Devotional Commentary on Isaiah 45
Isaiah does not say that only Cyrus is the
Anointed of chapter 45.
The chosen one is the remnant (v. 4b)
“[spiritual] Israel My chosen”.
Despite the remarkable detail with which Cyrus
is predicted here 142 or more years before the event, the chapter is about the
remnant of God and God.
M. L. Andreasen cited Ellen White and made
this comment about this chapter in his Sabbath School Quarterly in 1928 page
16: “The only place in the Scriptures where this is spoken of a Gentile.” Also
Delitzsch in his 1890 commentary page 203 said the same as Andreasen: “He is
the only king of the heathen whom Jehovah calls ‘His Annointed’.
Citing Ellen White Andreasen said: “The advent
of the army of Cyrus before the walls of Babylon was to the Jews a sign that
their deliverance from captivity was drawing nigh. More than a century before
the birth of Cyrus, Inspiration had mentioned him by name, and had caused a
record to be made of the actual work he should do in taking the city of Babylon
unawares, and in preparing the way for the release of the children of the
captivity. Through Isaiah the word had been spoken. . . “In the unexpected
entry of the army of the Persian conqueror into the heart of the Babylonian
capital by way of the channel of the river whose waters had been turned aside,
and through the inner gates that in careless security had been left open and
unprotected, the Jews had abundant evidence of the literal fulfillment of
Isaiah's prophecy concerning the sudden overthrow of their oppressors.”— Ellen
White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 551, 552.
About the entry of Babylon with the Lord in
front, M. L. Andreasen in 1928 commented on verses 2-3 of Isaiah: “God would go
before and help Cyrus. He is the One who would cause the gates to open. God
would so work that Cyrus could not fail to know that some supernatural power
was helping him. Babylon, according to Herodotus, had one hundred gates, all of
brass. The city could not be taken in any ordinary manner.”
Delitzsch pointed out in his Vol. II
commentary of 1928 page 203 that in the Greek Aeschylus’ work Parsae ver. 735
he cited Darius the father of Xerxes as saying about Cyrus the following: “for
he was not hateful of God/god, being of good disposition”. Aeschylus lived
between 525-456 BCE. It is the same as Isaiah said and Delitzsch is right here.
As to the treasures taken in the city, Aeschylus indicated in the same work
ver. 327: “O Persian land, and having of many riches thou.”
Cyrus is only the shepherd and anointed (v.
1a), taken by the right hand (v. 1b), called by his name (v. 3d), aroused (v.
13a), his ways made smooth (v. 13b), “for the sake of Jacob My servant and
Israel My chosen” (v. 4a-b).
M. L. Andreasen 1928 page 16 also saw the
purpose of calling Cyrus by name was actually for his faithful people: “To
establish the faith of His people, God called Cyrus by name. When we see
prophecy fulfilled, our faith should become stronger. The fulfillment of
prophecy in the signs of the times occurring all about us should have the same
effect.”
The purpose of Cyrus calling is threefold:
that everyone knows God calls (v. 3c); that the care of the remnant is the main
focus (v. 4a-b) and thirdly that God is incomparable (v. 6).
The image of God is most important in this
chapter and ten times is repeated the phrase: I am the Lord or elaborated I am
the Lord and there is no other (vv. 3c; 5a; 6c; 7c; 8e; 12a; 14h-i; 18e; 21e-f;
22b). It is the hangers of the structure of the chapter.
M. L. Andreasen in his Sabbath School
Quarterly of 1928 page 17 pointed out about the wide application of idolatry: “The
warnings against idolatry do not have reference only to the time of Isaiah.
Anything that comes between us and our God is a false god, an idol. Whether it
be worldly pleasure, the lusts of the flesh or of the eye, worldly wisdom, the
follies and fashions of the hour, or position or honor, or the plaudits of the
crowd,—all these are condemned as idolatry. But there are other
dangers,—dangers threatening the church of God. Anything or anyone besides
Christ which we trust to help us to obtain God's favor, becomes a vain hope, a
false god. No works of our own can take the place of Christ. There is only one
Saviour.”
Not only is Isaiah description of God’s future
prediction remarkable that he named the right Persian king in future but the
events surrounded that king is described in detail supported by cuneiform
evidence. Cyrus was “taken by the right hand” (v. 1b) and the Cyrus Cylinder
“whom he [the god] took by his hand”; again Isaiah “to subdue nations before
him” (v. 1c) and the Cyrus Cylinder “he delivered into his hand in a calamity
princes and governors”; again Isaiah “to lose the loins of kings” and the
Nabonidus Chronicle BM 38299 tells how Nabonidus became devil possessed and set
up an abomination by building “the work of a no-sanctuary” and other impious
deeds against consensus religion in Babylon of his day. This led to his
estrangement from the priesthood of Babylon and they left the gates open for
Cyrus and his troops to enter, says Isaiah “to open doors before him so that
gates will not be shut” (v. 1e). In fact, Isaiah is clear that God predicted
that He will do this to Cyrus and that God will “make the rough places smooth”
for him and the Cyrus Cylinder says that he made a “peaceful entrance” in
Babylon.
How is it possible that 142 years before Cyrus
this could be predicted by the God of Isaiah? The reason is that God wanted to
reveal Himself as One that cannot be compared.
Then Isaiah revealed that all this is for the
sake of the remnant of God (v. 4) because they were also “called by their name”
(v. 4c) and given a title of honor (v. 4d) before they have known God (v. 4e).
Here we have the gospel of Paul that God saved us while we were still sinners.
This awesomeness means that God cannot be compared.
The remnant will be girded (v. 5c) even though
they did not know God so that people may know God cannot be compared (v. 6c).
God forms light and darkness, well-being and calamities so that people cannot
compare Him (v. 7).
M. L. Andreasen said about verse 7 in his 1928
Sabbath School Quarterly on page 17: “’Create evil.’ The ‘evil’ here mentioned
is not moral evil but physical, and could well be translated calamity. God
punishes for sin, and it is these calamities to which the prophet refers. (See
Amos 3:6.)” Delitzsch commented on this situation as follows from a preteristic
point of view in Vol. II 1890 page 205-206: “The context leads us to apply the
darkness and evil to the penal judgments through which light and peace or
salvation dawns on the people of God and the nations....We do not exhaust the
truth if we stop at saying that evil, means malum poenae [bad punishment], not
malum culpae [bad guilt]. Certainly evil as an act is not God's immediate work,
but the possibility of evil is, its self-punishment, and therefore the sense of
guilt and the evil of punishment in the broadest sense.” What Delitzsch would
imply here is that God created the punishment (as Andreasen) but also the
feeling of guilt by the Holy Spirit? Evil itself is not made evil by God. God
does not make people or agents evil. Both men affirm to that stance,
historicistic (Andreasen) and preteristic (Delitzsch).
J. Mortyer in 1993 page 359 insisted that the
meaning of “create evil” should be the NIV translation “create disaster”.
The Latter Rain will drip down from heaven
righteousness and the earth will open up and “salvation bear fruit” as people
stream to accept the Lord (v. 8). It is not human instrumentality but God’s
action of salvation.
M. L. Andreasen said about verse 8 in 1928
page 17: “These words indicate in figurative language the blessed consequences
of opening the heart to God's righteousness. Reference is here made to the
creative power of God manifested in the new life.” Although it may refer to the
eschatological outpouring of the Spirit the second time Andreasen made it a
salvivic experience at conversion.
Delitzsch understood the eschatological impact
of verse 8 in Vol. II 1890 page 206 when he said: “This is …rightly an
old-Advent cry.”
J. Mortyer in 1993 page 360 on verse 8, tries
to push for a preteristic application on Cyrus by Isaiah but he complains about
textual difficulties with gender verbs and number (singular at Qumran) plural
in the original. Then he said: “Just as natural fruitfulness requires the
fertilizing action of heaven on a responsive earth, so spiritually, only God
can give the increase by ‘raining down.’”
The weeds in the remnant that quarrels with
God will have a problem “woe to who quarrels with his Maker” (v. 9a).
J. Mortyer in 1993 page 361 indicated that the
word “quarrel” means: “goes to law with, takes court action against”.
It is also a problem for a child to curse
his/her birth to his/her parent (v. 10). The Lord wants us to ask him about the
eschaton and future events (v. 11b) and concerning the remnant “My sons”.
Creation was God’s work and the stars His
ordination. Cyrus was aroused by God “in righteousness” (v. 13a) compared to
the Cyrus Cylinder saying about Cyrus “he [the god] sought a righteous kind
after his own heart”. It is at this point that we need to stop the bus for a
second and remind ourselves that when Persian scribes composed the Nabonidus
Chronicle about his madness and deviations and the Cyrus Cylinder about his
excellent smooth entry in the takeover of Babylon, that Hebrews were in exile
already longer than 185 years. Niniveh was the New York of Babylon at that
time. The printing presses were run by Nabu-Levi and Nabu-Cohen, if we may be
trivial.
Point is, Isaiah’s books were known by the
copy scribes who phrased their praises of Cyrus realistically in alignment with
Isaianic sayings, maybe?
Cyrus would let the remnant go free, says
Isaiah (v. 13c). He did as Ezra 6:3 indicated. The “Lord of Hosts” spoke these
words to Isaiah and 142 years later we find the expression “Lord of Lords” in
the Nabonidus Chronicle which was composed in Cyrus’ time. We marvel at our
God’s ability to predict future in such accuracy. He promised to Cyrus that
Egyptian and other nations like Cush and Sabeans will “come over to you and
will be yours” (v. 14d) and the Persepolis Treasury Texts and Persepolis
Fortification Texts revealed that the following languages can be seen on these
texts: Old Persian, Babylonian, Akkadian, Elamite, Egyptian (Demotic); Lydian,
Lycian, Phrygian, Phoenician, Greek, Hebrew and Eastern Iranian languages,
according to a specialist.
These are nations that interacted with them as
God predicted through Isaiah. No-one is like God (v. 14h). Idolatry is not
accepted by God and those who do will be in shame in the eschaton (vv. 15-16)
but the remnant or [spiritual] Israel will be saved with an “everlasting
salvation” (v. 17b) “to eternity” (v. 17d). This salvation is a post-Hell event
since that is when Eternity starts and History is shaken off.
On verses 15-17 M. L. Andreasen said in his
1928 commentary on Isaiah page 18: “’An everlasting salvation.’ Not saved
to-day and lost to-morrow. Not a wonderful mountain-top experience one year at
some great meeting, and then an intermediate lapse into the valley. ‘World
without end.’ Literally, to all eternity.”
Andreasen talked about the fact that God
sometimes hide himself and so did Delitzsch and in Vol. II 1890 page 209 he
said: “Properly a God who hides Himself ... who rules wondrously in the history
of the nations, and by hidden ways, and ways hopelessly intricate to the eyes
of men, brings everything to a glorious issue.”
J. Mortyer 1993 page 363 on verse 14 asks that
one bring into view verse 14-17 with 18-25. Especially verse 14 should be
linked to verses 21-25. I. Gentiles in the interest of Israel’s God and II.
Gentiles to come to the Lord for salvation. “The principle is that those who
would enjoy the truth must first be received among those who already possess
it, but once received they discover that there is no grades of membership but
an equality.”
Isaiah says that God created this earth to be
inhabited and not to lay waste [like Mars and the Moon was also created but to
lay waste] (v. 18).
Why? No people there. Says the preterist F.
Delitzsch Vol. II 1890 page 210: “The first authoritative sentence says that
Jehovah is God in the full and exclusive sense; the second, that He created the
earth for man’s sake, not [tōhû] as a chaos…”. Delitzsch correctly shows that
the socalled Septuagint, Targum and Jerome in his Vulgate translated here
incorrectly.
God does not speak in secret (v. 19) but asks
His remnant to come to a courtcase (v. 20) since the weed in the remnant runs
after idols. God wishes them to convert (v. 22) “turn to Me”.
About verse 19 M. L. Andreasen said in 1928
page 18: “God may at times hide Himself, but He does not speak in secret. Deut.
30:11-14. He does not ask men to seek Him in vain, literally, in chaos, that
is, without definite guidance and without hope of result.” As Delitzsch has
pointed out the word “vain” [used by Andreasen] as synonym for “chaos” is not
correct. It was used by Jerome in his Vulgate and the other versions relying on
each other as “empty” or “vain”.
J. Mortyer in his commentary 1993 page 365
also sees it the same as Andreasen here with the meaning that tōhû means
“vain”.
It is a global salvation offered not just
ethnic Israel “be saved all the ends of the earth” (v. 22a).
Delitzsch also agrees here in his Vol. II of
his Isaiah commentary 1890 page 211: “The fullness of the heathen entering into
God's kingdom is a remnant of the mass of the heathen; for salvation comes
through judgment.” Adventists would agree with Delitzsch since an Investigative
Judgment will precede the entering into salvation of the saved ones, faithful
ones from heathen nations all joining one large spiritual Israel before the
Second Coming.
J.Mortyer said in 1993 page 366: “The
fugitives are not a restricted company; any who wish may escape the peril of
idolatry and find salvation by ‘turning their faces’ to the Lord.”
The Trinity has sworn unto themselves “In Me I
have sworn” (v. 23a) that “every knee will bow and every tongue will swear”
that only in the Lord is righteousness and strength (v. 23d-24a).
Delitzsch says of this swearing of God in Vol.
II of 1890 page 212: “Swearing by Himself …God pledges what is sworn to with
His life…”
On the eschatological reality in verse 23, M.
L. Andreasen said in 1928 page 18: “Referring to events to take place at the
close of the millennium, the following description is given: ‘Now Christ again
appears to the view of His enemies. Far above the city, upon a foundation of
burnished gold, is a throne, high and lifted up. Upon this throne sits the Son
of God, and around Him are the subjects of His kingdom. The power and majesty
of Christ no language can describe, no pen portray.’”— Ellen White, The Great
Controversy, pp. 664, 665.
That Ellen White, the preterist F. Delitzsch
and the historicist M. L. Andreasen are on the same page regarding the content
here is to be seen in F. Delitzsches words in his Vol. II 1890 page 212:
“Everywhere in these discourses we see this eschatological background close
behind the historical foreground.”
J. Mortyer said in 1993 page 367 on this
verse: “The evidences of membership are worship (knee) and confession (tongue).”
The evil will however be “put to shame” at the
Second Coming and later at the Hell event with total extermination (v. 24c). In
the Lord all of the remnant of [spiritual] Israel will be justified and will
glory (v. 25a-b). They will receive glorious bodies at resurrection.
Delitzsch said about verse 25 in Vol. II of
1890 pages 213-214: “…that God's Israel out of all mankind is meant, the Church
of the believers of Israel, enlarged by the accession of the heathen, which is
now just, i.e. forgiven and regenerated by Jehovah, and glories in Him, for by
grace it is what it is.” Interesting how honest preterists and historicists can
sometimes share the same view. This is not a blank statement since Delitzsch is
actually denying his preteristic model to make these statements. J. Mortyer in
1993 page 367 would agree with Delitzsch here: “A merely national significance
of Israel would make nonsense of the whole argument of this passage.”
Dear God
Grant that we will marvel at our Great God
that cannot be compared. That we will not be put to shame but enjoy the glory
and protection of God promised in this chapter knowing that He guides and plan
political history regardless of man’s endeavors. Amen.