Below are some preliminary questions to assist in the study of this passage. For a comprehensive study of the passage, download the Study Guide (PDF download).
1. What charge does the Lord bring against His people in Isaiah 43:27-28 (printed below?)
Your first forefather sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me. (28) Therefore, I made the princes of the sanctuary profane; I consigned Jacob to the covenantal curse, and made Israel an object of scorn. (Isaiah 43:27-28)
In Isaiah 43:27, the Lord brings this charge against His people: “Your first forefather sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me.” The charge is that His people have one solid record of offenses, inherited from their first father (Jacob) and taught by their teachers throughout the generations. The Lord informs His people that in consequence of their disobedience He has brought upon them the curse of the covenant—banishment from the land of Canaan and the presence of His sanctuary by the hand of the Babylonians (verse 28).
2. How does the Lord identify Israel in Isaiah 44:1 and how does He exhort them in verse 2 (printed below?)
But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel, the one whom I have chosen. (2) This is what Jehovah says—the one who made you, the one who formed you in the womb, the one who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant; do not be afraid, Jeshurun, the one whom I have chosen. (Isaiah 44:1-2)
Even though Israel has been banished from God’s presence, the Lord still identifies him as “Jacob, my servant, and Israel, the one whom I have chosen” (Isaiah 44:1). He informs them that they are His possession whom He will not give up; and He once again reminds His people that He made them and He will help them (verse 2a). The Lord exhorts His people, “Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant; do not be afraid, Jeshurun, the one whom I have chosen” (verse 2b). Note: “Jeshurun” means “the righteous ones;” the people who possess God’s righteousness and who shall be made righteous by God—the Lord views His people in their final state of being transformed into His divine righteousness.
3. Describe the construction of the pagan idols as the Lord presents it to us in Isaiah 44:12-17 (printed below). Why do you suppose the Lord presents such an elaborate picture of the folly of idolatry?
The blacksmith takes a tool and works over the coals; with hammers he shapes an idol, he forges it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and becomes 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 the idol into the form of a man—of a man in all his glory—so that it may dwell in a shrine. (14) He cuts down cedar trees, or perhaps selects a cypress or an oak. He nurtures it among the trees of the forest; or he plants a pine and the rain nourishes it. (15) Then that tree becomes firewood for a man to burn. He takes some of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread over the flame. But from the wood he also makes a god and worships it; he makes a carved image and bows down to it. (16) Part of the wood he burns in the fire; he prepares his meal over the flame; he roasts his meat and eats until he is satisfied. He also warms himself by the fire and says, Ah! I am warm; I enjoy the fire! (17) From the rest of the wood he makes a god—his carved image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, Save me, for you are my god. (Isaiah 44:12-17)
The blacksmith forges an idol—this is hard work (he becomes weary), but he persists and is dedicated to his task (verse 12). Although some idols were made of metal, (the work of the blacksmith), most were carved of wood, so the Lord now gives a description of the carpenter and his labor (verse 13). Note the sinful perverseness of idolatry: it was God who created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), but here we find men making “gods” in the image of man. We now accompany the craftsman as he goes to the forest to select a sturdy tree from which he will eventually fashion his idol, perhaps a tree he himself planted as a seedling and has carefully cultivated (verse 14). After chopping down his tree, the craftsman will use the wood to build a fire over which he will warm himself and roast his meat; and from the scrap of wood that is left over he will fashion his idol! (verse 15) Verses 16-17 express the incredible folly that a man should take the residue of the wood and use it to fashion an idol before which he bows down and to which he calls for help. Why does the Lord present such an elaborate picture of the folly of idolatry? He does so to further emphasis the fact that He alone is the true and living God, the Lord over all. It was the Lord who gave Israel into the hands of the Babylonians, not the idol/gods of Babylon; and it is the Lord who will redeem Israel from their captivity—and none of the idol/gods of the world can prevent Him from doing so!
4. In Isaiah 44:1-3 Israel is portrayed as a man dying of thirst in a dry, desolate wilderness. What all does the Lord promise to do for His people as He finds them in this desperate condition? See Isaiah 44:3-5 (printed below)
I will pour water upon the thirsty land, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants. (4) They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees beside flowing streams. (5) One will say, I belong to Jehovah; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; and still another will write on his hand, I belong to Jehovah, and will take for himself the name of Israel. (Isaiah 44:3-5)
As mentioned, in verses 3-5 Israel is portrayed as a man dying of thirst in a dry, desolate wilderness where there is no water; but the Lord declares, “I will pour water upon the thirsty land, and streams upon the dry ground.” Not only does the Lord promise the provision of life-sustaining water, but He promises that there will be a most abundant provision: He will pour out water upon the thirsty land and cause streams (plural) to flow upon the dry ground. The imagery of providing water for the thirsty gives way to the spiritual reality: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Lord’s people. As a result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit there will be an abundance of spiritual fruit and blessing (verse 4) that shall also encompass the Gentile nations, bringing many of them to the Lord (verse 5).
5. What invitation, indeed, what command does the Lord extend to His people in Isaiah 44:22b (printed below?) What has the Lord done for His people to make this invitation possible? See Isaiah 44:22a (printed below)
Return to me, for I have redeemed you. (Isaiah 44:22b)
I have swept away your transgressions as though they were a thick cloud; and your sins, as though they were the morning mist. (Isaiah 44:22a)
The Lord invites and commands His people to return to Him because, He declares, “I have redeemed you” (verse 22b). The Lord calls upon His people to return to Him, and it is possible for them to respond to this call, because He has provided a savior: Cyrus conquered Israel’s Babylonian captors and set the people free. In verse 22a the Lord proclaims, “I have swept away your transgressions as though they were a thick cloud; and your sins, as though they were the morning mist” (verse 22a). Just as the Lord sweeps away the clouds and the morning mist, restoring the clear blue sky, so He has disposed of the sins of His people (note Micah 7:18-19), thereby making possible reconciliation with Himself.
