Devotional Commentary on Isaiah 41

 

Ellen White said about this chapter: “Study the forty-first chapter of Isaiah, and strive to understand it in all its significance.”— Ellen White, Testimonies, Vol. 8, p. 39, cited by M. L. Andreasen in his 1928 Isaiah notes in the Sabbath School Quarterly that year page 5.

 

This chapter of Isaiah demonstrates the writing technique of this great composer for God.

 

Synonym Dictionaries were very popular in Isaiah’s day and some of them survived in the cuneiform tablets from Niniveh where the meaning of Sabbath was said to be rest of the heart.

 

Isaiah thinks of a word and then lists all the words connected to this chosen word in his imagery.

A technical worker (v. 7) is an artisan; refiner; uses a hammer; is soldiering; use nails.

He chose the word agriculture (v. 15) and lists a threshing instrument; thresh; crush; chaff; winnow; scatter.

He thinks of water (v. 18) and lists barren places; rivers; fountains; pool of water; springs of water.

He mentions trees (v. 19) cedar; acacia; myrtle; oil tree; fir; elm; boxwood.

 

But the chapter is not about synonym words. They are the imagery that colors the message.

 

The Lord is asking for an Investigative Judgment (v. 1d). It is not an executive judgment since the Lord is inviting them to come “let us come together for judgment”. It is His people that are the “people gain[ing] new strength” (v. 1b).

 

Isaiah then opened a panel of the calling of Cyrus in 539 BCE as a king from the East and asks, who authorized him to come from the East “who aroused one from the East”?(v. 2a). Nations and their leaders are “switched-on from above and switched-off from above”. He is called in Righteousness [Cyrus but the Targum calls him Abraham] to God “to His feet” (v. 2b).

 

Christ delivers up nations before him and subdues kings in 539 BCE (v. 2d).

M. L. Andreasen in 1928 in his Sabbath School Quarterly page 6 understood it to be Cyrus in this verse: “Though this man is unnamed as yet, he is without doubt Cyrus mentioned by name first in Isaiah 44:28; 45:1, and many years before he was born.” And “Cyrus is the ‘man from the east’”. J. Mortyer in 1993 page 309 is skeptical of allocating anybody saying: “That the conquerer at present will become Cyrus is obvious, but it is best to leave Isaiah to spring that news at his own time.” Typically preteristic.

 

The power of God is then proclaimed.

“Who has calling forth the generations from the beginning?” (v. 4b). It is God (v. 4c). For the Targum this means that He created the world from the beginning. It is the delicate situation that rulers of countries, how feeble they may be, only exists because their hearts are in the hand of the Almighty (Proverbs 21:1).

 

M. L. Andreasen pointed out in 1928 a very important point on verse 4: “This verse does not say that God is the first and the last. That indeed is true. Rev. 1: 11. But here it states that God is with the last. Even as God was in the beginning, so He will be with His people to the end, with the last.“ (Andreasen 1928: 6). Actually the original should be translated: “I am Yahweh, the first One and the last ones, I am He.” Although the preposition “with” is not there, it is implied by the nota accusative used connected to last ones. Unless the meaning is “the last Ones” pointing to the Trinity. That is also a possibility.

Delitzsch in his commentary in 1890 Vol. II page 153 in the English translation says the same as Andreasen here: “But this is none else than Jehovah, who, in contrast with the heathen and their gods, who are of yesterday and to-morrow will exist no longer, can boast : I, Jehovah, am the primeval One, whose being precedes all history, and with the men of the latest future generations I am He.”

 

The reaction of the ones in the remote islands of the Persian world was that in that day they will be fear or the world are trembling (v. 5). “Each one helps his neighbor and says to his brother, ‘Be strong’” (v. 6) which will be the reaction of them in that day predicted by Isaiah more than 156 years before it actually happened.

 

Says M. L. Andreasen, the historicist in 1928 on this verse: “The prophet is here describing the condition which would accompany the conquests of Cyrus.” The preteristic commentary by Delitzsch in 1890 Vol. II page 153 says the same: “Such effects began to follow in the heathen world from the victorious career of Cyrus.”

 

He used the Thesaurus of craftsmen to indicate how various professions will support each other in that day and put competition aside (v. 7).

 

From the Cyrus event to the future Isaiah has this to say:

Isaiah then saw spiritual Israel “whom I have taken from the ends of the earth” (verse 9) in the future. “You are My servant” (verse 9c). “I have chosen you and not rejected you” (verse 9d).

M. L. Andreasen said on verse 9 in 1928 page 7: “’Abraham my friend’! What a wonderful designation! And we are the children of Abraham, God's friend. God's people will come from the ends of the earth. They may not be perfect, but God has not cast them away.” Delitzsch would concur when he said in 1890 Vol. II: “Whereas the nations, having only artificial gods for their comfort and shield, are in fear and ruin, Israel—Jehovah's people—can be confident. Every word here breathes deep affection. The language moves as in gentle undulations.”

 

This future remnant should not fear or look around in fear (verse 10).

 

In comparison, spiritual Israel, the remnant of the Lord, spiritual descendants of Abraham “My friend, You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts and said to you, ‘You are My servant’” (v. 8-9) received the same message as the everyone else but their reaction were different: “Behold, you are of no account” the Lord said (v. 24). It is a sad evaluation.

 

We have run ahead to get the result since God unwinds His case very carefully in a court-case “present your case” (v. 21) and also “let us come together for judgment” (v. 1d). God is serious about the condition of the remnant, His servant here.

 

What God did on His side is a long list of kindness:

He is with them (v. 10a);

He will strengthen the remnant and help them (v. 10b);

who angered the remnant will be ashamed (v. 11a);

those contending will perish (v. 11b);

quarrelsome ones and warmongers will become nothing (v. 12a-b).

 

God promises to be with the remnant and hold their hand. Interestingly, God’s right Hand holds the remnant right hand which means that either God is standing in front of the remnant slightly on the right side and looking back or God is standing on the right side of the remnant bringing His hand over Himself to hold the hand of the remnant (vv. 10c and 13).

 

With God on the right side of the remnant, the chosen Jacob (v. 8b); the worm Jacob (v. 14a); there is an Investigative Judgment between verses 21-24 where the King of Jacob (v. 21c), urge them to try to predict future and study history (verse 22b) and even to be good or evil (verse 23c); “that we may know that you are gods” (verse 23b) which is not a good situation in the eyes of the Judge of the Investigative Judgment. God is the “Holy One of [spiritual] Israel” “your Redeemer” (v. 14b). But they are seeking future guidance as one can see with evil intentions. Why is God announcing their verdict here in advance of the 1844 Investigative Judgment? Because He wants them to renovate and fix the problem. Those who do, do not appear in the Judgment in 1844 because Christ the Advocate takes care of that.

 

Isaiah mentions that God invented a new threshing sledge for spiritual Israel and they will harvest the righteous on the mountains (v. 15b) and hills (v. 15c) and they will rejoice in the Lord (v. 16c) but [the evil] “the storm will scatter them” (v. 16b). While migrations take place in the world the remnant of God “rejoice in the Lord and you will glory in the Holy One of Israel” (verse. 16c-d).

 

Those who enter the plaques of God during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble will afflicted and in need of water for there is none (v. 17a) but the outcome is God’s promised provision for the remnant and Isaiah is using a Thesaurus again to collect the synonyms from a Synonym Dictionary about water: rivers; springs; pool of water; fountains of water.

 

M. L. Andreasen also had an eye on the Time of Trouble in verse 17 in 1928 when he cited Ellen White saying: “Speaking of the time of trouble, we read in ‘The Great Controversy,’ page 629: ‘The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation, and suffer for want of food, they will not be left to perish. That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for them; and in time of famine they shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous, and supply their wants. To him that ‘walketh righteously’ is the promise, ‘Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.’ When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.’” Ellen White is not just homiletically applying something that is literal for Cyrus’ day to the End Time events. This event is a future scenario given to people in Isaiah’s day. Preterists (even Delitzsch) all saw it as the helpless situation of the exiles who then received help. There is no reference later by historians or anyone about the miracles of water-supply or vegetation improvements just because the exiles are returning. This is an End-Time scenario. J. Mortyer agrees here with Ellen White on verse 17 by saying: “the exodus journey….the ultimate realization is the ‘new heaven and earth’ of the eschatological day” (Mortyer 1993: 314).

 

The result is green in the desert and Isaiah used his Thesaurus of trees: cedar (v. 19a); acacia (v. 19b); myrtle (v. 19b); olive tree (v. 19b); juniper (v. 19c); box tree (v. 19d); cypress (v. 19d).

 

The remnant will learn through this that God creates things for them (v. 20).

 

However, God is asking for an Investigative Judgment: The bad King of Jacob says if they can “declare to us [the evil in the remnant] what is going to take place” (v. 22a). They are unable to predict the future without God “that we may know that you [the fortune-tellers they are looking for] are gods” (v. 23b) with the result that they are not. God passes a verdict in this Investigative Judgment: “Your work amounts to nothing” (v. 24b). “He who chooses you is an abomination” (v. 24c).

 

What it appears to be here is that the remnant of the church of Laodicea has become secular “they are rich and has become rich and has no need of anything”. There is no difference in some of their actions and that of the Little Horn who is also an abomination during the same time. Christ Second Coming will make the difference. “I have aroused one from the north, and He will come from the rising of the sun He will call on My name” (v. 25a-b).

Both M. L. Andreasen and Delitzsch thought that Cyrus is meant here. He must have been ecumenical in belief since he worshipped Ahuramazda according to an inscription by Darius, recognized the God Marduk according to another cuneiform inscription and thus would have called on the name of God just out of policy pragmatics (see Delitzsch Vol. II 1890: 162-163). Cyrus did not know Yahweh as M. L. Andreasen 1928 page 8 pointed out citing Isaiah 45:4. C. W. E. Nägelsbach said that Mede was north of Babylon and Persia was east of it. He insisted that the word “satraps” (C. W. E. Nägelsbach 1878: 445) but J. Mortyer said that the word is an Akkadian loanword for meaning “provincial governor”. J. Mortyer said about Isaiah’s day of fortunetellers: “But Isaiah’s world was full of prognosticators and was avid for forecasts of the future” (J. Mortyer 1993: 316).

 

Christ will come upon rulers as King of Kings interrupting the Time of Jacob’s Trouble (v. 25c). This was only declared by the Revelation of God (v. 26) and this was declared from the beginning, also to Adam and other generations. End time doctrines are as old as man. “Who has declared from the beginning that we might know?” (v. 26a). God formerly promised a messenger of good news [Elijah] to proclaim His First coming. “I will give a messenger of good news” (v. 27b). He also promised to give the Third Elijah in 1844 and the remnant disappointment or Laodicea condition of the final church is no different that when Christ cried on the Mount of Olives “I wanted to gather you like a hen her chickens but you did not want it”. The Great disappointment led many protestants to renounce any historicism in their interpretation of the prophets and to become hardcore preterists.

The words of verse 27 is placed in the mouth of Yahweh by some scholars (C. W. E. Nägelsbach 1878: 445); to Zion; the exiles; the deliverer; facts of redemption; idols; but he preferred Cyrus as did also M. L. Andreasen in 1928. C. W. E. Nägelsbach 1878: 444 made the statement that these messages are for the future but also for the day of Isaiah but then when he started to analyze he threw in the towel since he said on verse 25: “In contents it has that obscurity peculiar to all images of future which rise so distant from the beholder that one is unable to detect their connection to the present, and thus the organic successive genesis of their forms.” Startled. Shaking the head.

 

 “And when I  [Christ] look, there was no one and there is no counselor among them [the remnant]” (v. 28b). “Behold, all of them are false” (v. 29a); their works are worthless; their molten images are wind and emptiness (v. 29c).

J. Mortyer is confused as to the identification of verse 28-29: “It is not unmistakenbly certain whom Isaiah is addressing in these verses, whether the idols or the idolators” (Mortyer 1993: 318).

 

Indeed the weeds are growing together with the good seedlings in the same bedding. Objects of our modern focus are the “molten images” of our imagination that are wind and emptiness. Why was images forbidden by God in the ten commandments? Because images are deceptive influences on the cognitive parts of our brain. They benumb the brain’s perspectives. Watching TV or movies or playing computer games are dangerous cognitive undertakings. And image is the core of all of them.

 

Dear God

We are the remnant and we are the church of Laodicea and we are what You say we are. But not all of us wish to be weed for most of us want to be seedlings for You. Help us to fulfill the divine role of messenger of Good news during the Third Elijah message and enlarging it during the Fourth Elijah message of the Latter Rain. Amen.