Idols
God sets up a courtroom for Him to challenge idols asking them to prove that they are worthy to be gods.
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17. “From the pictures of a servant and a worm, Isaiah turned to the picture of a desert becoming a garden (41:17-20).” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Prophets. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2002], 51)
“This prophecy does not provide a theological reason for the lack of rain, but droughts can sometimes indicate the withdrawal of God’s blessing of the rain (Jeremiah 14; Haggai 1:9-11).” (Smith, Gary V., The New American Commentary, Volume 15B, Isaiah 40-66. [Nashville, B & H Publishing Group, 2009], 140)
18. “God’s miraculous provisions will involve his blessing of water (v. 18) and plants (v. 19).” (Smith, 140)
19. “This abundant production of water is a vivid sign of God’s fulfillment of his great covenant promises (30:15; 44:3-5; Deuteronomy 11:14).” (Smith, 140)
20. “It is all too easy to excuse things as quirks of nature, but one will be able to deny the presence of the hand of God. When these people observe this, they will finally understand the significance of God’s creative power.” (Smith, 141)
Courtroom
21. “God challenged the idols of the nations to prove that they were really gods.” (Wiersbe, 51)
“This is a challenge to idolatry. Anything you put between your soul and God is your idol—regardless of what it is.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume III. [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 288)
22. “Man doesn’t know his origin, and he doesn’t know the future. Man is a very ignorant creature. Have you ever stopped to think how little you know?” (McGee, 289)
23. “One might assume a period of embarrassing silence (after 41:23a) in which there was again no answer from the gods. This strange and awkward silence raised serious questions about the ability of these idols to predict the future.” (Smith, 146)
24. “Man cannot explain his past, and he does not know his future apart from God. That makes all of man’s effort apart from God a very vain thing, an empty thing.” (McGee, 289)
“The interim verdict, based on the evidence so far, is that these gods are nothing; literally ‘they are from nothing’; in fact their deeds are ‘from nothing.’” (Smith, 146)
Yahweh
25. “The contrast between these inactive gods and Yahweh is striking. Yahweh had called Cyrus, one from the north, to take over world rule.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
26. “Did the idols do this or did the God of Jerusalem?” (Smith, 149)
“In verse 26 God continued to question the gods without success.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
27. “God revealed to his people, even through a verb of speaking or telling is not included in the first line.” (Smith, 150)
28. “No other god had an answer for Yahweh’s cross examination. In fact, they could not even say one word.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
29. “The court decision was clear. Only Yahweh stood the test. The gods were false—created images, just a bunch of hot air doing nothing.” [Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
“The prophet’s audience does not need to fear these gods. There is only one God who controls Israel’s future.” (Smith, 151)
References
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.
Max Anders and Trent C. Butler (2012). HOTC Vol. 15: Isaiah. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume III. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
Smith, Gary V., The New American Commentary, Volume 15B, Isaiah 40-66. Nashville, B & H Publishing Group, 2009
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Prophets. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2002
