October 12th
Isaiah, 41
1:
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their
strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near
together to judgment. 2:
Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his
foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he
gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
3:
He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not
gone with his feet. 4:
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the
beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. 5:
The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew
near, and came. 6:
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his
brother, Be of good courage. 7:
So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with
the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the
sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
8:
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed
of Abraham my friend. 9:
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee
from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant;
I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 10:
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God:
I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11:
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and
confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee
shall perish. 12:
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that
contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing,
and as a thing of nought. 13:
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee,
Fear not; I will help thee. 14:
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee,
saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15:
Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having
teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and
shalt make the hills as chaff. 16:
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the
whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and
shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17:
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their
tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of
Israel will not forsake them. 18:
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the
valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land
springs of water. 19:
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the
myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and
the pine, and the box tree together: 20:
That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together,
that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel
hath created it. 21:
Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons,
saith the King of Jacob. 22:
Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them
shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and
know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. 23:
Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye
are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and
behold it together. 24:
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is
he that chooseth you. 25:
I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the
rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon
princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay. 26:
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and
beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that
sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that
heareth your words. 27:
The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to
Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. 28:
For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no
counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. 29:
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten
images are wind and confusion.
Isaiah, 42
1:
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth
judgment to the Gentiles. 2:
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the
street. 3:
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not
quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4:
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in
the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 5:
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched
them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out
of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to
them that walk therein: 6:
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine
hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people,
for a light of the Gentiles; 7:
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison,
and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. 8:
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to
another, neither my praise to graven images. 9:
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I
declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. 10:
Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the
earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the
isles, and the inhabitants thereof. 11:
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the
villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock
sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12:
Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the
islands. 13:
The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy
like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against
his enemies. 14:
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained
myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and
devour at once. 15:
I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs;
and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. 16:
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead
them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light
before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto
them, and not forsake them. 17:
They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust
in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods. 18:
Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. 19:
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent?
who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD's servant?
20:
Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he
heareth not. 21:
The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify
the law, and make it honourable. 22:
But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared
in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and
none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore. 23:
Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for
the time to come? 24:
Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the
LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his
ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. 25:
Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the
strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he
knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
Isaiah, 43
1:
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that
formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have
called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2:
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame
kindle upon thee. 3:
For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I
gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4:
Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and
I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for
thy life. 5:
Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east,
and gather thee from the west; 6:
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back:
bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7:
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for
my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. 8:
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have
ears. 9:
Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be
assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former
things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be
justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 10:
Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have
chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he:
before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11:
I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. 12:
I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no
strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD,
that I am God. 13:
Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver
out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? 14:
Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your
sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles,
and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. 15:
I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. 16:
Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the
mighty waters; 17:
Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power;
they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct,
they are quenched as tow. 18:
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of
old. 19:
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye
not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in
the desert. 20:
The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls:
because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to
give drink to my people, my chosen. 21:
This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my
praise. 22:
But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary
of me, O Israel. 23:
Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings;
neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused
thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. 24:
Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou
filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to
serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. 25:
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own
sake, and will not remember thy sins. 26:
Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou
mayest be justified. 27:
Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed
against me. 28:
Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have
given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
Today we are
reading Isaiah ch 41, 42 & 43. In ch 41v1 – 42v17 Isaiah
describes Messiah’s mission. In ch 41v1-29 Messiah is seen in types
and in ch 42v1-17 Messiah is seen in antitype. (A parable is a
narrative in the past tense that is put alongside truth in order to
illustrate it. A type is an object or person put alongside truth in
order to illustrate it. An antitype is the real thing that the type
illustrated. The furniture of the tabernacle are a type of Christ but
he is the antitype - the real thing.) In ch 41 Isaiah gives us two
types in v1-20, Abraham who was from the east and Israel who was from
the west. The LORD says to the coastal Islands ‘be quite’ and let
‘the people’ renew their strength and come near to speak in the
judgment. Then he speaks of Abraham who was raised up a righteous men
from the east, the Lord made him ruler over kings. Who did all this?
I the LORD – the first and the last, I am he. (Its interesting that
this phrase is quoted in Revelation and applied to Christ) All the
ends of the earth saw this and were afraid. Israel was chosen of the
Lord. He said to Israel, Do not fear because I am with you. Do not be
dismayed because I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes I will
help you and I will hold you in my hand. All those who are incensed
against you will be ashamed and confounded and brought to nothing.
Those that strive against you will perish. You will look for them and
not find them. You will be like a new threshing tool and you will
thresh the mountains. You will winnow them and the wind will carry
them away. You will rejoice in the LORD. When the poor and need seek
for water I will hear them and I the God of Israel will not abandon
them. I will open rivers in the high places and fountains in dry
valleys, I will make the wilderness into a pool of water. I will
plant the trees in the wilderness. Everyone will know and realise
that I have done this. Then from v21-29 Isaiah speaks of the future
and of Cyrus the King. The Lord will bring one from the north but he
will be from the east. He will tread on the princes as a potter
treading on clay. I will bring him on Israel because their will be no
righteous man in Israel to discuss righteousness with. They have all
become empty and idolatrous. In Isaiah 42 he changes to speak of the
Messiah himself – the antitype. This opening passage v1-3 is quoted
in Matt 12v17-21. It describes Christ’s earthly mission conducted
in the days of his flesh. The LORD is speaking about Christ he says
Look my servant the one that I have chosen and elect = appointed
(Election is not about salvation but about appointment to office) He
is the one whom God finds delight in his soul. Then he describes his
baptism by John, he says I have put my Spirit upon him. And he says
about his mission which is to bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
He will be meek and not demonstrative. He will not destroy the
ministry of the scribe or the priest. But he will bring forth
judgment unto truth. Christ will bring the correct judgments of the
Lord with regard to the true meaning of the law. This is the sermon
on the mount. Where he corrected the faulty teaching of the scribes
and gave Gods true judgments on the teaching of the Mosaic law. He
will not fail or be discouraged inspite of the rejection of the
religious leaders until he comes again bringing judgment and justice
on the earth and the islands will wait patiently for his ruling.
Christ’s rule is of course delayed today but Isaiah sees all this
with an unbroken prophetic vision. He does not see the church age at
all. It was a mystery hidden in God in his day. In v5-7 the Messiah
is addressed by the Father God. He describes himself as creator of
the heavens, the earth and the giver of breath to men and spirit to
those who walk in the earth. (Is this referring to the Holy Spirit
given to men to enable them to serve him?) Then the Lord says to
Christ I the LORD have called you in righteousness and I will hold
your hand and keep you and give you for a covenant to your people to
be a light to the gentiles (Think of Simeon’s declaration) To open
the eyes of the blind and to release the prisoners from their dark
cells. Then the LORD says I am the LORD. That is my name and my
glory I will not give to another (See John 17) Nor will I allow my
praise to be given to images. Then the Lord declares new things, He
says I will tell you about them before they happen. The New thing is
a world revival or rather worldwide devotion to the LORD in which all
men will sing to the Lord. Then he describes the Messiah saying The
LORD will go forth to battle like a mighty warrior. He will cry
against his enemies and he will conquer them. Then Christ speaks
saying I have for a long time said nothing. But now I will cry out
like woman in childbirth. I will destroy and devour all at once and
then he describes his fierce anger in destroying mountains,
vegetation, rivers, pools. He will bring the blind through strange
paths. The darkness will become light to them. Idolaters will be
greatly ashamed. Then from v18 – 45v15 he declares his controversy
with Israel. He begins by remonstrating against their morality. The
deaf will hear and the blind will see those that have spiritual
blindness. He will greatly enlarge the law in the minds of men and
make it an honour to keep it. They are a people that have forsaken
the Lord. He says the Lord has delivered you to robbers and thieves
because you did not walk in his ways or keep his law. So the Lord
poured out his fury in anger against them and set them on fire. In
Isaiah 43 the Lord gives encouragement to Israel saying, do not be
afraid, because I have redeemed you, I have called you by my name and
you are mine. When you walk through the waters I will be with you.
You will never sink beneath the waves. When you walk through the fire
you will not be burned nor shall a flame touch you. Because I am the
LORD your God. The Holy One of Israel, Your Saviour. I have given all
Egypt for your ransom, including Ethiopia and Seba. Because you were
precious to me you are honourable and I have loved you and I will
sacrifice all men to save your lives. Then the LORD describes a
re-gathering from the east, west, north and south. (This is a greater
gathering than the Babylonian return, when a few thousand returned
from the east) They will return from the ends of the earth. Every
single Israelite will return, the blind that have eyes, the deaf that
have ears. These are the spiritually blind and deaf. Then from v8-13
The Lord challenges the whole earth to witness what he will do. The
LORD will call on all nations to witness this. This will be proof
that only God is God and only he is the Saviour. God alone will do
this and non will stop him. Then from v14 to 28 he describes all the
witnesses. The Lord will make a path in the sea for Israel to walk
home. They will forget their deliverance from Egypt because this will
be such a great deliverance that the crossing of the red sea (The
gulf of Aqabar) will seem to be so little in comparison. The Lord
will make a new road in the desert for those returning. He says I
will blot out your sins and never bring them up again.
- What is a type and what is an antitype?
- How does Isaiah describe the ministry of Christ in the flesh?
- What sort or regathering is described in this passage?
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