Israel’s God, on the other hand, has foretold and now brings to pass Israel’s deliverance (vv. * This indictment of Babylonian gods is patterned on a legal trial, in which they are challenged to prove power over events of history and so justify their status as gods (vv. * Redeemer: in Hebrew, go’el, one who frees others from slavery and avenges their sufferings cf. The same designation is used in 44:6 and 48:12. * The first…the last: God as the beginning and end encompasses all reality. For Second Isaiah, the meteoric success of Cyrus was the work of the Lord to accomplish the deliverance promised by earlier prophets. He rebelled against the Babylonian overlords in 556 B.C., and after a series of victories, entered Babylon as victor in 539 the following year he issued a decree which allowed the Jewish captives to return to their homeland ( 2 Chr 36:22– 23 Ezr 1:1– 4). The ruler is Cyrus ( 44:28 45:1), king of Anshan in Persia, a vassal of the Babylonians. * Earlier prophets had spoken of the Assyrians and Babylonians as the Lord’s instruments for the punishment of Israel’s sins here the Lord is described as raising up and giving victory to a foreign ruler in order to deliver Israel from the Babylonian exile. Or, “I will give Jerusalem a herald of good news.” Not one of you foretold it, not one spoke Ģ7“The first news for Zion: here they come,” He shall trample the rulers down like mud,Ģ6Who announced this from the beginning, that we might know That the hand of the L ORD has done this,īring forward your arguments, says the King of Jacob.Ģ5I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes Together with the plane tree and the pine, I will turn the wilderness into a marshland,Īnd the dry ground into springs of water.ġ9In the wilderness I will plant the cedar, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.ġ8I will open up rivers on the bare heights, In the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.ġ7The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, *ġ6When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.ġ1Yes, all shall be put to shame and disgrace Then fastening it with nails so it will not totter.ĩYou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth The one who beats with the hammer, him who strikes on the anvil, Who has called forth the generations from the beginning? aħThe woodworker encourages the goldsmith, When God listens, He sees your difficulties, and He guides you, enlightens you and helps you.2Who has stirred up from the East the champion of justice,ģHe pursues them, passing on without loss, That is, you give your true heart, your sincere heart to God, and God listens. Though you may not have said much, your heart has already stirred. What are their prayers like? What is their state of mind? Is it sincere? Do they have any mixed purpose at that time? When you trust God as though He were the last straw that you clutch onto to save your life, when you hope God will help you, only then is your heart sincere. I would like to share one passage of God’s words, “ When someone encounters an especially thorny difficulty, when they have no one to turn to, when they feel especially helpless, they trust in God as their only hope. As long as we entrust these difficulties to God, He will guide and lead us. In fact, we also meet with all sorts of enemies in our lives, such as poverty, complex relationships, and strenuous work. From David’s words, we see that he had a place for God in his heart and that God was with him, so he could rely on God to defeat the powerful enemy and thus see God’s authority and power. This day will the LORD deliver you into my hand” (1 Samuel 17:45-46). Only a boy named David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Just as in the face of the Philistines’ invasion and attack, when the Israelite saw the giant Goliath, they fled with fear. As long as we rely on God at every moment, He is with us to strengthen our faith and help us overcome difficulties and escape from danger. These words of God have given us faith and strength when we are in difficulty or adversity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |