darkness, both eternally in conflict, the world being the theater. Hence the present declaration by God addressed to Cyrus. Accordingly, the immediate reference is not to the evil of sin, which God did not create, but to the judgments of war with its consequent calamities, which, for instance, Cyrus was appointed to inflict upon Gentile powers, and to the peace which he, as God’s chosen instrument, would bestow upon Israel. In Isaiah 45:8 the statement regarding peace is expanded in the assurance of blessing hereafter, when the skies will “pour down righteousness,” and salvation and righteousness “will spring up together.” At Isaiah 45:9 the word of the Lord is addressed to those in Israel who were criticizing the ways of God (the message to Cyrus having been finished). The opening remonstrance should read as in the r.v. (the italicized words in the a.v. weaken the meaning). “Woe unto him,” says the Lord, “that striveth with his Maker! A potsherd among the potsherds of the earth!” He who complains of God is but a poor perishable vessel among others of the same sort. The word rendered “potsherd” signifies here the whole vessel, as in Proverbs 26:23 (r.v. “an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross”) and Jeremiah 19:1, where the same word is used.

Then follows the absurdity of a clay pot challenging its fashioner as to what he is making, and sneering at him as if he had no hands. The faultfinders had better leave the matters of His people in His competent hands. He had “made the earth and created man upon it” (Isaiah 45:12). His hands had “stretched out the heavens” and “commanded all their host.” Let the grumblers therefore drop their complaints and realize that everything depends absolutely upon God. He had raised up Cyrus in righteousness and would “make straight all his ways,” so that he could build God’s city and let His exiles go free, and that without expecting price or reward. Such was the mighty work of the Spirit of God upon the heart of the eastern monarch (Isaiah 45:13).

We have in this Scripture a passage, which, while establishing our hearts in the realization that everything is under the entire control of the Maker of Heaven and earth, and His purposes among the nations are unthwartable, may also be useful in our help to those who wonder if, after all, God is stronger than His foes, and will yet bring deliverance. In Isaiah 45:14 the Lord’s message passes from the immediate future relating to Cyrus to the then distant prospect of what will be accomplished in the coming day of Israel’s restoration. This double view is a frequent feature of Old Testament prophecies, either in successive passages, as here, or in the same pronouncement.

Gentile nations will submit themselves to Israel, abandoning their idolatry, and Israel will be saved forever (Isaiah 45:14-17). “The labor [i.e., the products] of Egypt, and the merchandise [i.e., the riches from trading] of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans [the men themselves, r.v.—a race in Upper Egypt], with their prowess and strength, shall come over unto thee,” i.e., will voluntarily surrender (cp. the same three in Isaiah 43:3). How fully they will do so is shown in the five statements which follow. And what will lie behind it all will be their recognition of the presence of God among His people, “Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God [i.e., no other].” The lesson for us in this is contained in the parallel in 1 Corinthians 14:25, where it is probable that the apostle had these words in Isaiah in mind. What will be true of Israel in the day to come is the will of the Lord for us now. The purpose of our testimony is edification, or building up. It is God’s good pleasure for us to attract the souls of the ignorant and unconverted to Christ. The Spirit of God designs to operate in and through us collectively, that such may realize the presence of the Lord and become true worshipers. In Isaiah 45:15 Israel is the speaker, and not the Gentiles, as in the preceding verse. This verse is not a continuation of the future acknowledgment by the Gentile nations. To understand this verse we must observe that the statement “Thou art a God that hidest Thyself” is not a mournful utterance as if they thought that God had turned away His face from them in anger (as in Isaiah 57:17). The meaning is that God is mysterious in His dealings and guides the affairs of nations in a way contrary to natural expectations and in a manner impossible to be discerned by mere human intelligence. Israel will be utterly astonished to find nations who have walked in heathen darkness and in alienation making supplication to them, acknowledging that God is among them and recognizing that He is the only God. It is as if they will say “Truly Thou hast acted in a marvelous way, passing our utmost comprehension.” That is why they will address God as “Savior.” He will be seen to be the Savior of the Gentiles as well as Israel universally in the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. This reminds us of the apostle’s outburst of marvel at the depth of the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge, the unsearchable character of His judgments and the untraceable nature of His ways (Romans 11:33). The theme of universal blessing is the same in both passages. Have there not been times in our experience when, owing to circumstances of extreme disappointment and trial, God has seemed to hide His face? However dark our path may be from the earthly point of view, it can be ours so to live as to enjoy the light of His countenance and the smile of His approval, and all as a result of the work of grace accomplished for us on the Cross.

After this parenthetic Isaiah 45:15 there follows a contrast between the doom of idol-makers and the unending blessedness of Israel. The former shall be ashamed, confounded and “go into confusion,” but Israel, “saved with an everlasting salvation,” shall “not be ashamed nor confounded” to everlasting ages (Isaiah 45:16). The restored nation will never apostatize again, and so will never know captivity and penal judgment. The phrase “world without end” is not a happy rendering. Corresponding to that in the original (lit., “for ages”) is the New Testament phrase rightly rendered “forever” (e.g., Romans 11:36, lit., “unto the ages”). The literalizing of this and similar phrases is to be avoided.

Isaiah 45:17 brings to a close this section (which began at Isaiah 44:6) and brings to a consummation the prophecies therein contained giving promise of deliverance, glory and rejoicing to Israel. It gathers up much that has preceded. And firstly by way of the reaffirmation of God as the Creator of heaven and earth, and as being the only true God. Isaiah 45:18 first introduces God as the Speaker and then gives His own words: “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; He is God [the correct r.v. should be noted; it declares His absolute and exclusive Deity] that formed [the same word as in Isaiah 37:26; Isaiah 43:7, Isaiah 43:21; Isaiah 44:10, Isaiah 44:21] the earth and made it [same word as in Isaiah 37:16; Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 43:7; the two words convey respectively the ideas of fashioning and finishing]; He established it [a word combining the ideas of establishing and maintaining]; He created it not a waste [a tohu, i.e., not as a desert or desolate place; the same word as in Genesis 1:2, r.v., “waste”], He formed it to be inhabited.” The earth was not formed for its own sake. God had the creation of man in view.

What follows, to the end of the chapter, is again in the Lord’s own words; He begins by confirming what had just been stated as to His exclusive Deity, making, however, the change from “He is God” to “I am Jehovah,” and adding “and there is none else” (cp. Isaiah 44:8). “I have not spoken in secret,” He says, “in a place of the land of darkness”; that is to say, His utterances are not like those of soothsayers, nor do they issue from the lower regions, like the mutterings of spiritists and necromancers. “I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye Me in vain.” The word rendered “in vain” is tohu, the same as in Isaiah 45:18 (r.v., “a waste”). Hence the meaning is that God did not say “Seek ye Me in a desert,” i.e., without the prospect of deriving any benefit from the search. On the contrary He “speaks righteousness.”

He gives promises to those who seek Him, which are fulfilled consistently with His righteous character; “He declares things that are right”; that is to say, His word is sure, and the blessing promised to His earthly people will verily be granted in His appointed time. See the New Testament parallel to this in 2 Corinthians 1:20; “For how many soever be the promises of God, in Him is the Yea: wherefore also through Him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us.”

Now again, just as in Isaiah 45:14-17, the restoration of Israel will be followed by the enlightenment and deliverance of the Gentile nations. The Lord, having renewed His assurance to Israel, addresses a summons to those Gentiles who have escaped from the judgments upon the world and are brought into the blessing of the Millennial Kingdom. “Assemble yourselves,” He says, “and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations.” None of these will have been worshipers of the Beast, for all such will be removed from the earth by Divine judgment through angelic ministry (Revelation 14:9-11; cp. Matthew 13:49). In view of this the protest against their idolatry is renewed (Isaiah 45:20, as in Isaiah 45:16), as also is the challenge issued to erstwhile idolaters to do what God alone can do, foretell the future (cp. Isaiah 41:22, Isaiah 41:26; Isaiah 43:9; Isaiah 45:21). Jehovah alone has done this, and now, declaring the salvation He is about to impart to the whole world, He says “And there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside Me.” This repeated statement stresses its tremendous import in view of the circumstances. Now follows the commanding invitation, “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth,” and a third time He declares “for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22).

Deliverance from the period of Divine wrath upon the world (which will be coincidental with the great tribulation) and from pagan idolatry, will be followed by the worldwide acknowledgment of God. The prophecy of this is introduced by a Divine oath by which God, swearing by Himself, pledges the unthwartable accomplishment of His purpose: “By Myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from My mouth in [or “of”; see r.v. margin] righteousness [cp. Isaiah 45:19], and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (Isaiah 45:23). This, which speaks of earthly Millennial conditions, is quoted (from the Septuagint Version) in Romans 14:11, which there, though of universal application, is used to refer to the fact that all believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. In the Romans passage the Divine oath is put in the form “as I live” (cp. Numbers 14:21, Numbers 14:28; Deuteronomy 32:40, r.v.), expressing God’s power and authority. The bowing of the knee signifies the recognition of, and subjection to, the Lord’s authority; the confession of the tongue indicates the acknowledgment of the inerrancy and rightfulness of His judgment.

After God’s word has gone forth it never returns without fulfilling its purpose; that is the meaning of “shall not return” (see the extended assurance in Isaiah 55:11). The r.v. of Isaiah 45:24 is important. The bending of the knee and acknowledgment of the name of Jehovah in homage to God will be voluntary in the Millennial day: “Only in the Lord, shall one say unto [or “of”] Me, is righteousness and strength” [lit., “fullness of righteousness,” i.e., righteousness completely fulfilled]. The foes of God will be compelled to bow (see Php 2:10, “things under the earth”), but that is not in view in this passage. “In the Lord” signifies voluntary acceptance and recognition of Jehovah in all His attributes, power and dealings. There is repeated emphasis on God’s righteousness as the basis of His dealings—“a just God and a Savior”; in Isaiah 45:21, righteousness and salvation; here righteousness and strength. Strength comes to us only as we walk in righteousness before Him.

Men will come to Him from every part of the world: antagonists will be put to shame. The seed of Israel will be justified (made righteous), not by works of the Law but “in the Lord,” in a joyous acknowledgment of their Messiah by virtue of their relationship to Him. In Him they “shall glory,” not in their superiority and prowess. And Israel will have a spiritual seed, all being justified on the ground of the atoning sacrifice of Calvary. That which is now being wrought out among Jew and Gentile in this day of gospel grace for the formation of the Church, will have its counterpart in the redeemed on earth in the Millennial Kingdom.