{"id":8826,"date":"2024-02-14T05:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.versebyversebible.cz\/?p=8826"},"modified":"2025-04-04T06:29:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T04:29:31","slug":"izajas-kapitola-45","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/izajas\/izajas-kapitola-45\/","title":{"rendered":"Isaiah \u2013 Chapter 45"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1 Thus says the Lord concerning his anointed, Cyrus, whom I shall take by the right hand to subdue the nations before him and&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>loosed the loins of kings,<sup>)<\/sup>&nbsp;so that I&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>in front of him<sup>)<\/sup>&nbsp;He opened the gates, so that they would not be closed:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>h.: Messiahs; <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>h.: before his (\/ your) face;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>n~: rendered the king helpless [he who wished to move about freely would tie his garment around his waist; <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If someone unties the kings\u2019 tucked-up trousers, they will get tangled up under their feet and they will be unable to move properly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God will ensure that no one can stand against Cyrus \u2013 he will cut through his enemies \u2018like a knife through butter\u2019.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 I\u2019ll go&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>in front of you<sup>)<\/sup>&nbsp;and I will level the mountains, break down the bronze gates and cut through the iron bars.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>h.: before his (\/ your) face&nbsp;<sup>t4<\/sup>&nbsp;according to 1QIs; LXX; TM: places rising majestically; <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Lord Himself will ensure that Cyrus\u2019s campaigns are easy and that defensive efforts are in vain. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3 And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden stores <em>it<\/em>&nbsp;hiding places, so that you may know,&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>all&nbsp;<em>it\u2019s me<\/em>&nbsp;I, the Lord, who call you by name, the God of Israel.<sup>)<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>[i.e. those that are most carefully hidden, and therefore the rarest]<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>n.: that I, the Lord, the God of Israel, am calling you by name.&nbsp;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cyrus \u2018plunders\u2019 the conquered kingdoms to the very last. No treasures can be hidden from him. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Given how easily he achieves success, K\u00fdra ought to realise that he is receiving supernatural support from God.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God chose Cyrus personally, by name. So much so that his name was mentioned by Isaiah centuries before his birth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4 Because of his servant Jacob and&nbsp;<em>because of<\/em>&nbsp;Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by name&nbsp;<em>.<\/em>&nbsp;I gave you a title, even though you don\u2019t know me.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>God wants to make it clear that what He is doing for Cyrus, He is doing not for his sake, but for the sake of His people. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He uses Cyrus as his instrument, even though Cyrus himself does not know the Lord.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That is interesting and important \u2013 God uses people to fulfil His purposes, whether they know Him or not.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God\u2019s thinking transcends all others, and He is therefore able to devise plans whose complexity is beyond human comprehension. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In some films, the heroes (who are usually likeable villains) are so intelligent that they are always one step ahead of their rivals in their plans. God\u2019s plans, in this way, surpass the plans of humans (and even the devil) by many orders of magnitude. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5 I&nbsp;<em>\"I am<\/em>&nbsp;The Lord and&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>there is no other,<sup>)<\/sup>&nbsp;There is no God but me. I shall gird you, even though you do not know me,&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>h. Frequency: \u2018\u00e9n \u2018\u00f4d (\u201cis no longer\u201d) appears 6 times in this text!<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is as though the Lord were speaking directly to Cyrus. However, it can also be understood in a more general sense: God is able to use anyone for His purposes, even His enemies or unbelievers. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After all, even the devil served the Lord merely as a \u2018useful idiot\u2019 \u2013 for by killing God\u2019s Son, he brought about his own definitive defeat and \u2018arranged\u2019 for the salvation of mankind.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>6 so that they may know from the rising of the sun&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>.&nbsp;<em>I will<\/em>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<em>of the glory<\/em>&nbsp;the West,<sup>)<\/sup>&nbsp;that it isn't&nbsp;<em>nobody<\/em>&nbsp;apart from me: I&nbsp;<em>\"I am<\/em>&nbsp;The Lord, and there is no other.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>God directs everything so that people all over the world may come to know him:  When people look at history and reflect on it, it should \u2018strike\u2019 them that there is someone truly extraordinary behind it all. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>7 I form the light and create the darkness; I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is a controversial verse. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The question of theodicy \u2013 that is, the origin of evil in the world \u2013 is one of the most complex issues in theology. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the one hand, it is difficult to accept that a good God could actively bring about evil. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the other hand, it is undoubtedly true that, by creating the world as it is, God has, at the very least, made the emergence of evil possible. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is also true (and Scripture states this in several places) that if I am able to prevent evil and fail to do so, I become an accomplice. God is almighty, and it is therefore difficult simply to say that He has nothing to do with evil.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are many mysteries surrounding evil, and we have no choice but to trust in God:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>That when he created humans and spiritual beings, \u2018he knew what he was doing\u2019.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That creating the world and the heavens and filling them with free beings (humans and angels) was \u2018worth it\u2019 \u2013 that the goal is so marvellous that it outweighs all the suffering and evil that we, as humans, have brought into the world. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That just as He \u2018uses\u2019 the pagan king Cyrus as His unwitting servant, so too does He have the devil and the evil in people\u2019s hearts under His control. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That He has a plan for the definitive defeat of evil, which He will carry out despite the free will of the devil and of us, evil human beings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That he has a way of \u2018offsetting\u2019 evil. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The strongest argument for the view that God \u2018knows what He is doing and that it is worth it to Him\u2019 is God\u2019s\/Christ\u2019s personal commitment, which culminated in a terrible death. If God was willing to go to such extreme lengths personally, the goal must be worth it. <\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>If He had not created anything, Christ would not have had to endure such terrible things. If God nevertheless \u2018went ahead\u2019 with creation, He must have known why; it must have been worth it.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">The fact that God is not merely a detached observer is the most powerful message of the Christian faith. This is something that other (false) religions simply cannot \u2018offer\u2019. <\/mark><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If I were to express my opinion with fear and trembling, I believe that God really does, to some extent, \u2018<strong>creates evil<\/strong>\u201c \u2013 However, Christ\u2019s humanity and death make the situation regarding evil immensely complicated and confusing. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If I had to say why God does all this, I would say that the whole brilliant plan of creation, the Fall and the salvation of humankind has one aim: <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">To ensure that free, created beings will voluntarily love God and be in communion with him.<\/mark><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Here are the references from the \u010cSP notes which suggest that the Lord sometimes brings about evil:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Micah 1:12 The people of Maroth were anxious for their safety, for evil had come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 Kings 22:8  The king of Israel replied, \u2018There is one more man through whom we can enquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything good to me, only evil. He is Micaiah, the son of Imla.\u2019 The king of Judah said, \u2018Let the king not speak like that.\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Job 2:10 But he said to her, \u2018You are speaking as one of those foolish women. Shall we accept good from God and not accept adversity?\u2019 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jer 4:6 Raise a signal on Zion; run, do not stop, for I am bringing disaster and great destruction from the north.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jer 5:12 They denied the Lord and said, \u2018It is not he! No harm will come upon us; we shall see neither sword nor famine.\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jer 23:12 Therefore, their path will be like slippery paths in the dark. They will be driven off and fall on it, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the Lord.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Amos 3:6 If a trumpet sounds in a town, will the people not tremble? If disaster strikes a town, has not the Lord brought it about?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pl 3:38 Does not both good and evil come from the mouth of the Most High?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>8 O heavens, send down drops from on high, and&nbsp;<em>it<\/em>&nbsp;clouds&nbsp;<em>whether<\/em>&nbsp;Justice prevails.&nbsp;<em>Whether<\/em>&nbsp;The earth will open up and bear the fruit of salvation, and at the same time bring forth righteousness. I, the Lord, have created this.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Lord brings about both good and bad things. His aim is justice and salvation. Everything is directed towards this. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can righteousness flow from the clouds like water from the heavens? How can the earth bear the fruit of salvation and bring forth righteousness? What is the symbolism here? <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God is apparently able to bring about a situation where justice and salvation are \u2018spontaneously\u2019 established on earth. Perhaps this is some form of spiritual awakening. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perhaps there is no need to wait for this realisation; perhaps such a situation already exists: after all, history is inexorably heading towards its culmination, and people are being saved for eternity every single day. This is neither a given nor automatic. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>9 Woe&nbsp;<em>will<\/em>, he who quarrels with his Maker, a shard amongst the shards of the earth! For can the clay say to its potter: \u2018What&nbsp;<em>speech,<\/em>&nbsp;You\u2019re doing it!&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>or: Does your work have no hands?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>n.: handles;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>or will your work say to you: \u2018He has no hands \/ Is he as if he had no hands?\u2019; <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We can discuss how God \u2018runs the universe\u2019. We know from the Bible (for example, from the Book of Job or the Psalms) that the Most High does not mind such discussions to a large extent, or at the very least tolerates them. However, everything has its limits:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Here the Lord deals harshly with them: he calls them <strong>shards <\/strong>and speaks out against them \u201c<strong>woe<\/strong>\u201c (nobody wants to be under God\u2019s wrath).\u201d <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The line of thought goes like this: God is a potter \u2026 the potter created a vessel \u2026 the vessel no longer even exists; it is broken \u2026 yet one of the shards left over from the vessel remains with the potter<strong> is involved in a dispute<\/strong>.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are they arguing about? Anything and everything \u2013 about how God created the vessel, what form He gave it; perhaps even why He created it in the first place. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perhaps the shard is regretting that the vessel wasn\u2019t unbreakable, or more beautiful, or different, or used for some other purpose. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The second comparison of people is to <strong>clay<\/strong>, that is, the material from which the potter shapes his vessels. What emerges from the clay is entirely, one hundred per cent, within the potter\u2019s control. He holds the clay in his hands (both figuratively and literally). The clay has not the slightest say in the matter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And God evidently regards Himself as such a supreme potter, and the fact that anyone should \u2018meddle\u2019 in His clay surprises and angers Him. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The image of the potter appears several times in Scripture \u2013 Jer 18:6; Rom 9:20\u201321.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>10 Woe <em>will<\/em>, whoever says to his father: \u2018What\u2019&nbsp;<em>speech,<\/em>&nbsp;Are you having a baby? And to the woman: What&nbsp;<em>speech,<\/em>&nbsp;Are you giving birth?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>LXX: to his mother;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>h.: you\u2019re writhing in pain;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This is followed by God\u2019s second \u2018woe\u2019, which this time is directed against \u2018<strong>\u2018critics of children\u2019.\u201d<\/strong> In what sense? In the sense that it is completely inappropriate for anyone to criticise parents for the sort of child they have brought into the world. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But it\u2019s more a case of children themselves criticising their parents for something: <strong>Why did you bring me into the world the way I am?<\/strong>  Alternatively:<strong> Why on earth did you bring me into this world?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does this mean from God\u2019s perspective? God clearly detests it when anyone criticises His work \u2013 especially when His work itself turns its criticism against Him: <strong>Why am I the way I am? Why wasn\u2019t I born at a different time, in a different place, in a different body, in better health and with greater abilities? <\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Just as it is inappropriate for clay or pottery shards to turn against their potter, so it is inappropriate for children to criticise their parents for the way they were born.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I find this analogy less accurate than the one about the potter: \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For one thing, couples have no control over the matter \u2013 they do not decide what their children will be like, nor can they influence it. The only thing they can influence is whether or not they will have a child.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They can influence many things through upbringing, but that is not what we are discussing here.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In summary: In two verses, God, speaking through Isaiah, calls on His people not to doubt His sovereignty and His plan. S<strong>Just as it is absurd for a child to blame its parents for being born, so it is absurd for a person to criticise God for the way they were created, when they were born, or what their lot in life is.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the context of the chapter, this may refer to the fact that some Israelites may have doubted God\u2019s decision to use the pagan ruler Cyrus to redeem His people. The text then provides a response to these objections: God reminds them that <strong>He is the Creator, and His ways are not to be questioned.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>11 Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and his Creator: \u2018As for the coming&nbsp;<em>things<\/em>&nbsp;Ask me anything! Do you want to give me orders about my sons, the work of my hands?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>God continues to set his critics straight: \u2018Do you really want to \u201cmeddle\u201d in the way I steer the course of history, you Creators?\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you really want to tell Me, the Sovereign, how I should go about it? Have you gone mad? You\u2019re nothing but shards \u2013 you\u2019re not even a pot \u2013 and yet you want to give advice to the potter? The only thing you can do is make love \u2013 what the child will be like is entirely up to Me. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a similar kind of anger to that shown by the owner of the vineyard in the parable of the labourers in the vineyard (Matthew 20), when the \u2018all-day\u2019 labourer sought to reproach him for the way he managed his money. When the latter sought to \u2018lecture\u2019 him and advise him on how he should do things \u2018properly\u2019.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For the coming&nbsp;<em>things<\/em>&nbsp;Feel free to ask me anything! <\/strong>There are two reasons:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It puts God\u2019s critics in their place: Instead of prattling on and criticising, you can ask me about things that really matter to you, such as the future.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Or (rather): I really do know what I\u2019m doing \u2013 after all, I\u2019ve planned out my entire future and have it firmly under control. Once you realise just how complex this issue is, you\u2019ll be more cautious in your criticism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perhaps one could say that this is the same kind of arrogance as if a beginner were to criticise a chess grandmaster for which piece he was moving. Or perhaps a patient undergoing heart surgery at the hands of a top surgeon were to tell the surgeon where to make the incision.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Courson\u2019s commentary offers a different interpretation: God wants us to command Him in faith to do what we ask \u2013 provided it is in accordance with the Bible \/ God\u2019s will, He will carry it out. I\u2019m not entirely convinced by this; the context doesn\u2019t seem to support it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>12 I made the earth, and I created mankind upon it. I\u2014it was my hands that spread out the heavens\u2014and I command all their host.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Lord goes on to put his critics \u2018into context\u2019 \u2013 I am the Creator of all that exists, both living and non-living.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will set all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and send help to my exiles&nbsp;<em>Home<\/em>, \u2018not for money, nor for a gift,\u2019 says the Lord of Hosts.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>i.e. Kyra;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>(may be understood as a prophetic phrase) n.: I will rouse;&nbsp;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I created the entire universe \u2013 so have no doubt that I am capable of influencing even the actions of a single king.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I\u2019ll influence him and he\u2019ll do the right thing, just as I want him to. I won\u2019t even have to \u2018bribe\u2019 him. He\u2019ll do it of his own accord.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cyrus really did not gain anything in terms of power from allowing the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>14 Thus says the Lord: The produce of Egypt, the profit&nbsp;<em>from the shop<\/em>&nbsp;The Kushites and the Sebajites, men of immense stature, will come to you and be yours. They will follow you; they will come in chains.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>They will bow down before you, pray to you: Only&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>at your place<sup>)<\/sup><\/em>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>God is, and there is no other; the gods are nothing.&nbsp;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>[The restored Israel is depicted, in the manner of the ancient Near East, as a great power that receives wealth and slaves as gifts;<\/em> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I\u2019m not entirely convinced by the CSP\u2019s interpretation \u2013 Isaiah is speaking more of Cyrus than of Israel; in the sense that his commitment to Israel will be compensated for elsewhere and from another source. Cyrus did indeed conquer Egypt and Kush, whereas the Israelites never again rose to the level of a powerful empire that the surrounding nations would seek to curry favour with. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unless, of course, it were an eschatological prophecy concerning Israel in the last days \u2013 but the fact that they will come in chains does not fit with that.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>15 Surely you&nbsp;<em>you are<\/em>&nbsp;God,&nbsp;<em>which<\/em>&nbsp;is hidden, the God of Israel, the Saviour.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An interesting verse \u2013 the Lord is the God of Israel, but at the same time a God who hides Himself. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We know that God hides Himself from people \u2013 ever since our expulsion from Paradise, by hiding Himself He has given us the opportunity to seek Him and find forgiveness and acceptance in Him. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There is a certain contradiction in the fact that God is the God of the Israelites (and the God of Christians) yet still takes care to remain hidden. God cares for his own, establishing a relationship with them, but he does so in a relatively unobtrusive, hidden way \u2013 in other words: <strong>God does not even reveal himself openly to his own people. <\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is good to remind ourselves that this is how it is and that it is all right. That this is God\u2019s will. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>16 They are ashamed and disgraced \u2014 the manufacturers&nbsp;<em>idolatrous<\/em>&nbsp;The two of them left together, their creations in tatters.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It\u2019s no wonder: there\u2019s probably no greater \u2018embarrassment\u2019 than when the creators and devotees of a model come face to face with the living God. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perhaps, to help illustrate the point, we can once again draw on the image of the endless shame that a husband must feel when caught by his wife in the act with an inflatable sex doll. The wretchedness of such behaviour is appalling. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>17 Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation. You will never be put to shame or disgraced, for ever and ever.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>But with you, my people, it will not end as it did with the idol-worshippers. You are mine; I have saved you. And you do not worship idols, so you will have no reason to be ashamed when you meet Me. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>18 For this is what the Lord says\u2014he who created the heavens, he&nbsp;<em>\"I have<\/em>&nbsp;God, who created the earth and prepared it, who established it \u2013 he did not create it in vain, but created it to be inhabited: I&nbsp;<em>\"I am<\/em>&nbsp;The Lord, and there is no other.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Isaiah describes God as:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>that,<strong> who created the heavens<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>who created the earth <\/strong>(perhaps it should be with a capital Z)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>prepared by <\/strong>Earth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>secured<\/strong> Earth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>He did not create the Earth in vain, but as a place to live<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In summary: In his \u2018creation of creation\u2019, God focused all his efforts on creating a place on Earth suitable for human life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And what does this Creator say? Something logical and, all in all, \u2018obvious\u2019: <strong>I&nbsp;<em>\"I am<\/em>&nbsp;The Lord, and there is no other.<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There is no other god, no other creator. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>19 I did not speak in secret in some dark corner of the land; I did not say&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>to the descendants of Jacob, in vain: \u2018Seek me.\u2019<sup>)<\/sup>&nbsp;I, the Lord, speak what is right; I proclaim what is just.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>i.e. hidden; <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>n.: to the descendants (h.: seed) of Jacob: You will seek me in vain (\/ in nothingness). \/ It is futile for you to seek me.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>n.: that which is true;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>pl.; n.: that which is right;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Lord has a vital message for His creation: <strong>A call for them to seek Him.<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God created the world, created humankind, and after their fall, He hid Himself (cf. v. 15) \u2013 but that does not mean that He did not want His call to be heard clearly and understandably. Not at all \u2013 God speaks \u2018straightforwardly\u2019 and tells the truth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>20 Gather together and come; draw near, all you refugees&nbsp;<em>it<\/em>&nbsp;nations!&nbsp;<em>Nothing<\/em>&nbsp;Those who carry their wooden idols and pray to a god do not understand,&nbsp;<em>which<\/em>&nbsp;cannot save.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Who are <strong>refugees&nbsp;<em>it<\/em>&nbsp;nations<\/strong>, who are to come before the Lord? \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These may be pagans who seek the Lord after realising the futility of worship as practised by their own people.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This may refer to the return of Jews scattered across the world, including, for example, those who have somehow become entangled in the idolatry of the nations amongst whom they lived.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are supposed to <strong>to gather, to come together and to draw closer together<\/strong> \u2013 The emphasis is on drawing closer to God, which should be a shared endeavour. People from all over the world are to put their heads together, reflect on their situation, turn away from idols and set out together in search of the true God. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is the most sensible thing they can do \u2013 idolising models is a complete waste of time and leads nowhere.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>21 Notify and submit&nbsp;<em>facts<\/em>, just&nbsp;<em>whether<\/em>&nbsp;They will consult one another. Who has declared this from of old, who has foretold it from of old? Was it not I, the Lord? For there is no other God but me.&nbsp;<em>Other<\/em>&nbsp;God, who is just and saves, is nowhere to be found but in me.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>People of all nations should reflect on this together \u2013 they have plenty of information to draw on. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God has not been silent since time immemorial \u2013 he has made his presence known to the whole world, not just to the Jews. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It must be clear to anyone who reflects on the matter impartially that there is only one true God, the Creator. The created world alone bears witness to this. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>22 Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I&nbsp;<em>\"I am<\/em>&nbsp;There is no God but Him.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The offer of salvation is open to everyone on the planet. One must come to the Lord (to Christ) \u2013 there is no other way to salvation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>23 I have sworn by myself; righteousness has gone forth from my lips, a word that cannot be revoked: every knee shall bow before me, every tongue shall swear:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When God wants to emphasise something, <strong>swears<\/strong>. He does not do this for His own sake, for His word is always true and perfect; He never speaks in vain. He has no need to swear. Why, then, does He do it?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He\u2019s obviously doing this for our sake, to emphasise to us that what he\u2019s saying is undoubtedly true and that it will come to pass. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God declares <strong>justice, a word that will not waver<\/strong> \u2013 in other words, what he says is absolutely correct and is inexorably coming to pass. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This is remarkable, as God\u2019s plans are often \u2018thrown a spanner in the works\u2019 by other free beings in the universe \u2013 humans, the devil and the demons. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>So what does the Lord say? <strong> that every knee shall bow before Him<\/strong>. One might say that forcing every person to kneel before God is not all that difficult \u2013 an encounter with the Lord is overwhelming for everyone. One can be forced to kneel; it can be brought about by force (and the Most High has plenty of that). <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Lord further swears that <strong>every tongue will swear<\/strong>. We\u2019ll see later what people will swear to. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>24 \u2018In the Lord alone,\u2019 he says,\u00a0<sup>(<\/sup>I have justice<sup>)<\/sup>\u00a0and strength.\u00a0<sup>(<\/sup>He will come right up to him, and all those who are seething with anger against him will be put to shame.<sup>)<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>n.: I can do righteous deeds; <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>var.: They will come right up to him, and all those who are seething with anger against him will be put to shame.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>People admit that <strong>It is in the Lord alone that they find righteousness and strength.<\/strong> This applies to believers. God\u2019s greatest creative \u2018masterpiece\u2019 is that free beings, with a tendency towards evil, voluntarily submit themselves to God. For this cannot be achieved by force. Love cannot be forced; love must be voluntary. Once some people come to know God (through Christ), they will voluntarily and gladly submit to Him. They will recognise that He is just and that everything He does is <strong>Fair<\/strong>. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And to recognise that if we have any <strong>the power of<\/strong>, we have received it from Him, so it is no longer so difficult for believers. It is, in fact, quite natural. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But not everyone will submit to God in this way \u2013 what about those who rejected God or were even hostile towards Him? They will <strong>to be ashamed<\/strong>: Once they have seen with their own eyes what God is like, their actions will seem embarrassing, pointless and foolish to them. When they realise who they have been fighting against, their shame will be endless. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>25 They shall be justified in the Lord, and\u00a0<em>by him<\/em>\u00a0all the descendants of Israel will boast of this.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Lord and those who believe in Him <strong>justify <\/strong>\u2013 He will declare them righteous on the basis of their faith. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And the faithful will trust in the Lord <strong>to boast<\/strong>: You see, this is the God we told you about and whom we have followed. Can you see how marvellous he is? Can you see that we were right and you were wrong?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We are in the Old Testament, so we are talking about God\u2019s people, Israel \u2013 but this also applies to New Testament Christians. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1 Toto prav\u00ed Hospodin o sv\u00e9m pomazan\u00e9m,&nbsp;o K\u00fdrovi, jeho\u017e uchop\u00edm za pravici, abych mu podrobil n\u00e1rody&nbsp;a&nbsp;(rozv\u00e1zal bedra kr\u00e1l\u016f,)&nbsp;abych&nbsp;(p\u0159ed n\u00edm)&nbsp;otev\u0159el vrata, tak\u017ee br\u00e1ny nebudou zav\u0159eny:&nbsp; 2 J\u00e1 p\u016fjdu&nbsp;(p\u0159ed tebou)&nbsp;a hory&nbsp;vyrovn\u00e1m, bronzov\u00e1 vrata rozl\u00e1mu a \u017eelezn\u00e9 z\u00e1vory odsek\u00e1m.&nbsp; 3 A d\u00e1m ti poklady temnoty&nbsp;a skryt\u00e9 z\u00e1soby z&nbsp;\u00fakryt\u016f, abys poznal,&nbsp;(\u017ee&nbsp;jsem to&nbsp;j\u00e1, Hospodin, kter\u00fd t\u011b povol\u00e1v\u00e1m jm\u00e9nem,&nbsp;B\u016fh Izraele.) 4 [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-izajas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8826\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}