God calls for a champion of justice (Cyrus) and makes him ruler over 49 countries. He pulverizes every enemy and tells Israel this in scripture, 150 years before it takes place. The idol makers are saying “don’t worry, this will never happen to us.” These folks are working overtime in the production of idols and the lies that go with that crowd of heathen priests. God calls Jacob his chosen and his servant and reassures them that he will give them strength. He lets them know who the real losers are. He claims that their enemies will be blown away. He says that he will open up springs on mountain tops and turn dry land into springs of water. He claims that he will plant cedars in the wilderness and olive vineyards. God says that he will replenish the land again. God challenges the idol worshippers to present their case and declare what the future holds. He claims that idols are worthless and know nothing. In the end he reveals that from Media and Persia he will raise up one who would trample down the mighty monarchs. These things saith the first and the last.
Discover the Champion of Justice and the Defeat of Idols
Isaiah 41:1
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
Stop clamoring and be quiet─“let us come near together for judgment and decide the point of issue between us concerning the enemy advancing from the east.”
Cross References
- Isa 49:1: Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. Read: Psa 46:10; Job 38:3; Job 23:3-5
Isaiah 41:2
Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
This champion of justice (Cyrus)─he has victory wherever he goes─God made him ruler over 49 nations, wherever he went God gave him victory─He scattered them like dust or chaff in a violent windstorm. Cyrus presided over the second one world government.
Cross References
- Isa 45:13: I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts. Read: Isa 46:11; Isa 45:1-6; Ezr 1:2
Isaiah 41:3
He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
He pulverized nations before him─his advances were unhindered─he routed them so quickly that it appeared as though his feet never touched the ground.
Isaiah 41:4
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
Who is the author to direct such marvelous feats? It is the ever-present, unchanging God who is before all and ending all.
Cross References
- Isa 41:26: Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. Read: Isa 40:12; Isa 46:10
Isaiah 41:5
The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
The remotest parts of the world heard of the victories of Cyrus and they trembled and mobilized for war.
Cross References
- Eze 26:15-16: Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee? Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee.
Isaiah 41:6
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
In their panic they tried to cheer each other─they said don’t worry, Cyrus will never conquer us.
Cross References
- Dan 3:1-7: Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold... (See full text in Daniel).
Isaiah 41:7
So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
It looks like overtime production in their idol workshop─new designs─new models─these folks were in the “no-god” production. They fastened the base to the floor with nails while they hammered and smoothed the gold and gave it the finishing touches.
Cross References
- Isa 44:13-15: The carpenter stretcheth out his rule... he maketh a god, and worshippeth it... Isa 46:6-7: They lavish gold out of the bag... They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
Isaiah 41:8
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
You are my chosen ones─you are my family.
Cross References
- Isa 44:21-22: 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.
Isaiah 41:9
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
I called you from the remote area of Er of the Chaldeans─He chose Abraham over the chief men─Terah and Nachor─he wanted them to know that they were still chosen even though they were exiled─he had picked them and hadn’t dropped them.
Cross References
- Jos 24:2-4: And Joshua said unto all the people... I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood... and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Don’t be afraid─don’t be dismayed─I am the one who will give you strength─you are in the grip of my grace.
Cross References
- Psa 27:1: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psa 37:24: Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
Isaiah 41:11
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Now who are the losers─every nation that despised Israel ended up bending and bowing at their feet and calling Jerusalem the city of the LORD.
Cross References
- Isa 45:24: Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. Isa 60:12: For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. Read: Isa 60:13-14
Isaiah 41:12
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
The men who contended with them are nowhere to be found─your assailants are all gone─nothing left but the memory.
Cross References
- Psa 37:35-36: I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not... Read: Job 20:7-9
Isaiah 41:13
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
God is telling you to not panic─he has a firm grip on your right hand and will not let you go.
Cross References
- Isa 45:1: Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him... Deu 33:26-27: ...The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms...
Isaiah 41:14
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Israel was feeling like a worm─a lowly insect but the one who was buying her back gives her reassurance.
Cross References
- Job 25:6: How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm? Psa 22:6: But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Isaiah 41:15
Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
Israel is being transformed from a worm into a threshing instrument. When you get threshed it means you were in a fight and lost the battle─in this case Israel was threshing the heathen.
Cross References
- Hab 3:12: Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. Mic 4:13: Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron...
Isaiah 41:16
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Winnowing was a process whereby grain was beaten and tossed into the air with a winnowing shovel and the grains which were heavier than the chaff fell back into the hopper and the wind blew the chaff away. The prophet likens the heathen to chaff that was blown away.
Cross References
- Psa 1:4: The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Jer 15:7: And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land... Mat 3:12: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor...
Isaiah 41:17
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.
The oppressed with parched lips will not seek water in vain. God will not refuse them a hearing nor abandon them.
Cross References
- Psa 72:12-13: For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth... Isa 55:1: Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters... Exo 17:6: Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb...
Isaiah 41:18
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
God provided special care for Israel when they escaped from captivity. Take a look at the historical marsh lands close to Babylon and you will see that this once was parched ground.
Cross References
- Isa 30:25: And there shall be upon every high mountain... rivers and streams of waters... Isa 49:9-10: ...even by the springs of water shall he guide them. Psa 107:35: He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.
Isaiah 41:19
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
The land had lain idle for seventy years and was nothing but a wilderness inhabited by wild animals. God says that he will once again bless the land and it will be fertile and produce trees and fruit.
Cross References
- Isa 32:15: Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field... Isa 51:3: ...he will make her wilderness like Eden... Isa 55:13: Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree...
Isaiah 41:20
That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
God wanted them to consider and recognize that he was the one who was doing this. The proof that God’s hand was in it was indisputable. It was God who was behind the entire operation of Israel’s release.
Cross References
- Isa 43:7-10: ...Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he...
Isaiah 41:21
Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
He challenges the idol worshipers to bring forth their case─ show what they have done, or can do.
Cross References
- Job 23:3-4: ...I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. Job 38:3: Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Isaiah 41:22
Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
The challenge is this: what will happen next. Only God can know the future─the Bible is the only book that reveals the future accurately.
Cross References
- Isa 42:9: Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. Isa 43:9: ...who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? Joh 13:19: Now I tell you before it come...
Isaiah 41:23
Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
Get your facts together and present your evidence─explain what your idol gods have done, yes either good or evil. Will we be shocked when we see the evidence?
Cross References
- Isa 46:10: Declaring the end from the beginning... Act 15:18: Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Isa 45:7: I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Isaiah 41:24
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.
These idols were less than nothing. Their work was as empty as air. Anyone who worships an idol is an abomination to God.
Cross References
- Isa 41:29: Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion. Isa 44:9-10: They that make a graven image are all of them vanity... Deu 27:15: Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image...
Isaiah 41:25
I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
One hundred and fifty years before God had revealed through Isaiah that Cyrus would trample down the mighty monarchs as mortar, and as the potter trod in clay. The idol gods and their fake priests had never revealed any of the future, nor are they capable. In chapters 49-51 of Jeremiah, there are 95 prophecies of the future and all of them have been fulfilled in every detail. Please note that the scripture says he will come from the north (Media) and east (Persia.) Jehovah here, by the mouth of the prophet, predicts the victories of Cyrus over the Chaldeans and their allies, at least 150 years before the event, as one instance of his foreknowledge and invincible power. Media lay north of Babylon, and Persia eastward; and Cyrus commanded the forces of both these nations; and, by his wonderful success, he trampled down mighty monarchs as mortar, and as the potter treads the clay.
Cross References
- Isa 45:1-5: Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus... I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight... I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Isaiah 41:26
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
God’s predictions were always told in advance─His forecast for the truth is that no idol ever has or ever will tell the future. They are as dumb as a hammer. Note also that none of the sacred books of the heathen religions have prophecies in them. The Koran has no prophecies in it. If Mohammad were a prophet where are his prophecies?
Cross References
- Isa 45:21: ...who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? Isa 41:23: Shew the things that are to come hereafter...
Isaiah 41:27
The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
Here is the first edition: I will give Jerusalem the news first─the city and temple will be restored and they shall return to their homeland, our God is the first and last and everything in between.
Cross References
- Isa 43:10: ...before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. Isa 48:12: ...I am the first, I also am the last. Rev 2:8: ...These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Isaiah 41:28
For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
God is saying that when he looked, there was no heathen prophet, no pagan priest that could predict anything─when God asked there was no answer from any of them.
Cross References
- Dan 2:10-11: ...There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter... Dan 4:7-8: Then came in the magicians... but they could not read the writing...
Isaiah 41:29
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
The sum of the whole matter is this: their effigies are wind; their metal images are empty and full of confusion. Ask and none of them can tell you what is going on. Their gods are no-gods.
Cross References
- Jer 10:2-6: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen... For the customs of the people are vain... They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not...