Isaiah 44

Isaiah 44:3

PROMISE OF THE SPIRITGod calls to Israel as His chosen one and assures her of His help. Then there is this remarkable prophecy of the Holy Spirit: This, I believe, is a reference to the pouring out of the Spirit, which corresponds to Joe_2:28-32. If you read Joel’s prophecy very carefully, you will find that it was not fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. When Peter quoted from it, he did two things. First, he said, “this is that"he did not say it was a fulfillment (see Act_2:16). The crowd there in Jerusalem was ridiculing the disciples because they were speaking in different languages of the “…wonderful works of God” (Act_2:11). The people were accusing them of being “…full of new wine” (Act_2:13), instead of the Holy Spirit.

So Peter says in substance, “This should not amaze you, because this is similar to what will take place in the last days.” Now how do we know it wasn’t fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost? There are several reasons: (1) Joel said, “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood …” (Joe_2:30-31). This did not take place on the Day of Pentecost. (2) The record in Acts tells us that the Spirit was not poured out on all people, but Joel said: “…I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh …” (Joe_2:28). In Acts there were first 120 disciples, then 3,000 believersnot ever “all,” and after nineteen hundred years it still is not all. There were probably a half million to a million people in Jerusalem at that time, but by no stretch of the imagination can anyone say that Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled at that time.

But the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy is coming in the future. This is the reason I continually say that the greatest days for God are in the future.

Isaiah 44:10

POLEMIC AGAINST IDOLATRYIn verses Isa_44:9-20 we have a brilliant polemic against idolatry. The way the prophet deals with the subject is devastating. Those who make images are witnesses to the senseless character of their gods. An image does not even have the five senses of a human being. An idol can’t hear, see, talk, smell, or feel. Paul called them “nothings,” and that is what they are. They cannot help anyone. The prophet asks the question, “Why do you spend all of your time making a god? You ought to be ashamed. You have everything mixed up. You don’t make a god; God made you!” Now he goes on to describe idol making

Isaiah 44:12

The artificer of metals works hard in forging a god from some metal, but this labor weakens him and reveals that he is but a man. After all of his labor, talent, time, and money that he puts into making a god, what does he get? Nothing! He gets a beautiful little “nothing.” The origin of a man-made god begins in a forest; yet it is God who made the tree to begin with! Only God can make a tree.

Isaiah 44:15

The chips and scraps from the production of a god are used to kindle a fire for the man to warm himself and to bake bread. This is the only practical and helpful contribution that comes from the making of a god. In fact, the scraps are helpful, but that idol is no good to you at all. It cannot warm you; it cannot cook your food; it cannot help you; it cannot save you. An idol cannot do anything for you. God is calling Israel’s attention to how absurd idolatry really is. My friend, many of us give ourselves to those things that take us away from God. They don’t help us, they don’t lift us up, they don’t bring us joy, and it is a fact that they can never save us.

Isaiah 44:28

PROPHECY CONCERNING CYRUSKeep in mind that this verse really belongs in the next chapter. This is a remarkable prophecy concerning Cyrus. He is named here about two centuries before his birth. He is designated as “my shepherd.” This is the only instance where a pagan potentate is given such a title. We shall develop this in the next chapter.