Isaiah 44

44:1-5 The promise of salvation extended the usefulness of sinful Israel to another generation (44:3). The past was bleak (see 43:22-28), but the future would be a glorious new era transformed by the Spirit.

44:3 The restoration theme is connected with God’s promise to pour out the Spirit (see also 32:15-17; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-18). • on your descendants . . . children: The next generation of Israelites offered hope.

44:6-20 This passage uses the form of a trial speech to press God’s argument that disgrace comes to all who trust in idols and false gods.

44:15-17 he uses part of the wood to make a fire . . . he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship: This description of the process of making an idol drips with sarcasm and ridicule at the stupidity of the foolish idol worshipers (see also 44:19).

44:18-19 Their minds are shut: Idol worshipers cannot see the irony in using one part of a log to warm themselves and another part of the same log to be their god.

44:21-22 The Lord promised to forgive Israel’s sins.

44:23 All creation is called to celebrate God’s redemption of Israel (cp. 1:2).

44:24–45:8 The Lord alone is sovereign over history. He raised up Cyrus of Persia to execute judgment on Babylon and restore Israel to the Holy Land.

44:25 False prophets and fortune-tellers used forbidden forms of divination to try to predict the future. Eventually God would expose them as deluded liars (see 3:2; 9:15; 47:13; Deut 18:10-11).

44:27 The sudden depletion of natural resources at times indicates a divine judgment (see 42:15; cp. 43:20). Here, however, God’s ability to dry up streams with just a word illustrates his power to do what he said he would do through Cyrus of Persia.

44:28 He is my shepherd: Cyrus went beyond simply permitting the Jews to return to their homeland. He facilitated a major restoration project to rebuild Jerusalem and restore the Temple (see 45:13; Ezra 1:2-4; 6:3-5).