Isaiah 41 notes: part II (21-29)

The Scripture: 

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The Futility of Idols

21 Set forth your case, says the Lord;

    bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.

22 Let them bring them, and tell us

    what is to happen.

Tell us the former things, what they are,

    that we may consider them,

that we may know their outcome;

    or declare to us the things to come.

23 Tell us what is to come hereafter,

    that we may know that you are gods;

do good, or do harm,

    that we may be dismayed and terrified.[b]

24 Behold, you are nothing,

    and your work is less than nothing;

    an abomination is he who chooses you.

25 I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,

    from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name;

he shall trample on rulers as on mortar,

    as the potter treads clay.

26 Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know,

    and beforehand, that we might say, “He is right”?

There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed,

    none who heard your words.

27 I was the first to say[c] to Zion, “Behold, here they are!”

    and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news.

28 But when I look, there is no one;

    among these there is no counselor

    who, when I ask, gives an answer.

29 Behold, they are all a delusion;

    their works are nothing;

    their metal images are empty wind.

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The notes:

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21: God calls the idols and their worshipers to trial.

• "Set forth your case, says the Lord." God is fair. He will not condemn idols or their worshipers without a fair trial, so He invites them to set forth their case. "Let Me hear your side of the story." 

• "Bring your proofs..." "Let Me hear your best arguments."

• "...says the King of Jacob." This is the only place in the Bible where God uses this title. "King of Jacob" is used only here; however, "King of Israel" is used many different times. He calls Himself Jacob's King; Jacob was a deceitful, untrustworthy man and God still calls Himself his King.

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22-24:  God examines the idols and their worshipers at the trial.

-In 21, God invites the idols to "set forth your case." But, obviously, there is no case set forth by the idols, because they are dumb statues that can't speak. :P So the questioning moves on, and God questions the idolaters. 

•  Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods." If their idols are really gods, then the idols should be able to tell and know the past and the future. So, He says, "Come on, tell us. Tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things. You're gods; surely you know these things, don't you? Prove to us that you are gods." 

• "Do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified." God's like, "Do something! Do good or do harm! Anything! Can't you do anything?!"

• "Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you." God makes that accusation based on evidence.They can't do anything. They're statues. And if people are willing to choose statues over the One, that's abominable.

-Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8:4, "Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that 'an idol has no real existence,' and that 'there is no God but one.' For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth-as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'-yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." Christ is true, Christ is life, Christ is our existence. Everything else is futile. Pursuing anything apart from Christ is wasted.

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25-29: Idols are worthless, and man is so limited.

• " I stirred up one from the north, and he has come..." In contrast to the idols who have absolutely no ability to say anything about the future, the Lord knows. He knows that He will bring Cyrus from the north to conquer the Babylonians and set the Israelites free. 

• "Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know...?" Not the idols. They know nothing. And man has not declared it, because, "when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer."

• God comes to a final verdict. "Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind." Apart from God, man and man's works are worthless. Nothing. Empty as the wind.

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God's "I will"s in Isaiah 41:

I will-

• Strengthen you (v. 10).
• Help you (v. 10, 13, 14).
• Uphold you with my righteous right hand (v. 10).
• Make you new (v. 15).
• Make you a threshing sledge with sharp teeth (v. 15).
• Open rivers on the bear heights (v. 18).
• Make the wilderness a pool of water (v. 18).
• Plant in the wilderness and desert (v. 19).
• Give to Jerusalem a herald of good news (v. 27).

Let's compare God's "I will"'s to Satan's "I will"s in Isaiah 14.

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Satan's "I will"s-

• I will ascend to Heaven (v. 13).
• I will set my throne on high (v. 13).
• I will sit on the mount of the assembly (v. 13).
• I will ascend above the heights of the clouds (v. 14).
• I will make myself like the Most High (v. 14).

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-All of Satan's "I will"s were proud and self-directed, for his own benefit. Every "I will" of God is for the benefit and blessing of His people. <3

-None of Satan's "I will"s came true. All of God's "I will"s will and have come true. 

-God has foreseen every difficulty, studied every obstacle that may come His way, knows our weakness, our need, our humanness, our brokenness, our selfishness, our pride, our sin, everything...and He still says, "I am your God. I will." <3