Isaiah 46 - Bible Study in 5 Minutes

Isaiah 46 Short Summary:

Isaiah 46 is a comparison between the God of Judah and the false gods of the pagan nations. The God of Heaven created men and carried His people. The false gods had to be crafted by men and carried by men. Isaiah encouraged the people of Judah to look back into their history and observe all the evidences of the superiority and uniqueness of God.

Isaiah 45 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 – They struggled with years with the temptation to worship idols. God’s prophets were constantly correcting them and trying to bring about lasting repentance.

DEFINITIONS:

• Bel and Nebo (46:1) – Popular idols of the ancient world.

OUTLINE:

• GOD VS IDOLS (46:1-13):            

  • Isaiah 46 contains similar themes to those seen in previous chapters, namely the uniqueness and superiority of God, and the uselessness of idols.

  • In the last chapter, God declared that all would bow the knee to Him (45:23). Chapter 46 opens picturing the false gods Bel and Nebo bowing before the Lord.

  • Who in their right mind would worship idols over the Creator God of Heaven?

  • Idols were a burden to men. They had to be fabricated by men. They had to be carried everywhere. They were even a burden to the animals that had to pull the wagons on which they were moved.  

  • In contrast, God is pictured as carrying Judah. He had supported them for years.

  • God said, “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by Me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.

  • Idols were made by men and carried by men.

  • God made men and carried men.

  • There was no comparison between the idols and God.

  • God said through Isaiah, “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?” (46:5).

  • God called the minds of the people of Judah back to His marvelous works throughout their history. What idol could claim to have done half of what God had done?

  • God declared the “end from the beginning” and prophesied accurately about the future.

  • When God determined something, it was always accomplished as He intended. He said, “I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it” (46:11).

  • God had made a great case for why He was the One who deserved worship, but it was up to the people of Judah to direct their worship appropriately.

APPLICATION:

• The test by which the world could know the true God in Isaiah’s day is still valid today.

• The gods proposed by world religions can be tested by what proofs they’ve shown of their deity in the past and the truth of their words and prophecies.

• What you’ll find if you examine the evidence is that the Christian God is the most compelling.

• His words have come true, His works are the most impressive, and He is the only one who has consistently and accurate predicted future events.