Isaiah 44 - Bible Study in 5 Minutes
Isaiah 44 Short Summary:
Isaiah 44 contains a prophecy about the future grace God was going to show to the nation of Judah. Though Judah had rebelled against Him, God promised to give new life to their land and redeem them. A large portion of the chapter is dedicated discouraging idolatry. Isaiah mocks the idols of foreign lands as nothing more than pieces of wood and image of metal.
Isaiah 44 Bible Study
TIMELINE:
The prophetic ministry of Isaiah spanned the reigns of King Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
Isaiah’s ministry is thought to span from 739-681 BC.
KEY CHARACTERS:
Isaiah – The son of Amoz (1:1). God commissioned Isaiah as His prophet to Judah.
Citizens of Judah – The prophecies in Isaiah 44 directly pertains to the future of the nation of Judah.
DEFINITIONS:
Jacob (44:1) - Jacob was the father of the 12 Tribes of Israel. His name is sometimes used to refer to the collective nation that grew out of the 12 Tribes (the Nation of Israel).
OUTLINE:
GOD’S FUTURE GRACE FOR JUDAH AND THEIR LAND (44:1-5):
Chapter 43 began discussing God’s future grace and restoration of Judah and concluded with a message of judgement for their present sins. Isaiah 44 returns to God’s promise of future grace.
Judah is described as God’s chosen one, His child who He formed in the womb.
Their land was destroyed by sin and its consequences, but God would pour water on the desert causing willows and grass to grow beside its many streams.
He promised to pour out His Spirit on the descendants of Judah.
In that day, God’s people would be proud to call Him their God.
THE FOOLISHNESS OF IDOLATRY (44:6-20):
The middle section of this chapter is a reemphasis of the uniqueness and superiority of God over the false God’s of other nations.
God said, “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no other” (44:6).
Isaiah mocked, with a somewhat humorous tone, the very concept of an idol. It was made by men, how could it be worthy of men’s worship?
If the blacksmith got tired while working on it, the idol didn’t even have power to enable him to finish.
A carpenter cooked his meal and warmed himself with the same wood he used to carve an idol. What sense did that make?
“No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” (44:19).
A CALL FOR JUDAH TO RETURN TO THE LORD (44:21-28):
Having spoken to the foolishness of idols, Isaiah called the people’s hearts back to the Lord.
God promised to forgive their transgressions and redeem them.
He called them to worship God along side the earth, mountains, and trees that honored their Creator.
The final verse introduces us to a new figure, Cyrus, who we’ll discuss in more detail in Isaiah 45.
According to verse 28, God would work through Cyrus to build Jerusalem and lay its foundation. This was a remarkable prophecy considering Jerusalem was an old and established city in the days of Isaiah.
APPLICATION:
There is a time, even for the Christian, to call out stupid ideas for what they are, perhaps even to use some mocking language.
Obviously, we don’t want to make this our primary tone, because we’re attempting to reach people’s hearts, but there are times when bad ideas need to be scoffed at.
When people advocate for things that are obviously contrary to physical and spiritual realities, those stances need to be called out as ridiculous.
Some of the thoughts and suggestions that bubble up into our world from hell are truly abhorrent, illogical, and contrary to all things godly. Christians can follow the example of Isaiah and mock those ideas as senseless without fearing they’ve become unchristian by assuming a sharper tone.
