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Commentary on Isaiah 46 verses 5–13
The deliverance of Israel by the destruction of Babylon (the general subject of all these chapters) is here insisted upon, and again promised, for the conviction both of idolaters who set up as rivals with God, and of oppressors who were enemies to the people of God.
I. For the conviction of those who made and worshipped idols, especially those of Israel who did so, who would have images of their God, as the Babylonians had of theirs,
1.He challenges them either to frame an image that should be thought a resemblance of him or to set up any being that should stand in competition with him (Isa 46:5): To whom will you liken me? It is absurd to think of representing an infinite and eternal Spirit by the figure of any creature whatsoever. It is to change his truth into a lie and to turn his glory into shame. None ever saw any similitude of him, nor can see his face and live. To whom then can we liken God? Isa 40:18, Isa 40:25. It is likewise absurd to think of making any creature equal with the Creator, who is infinitely above the noblest creatures, yea, or to make any comparison between the creature and the Creator, since between infinite and finite there is no proportion.
2.He exposes the folly of those who made idols and then prayed to them, Isa 46:6, Isa 46:7. (1.) They were at great charge upon their idols and spared no cost to fit them for their purpose: They lavish gold out of the bag; no little will serve, and they do not care how much goes, though they pinch their families and weaken their estates by it. How does the profuseness of idolaters shame the niggardliness of many who call themselves God's servants but are for a religion that will cost them nothing! Some lavish gold out of the bag to make an idol of it in the house, while others hoard up gold in the bag to make an idol of it in the heart; for covetousness is idolatry, as dangerous, though not as scandalous, as the other. They weigh silver in the balance, either to be the matter of their idol (for even those that were most sottish had so much sense as to think that God should be served with the best they had, the best they could possibly afford; those that represented him by a calf made it a golden one) or to pay the workmen's wages. The service of sin often proves very expensive. (2.) They were in great care about their idols and took no little pains about them (Isa 46:7): They bear him upon their own shoulders, and do not hire porters to do it; they carry him, and set him in his place, more like a dead corpse than a living God. They set him on a pedestal, and he stands. They take a great deal of pains to fasten him, and from his place he shall not remove, that they may know where to find him, though at the same time they know he can neither move a hand nor stir a step to do them any kindness. (3.) After all, they paid great respect to their idols, though they were but the works of their own hands and the creatures of their own fancies. When the goldsmith has made it that which they please to call a god they fall down, yea, they worship it. If they magnified themselves too much in pretending to make a god, as if they would atone for that, they vilified themselves as much in prostrating themselves to a god that they knew the original of. And, if they were deceived by the custom of their country in making such gods as these, they did no less deceive themselves when they cried unto them, though they knew they could not answer them, could not understand what they said to them, nor so much as reply Yea, or No, much less could they save them out of their trouble. Now shall any that have some knowledge of, and interest in, the true and living God, thus make fools of themselves?
3.He puts it to themselves, and their own reason, let that judge in the case (Isa 46:8): "Remember this, that has been often told you, what senseless helpless things idols are, and show yourselves men - men and not brutes, men and not babes. Act with reason; act with resolution; act for your own interest. Do a wise thing; do a brave thing; and scorn to disparage your own judgment as you do when you worship idols." Note, Sinners would become saints if they would but show themselves men, if they would but support the dignity of their nature and use aright its powers and capacities. "Many things you have been reminded of; bring them again to mind, recall them into you memories, and revolve them there. O! you transgressors, consider your ways; remember whence you have fallen, and repent, and so recover yourselves."
4.He again produces incontestable proofs that he is God, that he and none besides is so (Isa 46:9): I am God, and there is none like me. This is that which we have need to be reminded of again and again; for proof of it he refers, (1.) To the sacred history: "Remember the former things of old, what the God of Israel did for his people in their beginnings, whether he did not that for them which no one else could, and which the false gods did not, nor could do, for their worshippers. Remember those things, and you will own that I am God and there is none else." This is a good reason why we should give glory to him as a nonsuch, and why we should not give that glory to any other which is due to him alone, Exo 15:11. (2.) To the sacred prophecy. He is God alone, for it is he only that declares the end from the beginning, Isa 46:10. From the beginning of time he declared the end of time, and end of all things. Enoch prophesied, Behold, the Lord comes. From the beginning of a nation he declares what the end of it will be. He told Israel what should befal them in the latter days, what their end should be, and wished they were so wise as to consider it, Deu 32:20, Deu 32:20. From the beginning of an event he declares what the end of it will be. Known unto God are all his works, and, when he pleases, he makes them known. Further than prophecy guides us it is impossible for us to find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end, Ecc 3:11. He declares from ancient times the things that are not yet done. Many scripture prophecies which were delivered long ago are not yet accomplished; but the accomplishment of some in the mean time is an earnest of the accomplishment of the rest in due time. By this it appears that he is God, and none else; it is he, and none besides, that can say, and make his words good, "My counsel shall stand, and all the powers of hell and earth cannot control or disannul it nor all their policies correct or countermine it." As God's operations are all according to his counsels, so his counsels shall all be fulfilled in his operations, and none of his measures shall be broken, none of his designs shall miscarry. This yields abundant satisfaction to those who have bound up all their comforts in God's counsels, that his counsel shall undoubtedly stand; and, if we are brought to this, that whatever pleases God pleases us, nothing can contribute more to make us easy than to be assured of this, that God will do all his pleasure, Psa 135:6. The accomplishment of this particular prophecy, which relates to the elevation of Cyrus and his agency in the deliverance of God's people out of their captivity, is mentioned for the confirmation of this truth, that the Lord is God and there is none else; and this is a thing which shall shortly come to pass, Isa 46:11. God by his counsel calls a ravenous bird from the east, a bird of prey, Cyrus, who (they say) had a nose like the beak of a hawk or eagle, to which some think this alludes, or (as others say) to the eagle which was his standard, as it was afterwards that of the Romans, to which there is supposed to be a reference, Mat 24:28. Cyrus came from the east at God's call: for God is Lord of hosts and of those that have hosts at command. And, if God give him a call, he will give him success. He is the man that shall execute God's counsel, though he comes from a far country and knows nothing of the matter. Note, Even those that know not, and mind not, God's revealed will, are made use of to fulfil the counsels of his secret will, which shall all be punctually accomplished in their season by what hand he pleases. That which is here added, to ratify this particular prediction, may abundantly show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel: "I have spoken of it by my servants the prophets, and what I have spoken is just the same with what I have purposed." For, though God has many things in his purposes which are not in his prophecies, he has nothing in his prophecies but what are in his purposes. And he will do it, for he will never change his mind; he will bring it to pass, for it is not in the power of any creature to control him. Observe with what majesty he says it, as one having authority: I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass. Dictum, factum - no sooner said than done. I have purposed it, and he does not say, "I will take care it shall be done," but, "I will do it." Heaven and earth shall pass away sooner than one tittle of the word of God.
II. For the conviction of those that daringly opposed the counsels of God assurance is here given not only that they shall be accomplished, but that they shall be accomplished very shortly, Isa 46:12, Isa 46:13.
1.This is addressed to the stout-hearted, that is, either, (1.) The proud and obstinate Babylonians, that are far from righteousness, far from doing justice or showing mercy to those they have power over, that say they will never let the oppressed go free, but will still detain them in spite of their petitions or God's predictions, that are far from any thing of clemency or compassion to the miserable. Or, (2.) The unhumbled Jews, that have been long under the hammer, long in the furnace, but are not broken are not melted, that, like the unbelieving murmuring Israelites in the wilderness, think themselves far from God's righteousness (that is, from the performance of his promise, and his appearing to judge for them), and by their distrusts set themselves at a yet further distance from it, and keep good things from themselves, as their fathers, who could not enter into the land of promise because of unbelief. This is applicable to the Jewish nation when they rejected the gospel of Christ; though they followed after the law of righteousness, they attained not to righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, Rom 9:31, Rom 9:32. They perished far from righteousness; and it was because they were stout-hearted, Rom 10:3.
2.Now to them God says that, whatever they think, the one in presumption, the other in despair, (1.) Salvation shall be certainly wrought for God's people. If men will not do them justice, God will, and his righteousness shall effect that for them which men's righteousness would not reach to. He will place salvation in Zion, that is, he will make Jerusalem a place of safety and defence to all those who will plant themselves there; thence shall salvation go forth for Israel his glory. God glories in his Israel; and he will be glorified in the salvation he designs to work out for them; it shall redound greatly to his honour. This salvation shall be in Zion; for thence the gospel shall take rise (Isa 2:3), thither the Redeemer comes (Isa 59:20, Rom 11:26), and it is Zion's King that has salvation, Zac 9:9. (2.) It shall be very shortly wrought. This is especially insisted on with those who thought it at a distance: "I bring near my righteousness, nearer than you think of; perhaps it is nearest of all when your straits are greatest and your enemies most injurious; it shall not be far off when there is occasion for it, Psa 85:9. Behold, the Judge stands before the door. My salvation shall not tarry any longer than till it is ripe and you are ready for it; and therefore, though it tarry, wait for it; wait patiently, for he that shall come will come, and will not tarry."
The inner person has a heart. “Hear me, you who have lost heart.” They possessed a physical heart, that organ of the body. It was not that heart which they lost. But when a person neglects to cultivate his intellectual life, and in consequence of much idleness his thinking capacity has atrophied, he has lost his heart, and it is to such a person that the words are added, “Here me, you who have lost your heart.”
(Verses 12, 13.) Hear me, you with hard hearts, who are far from justice. I have brought forth my justice: it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not delay. I will give salvation in Zion and my glory in Israel. LXX: Hear me, you who have lost heart, who are far from justice. I have brought forth my justice, and the salvation that is from me, I will not delay. I have given salvation in Zion and glory in Israel. To those whom He had spoken before: Hear me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel. And again: Return, O transgressors, to the heart, even now He calls them by the Hebrew term for unbelief, hardhearted, and according to the Septuagint, those who have lost heart and mind. This was followed by the most learned man and worthy of his name, Stephen the martyr, in his speech to the Jews: With stiff neck and uncircumcised hearts and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did (Acts 7:51). So, they are far from the justice of God because they did not believe in it, which God, in his mercy, made to be near and to come to the lands, not wanting to delay or be far away. For he gave his salvation to Zion and his glory to Israel. Let this be said about the prophecy of the future, and the coming of the Lord and Savior. Moreover, according to history, salvation is given to Zion and glory to Israel; because God has made his justice near, to call from the East a bird and from a far land a man of his will, who would avenge the injustices of Israel and the destroyed Jerusalem, and would destroy the Medes and Persians, and the Babylonians and the Chaldeans, as the following words of the Prophet testify.
See how he once again announces salvation to them and does not allow them to despair, lest they be overwhelmed by unrestrained sorrow and be moved too far away from the hope that they will be saved, if only they stop running. For having strayed, they were disconsolate. This described their situation accurately. For what else would they feel, they who worshiped the things they themselves had made, setting up trees and stones for worship and seeking salvation from them?
Again we perceive the depth of God’s loving kindness, in that God mixes with the evils also the wonders, so that they are not wiped out. For he has saved them from the hand of their enemies. When Israel fell into the marsh of judgment, God dragged them out.
For though you are unworthy of salvation, since you have distanced yourself from righteousness because of your iniquity, I will procure salvation [for you] and will inflict just chastisement on the Babylonians. “I have given salvation in Zion to Israel for my glory.” For thanks to the salvation of Israel, all will learn of my power and acknowledge that I am truly God.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 46:12 presents an urgent and profound divine summons from the Lord, directly addressing those characterized by spiritual obstinacy and moral alienation. It targets individuals whose hearts are hardened against God's truth and who, by their own volition, remain distant from His righteous standards. This verse stands in stark contrast to God's preceding declarations of His unwavering faithfulness and unique power to save, serving as a powerful challenge for the unyielding to abandon their self-reliance and turn towards the one true God.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 46:12 employs several potent literary devices to convey its urgent message and underscore its theological weight. The most prominent device is Direct Address, as God speaks immediately and personally to the "stouthearted," creating a sense of urgency, confrontation, and direct accountability. This is a hallmark of prophetic literature, where the prophet serves as God's direct mouthpiece. The phrase "stouthearted" functions as a powerful Metaphor and Epithet, vividly likening the internal disposition of defiance and obstinacy to a physical quality of unyielding strength. It effectively portrays the spiritual stubbornness and moral arrogance of the audience. Furthermore, the verse uses Contrast implicitly but powerfully. The "stouthearted" who are "far from righteousness" stand in stark opposition to the righteous and faithful character of God, who has just declared His unique power, unwavering purpose, and ability to deliver in the preceding verses. This profound contrast highlights the vast chasm between human rebellion and divine holiness, setting the stage for God's subsequent promise to bring His salvation near.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 46:12 serves as a profound theological statement on the pervasive nature of humanity's rebellion and God's persistent, gracious call to repentance. It underscores the biblical truth that humanity, in its fallen state, is prone to spiritual deafness and a hardened heart, often choosing self-reliance, pride, and defiance over humble submission to divine authority. The "stouthearted" represent all who resist God's truth and remain distant from His perfect standard of righteousness, a condition that has plagued humanity throughout history. Yet, even in this confrontational address, there is an underlying invitation, revealing God's enduring desire for humanity to turn from its waywardness and embrace His saving grace. This verse not only diagnoses the human condition but also sets the stage for the glorious promise of salvation that God is about to bring near, emphasizing that this salvation is a sovereign gift extended even to those who are most resistant.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 46:12 delivers a timeless and piercing challenge, prompting deep introspection regarding our own spiritual posture before God. Are we, like the "stouthearted," clinging to our own wisdom, pride, or self-sufficiency, unwilling to truly "hearken" to God's voice and yield to His sovereign will? In what areas of our lives do we find ourselves "far from righteousness," perhaps neglecting God's commands, compromising His holy standards, or allowing unconfessed sin to create distance in our relationship with Him? This verse serves as a powerful call to humility and repentance, urging us to actively soften our hearts, to diligently listen for and obey God's Word, and to earnestly pursue His perfect righteousness. It reminds us that despite our spiritual failings and inherent distance, God graciously continues to call us to Himself, offering the path to reconciliation, profound transformation, and true peace that only He can provide.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are the "stouthearted" mentioned in Isaiah 46:12?
Answer: The "stouthearted" (Hebrew: ʼabbîrey lêb) refers to those who are stubborn, arrogant, and unyielding in their defiance against God. Their hearts are "strong" not in positive courage or faith, but in their obstinate resistance to divine truth and authority. In the immediate context of Isaiah, it likely refers to those among the exiles who remained rebellious, refusing to acknowledge God's sovereignty or repent of their idolatry and sin, even as God declared His unique power to save. More broadly, it encompasses anyone whose will is hardened against God's call and purposes, demonstrating an unbendable will that refuses to submit to divine authority, as seen in passages like Psalm 78:8.
What does it mean to be "far from righteousness"?
Answer: To be "far from righteousness" signifies a state of profound spiritual and moral alienation from God. It implies a significant distance from His holy character, His just standards, and the covenant relationship He desires with humanity. This is not merely a geographical separation but a condition of living outside of God's divine will and moral order, characterized by sin and a lack of conformity to His perfect justice. It highlights humanity's inherent fallenness and desperate need for divine intervention to be brought near to God's righteousness, a theme further developed in passages like Romans 3:23.
How does one "hearken" to God, as commanded in this verse?
Answer: To "hearken" (Hebrew: shâmaʻ) to God means much more than just hearing His words; it implies listening intelligently, with focused attention, deep understanding, and, crucially, a commitment to obedience. It's an active and responsive listening that leads to transformed action. In practice, it involves diligently engaging with God's Word (Psalm 1:2), seeking His will through consistent prayer, being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guidance, and intentionally choosing to align one's thoughts, desires, and actions with His commands and character. It's a call to a transformed life of humble submission and unwavering trust, exemplified by those who "hear the word of God and keep it" (Luke 11:28).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 46:12, with its stark portrayal of the "stouthearted" who are "far from righteousness," finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Humanity's inherent condition, as precisely described in this verse, is one of spiritual rebellion and deep alienation from God's holy standards. No amount of human effort, self-will, or religious striving could ever bridge this vast chasm. However, God, in His infinite love and boundless mercy, did not leave us in our distant, lost state. The very salvation that God promises to bring near in the subsequent verse (Isaiah 46:13) is perfectly embodied in Jesus. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, making it uniquely possible for those who were "far off" to be "brought near by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13). Through His perfect life, atoning sacrifice on the cross, and victorious resurrection, Jesus fully satisfied the righteous demands of God's holy law, offering reconciliation and peace to those who were once enemies of God due to their hardened hearts and sinful nature (Romans 5:8-10). Furthermore, Christ's transformative work extends beyond mere justification; it includes the radical transformation of the "stouthearted." The New Covenant, inaugurated by His death and resurrection, promises a miraculous heart change: God declares, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts" (Hebrews 8:10), replacing the "heart of stone" with a "heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). Thus, Jesus not only provides the divine means for the unrighteous to be declared righteous before God but also supernaturally empowers the stubborn to finally "hearken" to God's voice, drawing them into a living, obedient, and eternally reconciled relationship with their Creator.