seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Isaiah 44:1 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 This is what the Lord says—
he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant,
Jeshurun,[a] whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.
5 Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and will take the name Israel.
Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 This is what the Lord says—
he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant,
Jeshurun,[a] whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.
5 Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and will take the name Israel.
6 “This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
9 All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame.
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
which can profit nothing?
11 People who do that will be put to shame;
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame.
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
which can profit nothing?
11 People who do that will be put to shame;
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.
12 The blacksmith takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.
13 The carpenter measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.
14 He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
“Save me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
20 Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.
13 The carpenter measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.
14 He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
“Save me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
20 Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”
for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”
23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.
24 “This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself,
25 who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense,
26 who carries out the words of his servants
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself,
25 who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense,
26 who carries out the words of his servants
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’
a. Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.
Back in Genesis.... while the humans were down below stirring up a golden calf to dance around and worship.... Moses was up on the Mountain talking to God. God was literally handing down the law. God was engraving the law in stone. While the humans were saying "he's taking too long" and fashioning a cow to worship..... God was saying:
Genesis 20: 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
Even after Moses got back and the law was literally handed to them...... the humans still didn't listen..... and now they've been force marched away from the promised land..... raped, castrated, or murdered..... that's their warning..... they had to live as slaves to the Babylonians for 70 years.... their home was toast. Even then.... after years and years and years and years.... those stupid humans are carving idols out of anything they can get their little human hands on.... while telling God... the one that created the materials they are making the idols out of.... "you're too bossy". This is from bible-studys.org.
44:1-28: Contains one of the most amazing prophecies in all of Scripture. Cyrus, the king of Persia, is named as the coming deliverer of the Jews more than 140 years in advance. The structure of the poem, is arranged deliberately to end with a definite climax, which introduces Cyrus by name. A similar prediction can be found (in 1 Kings 13:2), where Josiah is named three hundred years ahead of his time.
As the passage opens, “Israel” is again identified as “my servant,” who has been chosen from the womb to fulfill God’s purposes. (In verse 6), the prophet emphasizes the oneness of God by stating that “besides me there is no God”. Yet, at the same time, the prophet distinguishes between “the Lord the King of Israel” and “his redeemer the Lord of hosts.” The personal name Yahweh is used of both the king and His Redeemer, the one referring to God the Father and the other referring to God the Son.
Ashamed … ashamed … ashamed”: The workmen who manufactured idols were mere men and could make nothing as good or greater than man. They and others who put their trust in idols had simple reason to fear and be ashamed of such folly.
Human workers expended all their energy to product a beautiful idol, but the best they could make was the likeness of a man (Deut. 4:15-18; Romans 1:23), and that could not renew their strength. Yet they who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.
The same humanly nurtured trees used as fuel for fires to furnish warmth and to cook also provides wood for people to make idols, which they worship and to which they entrust their prayers and themselves.
Nothing could be more foolish than worshiping a piece of wood as deity, while burning the same wood in a fire to keep warm. Idol-makers cannot comprehend the idiocy of creating gods from materials used for the most trivial domestic purposes.
The prophet turns his attention again to “Israel” to remind them that God has “blotted out” their transgressions and “redeemed” them, and urges them to “return unto me” (i.e. repent). “I am the Lord” stand at the beginning of the final section of this poem and is the subject of all that follows.
Nine times in this section the English word “that” is used to identify the activity of the Lord. The passage follows in perfect meter, leading up to the identification of Cyrus by name. Thus, it is announced that “Jerusalem … shalt be inhabited” and that the “cities of Judah … shall be built”. God will raise up a deliverer of His own to accomplish this astounding deed: “Cyrus”.
Since this is Cyrus II (554-529 B.C.), his name Cyrus was probably an early dynastic throne name. In Persian history, he is known as Cyrus the Great. (In 539 B.C.), he conquered Babylon and decreed the return of the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem and the “foundation” of the “temple” (Ezra 1:2). The discovery of the Cyrus Cylinder dating (from 536 B.C.), further verifies the biblical account.
Cyrus will rule, because God put him in as ruler. It is not difficult for God to call Cyrus by name well before he lives. God has foreknowledge. He even knew what you and I would be named before the foundation of the earth.
Why God chose Cyrus is none of our business. Of course, this is the rebuilding after their captivity in Babylon. I believe this also points to the time when Jesus will establish Jerusalem as God's city again.
I googled "cyrus cylinder" and it is described as a document. Cyrus had a publicist and the publicist wrote it down. Cyrus the Great did what Isaiah said he would do.... hundreds of years after Isaiah actually called out Cyrus's name. Now that's proof enough for me that God controls time.God chose Cyrus the Great. Cyrus the Great was not Jewish. Cyrus the Great was not a prophet. Cyrus the Great was not a priest or a preacher. Cyrus the Great was not anointed..... just chosen. Cyrus the Great was a Politician.... that's all.... but chosen by God.
