08/03/2024 – Day 062 – Isaiah – Chapters 45 – 50 // 45: “God Alone is the Savior” ; 46: “There is No One Like God”; 47: “The Fall of Babylon” ; 48: “Israel Must Leave Babylon”; 49: “The Servant Brings Salvation”; 50: “The Obedient Servant”
Last cycle, there is a posting dated 04/30/2022 – “Predictive Prophecy as Evidence of Deity” – 45:1
For “Chapters 44,45. Cyrus“, here is the question that Halley’s Bible Handbook adds to last cycle’s post:
“Is there, anywhere, in the literature of the whole wide world, predictions from of old of the whole unfolding story of man’s religious history — anywhere except in the BIBLE?”
__________________________________________
For here, I am pulling excerpt commentary from “The Apologetics Study Bible”:
“45: 20-23: Isaiah returned to his expression of the basic principles of Yahweh’s covenant with Israel (43: 11-13; 44: 6-8). Here, he added the treaty-like aspect of swearing allegiance in the form of an oath and of bowing down in homage to the great King. Paul borrowed this language in speaking of Jesus’ exaltation after his humiliation on the cross (Philippians 2: 9 – 1). The affirmation of covenant loyalty and obedience is the fundamental theme of biblical worship.”
_________________________________________
“I was angry with My people; I profaned My possession, and I placed them under your control. You showed them no mercy; you made your yoke very heavy on the elderly.” 47:6
“47:6 “For the Lord’s chosen people, Israel and Judah, to be defeated might be taken as evidence that the Lord is powerless to protect His own, or even that He does not exist. In this passage, the Lord explains that He allowed the Babylonians to destroy them because He, Himself, was angry with them. In so doing He showed no approval of Babylon. That nation, steeped in pride and false religion, was not the judge of Judah but would itself be overthrown because of its sin. God alone, controls the historical circumstance of His people and of all nations.”
___________________________________________
Chapter 49 – “The Servant Brings Salvation”
“49: 1-7. In this passage, Isaiah seems to be using the word ‘servant’ with several simultaneous meanings. Verse 3 identifies the servant with Israel (41:8; 44: 1,21), which was called in Abraham to bring a blessing to all nations (v. 6; cp. Genesis 12:3). Yet this servant has been called, even before birth, to bring Israel back to God (v. 5); the prophet here spoke of his own role as the spokesman of the Lord (see Jeremiah 1:5). Then, like the Messianic Servant of Isaiah 42: 1-7, this servant will experience rejection and suffering, and in the end the servant will be honored (49:7). All these meanings overlap in Jesus Christ. As the Servant who suffers for the redemption of Israel. He is also a prophet seeking Israel’s return to the Lord, and in His resurrection He incorporates the true, renewed Israel into Himself. In this sense, Isaiah’s words here were a messianic prophecy. Nevertheless, in Acts 13:47 Paul and Barnabas applied Isaiah 49:6 to themselves, as proclaimers of the gospel to the Gentiles.”
____________________________________________
Oops!, one more source excerpt source for Chapter 50, “Isaiah” by J. Alec Moyer, ISBN Ref. # 0-87784-244-2:
“The Servant, exemplary and decisive (50: 10-11). The ‘tailpieces’ of the first two Servant Songs (42: 5-9; 49: 7-13) confirmed aspects of the Servant’s task; the present and final ‘tailpieces’ (54:1 – 55:13) are appeals to respond to the Servant. The uniting idea of these verses is light (10d, 11c). There are two sorts of people; the one sort (10) has no light but obeys the word of the Lord’s Servant by facing the darkness with trust and reliance. The others (11) seek to conquer the darkness by fires of their own making. The outcome for the first is not specified; the others suffer an adverse divine reaction (11e) and lie down in torment (11f). The perfection of the One against whom now charge can be made (8) makes him our model (10); the fate of his accusers (9) is shared by those who refuse his way (11). Just as he lived in obedience (5), trust and reliance (7,9) so so those who model themselves on him (10).”
_____________________________________________
Thoughts ? ; Reflections?
Questions for fellowship generation, the lifelong sanctification process:
- What does the text reveal about God’s character?
- How has this reading generated prayer for you and/or us?
- What themes stand out to you in this bible study?
- How does our reading fit into the bigger picture (creation, the fall, restoration, etc.)?
- What verse(s) jumped out at you like never before? Is it explainable at this point?
- Do you have any questions you would like to put before the group as to how to interpret any particular verse(s) in our reading. Let scripture testify to scripture: Share with us where you sense contradiction between passages elsewhere.
- What did you find convicting and inspiring at the same time? Share with us how the Spirit of God is working within you as a messenger, both within and outside of our fellowship group.
- Share with the group how our study is calling or confirming to you a new mission to glorify God in our times.
Soli Deo Gloria!