July 27: Isaiah 44-48

July 27, Isaiah 44-48 

July 27, Isaiah 44-48 

Again, today we have a guest blogger, Dana Parriera. I am grateful for her insights and love for Truth… visit www.rebelliousbeauty.com for more of Dana’s writings.

The Bible has many ways of looking at things. And the Bible is the only Book with so many directions and meanings. 

The Bible is Historical, Spiritual, Personal, and Prophetic. 

(I made this up, so if I am missing an aspect of the Bible, forgive me and add another. As I am sure there is more...)

As we read Isaiah, there is, of course, the Historical aspect. It was also very Prophetic, as they contain events that were to come. But there is still so much more. So I will grasp some of the main ideas and thoughts that pop out to me...

I was listening to Perry Stone, the other day. And he was talking about the war of the gods. He talked about how the battle has always been - since the beginning of time - about one thing. 

What was that one thing? 

Worship. 

As I contemplated this. I totally agree. 

From the Garden of Eden to the Tower of Babylon. What was it about? Worship. 

From the plagues of Egypt to the Golden Calf. What was it about? Worship.

From the Israelites walking in the wilderness to getting the Promise Land. What was it about? Worship. 

From the Judges to the Kings of Judah. What was it about? Worship. 

From Hosea to Jesus. What was it about? Worship. 

From the building of the early Church to the prophetic future events of Revelation. What was it about? Worship. 

This battle of worship, has defined our History. Plagued our Present. And challenged our Future. 

But who is going to be worshiped?

Is it the God of the Universe? Or a false god?

Is it the Lord of all Creation? Or the fallen deity?

Is it the Son of the Living God? Or the promise of a better life?

Is it the 'I AM' of Scripture? Or the false angel of light?

Is it the One True God? Or the image of an ideal man?

Who is worthy to be worshiped? 

Who is worthy to be herald as a real God?

Who is worthy to get praise and honor?

The Enemy of our souls, sole purpose is to veer us away from the worship of the Almighty, and fill our hearts and minds with other things that we would elevate into the position of God. 

This has been the struggle of humans since the beginning of time. And look, how it continues on even now. 

The Battle that isn't against flesh and blood. But the Battle against spiritual forces of evil. 

This is what life it all about. 

This is what the battle of different 'religions' is all about.

This is why 'religion' is more than just a choice or an option.

It is a Battle for the soul. 

A Battle for your heart. 

A Battle to win. 

A Battle for those that are invisible. 

And we?

We are the participants. 

We are the game pieces.

We are the prisoners. 

We are the prize. 

But...

We are not mute-less in this game.

We are not without given means of waring. 

We are not helpless beings.

We are warriors.

And that is why the Lord told us to put on the Armor of the Lord. 

Do we know? 

Well. Let's get into it. And find out...

Isaiah 44 Who is the Creator God? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verse 2 it states that God formed you in the womb. There was no accident. No surprise. No mistake. It was the Lord God who made you and He has promised to help you. 

Who is the God who gives good gifts? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verse 3-5 it states that God will give you His Own Spirit to His people. Like how much water is needed in a desert - So will be His gift of Love to those who long for it and He will make them speak with words of His Name. 

Who is the First and Last? The most important supernatural being in this Creation? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verse 6-8 it states that there is no other god, that is like Him. If there is another god that is better than YHWH, let him come forth and challenge Him. Let History be His witnesses that there is no better god then the God of the Bible. No other 'Rock' or foundation better than Him. 

Who is the challenger of the Almighty? 

Idols? False gods? Are not the makers of them only human? (Verses 9-17) If a human makes a god, is it really a god? Or is this just foolishness that a man can make an idol with his hands? In modern day terms, this would be equivalent to those that work hard to get the house, car, job, family, or body that they want. They work hard and form it with their own hands. And the pride in their work, is only part of their folly as they seek their new 'achievement' or 'accomplishment' as their deliverance from sadness. As pride in their hearts value things of this world, more than the things of the next world. Are you a fool? Do you worship idols made with your own hands? Let me ask you this question. Do you long for 'something' to make you happy? If you only had 'this' - you would be complete? Maybe that thing that you longed for - you have. But now you have to work hard to keep it in your hands. 

These earthly things that make people 'complete' - are nothing but a 'lie'. They will not make your soul happy, nor will they save you from pain or sadness. You can not look to the works of your own hands to make you happy. You can not look to the works of your own hands to save you. Verse 18-20 says that if you do, you are blinded. These false gods and idols of the world, will never satisfy the soul. No amount of money, sex, or beauty will fulfill you. And if you think that it will - you are sadly blinded by the lie that is in your own hand. This lie, that is in your own hand, that you are holding on to - needs to be let go before you turn to the God of the Bible. As He is claiming, that there is no one that can save but Himself. Jesus is the only one that can save you and rip that idol out of your strong hand... 

Who is in control? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verse 21 the Lord states that He is the One that remembers all these things. He knows that we are weak. That we were formed by the Lord. That we need Him to live and be saved. 

Who is the Only One that can Save us? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verse 22-23 the Lord states that only Jesus can get rid of our sins. Only through Him can our sins be forgiven. And that He promises to redeem us and turn to Him, as our Only God. And have our Worship be pointed only towards Him. And in thankfulness, we will shout with Joy with all creation, at the Faithfulness of God ALmighty. 

Who is the Only Redeemer? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verse 24- it states that only the true Creator can redeem anything. How can you fix something that wasn't yours in the first place? First ownership must be established. And the Lord is establishing that He is the original Designer of all Creation, and therefore has the Right to Redeem what He sees fit. 

Who is in Control of Men and Kings? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verse 25-28 it states that Yahweh has full control of men. YHWH is in full control of History events and even the pagan King Cyrus. This shows that even the ungodly are putty in the Hands of Yahweh, who dictates which way they are to go. 

This Chapter of Isaiah finishes with writing in advance about a future King of Persia, named Cyrus who would be anointed by God to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. In verse 28. 

But before we go on. I must give you a small History lesson... 

Isaiah was written roughly around 740 B.C.

When Isaiah wrote the Book of Isaiah, Israel was its own nation with its own King. 

But then Israel disobeyed the Lord, and Jerusalem was captured by Babylon in 586 B.C. 

Then Persia overtakes Babylon in 539 B.C. (Daniel 5:27)

King Cyrus, King of Persia is now also owns the territory of Babylon. As well as all the cities and people who were taken over by Babylon, including the Israelites. 

Roughly 202 years later. Cyrus reads about himself in 538 B.C. in the scrolls of Isaiah 44-45 with his personal name in there. And about how Cyrus is the chosen one, by the God of Heaven to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple of God. 

Isn't that crazy? It gets even crazier. 

Cyrus is the one whom God uses to rebuild His City and Temple. (Book of Ezra)

Cyrus' son is King Darius, whom Daniel was thrown into the Lions Den for. In Daniel 6. In 536 B.C.

And Darius' son is Ahasuerus. Also known as King Xerxes was in the book of Esther in 485 B.C.

And Artaxerxes 1 is the son of Xerxes and Queen Vashti mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah. 

Ok is that confusing. 

Let me make it more easy to understand. 

Cyrus had Darius. 

Darius had Ahasuerus/Xerxes.

Ahasuerus/Xerxes had Artaxerxes. 

Think of it as a family owned Persian Empire. 

Anyhow. What is the purpose of me telling you all this? Who is in Control? Who has got History and the Furutre in the palms of His Hands?  Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

This King of the Persian Dynasty reads his own name and his 'future' in the scrolls of the Hebrews. And instead of denying it. King Cyrus makes it his duty to fulfill every word that is mentioned. 

Isaiah 45 Reiterates a bit of the previous chapter with the main idea continuing - Who shall we worship? 

Who is in Control of the Mind, the Will, and the Future? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

Who knew that the King of Persia would read this scroll and fulfill it? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verses 1-4 states that YHWH knows our name. He knew it for the King. He knows it for us. 

Who is the true God?  Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verses 5-7 it states that there is no other true God but Yahweh. That it is the God of the Bible who created good and evil. He created light and darkness. As well as spiritual light and spiritual darkness. The Hebrew word for 'well-being' is actually 'shalom' which means 'peace'. And the Hebrew word for 'calamity' is 'Ra' which means 'evil'. Therefore, the Lord is saying that He 'makes' good and evil. And since He created both, it means that He is in charge of both. Can you controls something that you didn't create? No, you can't. Therefore, YHWH is stating that He created both and controls both. 

Who creates Salvation and Righteousness?  Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verse 8 states that it is only YHWH who manifests salvation and the result of it, which is righteousness. No one else, has the power to make salvation. And no one else has the power to control it. No one else has the power to freely give righteousness and make it multiply. Unless your name is Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

Who has the guts to challenge the Almighty? Do men? Do women?

In verse 9-14 it states a plethora of topics that all come down to one main point. Who is worthy to be worshiped?

Is man a god, that he should challenge how YHWH has made other men? 

Is man a god, that can control his unborn children?

Is a woman a god, that she can control her unborn baby and date of delivery? 

Yet, YHWH knows of his unformed children and his formed people. 

Yet, YHWH knows of the earth and all that are in it. 

Yet, YHWH can command those who will love Him and obey Him. 

Who has the guts to challenge the Almighty? Do demons? Do idols? Do godless men?

In verse 15- 25 it states a plethora of topics that all come down to one main point. Who is worthy to be worshiped? The Creator God is in Control. He is the One who speaks all Truth.

If the Lord speaks Truth. Then there is Truth that He wants idol worshipers to know. And challenge those who still do not think that the God of the Bible is Worthy to be Worshiped. 

The Lord God Almighty wants people to know... 

That idols are nothing, compared to the King of Glory. 

That idols cannot save, compared to the King who Saves. 

And that the Lord who is Truth, testifies that He is the One True God who will one day have every knee bow to Him. And He will have every tongue confess that Jesus is the One True God. (Verse 23)

That out of all the demon infested false gods, that only the Lord has real strength. 

That out of all the demon infested false gods, that only the Lord has real righteousness. (Verse 24)

That out of all the demon infested false gods, that only the Lord can give strength and peace to those who follow Him. That out of all the demon infested false gods, that only the Lord can give hope to those who long to be justified from sin and shall receive glory in the afterlife, with Him. (Verse 25)

Isaiah 46echoes the sounds of battle lines that are drawn. You can hear the sound of the weapons banging together, to put fear into the opposing teams that stare each other down. Warriors raging in place, with fire in their eyes, at the sound of horses being held back. Awaiting the signal to leave the battle lines. Waiting for a sound of release that lets the opposing teams battle until the blood flows. Scars, blood, and screams are the only thing that are visible for those who dare to look upon the battle between the Armies of the supernatural. The war will soon be raging, for the souls of those who worship. As we look at the two Armies, they are very defined. The Evil Army, soon grabs our attention as we can't help but look upon those who fight for themselves awaiting to devour anyone they can. These Armies of Evil are plagued with familiar markings of gold, lust, pride, and selfishness. As King Cyrus views this all along with us, he can't help but notice the banner that waves along the Army of Evil. A banner that states with pride, "Idols of Babylon". This banner of abomination challenges the Armies of Heaven as their pure white, controlled Army stands ready as they fight not for themselves, but for the Lord. This Army of Heaven holds a banner as well, that states, "The One True God." And just like that. The trumpet is blown. The Armies are released. And the war is on. The war for your soul. The war for your worship. 

Alright. Enough of that.

Who is challenging the God of the Universe? Idols are. False gods are. Demons are.

Isaiah 46:1-4 There are those that challenge the God of the Universe. These opponents are named, as Babylon is the new conquered land, so are the Babylonian gods being thrown into the mix. As King Cyrus would have read the previous chapter to fulfill every detail, I can't help but wonder, if King Cyrus would have read the next chapter as well. If he would have, he would have seen the two main Babylonian deities. We know this, by Daniel who was taken captive to Babylon and had him and his friends named changed. We know that in Daniel 1, Bel would have been the prominent male deity and here in the scrolls state that Bel bows down to Yahweh. Then it goes on to the next main deity, Nebo, god of the stars and it states that Nebo stoops to the Lord. Then Cyrus would have known that these deities are less than Yahweh. As they can not lift the burdens of themselves or of the men that worship them. And the Lord in His compassion to His people, tell them that it is He who carry them. That it is He who will save. That it is He who will bare their burdens. 

What kind of idol could you make in the image of God, the True God?

In verses 5-11 we learn that there is no idea created from human mind, that could come up with an image that could actually match the greatness of the God - who created the world. If a man had the perfect image of God in his mind and could make it into a thing that he could see and touch. Even then, the image would still be nothing. The image couldn't move or speak or save a man. Therefore we have to remember that God is outside of anything that we can humanly create or imagine. God says that there is no other and yet we think that we can box God into a perfect little package. No. Instead He is so great that He can command the events from the past and orchestrate them for the future. This kind of God that has the power and ability to do this, is outside of the human mind. Therefore we can note expect that the human mind can grasp the real image of a God like this. Any other god that can be grasped with the human mind and made into an idol, is no real god at all.

Who does this Great God call?

Verse 12-13. This God that is far beyond human mind. Calls those who are stubborn of heart. Who is the stubborn of heart? Well. That is all of us. Born under sin and with a heart of rebellion. We are the rebellious that He calls. But He doesn't just stop to call us as rebellious people. Instead He takes these rebellious people and pulls them close to His righteous heart for salvation. Thus, for us, we can't help but be changed into His likeness.  

Isaiah 47 Who is going to be able to stand against the One True God?

Verses 1-4 echoes to me, the idea of the righteous robes of the saints. When you become a Christian and follow the Lord Jesus as King. You obey Him out of submission and do good works that line up with the saving faith. In Rev. 19:8 it speaks about the white robes are the righteous deeds of the saints. Just think of it like this. When you get married you have a wedding dress, a bridal suit, or wedding attire, thus you are dressed for the occasion. And the Lord Jesus uses the robes as terms meant for the good deeds we do that cover our nakedness. And here the humiliation for those who are not in Christ, have no good deeds or works that were done for Jesus, leaving them naked and exposed with the heart that is shameful. But there is one, who can give you robes and cover your shame, and that is the Holy One of Israel. 

Who is challenging the God of the Universe? Humans are. As the temptation rises to be your own god.  

Verses 5-15 speaks to those that are anti the Lord. The pride and arrogance of heart, that thinks that this life will go on forever and that we will never be judged. The Lord can read your minds and your hearts. And so, if you think that you will not be judged for the sin you do, you are very mistaken. As the Lord God will being to justice, either in this life or the next. And even if you think that 'No one sees me'. Remember that the Lord sees all things and He will execute judgement however He deems fit. We can not be our own god and think that we can save ourselves. Because if we think this way, we must be full of wickedness. And for those who know that they are evil, doing magic and sorceries, they might think that they are outside of evil if they are evil. But Yahweh warns them, that evil will come to those who do evil. And try as you may, you can not terrorize or thwart the plans of the God Most High. The Lord also puts out a judgment on them, and tells them that the flames are there for them ready to devour them, and that no one can save them from where the Lord will put them. Scary. We better take the Lord's warning and worship Him only. And we must make sure that we do not put ourselves ahead of the Lord.

Isaiah 48 Who can see the heart?  Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verses 1- 5 states that the Lord can see the heart. Meaning that He knows who are calling His Name out of truth and belief. And those who lie - and call on Him, but really don't believe and really don't love truth. Therefore the Lord is stating that He sees and understands that these people are rebellious and that He has got to speak up, otherwise these people would attribute all the things the Lord has done, to idols. 

Who knows the Truth?  Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

In verses 6-11, the Lord states that He is going to change things up a bit for those that take the credit from God. And that He will be doing all sorts of new things, that you can't guess about or take credit for them. As it will be only Him that knows these things. This shows the greatness and power of the Lord. As well as His wisdom in all things. As well as His wisdom in knowing how we will react to certain things. 

Why does the Lord do this? Well, He doesn't want to share in His glory with anyone else. Why? You might ask? Is He a selfish god who doesn't want to share? Is He a god who longs for all of our praise because he is 'all about himself'? No. In fact. It is not like that at all. Think about it. He is a God of Truth. If another were to get praise for something He did, it would be a lie. And how does that work with a God of Truth? What if another were to get praise? If the Lord is really the only one who deserves honor and praise, then praise would be Truth. Does that make sense? This isn't about a god who is prideful. This is about a God who values Truth. Therefore His Name must not be profaned. And therefore His glory can't be given to another, because then He wouldn't be a God of Truth...

Who is the Creator God? Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

Verse 12-16a it states that God is the only one that deserves the praise and worship. Since He is the only one that deserves it, in Truth, He should receive it. And since He is the Creator and worthy over all. He also states that He will have His way, even over the evil things. Even over the places that hate Him. And His people will do whatever He longs for them to do. And the Lord promises that what He does will not be done in secret, but that He will reveal His plan to His people. Which is why we have prophecy and how Jesus fulfilled so many prophecies, because the Lord was guiding His people. 

Who is going to guide you?  Yahweh, the One True God of the Bible. 

There is hope for those who just got freaked out from the previous chapter and verses, and fear about the wrath of the One True God... 

In verses 16b-21, the Lord promises that He is sending His Holy Spirit to guide His people. That the Lord will love you, guide you, teach you, and lead you were you are to go.  That you need to obey His Commandments and that you will have peace in a crazy world. That we can come out of godless places and be redeemed, as it doesn't matter what race we are, what family we are from, what religion we came out of, what sin we are fleeing from... whatever it is. That this One True God, loves us. And because of this we should shout with joy at the idea of being loved by the Creator of the Universe. And then God gives those He loves a promise. That just how Moses lead and took care of the Hebrews through the deserts for 40 years. That the Holy Spirit will be with you and lead you. That Jesus will take care of you and meet your spiritual needs. That God the Father will be your God and you will be His child. And that it will be a joy to worship the True God of the Universe. 

What's the alternative to worshiping the True God?

Verse 22 states, "There is no peace for the wicked..." 

Hummm. Decisions. I think worshiping the Lord is a much better option;) 

To sum it all up: 

• So. Who do you worship?

Remember this whole thing has been about worship. 

That is has been about a Battle for the soul. 

A Battle for your soul. 

A Battle for your heart. 

A Battle to win. 

A Battle for the Lord. To prove that He is the One that is worth being Worshiped. 

Worshiped yesterday. Worshiped today. Worshiped tomorrow. 

And worshiped forever more...