Isaiah 46
Isaiah 46 is a chapter in which God speaks of His sovereignty and power over all idols and false gods. It contrasts the impotence of the Babylonian gods with the Almighty’s ability to deliver and save His people. God calls on Israel to remember that He alone is the Creator and Sustainer, and He reaffirms His purpose, which will come to pass, specifically pointing to His plan for deliverance.
Isaiah 46:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, A burden to the weary beast.
2 They stoop, they bow down together; They could not deliver the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity.
The Babylonian gods, Bel and Nebo, are portrayed as powerless. These once-revered idols are depicted as burdens on beasts of burden, emphasizing their helplessness. Far from being able to save or deliver, they themselves go into captivity, showing that they are subject to the same fate as the people who worship them.
Isaiah 46:3-4 (NKJV)
3 “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb:
4 Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.”
God reassures Israel of His constant care and faithfulness. From the beginning of their existence, God has carried and sustained them, and He promises to continue to do so into their old age. Unlike the idols of Babylon, God is not a burden to His people but rather their Sustainer and Deliverer.
Isaiah 46:5-7 (NKJV)
5 “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike?
6 They lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
7 They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it And set it in its place, and it stands; From its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer Nor save him out of his trouble.”
God challenges the absurdity of idol worship. These man-made gods, created from gold and silver, are helpless objects that need to be carried and set in place. They cannot move or respond, nor can they save those who cry out to them. This emphasizes the futility of trusting in anything other than the living God.
Isaiah 46:8-10 (NKJV)
8 “Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors.
9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.’”
God calls His people to remember His acts in the past, affirming that He alone is God. He is unique, with the ability to declare future events from ancient times. His purpose and plans cannot be thwarted, as He is sovereign over all, and what He declares will surely come to pass.
Isaiah 46:11-13 (NKJV)
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.
12 “Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness:
13 I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory."
God foretells the coming of a deliverer, likely Cyrus, referred to as a "bird of prey from the east," who will execute His plan. God reaffirms that His will cannot be hindered, and He urges the stubborn-hearted to listen. His salvation is near, and He promises to place it in Zion, bringing glory to Israel. This points to both a near-term deliverance and a future fulfillment of His plans for His people.