Isaiah (the son of Amoz) is a prophet who presents a vision he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah. Herein, the Lord is speaking through him, saying, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken." (Isaiah 1:1-2)
Moreover, throughout the book of Isaiah, we see numerous prophesies outlining the Lord God's plan of salvation that will save the sins of His people. His plan to come forth as a mighty man. (Isaiah 42:13) His plan to willingly become our Saviour. (Isaiah 9:6)
"Come now, and let us reason together," saith the Lord, "though your sins be as scarlet; they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. [And] if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." (Isaiah 1:18)
Fast forward to Isaiah 45, and it is interesting to see how often in one passage of scripture the Lord identifies Himself as our God and Saviour. In the beginning, God! (Genesis 1:1) In the beginning also, the God of Israel identifies Himself as the Lord. (Isaiah 45:3)
"Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut. I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy Name, am the God of Israel." (Isaiah 45:1-3)
As we read here, Cyrus is God's anointed whom the Lord went before when he marched his army into the empty channel. The gates of Babylon were left open that night, and thus, the Lord gave him the treasures which had been hidden in secret places. Because of these opening scriptures, one may think the remainder of Isaiah 45 focuses on geography, or the conquests of kings. It is not. Rather, Isaiah is presenting the Lord's plan of salvation decided before the foundation of the world, wherein "Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel." (Luke 2:25-32)
"Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut. I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy Name, am the God of Israel." (Isaiah 45:1-3)
As we read here, Cyrus is God's anointed whom the Lord went before when he marched his army into the empty channel. The gates of Babylon were left open that night, and thus, the Lord gave him the treasures which had been hidden in secret places. Because of these opening scriptures, one may think the remainder of Isaiah 45 focuses on geography, or the conquests of kings. It is not. Rather, Isaiah is presenting the Lord's plan of salvation decided before the foundation of the world, wherein "Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel." (Luke 2:25-32)
Thus, for Cyrus, this must have been quite a revelation -- that even though he did not know God, the Lord of Jacob and Israel knew him. It is in this context that the Lord said, -- "For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel Mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name. I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:4-6)
Not just once but twice herein, the Lord has told us that He is the One and Only Lord. There is NO other God beside Him. Still, even though He has girded us with His continued blessings, we too have had a season wherein we did not know God as both the Lord and Christ, and/or that there is none else beside Him. Just in case there is any doubt about who is speaking, the Lord retells about creation, and how this earth (and we as its inhabitants) came to be.
"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and righteousness spring up together. I the Lord have created it." (Isaiah 45:7-8)
"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters .... and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." (Genesis 1:3-2:8)
However, just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we too often question our Maker. We create theories that go against His counsel and wisdom and truth. We make up our own theory about how the world was created. And even though we are different actors from Adam and Eve, the Lord continues to be long suffering when dealing with this same human mindset in Isaiah.
"Woe unto him that strives [struggles] with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to Him that fashions it, "What make Thou? or Thy work? He hath no hands?" Indeed, "Woe unto him that saith unto his father, "What begettest thou?" or to the woman, "What hast thou brought forth?" Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, "Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command ye Me." (Isaiah 45:9-11)
In another place, Isaiah writes: "But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand." (Isaiah 64:6)
You see, from the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for Him that waits for Him. Even though we are all as unclean, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind, the Lord has provided a way for those who call upon His Name -- that stirs up within themselves to take hold of Thee. (Isaiah 64:4-8)
Throughout, the Lord continues to reaffirm that it is He -- the one and only Lord God, the Lord of hosts, the Lord of glory who is the first and the last, the beginning and the ending, the Alpha and Omega ... it is He who established the earth from the void, and all that is contained within.
"I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even My hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded." (Isaiah 45:12)
At this point, there should be no doubt that we worship One God and Him alone. He is our Creator. He is the God whom we worship with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29-31) He has proven through Cyrus that He is able to provide, and that He should be our All in all.
It is at this juncture then that we begin to see His glorious plan of salvation unfold. It is here that we see that the Lord God hath prepared a body for Himself -- which will be the prophesied and promised Christ. The Word made flesh and dwelling among us so that we can behold His glory. (John 1:1-18)
The "He that was in the world and the world made by Him and the world knew Him not." (John 1:10-11)
The rod destined to come forth out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch that shall grow out of His roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord .... "and shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears, but with the righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins and faithfulness the girdle of His reigns." (Isaiah 11:1-5; Isaiah 4:2; John 1:29-30, 32; John 2:24-25; Revelation 1:8, 11; II Thessalonians 2:8)
"Of this man's seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Saviour -- Jesus." (Acts 13:23; Psalm 132:11; Matthew 1:5-6, 21-23; Luke 3:23)
Continuing in Isaiah -- "I have raised Him up in righteousness, and I will direct all His ways: He shall build My city, and He shall let go My captives, not for price nor reward," saith the Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 45:13)
"But after the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared ..." (Titus 3:4-7)
Once we were held captive in bondage and sin (because of Adam's transgression) -- whereas all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. By one man, sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men; for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12-14)
Much more the grace of God, and the gift of grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ. As a consequence of His perfect sacrifice on the cross, we can be justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus -- whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare, [I say], His righteousness, that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believe in Jesus." (Romans 3:15-26)
The victory? Similar to Cyrus who found the treasure hidden in secret places, and subsequently (from what I understand) assumed an extended land base for the return of the Jews including the labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, we as believers in Jesus Christ by faith can be equally sure of the mystery that was held in the bosom of the Father from the beginning of time. That is, the Lord our God is One Lord. (Mark 12:29-31) One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. One God and Father of all ... (Ephesians 4:5-6) His Name is JESUS! (Matthew 1:21-23; Luke 1:35; Acts 4:12) But I digress.
Isaiah writes: "The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto Thee, and they shall be Thine: they shall come after Thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto Thee, they shall make supplication unto Thee, saying, "Surely God is in Thee; and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:14; I Corinthians 14:25)
[An interesting observation by Isaiah is that they who err in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmur shall learn doctrine. (Isaiah 29:24)]
But as we also know from the time in which we have experienced this world, some will say. "There is no God." Or make comments suggesting that "Verily, Thou art a God that hides Thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour." Of course, they shall later be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: and as we know also, they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols." (Isaiah 45:16-17; Isaiah 51:6) Disgraced for their thoughts and deeds, having declared to their graven images -- "Deliver me for thou art my god." (Isaiah 44:11-19)
But as we know from the response of our Lord God and Saviour: "Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.
I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
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 Saviour; there is none beside Me. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by Myself, the Word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to Him shall men come; and all that are incensed against Him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." (Isaiah 45:17-25; Isaiah 26:4; Isaiah 29:22; Isaiah 42:5; Psalm 115:16; Deuteronomy 30:11; Psalm 19:8; Isaiah 43:9; Psalm 22:27; Psalm 65:5; Hebrews 6:13; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10; Deuteronomy 6:13)
"But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption that, according as it is written, "he that glories, let him glory in the Lord." (I Corinthians 1:30-31)
So, is there still a need to ask the question? That is the question that Isaiah for our benefit so frequently asks -- "Is there a God beside Me?"
The Lord saith, "Is there a God beside Me? Yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any]." (Isaiah 44:8; Ephesians 4:5-6)
And His Word should be sufficient because He is the One and Only absolute. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. This is why we trust in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord -- the Rock of Ages -- is everlasting strength. (Isaiah 26:4) It is He that said, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but My salvation shall be for ever and My righteousness shall not be abolished ..." (Isaiah 51:6-7; Matthew 5:11-12; Matthew 10:28)
His Name is JESUS. (Matthew 1:21-23) The only Name under heaven whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) Repent this day, and be baptized/buried/clothed in the precious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that you too can be sealed with His Spirit -- the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:36-47)
Stand in the offering plate.
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