Isaiah
Messianic prophecies, and the remnant of Israel
The futility of the idols
Chapter 41, verse 21 to 29
Computer translation, subject to revision
In the first part of this chapter, the Lord proves his divinity, and his absolute power to lift a potentate to subjugate the Nations and of the Ascension and the passing of generations. Now He declares His deity based on the fact that he alone has knowledge of the future and can provides it.
Before he challenged the idolaters; now Their challenge is to own idols, the gods of the Nations. You and your people (to whom he is "the King of Jacob") are on one side, the gentile idolaters on the other. Defies their gods to perform, if they can.
And, in addition, the Challenger says, "do good, or do evil" (i.e. "do anything" to show some sign of life), "That we may be dismayed and see it together."
Can the idols speak to prove your divinity? Of course you can't. Hence the divine mockery: the idols are nothing, the work of the do is go and useless, and who the pick is abhorrent (verse 24).
The Lord again demonstrates that all the power and authority belong to him alone. Declares that he was the one who raised the North someone had already arrived, and the East one that invoked his name was Cyrus, who appeared in Persia (the East) and had already conquered the (Northern) leaving in his conquests. Ciro invoked the name of God because it recognized the "Lord God of heaven" as being the one who guided and strengthened (Ezra 1:2). It was he who ordered the return to the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem from around the treasure that had been looted by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezra 1:7).
Demonstrating his omniscience, the Lord declares that this person (Ciro) would come "against princes as though mortar, as the potter treads clay" and asks if anyone (man or Idol) perhaps announced that from the beginning to be known, or before so if I said that wasn't fair. With this the Lord continues your challenge: nobody else could do it, much less any of the pagan deities. If they had been able to do it, your divine power would be recognized. The conclusion is that they were all an illusion, and didn't deserve the trust of anyone.
You are the first to break the news of what is going to happen, and he would give a Messenger to Jerusalem to bring good news. The others can only repeat what they hear, because there is no one, not even a counselor who can respond with any questions about the security future.
In conclusion, the idolatry is vanity (or invalidity), the images produce nothing and " Their molded images are wind and confusion".
R David Jones
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Isa 41:21 "Present your case," says the LORD. "Bring forth your strong reasons," says the King of Jacob.
Isa 41:22 "Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; Let them show the former things, what they were, That we may consider them, And know the latter end of them; Or declare to us things to come.
Isa 41:23 Show the things that are to come hereafter, That we may know that you are gods; Yes, do good or do evil, That we may be dismayed and see it together.
Isa 41:24 Indeed you are nothing, And your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.
Isa 41:25 "I have raised up one from the north, And he shall come; From the rising of the sun he shall call on My name; And he shall come against princes as though mortar, As the potter treads clay.
Isa 41:26 Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? And former times, that we may say, 'He is righteous'? Surely there is no one who shows, Surely there is no one who declares, Surely there is no one who hears your words.
Isa 41:27 The first time I said to Zion, 'Look, there they are!' And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.
Isa 41:28 For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
Isa 41:29 Indeed they are all worthless; Their works are nothing; Their molded images are wind and confusion.
Isaiah 41, verses 21 to 29