Isaiah45

Isaiah 45 declares the LORD's absolute sovereignty, specifically in raising up Cyrus, a pagan king, to fulfill His purposes for Israel. God proclaims Himself as the sole Creator and only God, asserting His power over all things, including light and darkness, peace and calamity. The chapter contrasts the futility of idol worship with the everlasting salvation offered to Israel and a universal call for all to look to the LORD and be saved.

God Anoints Cyrus for Israel's Sake

1
Thus says ADONAI to Koresh, his anointed, whose right hand he has grasped, so that he subdues nations before him and strips kings of their robes, so that doors open in front of him, and no gates are barred: ​
2
"I will go ahead of you, levelling the hills, shattering the bronze gates, smashing the iron bars. ​
3
I will give you treasures hoarded in the dark, secret riches hidden away, so that you will know that I, ADONAI, calling you by your name, am the God of Isra'el. ​
4
It is for the sake of Ya'akov my servant, yes, for Isra'el my elect, that I call you by your name and give you a title, although you don't know me. ​
5
I am ADONAI; there is no other; besides me there is no God. I am arming you, although you don't know me, ​
6
so that those from the east and those from the west will know that there is none besides me - I am ADONAI; there is no other.
7
I form light, I create darkness; I make well-being, I create woe; I, ADONAI, do all these things. ​
8
"Heavens above, rain down justice; let the clouds pour it down. Let the earth open, so that salvation springs up, and justice sprouts with it. I, ADONAI, have created it."

The Creator's Authority Cannot Be Questioned

9
Woe to anyone who argues with his maker, like potsherds lying on the ground! Does the clay ask the potter, "What are you doing?" or, "What's this you're making, that has no hands?" ​
10
Woe to him who asks a father, "Of what are you the father?" or who asks a woman, "To what are you giving birth?"
11
Thus says ADONAI, the Holy One of Isra'el, his Maker: "You ask for signs concerning my children? You give orders concerning the work of my hands? ​
12
I am the one who made the earth! I created human beings on it! I- my hands - stretched out the heavens, and directed all their number.
13
I am stirring up Koresh to righteousness, I am smoothing out all his paths. He will rebuild my city; and he will free my exiles, taking neither ransom nor bribe," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. ​

Israel's Everlasting Salvation

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Here is what ADONAI says: "The earnings of Egypt, the commerce of Ethiopia, and men of stature from S'va will come over to you and become yours; they will come in chains and follow you. They will prostrate themselves before you; they will pray to you: 'Surely God is with you; there is no other, other gods are nothing.'" ​
15
Truly, you are a God who hides himself, God of Isra'el, Savior! ​
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The idol-makers will be ashamed, disgraced, all of them; they will go dishonored together.
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But Isra'el, saved by ADONAI with an everlasting salvation, you will never, ever, be ashamed or disgraced.

The Lord, the Only God and Savior

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For thus says ADONAI, who created the heavens, God, who shaped and made the earth, who established and created it not to be chaos, but formed it to be lived in: "I am ADONAI; there is no other. ​
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I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Ya'akov, 'It is in vain that you will seek me.' I, ADONAI, speak rightly; I say what is true.
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Assemble, come and gather together, you refugees from the nations! Those carrying their wooden idols are ignorant, they pray to a god that cannot save. ​
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Let them stand and present their case! Indeed, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, announced it in times gone by? Wasn't it I, ADONAI? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides me.
22
Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God; there is no other. ​
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In the name of myself I have sworn, from my mouth has rightly gone out, a word that will not return - that to me every knee will bow and every tongue will swear ​
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about me that only in ADONAI are justice and strength." All who rage against him will come to him ashamed,
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but all the descendants of Isra'el will find justice and glory in ADONAI. ​

Study Notes for Isaiah 45

Verse 1

The term 'anointed' (*mashiach*) is applied here to Cyrus, a pagan king. This is unique in Scripture and demonstrates that God uses any agent, regardless of their knowledge of Him, to fulfill His sovereign historical purposes.

Verse 2

God promises to remove all obstacles for Cyrus’s conquest, specifically mentioning 'gates of brass' and 'bars of iron,' likely referring to the formidable defenses of Babylon, which history records fell unexpectedly.

Verse 3

The purpose of Cyrus’s success and the acquisition of wealth is theological: so that he (and the world) might recognize that Yahweh, who calls him by name, is the true God of Israel.

Verse 4

Cyrus’s election is not for his own merit but entirely for the sake of Jacob/Israel, God’s elect servant. God uses the powerful Gentile ruler as a means to restore His covenant people.

Verse 5

This reiterates the core theme of Second Isaiah: absolute monotheism. God equipped ('girded') Cyrus with strength and authority, even though Cyrus did not acknowledge Him, confirming God's supremacy over all national deities.

Verse 7

God asserts His ultimate sovereignty over all creation and experience. The word 'evil' (*ra'*) here means calamity, distress, or disaster, emphasizing that God is the source of all conditions, contrasting with dualistic systems that posit two equal opposing gods.

Verse 9

This 'woe' is directed at the exiles who question God’s mysterious plan, particularly His decision to use a pagan king (Cyrus) to deliver them. The analogy of the potter and the clay asserts God’s absolute right to define His purpose.

Verse 11

The phrase 'command ye me' is a rhetorical challenge, highlighting the arrogance of humanity attempting to dictate terms or understand the mysterious ways of the Holy One of Israel concerning His people.

Verse 13

God ensures that Cyrus will execute the restoration of Jerusalem and the release of the captives 'not for price nor reward,' emphasizing that the return will be an act of divine grace, not a political payoff.

Verse 14

This verse looks beyond the immediate return from exile to the final, glorious salvation, where powerful nations (Egypt, Ethiopia) will willingly submit to Israel, recognizing that God dwells among them.

Verse 15

This verse is a profound confession of faith. Even when God’s methods (like using Cyrus) or timing seem confusing, He is still the ‘God that hidest thyself’—His power is veiled, yet He remains the ultimate Saviour of Israel.

Verse 18

God appeals to creation as evidence of His character. He created the earth purposefully, 'not in vain,' but 'to be inhabited,' assuring Israel that His covenant promises are equally purposeful and reliable.

Verse 20

This is a global summons for all nations to assemble for judgment. The prophet mocks the ignorance of idolaters who rely on gods made of wood that 'cannot save,' contrasting them with the living God.

Verse 22

This is a universal call to faith. The salvation promised to Israel is extended to 'all the ends of the earth,' confirming Yahweh’s desire to be recognized as the sole God and Savior of humanity.

Verse 23

God swears by Himself, guaranteeing that universal submission will occur. This prophecy is quoted in the New Testament (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10–11) to affirm the ultimate authority of Jesus Christ.

Verse 25

The final outcome of God’s sovereignty is the justification and glory of His people. Israel’s restoration is the means by which God’s righteousness and faithfulness are demonstrated to the world.

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