14. The LORD's Superiority to the Gods of Babylon (Isaiah 46:1-13)
INTRODUCTION: In this section the prophet mocks the deities of Babylon who will not only fail to save their people, but have to be rescued themselves. By way of contrast, the LORD saves His people to the uttermost. The reason for this great disparity between those gods and the LORD is clearly the truth that Yahweh is the one true God, sovereign over all creation.
It is hard for modern believers to imagine how great the struggle with idolatry must have been. All nations made claims that their god or gods were the most powerful; and that was usually backed up by military conquests and enslavement of other people, thus showing superiority over their gods. Idolatrous people do not hesitate to add other deities to their collection, and so in a conquest might assimilate the gods of the defeated tribes, as if those deities were actually supporting the conquering armies. At the exile it was hard for the Israelites to protest that their God Yahweh was sovereign over the nations, when the temple was destroyed, the cities wiped out, and the people carried away.
But the true believers could look to the messages of the prophets to point out that God had predicted His people would be taken into captivity. That was unusual. No people had a deity who punished His own people. They were always nationalistic gods. But the words of the prophets came true; so the remnant knew God was in control, even though His people could claim no victory. And now, with the oracles about a return, they could also see God's sovereignty. The nations of Assyria and Babylon may have held the power, but their gods did not accomplish that-Yahweh did. He did this only for His purposes; now that a new purpose was in line, Yahweh would overthrow Babylon. So when we consider the question of which God can save, we shall have to keep in mind how Israel's God withheld His salvation until the right time, and then how He saved His people. Here, too, we can see His sovereignty, for He has His plan and His schedule.
In this section we have about four separate sections that make up the whole argument. The first two verses ridicule the impotence of idols. This is then contrasted with the affirmation of how the LORD saves to the end (3,4). Then, to make the point that the LORD is incomparable, there is a challenge put forth to the competition which shows that only the LORD can deliver (5-11). Finally, the LORD declares His power to save (12,13).
There are other ways to analyze this section. There seems to be a pattern in the part of the chapter that is instructional. The prophet speaks to Israel first with the command "Hearken"; then when he again exhorts them it is with "Remember"; and then the third time he returns to "Hear." There is a bit of an inclusion to this arrangement. The first section calling them to hearken tells how He will bear them up and rescue them; and the last section telling them to hearken as well repeats the theme that He will deliver them. But the "remember" section in the middle focuses on the nature of Yahweh as the one true God. Here then is the basis for the deliverance; and here then would be the central emphasis of the theology of the passage-the nature of God. This arrangement is helpful to note, but it does not work as easily into an outline because the sections on idolatry cannot be worked in as well.
EXPOSITION
I. Idols cannot even save themselves (46:1- 2).
In the first two verses we have a mockery of the pagan gods. These deities are carried around on animals and slaves as part of their normal ritual processions. They could become very heavy. And when the trouble comes, those who carry them will flee, not saving their gods! The announcement that Bel and Nebo will not be able to save themselves indicates that this oracle preceded the invasion by Cyrus.121 God was about to bring in Cyrus; and when He did, the Babylonian gods would be of no help. So, this little section is indirectly a prediction of the fall of Babylon.
"Bel" is belu, which is the equivalent of ba'al in Western Semitic. Bel is the Semitic title for the ancient Sumerian god Enlil, Lord of the Air. When the people of Babylon took over the Sumerian culture, they made Enlil part of their triad and named him Bel. Marduk was the eldest son of Ea, another ancient deity, god of Water. In the mythology Marduk fought Tiamat and was rewarded with fifty titles and supreme authority. Bel conferred upon him his own title of "Lord of the Land" and Ea declared, "Let him like me be called Ea." Thus Marduk eventually absorbed the other gods and took over their functions-creator, healer, deliverer, and determiner of fate; he is in many ways the equivalent of Jupiter. So we find the title Bel Merodach; he became the king of the gods and the official deity of the city of Babylon in the Neo-Babylonian period (the name of the city was bab-ili in Babylonian, "the gate of god"122 ; it was a major center of worship). The theophoric element "bel" is in the name "Belshazzar."
"Nebo" is nabu, the son and prophet of Bel (compare Hebrew nabi' [nah-vee], "prophet"). He was equal to Mercury (or better, Apollo). His city is Borsippa. When fate was being determined in the realm of heaven, Bel confided to his son what was decided, and Nabu wrote it on the Tablets of Fate. According to this, from Bel and Nabu the fate of the country was determined for another year. Isaiah has another view! The theophoric element "nabu" appears in names like Nabonaid, Nabopolasser, and Nabuchadnezzer.123
The text alludes to beasts, elephants, and camels probably, that would carry the images of these deities in processions, or festival enthronements; they now must carry them to safety in flight. But as the people fled they would not be able to rescue them. Later, Cyrus restored some of these gods.
These verses have irony and sarcasm in them, which makes for a wonderful polemic. How absurd to trust in deities that cannot save themselves; how absurd for the Israelites to fear deities that have to be rescued when Yahweh judges the city.
II. The LORD saves His people to the end (46:3-4).
Here now is the contrast-the LORD does not need to be saved, He saves His people. Note how the section begins with a call for the house of Jacob and the "remnant" of Israel to listen to the Word of the LORD. When a passage talks about the LORD's protection of "His people" it will be referring to the faithful (as a whole), because those whom He declared "not my people" He did not sustain.
The contrast between the LORD and pagan gods is drawn out further: the deities that those animals bore or carried became a burden to the weary beasts; but the LORD bears up and carries His people. The idiom of "carry" is based on the implied comparison that supporting and sustaining people is like carrying them wherever they go.
The LORD supports and sustains His people throughout their lives, even to their old age, when they have the hoary head. The contrast is striking-you will grow old, but I AM. And, unlike pagan gods, the LORD is not only capable of movement, He is the prime Mover, the One who delivers. The benefits to God's people can be summarized in the verbs used: "I have made ... I will bear ... I will carry ... I will deliver."
III. Idols are not comparable to the LORD's power (46:5-11).
A. The LORD challenges the competitions (vv. 5-7).
These verses repeat the challenge that has appeared previously in the text, beginning in chapter 40. The LORD
demands to know who is like Him. With whom can anyone compare the LORD? The words form a challenge,
but they are also eroteses (rhetorical questions) for the implication is that there is no one comparable.
He picks up the theme again of pagans making gods (compare Isa. 44), carrying them around in processions, and placing them in temples-where they did not move until carried somewhere. Not only are they immobile in their niches, when people cry to them for help, they cannot answer and cannot save (yosi`ennu from yasa`) anyone from trouble. The point is that if these gods are all that can be stood up to compete against the LORD, there is no competition.
B. The LORD calls for commitment (vv. 8-11).
Now the LORD turns to His people to call for them to act upon the spiritual heritage they have. The key introductory theme here is "remember this ... bring it to mind ... remember." As mentioned earlier, the idea of remembering in Hebrew has to do with recalling the promises of God and putting them into practice by faith. Here the remnant-addressed as "transgressors" because of their refusal to step out in faith on the Word of the LORD and because of their sins that brought them to Babylon124-is to remember the nature of their God. He is sovereign and powerful, calling things to happen before they do, declaring His will, and fulfilling His plan. The plan here is the restoration of Israel to her land and mission. So this is a call for the people to respond by faith to the Word.
The second verb in verse 8 is difficult. The form in question is hit'osesu (hith-oh-sheh-shoo). It is a Hithpael imperative; but the etymology is unclear. It has been translated "show yourselves men," "be firm," "be flush with shame"; the main conjectures apart from the standard translations include: "be ashamed," and "own yourselves guilty" (these two conjectures would alter the text to connect with bosh and 'asham respectively. I suspect that the idea of "stand fast" or "be firm" fits the context the best. The prophet does address the audience as "transgressors" however, and that is one reason for an idea of "be ashamed." One ought not be too dogmatic here.
After reiterating that He is God and that there is no one else, the LORD focuses the themes of His sovereignty and prophecy in the expression "My counsel shall stand" ('asati taqum [a-tsa-tee tah-koom])-God will do His will. His pleasure. In that light, Cyrus is introduced here as "a ravenous bird" from the east. This hypocatastasis is then clarified for us with the parallel "the man of my counsel"-linking the image with the above emphasis on God's counsel. Cyrus, then, was the focus of the predetermined plan of deliverance; and no one can tell God what He should or should not do. The sum of the matter is "I have spoken, I will bring it to pass; I have purposed (yasarti [ya-tsar-tee]), the word used earlier for "formed" with a plan or purpose or design), I will also do it."
IV. Only the LORD can save (46:12-13).
Now the LORD declares His power to save. He addresses the "obstinate" (the stout or mighty of heart), those whose wills would be hard to break. First he addressed the remnant, the house of Jacob (perhaps suggesting the need of blessing and need of some further correction), then transgressors, and now stubborn. Like their ancestors in Egypt they were always resisting the new prophet. They had grown accustomed to their lives in exile, and were not ready for a whole new program.125 They are also described as "far from righteousness," which in this context means that they were not yet delivered from exile (see the discussion of "righteousness" below). They were indeed slow to believe the words of the prophet, especially the words that this prophet had written.126 But until they responded they would be in spiritual and national difficulty. So they were to "hearken"-listen to the message and respond favorably.127
The two key words in this section are "righteousness" (tsidqati, from tsedaqah [s.v. tsadaq]) and "salvation" (teshu'ati, from teshu'ah [s.v. yasha']). The two are parallel and so must work together in the meaning of the line. The promise is clearly for "salvation"-the deliverance from exile and the restoration to Zion of the glorious work through God's people. The idea of "righteousness" must then be a metonymy of either cause or of adjunct-that the deliverance or salvation is a fulfillment of the LORD's righteousness or faithful justice. Compare Psalm 98:2, which says, "The LORD has made known His salvation // His righteousness has He openly shown in the sight of the nations."
Conclusion
The whole passage is a practical application of the sovereignty of God. Because the LORD is the sovereign LORD God, He is fully able to do what He has planned to do-save His people. He will defeat and humiliate all false worshipers and their gods who can in no way save. Likewise, the New Testament makes it clear that the LORD is able to save to the uttermost.
The target audience of this oracle is the Jewish community in exile. They had all but given up on getting free; they may have concluded that the other side won, and that they now need only bide their time and live as well as they could under Gentile dominion. They were not keen on going back; Zerubbabel (in 536 B.C.), Ezra (in 455 B.C.), and Nehemiah (in 444 B.C.) had great difficulty getting people to return. This message would then serve to rekindle confidence among the people of God, who may have been wavering with words like "Where is the promise of His coming?" The prophet has compared this deliverance to the exodus of Egypt; well, the people here seem to be very much like the people back there-stiff-necked.
EW-Isaiah 46:3-13 - Dead Idols and the Living God
A. The idols of the nations are carried into captivity.
1. (46:1-2) The false gods are carried away on carriages.
Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, A burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; They could not deliver the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity.
a. Bel bows down, Nebo stoops: Bel and Nebo were names of two false gods the idol-worshipping nations served. It is as if now God gets personal, "naming names" when it comes to idols; and now these false gods are brought low.
i. The names of the pagan gods Bel and Nebo are familiar to us in the names Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar.
ii. "In chapter 45 Isaiah declared that every knee will bow to the Lord, and here he pictures the gods of the great Babylon stooping low in humiliation." (Grogan)
b. Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded: Isaiah pictures God's people going into captivity, in a forced relocation. Loaded on to their beasts and carriages are their idols - even their idols are carried away into captivity, and loaded on the moving trucks! The bottom line is they could not deliver the burden, but have themselves gone into captivity.
2. (46:3-4) The LORD, the true God, will carry His people.
"Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
a. Who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb: The false gods represented by silent and dead idols must be carried; but God carries His people. He carried them from before their birth, and He promises to continue to carry them (even to gray hairs I will carry you!).
b. I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry: This is the same Fatherly care Jesus spoke of in Luke 12:6-7: Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. When we understand that has made us, and we are valuable to Him, then we can trust Him to carry us.
i. Good question: do you have to carry your gods, or does your God carry you?
3. (46:5-7) The LORD can save His people when the idols are helpless.
"To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal, And compare Me, that we should be alike? They lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship. They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it, And set it in its place, and it stands; From its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer, Nor save him out of his trouble.
a. They lavish gold out of the bag: Much money and attention are given to the production and care of our idols. Yet, though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer nor save him out of his trouble. Isaiah again exposes the ironic folly of idolatry.
B. A call to remember.
1. (8-10) Remember that the LORD knows the beginning and the end.
"Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure."
a. Remember this, and show yourselves men: We can gain the courage of men when we remember the things God tells us to remember. How much defeat we suffer in the Christian life through simply forgetting.
b. Remember the former things of old...there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning: God knows the end of every matter, of every course of circumstances, just as clearly as anyone else can see the beginning of it.
c. Saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure": God knows the end from the beginning because He is much more than a passive observer of events. His counsel shall stand. His works and plans never fail, because He will do all His pleasure. God isn't just watching the entire parade of history, He is directing the parade.
• The essential point is that God's people must remember this about the LORD - that He knows the end from the beginning and is in control over all things. When we remember this, we will show yourselves men. We can have tremendous courage in our God when we understand and remember who He is and what He does.
2. (11-13) Remember that the LORD will bring a deliverer to Zion.
Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness: I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory.
a. Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel: This is another reference to Cyrus. God's people need to remember that God always has a deliverer for His people, even if He has to find one among pagan kings.
b. My salvation shall not linger: God's people need to remember that God's timing is always precise and wise. When we are stubborn-hearted we need to listen to the LORD and remember He never delays and is never late. God always has His deliverer, and always knows exactly when to bring His deliverance.
Isa. 46:3-13 - PULPIT COMMENTARIES
Isaiah 46:1-13-EXPOSITION
I. FALL OF THE GODS OF BABYLON. Among the direct consequences of the victories of Cyrus will be the downfall, in a certain sense, of the Babylonian idolatry. The prophet expresses the downfall by material imagery, graphically describing the fate of the idols themselves. But we must regard him as exulting mainly in the thought of the blow that would be dealt to idolatry in general, and to the Babylonian fond of it in particular, by the substitution of the non-idolatrous and almost monotheistic Persians for the polytheistic and grossly idolatrous Babylonians, in the sovereignty of the Asiatic world. The Babylonian religion no doubt maintained itself at Babylon until and beyond the time of Alexander; but it had lost all its prestige. From the state religion of the chief empire of Western Asia, it had sunk to the position of a provincial cult.
Isaiah 46:1: Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth. In the later Babylonian period, to which Isaiah's prophetic vision transports him, Bel and Nebo (if we understand by Bel, Bel-Merodach) were decidedly the two principal gods. Of the seven kings of the last dynasty, three had names in which Nebo, and two names in which Bel or Merodach, wad an element. Bel-Merodach and Nebo are the chief gods worshipped by Nebuchadnezzar and Neriglissar. Bel, Nebo, and Merodach are the only three Babylonian gods that receive acknowledgment from Cyrus in the so-called 'Cyrus Cylinder.' Bel is, in the Babylonian, "Bil," or "Belu," and means simply "lord." There was an ancient god of the name, one of the First Triad (Anu, Bel, and Hen or Hod), who came by degrees to be identified with Merodach, the tutelary deity of Babylon. Bel-Merodach was the Βῆλος (Belus) of the Greeks and Romans, who was worshipped in the great temple of Babylon, now represented by the ruin called "Babil." His name forms an element in those of Bel-lush, Bel-kudur-azur, Bel-ipni. Bel-zakir-isknn, and Belshazzar, all of them kings or viceroys of either Babylonia or Assyria. Nebu was the Babylonian god of learning, and has therefore been compared to Mercury. He was the special deity of Borsippa. The name is thought to be etymologically connected with the Hebrew nabi, prophet. The "bowing" and "stooping" of Bel and Nebo has primary reference to the overthrow of their images by the conqueror; but includes also the idea of the fall of the gods themselves in the opinions of men. Their idols were upon the beasts. The Chaldean images generally-not only those of Bel-Merodach and Nebo, but also of Ann, and Hen, and Beltis, and Ishtar, and Nergal, and Sin, and Shamas, and Gula, and others-would be torn from their shrines, and placed upon the backs of beasts of burden, to be carried off by the conquerors. No doubt this was the case with a large number of the images, which were among the most precious of the spoils seized by the soldiers. But it appears that numerous exceptions were made. Neither Cyrus nor Cambyses touched the famous golden image of Bel-Merodach at Babylon, which was first carried off from the great temple by Xerxes (Herod; 1.183). Cyrus, moreover, restored various idols, which Nabonidus had taken to Babylon from provincial towns, to the temples to which they of right belonged. But though their fate was in tiffs way often delayed, ultimately it is probable every valuable idol was carried off and committed to the melting-pot. Your carriages were heavy loaden; rather, the things that ye carried (in procession) are now borne along heavily. The allusion is to the contrast between the light-hearted carrying of the images on festal occasions by their votaries (Isaiah 45:20), and their slow transport to foreign lands on the backs of wearied beasts.
Isaiah 46:2: They stoop, they bow down together; i.e. all the Babylonian gods would suffer equally-not one would be able to protect himself. They could not deliver the burden. A distinction is here made between the god and the idol, which have hitherto been identified. The god was, in each case, unable to deliver, or save from capture, the heavy "burden" of gold, or silver, or bronze (i.e. his own image) which was carried off on the back of the "weary beast." On the contrary, the gods themselves-the "souls" of the images, immanent in them-were carried off with the images into captivity.
II. AN ADMONITION TO ISRAEL--Isaiah 46:3-8:. Israel should learn from the fate of the Babylonian idols to trust in Jehovah, who can and will deliver them, rather than in gods of gold and silver, which can give no aid, either to themselves or others.
Isaiah 46:3: All the remnant of the house of Israel. The address is not to those who had remained faithful of the ten tribes (as Delitzsch supposes), but to the captives of Babylon, designated in these later chapters indifferently as "Jacob" or "Israel" (Isaiah 40:27; Isaiah 41:8, Isaiah 41:14; Isaiah 42:24; Isaiah 43:1,Isaiah 43:28; Isaiah 44:1, Isaiah 44:21, Isaiah 44:23; Isaiah 45:4, etc.), never as "Judah," and constantly mentioned as a "remnant"-all that was left of the oppressed and down-trodden nation (see Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 10:20-22; Isaiah 11:16. etc.). Borne by me. Carried in the everlasting arms, as a child in the arms of its nurse or mother (comp. Isaiah 63:9). From the belly ... from the womb. From the very beginning of the national existence.
Isaiah 46:4: Even to your old age I am he; even to hoar hairs, etc. The nurse-even the mother-soon grows tired of carrying the child, and leaves him to shift for himself. But God's tender care for his people lasts from their infancy, through their boyhood and manhood, to their old age. The everlasting arms never weary. God's watchfulness, his providence, his protection, never fail. I have made, and I will bear. The maker of a thing has naturally regard to what he has made, loves it, desires its good, seeks to defend and save it.
Isaiah 46:5: To whom will ye liken me? (comp. Isaiah 40:18.) Am I to be likened to the idols of Babylon? Will you make images of me? Bethink you what the very nature of an idol is how contrary to my nature! My idol would be no more capable of helping itself or others than the images of Nebo or Bel-Merodach.
Isaiah 46:7: They bear him upon the shoulder (see the comment on Isaiah 45:20). Here, however, it is not the carrying in procession that is spoken of, but the conveyance of the imago by the workman from his own workshop to the temple where it is to be set up. The carrying of heavy burdens upon the shoulder is mentioned by Herodotus (2.35), and frequently represented on ancient monuments. From his place shall he net remove; i.e. he (the god) will have no power of moving an inch from the spot on which he is set up. There he will stand motionless, till some one comes and pushes him or pulls him from his place.
Isaiah 46:8: Remember this, and show yourselves men; or, remember this, and stand firm. Isaiah is addressing those who waver between true religion and idolatry. Hitherto they have not fallen away, but they are in danger of so doing. Remember, he says to them, or "bear in mind constantly the impotence of the idols, and the power of Jehovah, and then stand firm-remain in your old faith-do not be drawn over to so foolish a thing as idolatry." O ye transgressors. It is to be a "transgressor" even to contemplate the turning from Jehovah to idolatry. Israel has been already "called a transgressor from the beginning" (Isaiah 48:8).
Isaiah 46:9-11
III. A FURTHER ADMONITION GROUNDED ON OTHER MOTIVES. Israel is exhorted to continue firm in the faith
(1) by the recollection of God's mercies in the past (Isaiah 46:9);
(2) by the consideration of his prophetic power (Isaiah 46:10); and
(3) by a renewed promise of coming deliverance through Cyrus (Isaiah 46:11).
Isaiah 46:9: Remember the former things of old; i.e. God's wonderful dealings with Israel in times past-the
miracles in Egypt, the passage of the Red Sea, the deliverances from Midian, and Ammon, and the Philistines, and Zerah, and Sennacherib-which proved him God in a sense in which the word could be applied to no other. I am God ... I am God. In the original, "I am El ... I am Elohim." El is "the Mighty One," "the Omnipotent;"
Elohim, "the Godhead" in all its fulness.
Isaiah 46:10: Declaring the end from the beginning; i.e. "possessed of the very highest prophetic power, able to declare from the very beginnings of history its ultimate issues" (see Gen 3:15; 21:18, etc.). My counsel; rather, my purpose, or my plan (comp. Psalms 33:11; Job 23:13; and supra, Isaiah 14:24).
Isaiah 46:11: Calling a ravenous bird; rather, a bird of prey. The imagery is quite natural, and exactly parallel to that by which Nebuchadnezzar is termed "an eagle," both by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 44:22) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 17:3). There is no need to suppose any allusion to the fact, if fact it be, that the Persians from the time of Cyrus had for a standard a golden eagle, with wings outspread, on the top of a spear-shaft (Xen; 'Cyrop.,' 7.1, § 4; 'Anab.,' 1.10, § 12). From the east (comp. Isaiah 41:2, Isaiah 41:25). Both Persia and Susiana, which were the primary seats of the power of Cyrus, lay to the east of Babylon, the latter due east, the former somewhat to the south-east. Even Media might, according to Hebrew usage, be described as east, though lying almost due north-east.
Isaiah 46:12-13
AN ADMONITION TO THE OBDURATE IN ISRAEL. God's mercy extends even to those who resist his grace. They who have been hitherto stiff-necked and "far from righteousness," have a special warning addressed to them, Salvation is drawing nigh; the deliverance of Israel is approaching; there is no time to lose; will they not east in their lot with the true Israel, and take advantage of the deliverance when it comes?
Isaiah 46:12: Ye stout-hearted (comp. Ezekiel 2:6; Ezekiel 3:7; and infra, Isaiah 48:4). The LXX. translate by σκληροκάρδιοι.
Isaiah 46:13: I bring near my righteousness; i.e. "my righteous judgment is approaching-that judgment which involves vengeance on my enemies, mercy and deliverance to my people." This latter is the salvation that shall not tarry. In Zion. The headquarters of the "salvation" shall once more be Mount Zion, or Jerusalem, where God's people shall once more take up their abode, and which shall be "the centre of the renovated nation" (Delitzsch).
Isaiah 46:1-13 EXPLAINED
Verses 1-13: "Bel" and "Nebo" were two of the most prominent Babylonian deities. The name Bel is derived from Baal and refers to Marduk, the patron deity of Babylon. Nebo (or Nabu), was viewed as the son of Bel (Marduk). His name is found in the name of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The idea in this passage is that the Babylonian deities will one day fall before the Lord (Nebuchadnezzar's confession in Daniel 4).
The rhetorical question "To whom will ye liken me?" implies the obvious answer, no one! "I am God, and there is none like me." Yahweh is the unique and incomprehensible God. His uniqueness is found in His "declaring the end from the beginning." His singular distinctiveness is His ability to predict the future with complete accuracy. Since He alone knows the future, the "salvation" of the Lord "shall not tarry" (Hab. 2:3; Heb. 10:37). In the timetable of God, all things are proceeding on schedule.
Isaiah 46:1 "Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages [were] heavy loaden; [they are] a burden to the weary [beast]."
"Bel ... Nebo": The two most prominent gods in Babylon. "Bel" is another spelling for "Baal," the Phoenician chief god of Babylon. That "Nebo" was extensively worshiped is shown by the proper names compounded from his: Nebuchadnezzar, Nabopolassar, and Nebuzaradan.
Bel and Nebo were both false gods worshipped by the Babylonians. They believed in many false gods, of which these are just two. Belshazzar's name was an extension of Bel. Nebo was the false god of learning.
These idols were so heavy they had to be carried by beasts of burden. They were probably made of some heavy metal such as gold.
Isaiah 46:2 "They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity."
"Gone into captivity": When Cyrus came; even the gods were taken into exile. These idols couldn't save themselves from being laid down on the backs of beasts and hauled away, let alone save the people who worshiped them.
It appears that these figures of the false gods were taken as spoil when the Babylonians were overthrown. As we said above, these idols were often made of gold and would make them desirable to the captors for the amount of gold in them.
This would, also, make a terribly heavy load for these beasts of burden to carry very far.
Verses 3-4: "All the remnant of the house of Israel": The God of Israel is not helpless like idols. In His strength, He has sustained and will sustain helpless Israel through every circumstance. (In verse 4), the Lord uses the first person pronoun 6 times to emphasize His personal involvement in delivering Israel.
Isaiah 46:3 "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne [by me] from the belly, which are carried from the womb:"
Hearken means to listen carefully. They must see that these idols are of no help in times of trouble. Israel became a nation, because God called them to be His people. He was their Father. There had been a remnant that had not bowed their knees to false gods.
God wants them to learn a lesson in all this. When they are faithful to Him, He blesses them. When they follow false gods, He will not protect them.
Isaiah 46:4 "And [even] to [your] old age I [am] he; and [even] to hoar hairs will I carry [you]: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver [you]."
God will be with them all of their lives. He will never abandon His own. God reminds them again that He is their Maker and He will protect them all of their lives, from infancy to death.
"Hoar hairs" is speaking of grey hair of old age. He is a very present help for His children.
Verses 5-8: The human origin and utter impotence of idols renders them unfit for comparison with the God of Israel (40:18-20).
(In verse 8), the prophet calls on the readers to recall the impotence of the idols they worship in transgression of God's law.
Isaiah 46:5 "To whom will ye liken me, and make [me] equal, and compare me, that we may be like?"
God alone is God. There is no other. To compare God to an idol, or false god, would be blasphemy. It appears that some of God's people had wandered into idolatry in Babylon. They did not stay true to faith in the One True God.
To be unfaithful to God with these false gods is to commit spiritual adultery.
Isaiah 46:6 "They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, [and] hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship."
We have said this many times before, but it is worth repeating. These idols of silver and gold were the creation of man. They are not the Creator. In fact, they have no power to do anything. They are not alive and never have been.
The Creator of the universe, and everything, and everyone in it, is the one to be praised. God is the Creator. The Word of God created everything and everyone, and He alone should be worshipped.
Isaiah 46:7 "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."
God lifts the burdens of His people. These idols are a burden to the people who worship them. The greatest example of this that I can think of is when the prophets of Baal were challenged by Elijah. Read with me the story of what happened.
Isaiah 46:8 "Remember this, and show yourselves men: bring [it] again to mind, O ye transgressors."
God is stating that they must be men enough to decide between Him and these false gods. Many of the troubles of these Israelites was because they fell away from God.
Isaiah 46:9 "Remember the former things of old: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else; [I am] God, and [there is] none like me,"
"Remember the former things of old": The readers are to recall:
(1) All the past history of fulfilled prophecies; as well as
(2) Miraculous deliverances such as that from Egypt; and
(3) Providential blessings Israel has experienced.
All of these are ample evidence that He alone is God.
This had been shown over and over by God to these faithless people. God proved Himself, as we just studied above, showing Baal to be nothing. He discredited the false gods of Egypt, when He brought the 10 plagues against them.
They must now look back at their own history and see that there is but One God. He is the I AM. There are no other gods.
Isaiah 46:10 "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"
With God there is no time limitation. He lives in eternity, which has no time separation. The beginning of creation until the end of everything is one eternal day. It is not difficult for God to know what the future holds, because He is the future as well as the present.
He is "I AM". Whatever God says is fact. It will happen, if He declared it, because He is absolute Truth.
Isaiah 46:11 "Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken [it], I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed [it], I will also do it."
"Man ... from a far country": Cyrus was this man whom God summoned to conquer Babylon and return a remnant of Israel to end the 70 year captivity a century and a half after Isaiah wrote this prophecy (44:28; 45:1).
Cyrus was called a "bird" for his swiftness, and "ravenous" for his fierceness, and victories over his enemies. The "east" here means Persia. The word 'ravenous bird' is rendered 'fowl' (in Job 28:7); "bird" or "birds" (in Jeremiah 12:9); "fowls" (in Genesis 15:11; Isaiah 18:6); and "ravenous birds" (in Ezekiel 39:4).
Isaiah 46:12 "Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that [are] far from righteousness:"
Those who believe in their own strength, have difficulty listening to the Words of God. Their strength will pale by comparison to the power of God. The stouthearted need a Savior, the same as all the rest.
Sometimes they are too proud to admit their need. God saves the humble. Even the stouthearted become humble at the presence of Almighty God.
Isaiah 46:13 "I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory."
"Righteousness ... salvation in Zion": At God's appointed time, the salvation of Israel will become a reality and result in the Messiah's righteous kingdom (61:3; 62:11; Joel 3:17; Zech. 12:10-13:1; Romans 11:25-27).
"Zion" symbolizes Jerusalem and the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation comes through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation became available in Jerusalem, when Jesus was crucified on the cross. Again, physical Israel belongs to the Hebrews. Spiritual Israel belongs to the believers in Christ Jesus.
Romans 9:6 "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:"
