Isaiah 44:28

Isaiah 44 contains a very scathing attack on idolatry, which is almost funny to read to us, until we realize that idolatry, of course, is not merely worship of handmade bits of material. Then we realize what a sad state this world is in. However, today I’m not going to focus on this ‘negative’ as it were, but the magnificent positives in the last five verses.

God is again convincing Israel that He is faithful to them. That He is their only hope. He is the only One that can restore them, and that He will definitely do that (remembering at this time they are captives in Babylon). It seems every time He does this He starts by saying something very similar to ‘Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb’ (Isaiah 44:24a). That is, He always starts with saying something about Him being there before they were created, watching over their creation and development with the greatest care. I think He is trying to hit home with them that He cares infinitely much about them. He is like an infinitely good father watching over his children. If He was there before they even began, and watched them closely as they developed, and has cared for them greatly up until now, then why should He lose interest in them now?

On this occasion, He repeats the phrase ‘Who *insert present tense verb* something for you’ many times over. For instance, in verse 26 He says ‘Who confirms the word of His servants…’. He says many things that only He could do – spreads abroad the Earth, stretches out the heavens (all alone!). And then He says

‘Who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure,
Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,”
And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”’ (Isaiah 44:28)

Of course, it was Cyrus, 100 or so years later, that let the Israelites go back to their homeland and build the temple and the walls again. You see, God already knows how He is going to deal with the problem! He wants them to trust Him. He wants the Israelites to realize that only He can do it! He wants them to return to Him. That is the reason they were taken captive in the first place.

Are we captive in any part of our lives at the moment? Are we burdened by any sin that seems to dominate us? Are problems taking over us? Perhaps exams are weighing us down? In any of these cases, we must realize that it is only God that can fix our problems, or lead us out of them! It is only God who has been there from our birth, who can move the stars, who looks after the earth, who confounds the wise, who gives sight to the blind, heals the broken. And it is only God who will restore us. I think often He is just waiting for us to realize that before He does so.