Bible Studies

A Reason for Hope

by Henry Jaegers
08/05/25
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Isaiah Chapter 44

By Henry Jaegers

A Reason for Hope

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_0MZUAJzvZeXYUecGhdy78F0CNL1EgT/view?usp=sharing

As we consider chapters 40 through 49, we must keep in focus that all of these chapters refer to a period of time when Israel will be delivered from her present captivity. As we look at these verses, we can't help but notice some despondency that seems to captivate their minds and emotions. The verses before us serve as a word of encouragement and hope to those who are facing some form of depression due to their captivity.

And now, as we begin chapter 44, God begins his message to them with the word of kindness, relating to them that though,  for a time, they feel like they have been forgotten, they are reminded of their special relationship to Him.

 The Blessing Promised. (Verses 1 through 5)

 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.  One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

When studying biblical prophecy, three principles must be kept in mind. First, we must ask ourselves, "What is God saying?" Second, we must ask, "Why is God saying this?" Finally, we must ask ourselves, "What is there that God has to say to me?"

In Romans 15 4, we have these words: "The things that were written beforehand were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

That means God intends for us to learn from these scriptures and apply them to our hearts. As we understand their application to our present time, they bring hope and encouragement to us. So, I say that we must apply them to our hearts first to clearly understand the message we have to share with others.

So what are the things god is saying to Israel? Although these verses are spoken during the times of Isaiah, they will have their application 100 years later while Israel is in Babylonian captivity. Now, Israel is facing a time of despair. They had been in Babylon for a long time, and the blessings that they once had when they were free were not provided for them while they were in Babylon. But god is telling them, first of all, who they are, how precious they are to him, and though they may be feeling like he has forgotten them, this message comes at a very important time in their lives.

Sometimes, before we are ready to listen to God, we Must face a time  when we are needy people. That is when a word from God is most refreshing. And I think Israel is at this place when they receive this message from God. And although I don't fully understand why God gives a message 100 years before we need it, because he is God, and he is not limited by time constraints, when he speaks, he speaks in the eternal now. That is what god is like, and that is one of the ways that God operates.

So, what does God begin by saying to Israel? First, that they are his servants. He has chosen them for a purpose and has their best interest at heart.

He says,  fear not my servant Jacob whom I have chosen.

Then, he makes an interesting statement. He says I will pour  waters on him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. It is essential to understand the context to which these verses refer. They are in captivity, and access to fresh water and healthy crops is far from what they are experiencing. But God says in time, things will be different. If you are thirsty, I'll give you fresh, clean, cool water to drink. And for your crops, I will pour floods upon the ground, and they shall grow abundantly.  He referenced Israel's future deliverance in the times when these verses were spoken. But as it sometimes happens, we have preachers who like to take these verses to prove that God promises Revival, and these are the verses they use to present that teaching. In this context, god is not speaking of Revival in the sense that we understand it today. It certainly will be a time of Revival and refreshing for Israel. And I suppose in the spiritual sense, it may apply to the subject of Revival. When our hearts are empty, and we are ready to cry out to god for his mercy and blessing, I think this promise will apply to our modern times.

In the closing portions of these verses, God gives another hope. Their children will go forth and be blessed as well. God says they shall be as willows, planted by the waters.  and they will be glad they are part of the nation of Israel because they will be part of God's promised blessing. As there was a time when being of Israel brought on persecution, that will be no more. It will be a blessed thing to be able to say that they are identified with God's chosen people, Jacob, whose  name was later changed to Israel (Meaning prince with God.)

Now, what application is there for us in these verses? Because we are faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ, we are considered children of Israel in a spiritual sense. As we face desperate times and sense our need for God, we have a similar Promise: that we are his children, and when we need him the most, he is there to help us and bring hope into our lives as well.

 A Word of Comfort  (Verses 6 through 8)

  Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.  Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Our Focus should be on these closing words. " Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any".

Long before the Captivity, God promised in Jeremiah chapter 30 through 33 that once again, their land shall be restored to them and they shall be delivered from there captivity. Perhaps, they may have forgotten and need to be reminded, that God Intense good things for them. It appears, for the present, they are fearful of what the future holds. But God first affirms to them his covenant relationship even as spoken in ancient times to their fathers.

But now, he affirms, that he has not forgotten them. They are his witnesses, and shortly they will have something marvelous to declare to others. He begins first by affirming that they are his, and that he has not forgotten them. Perhaps, the words spoken in Jeremiah 29: 11, are worthy to remember to dispel their present fears. "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord. Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to bring you to an expected end." These words of  Blessing. implanted in their minds, will cause them to be steadfast as they wait with hope for God's promised blessings. As He has spoken, so, will He Do.

 The Emptiness of Idolatry (Verses 9 through 20)

  They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. 1 Who hath formed a god or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? 1 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.  The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.  The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.  He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.  Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.  He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Do not think that idolatry consists of falling and worshiping strange images. There is more to idolatry than outward forms. It begins in the imagination of men. What they make with their hands has something to do with their thinking. There is something in these images that captivates men. The mind is powerful, and the imagination can produce things Beyond Reason.

In the picture before us, we see a man going through much labor and expense to construct such a thing. His lack of understanding causes him to do this. Idolatry can take on many different forms and produce many different ends. But in these scriptures, there is one section that is most important. It is God's evaluation of the man who practices any form of idolatry. It only produces emptiness and confusion.

It is these closing words on which I would like to focus. What does our verse have to say about the man who chooses idolatry as a substitute for God? " He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

First, he feeds on ashes. That is, what he takes in cannot bring lasting satisfaction. Ashes to the body have no nourishing factor. It leaves man hungry because it provides no helpful nourishment. If there ever was anything beneficial in ashes, it was before it became so. But now, like ashes cannot bring needed satisfaction, so is idolatry. It is empty because it is dead.

Second, that he is a deceived soul. What does that mean? It means he is a man without any absolute to guide him. His imagination is the only thing he has to depend upon, an idea that deprives him of reality. He is deluded because he only has vain imaginations to determine right or wrong. He has a conscience, but conscience without an absolute cannot give him a clear direction for his life. What we are told about him is that he has no power to deliver himself from whatever imagination has captivated him. He has become a slave, which can only plunge him deeper into the abyss.

Finally, although he is captivated by lies, he has no way to determine a lie because he has no solid base for truth. On the contrary, the man of God is related to one who is alive. He has clear standards given by his God to direct him into infallible truth. And though our God is invisible, that does not mean He is inactive. He is very active behind the visible scenes working, but for us, it is a good pleasure, bringing joy, peace, and hope to the hungry soul.

 An Incentive to Faithfulness (Verses 21 and 22)

 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.  I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

If there is any doubt among the children of Israel as to god's love for them, these words should remove all doubt. He reminds them they are his servants; he has formed them and planned good things for them. Although, at times they may think that god has forgotten them, the plain words before us leave no doubt that they are not. The great thing about all of this is that he has never taken his eyes off them. They may have been backslidden at times, but God always has his ways to bring them back.

Then, he reminds them of his great acts of forgiveness. We recall the words, "Though thy sins be as Scarlett, they shall be white as snow. "Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Then, in Psalm 103, we are reminded of how great God's love is in how He treats our sins.

Then, having done all of that, he gives us a great invitation: " Return unto me." When they decide to return, even before they decide, He is ready to receive them. Now, that is an incentive to be faithful.

 A Reason for Singing (Verses 23 through 28)

  Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.  Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;  That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;  That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:  That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

We have before us a marvelous statement of fact. It is a message from the eternal God, who holds in his hands the future as though it were yesterday. Here, it's a prophecy uttered nearly 200 years before its fulfillment. There are three important statements to which we must give attention. First, it is a promise that he is the god who operates in the" eternal " now." And he can do so because he is in control. Then, he talks about the restoration of the land. At the present time, as it is spoken, it had not yet occurred. In Jeremiah, chapters 30 through 33. God also promises that his people will be restored to that land which, at the present time as it was spoken, lay in ruins. But this promise was made before the Captivity and the destruction occurred. Then, he proclaims another marvelous fact. He will raise a man named Cyrus, and the temple will be rebuilt through this king. Now, all of this is prophesied in the book of Isaiah.

But the thing to sing about is that today, we have a history of their fulfillment. The people were restored, God raised up Cyrus, and the temple was built.

At the time the prophecy was given, it probably made no sense to the people because the Captivity had not yet occurred. But the prophecy was proclaimed, and 200 years later, the time of rejoicing will take place. It is a marvelous thing, this prophecy. God can speak concerning the future from the perspective of Prophecy, and we have history to verify it—all the way to the end of this chapter. And today, the people of God can walk, look back, and have something to sing about.