Isaiah 45
COMMENTARY:
:1 “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— To subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). Anointed – to authorize, or set apart, a person for a particular work or service (Is. 61:1). The anointed person belonged to God in a special sense.
DEVOTION: Amazingly the Lord called Cyrus His anointed. The word “anointed” referred to the relationship Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David, had with God (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:6). Since Israel in exile had no king, Cyrus functioned in a sense as her king (the anointed one) to bring about blessing. Like the Messiah (lit., “the Anointed One”) who would come after him, Cyrus would have a twofold mission: to free the people, and to bring God’s judgment on unbelievers. Besides issuing a decree permitting the captives to return home, Cyrus also avenged God’s wrath on the nations by conquering and judging them accordingly. The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1099.
In the NT, Jesus Christ is portrayed as fulfilling the three offices of prophet, priest, and king. He is, supremely, God’s Anointed One. “Messiah” is the term for “anointed one” derived directly from the Hebrew word for anointed; “Christ” is the same title derived from the Greek word for “anointee.” The true anointing of Messiah (Ps. 2:2; Dn. 9:25–26) is spiritual; that is, it is done by the Holy Spirit (Is. 61:1; Lk. 4:1, 18–19). That Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Anointed One (Messiah) of OT prophecy was evidenced in his anointing by the Holy Spirit and by the miracles that followed (Jn. 1:32–51; Lk. 4:33–37). By extension, Christians also are said to be anointed by the Holy Spirit, enabling them to understand their faith and to live godly lives (2 Cor. 1:21–22; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27). Tyndale Bible Dictionary, 64.
This anointing is a special empowerment by the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers today! May we not minimize the power of God’s spirit in our daily lives.
CHALLENGE: The Anointing that is real for us as believers enables us to learn and develop in the spiritual activities that the Lord has for us to accomplish here in this world. Take some time to thank the Lord for anointing us to live and be godly servants while here on earth. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
: 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (7451 “evil” [ra’] means disaster, war, bad, disagreement, malignant, calamity, distress, wickedness, or trouble.)
DEVOTION: This chapter repeatedly tells us that the LORD is the only TRUE God of the universe. HE created man. HE created the world. HE has a plan that HE is working. HE chose Cyrus before he was born to allow them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild.
This verse makes a contrast between light and darkness. It makes a second contrast between peace and disaster. The children of Israel were going to have peace and the nations who were their enemies were going to have calamity or judgment.
The LORD promises to protect HIS people even through HIS chasten. They have been given everlasting salvation. Does that mean that all Israel is saved? No! The nation is always going to be blessed of the LORD. They are going through a time of chastening but the end result will be blessing.
The LORD creates or makes tranquility happen in our lives but HE also makes calamity happen in our lives.
We know from other Scripture that calamity helps us depend on HIM more. We know that HE chastens and purges our lives though calamity. Why would HE do this to those who claim to be HIS children? To those who have chosen to follow Christ?
It is always for our good. Why is there calamity in our world? It is because the world needs to know that the LORD is in control. They need to realize that sin brings judgment.
There is a final judgment called the TRIBULATION here on this earth. There is eternal judgment in a place called the lake of fire.
This chapter emphasizes an eternal salvation, which is in Heaven. The LORD uses calamities to warn us of HIS presence. The LORD uses calamities to cause the world to stop and think and realize that they are not in control of their lives. Then they must make a choice.
Most will pick to ignore God. The New Testament informs us that “few” take the road to heaven. The majority will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.
Our responsibility is to witness to all those in our world. We might be the one who witnesses to the last one necessary to have the LORD return. Tell others about the LORD today!!
CHALLENGE: God never causes us to sin. HE allows us to sin. We can never blame God for any sin we commit. Don’t blame God for not giving you a way to escape any temptation.
:16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. (3637 “confounded” [kalam] means to be caused to be ashamed, to harm somebody, to insult, to put to shame, disgrace, to treat shamefully, or to humiliate.)
DEVOTION: There are two groups of people in our world. There are those who truly worship the LORD and there are those who worshiper of idols or things they make idols.
The first group is made up of sinner who are saved by grace and try to follow the LORD during their life. They are the ones who confess their sins and try to live a life that is pleasing to the LORD. They fail at times and have to daily confess to the LORD their shortcomings and the LORD forgives them and blesses them.
There is a second group in this world that are not followers of the LORD. Some of them are religious but not genuine believers in the saving word of Jesus Christ. They even go to church and sometimes even go to churches that preach the gospel correctly but they never make a genuine commitment to the LORD.
Most of those who are not follower of the LORD have other things that they worship more than others. There is money, fame, and many other things that get their attention. However, it is the ones who go to church and still don’t worship the LORD that think they are on their way to heaven but have never genuinely given their hearts to the LORD. Sometimes there are deacons and pastors and other leaders who fall into this group.
Confusion doesn’t just reign in the hearts of those who deny the LORD but even ins some that think that they are not denying the LORD.
CHALLENGE: God wants us to make a genuine commitment to HIM and each DAY worship HIM in spirit and in truth. This takes work on our part. Only we know if we are genuine or not, as far as, other human beings are concerned. God KNOW the heart of every human being.
: 21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me. (3467 “Savior” [yasha] means saver, saved one, deliverer, rescue, victorious one, liberator, or to set free.)
DEVOTION: Our world needs a deliverer from all the sins that are facing us. It seems like everywhere we look people are getting further and further away from the LORD.
HE gives Isaiah instructions to confront those who are heathen to give HIM an answer to HIS questions. He wants them to come near and talk with HIM about what is happening in their world.
They are to form a group to decide who declared in ancient times what was going to happen in the world. HE wants them to see if they can find anyone or anything that was said by anyone else regarding the future of the world and got it right.
HE states that HE is the only one who could accurately predict the future. HE states that HE is the only God who is genuine. HE also states that there is no god that comes even close to being as accurate as HE has been. HE is a just God. HE is the only deliverer.
Our present world is looking for the anointed one. They are looking in all the wrong places for this individual. They have a lot of false hope for a brighter tomorrow. We have many who promise to fix all of our problems but seem to only create new problems.
The Bible has had the answer for many generations but most of the people are not listening to the right answer. It is easier to listen to the wrong answers.
CHALLENGE: Which answers are we listening to on a daily basis? It is not what people think that is important it is what God says that is important.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Assemble yourselves and comeverse 20
Draw near togetherverse 20
Every knee will bowverse 23
Every tongue confessverse 23
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 3, 5-8, 11, 13, 14, 17-19, 21, 24, 25
LORD holds right hand of Cyrusverse 1
I will go before Cyrusverse 2
make the crooked places straight
I will break in pieces the gates of brassverse 3
I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret placesverse 3
I the LORD will callverse 3
God of Israelverses 3, 15
I have called you (Israel)verse 4
I have surnamed (Israel)verse 4
though you have not know ME
I am the LORD and there is NONE elseverse 5
No God beside ME only True Godverses 5, 6, 14, 18, 21, 22
I have girded Israelverse 5
None elseverse 6
I form the light and create darknessverse 7
I made peace and create evilverse 7
Creatorverses 7, 8, 12, 18
I the LORD have created righteousnessverse 8
Makerverses 9, 11, 12
made the earth
created man
stretched out the heavens
all the host have I commanded
Holy One of Israelverse 11
I have raised him up in righteousnessverse 13
I will direct his waysverse 13
LORD of hostsverse 13
Saviorverses 15, 21
Created the heavensverse 18
Formed the earth and made itverse 18
Established the earthverse 18
I am the LORD and there is none elseverse 18
I have not spoken in secretverse 19
I the LORD speak righteousnessverse 19
I declare things that are rightverse 19
Justverse 21
None beside MEverse 22
Sworn by MYSELFverse 23
Word has gone out of MY mouth in righteousnessverse 23
To ME every knee shall bow
And every tongue shall swearverse 23
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Cyrusverse 1
Nationsverses 1, 20
Kingsverse 1
Createdverse 12
Egyptverse 14
Ethiopia (merchandise of)verse 14
Sabeans (men of stature)verse 14
They have no knowledgeverse 20
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Woeverse 10
Makers of idolsverse 16
No knowledgeverse 20
Graven imagesverse 20
Pray for false god that cannot saveverse 20
Incensed against Godverse 24
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Anointedverse 1
Servantverse 4
Electverse 4
Calledverse 4
Peaceverse 7
Righteousnessverses 8, 13, 19, 23, 24
Salvationverse 8
Raisedverse 13
Direct all his waysverse 13
Savedverses 17, 22
Everlasting salvationverse 17
Not be ashamedverse 17
Not be confoundedverse 17
In the LORD I have righteousnessverse 24
Strengthverse 24
Justifiedverse 25
Gloryverse 25
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Israelverses 3, 4, 15, 17, 25
Jacob MY servantverses 4, 19
seed of Jacob
Surnamedverse 4
thou have not know ME
Seed of Israelverse 25
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Ask of ME things to comeverse 11
Everlasting salvationverse 17
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