Isaiah 41:11-20
Isa 41:11
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be
ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee
shall perish.
This is also a dual promise to the believers in Israel
who will face the idolaters that will be angered with them but the true
believers have nothing to fear because the idolaters will be eventually brought
down. They will be ashamed and
confounded which means to be put to confusion.
They will be brought down to nothing because their false gods are nothing
and in the end they shall be judged on the last day and will be sent to eternal
damnation for idolatry and also trying to get God’s people to leave him and come
back to idolatry.
Isa 41:12
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even
them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing,
and as a thing of nought.
They will be searched for as the law searches for a
fugitive but they will not be able to be found.
They have either perished off the land or they are well-hidden to never
be found by man. Those who
contended with the true people of God either by words or actually making
physical war against them shall become as nothing, that is, as if they never
existed. The words “nothing” and
“nought” are used in the same sentence to assure the people they will be greatly
destroyed and will never rise again to come at them.
Isa 41:13
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying
unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Here is a verse which also contains a dual promise to
both the believers in ancient Israel and the believers of today.
Those idolaters in ancient Israel would come after them persecuting them
to try and get them back under the false religion.
If they are weak, then God promises to strengthen them with his mighty
power and he tells them not to fear because he knows their situation and he is
right there to help them remain faithful.
Same thing with the modern Christian.
He will give the strength to keep us from going back and flirting with
the world system. We have nothing
to fear because the Bible is replete with promises for the true believer.
Isa 41:14
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I
will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Then the LORD states that Jacob is a worm, not that he
calling him names but it is symbolic of the fact that Jacob is weak and helpless
along with all the men of Israel.
They were not up to the challenge to defeat their enemy, whether it be verbal or
physical assaults. God once
again promises that he will help them and not leave them as orphans but will
defend them. The word “redeemer” is
the Hebrew word “gâ’al” which carries with it the meaning of “kinsman redeemer
or avenger of blood.” God is
recognized as redeemer 13 times in the book of Isaiah.
God is also the avenger for the body of believers in our time and will
take retribution on all those who oppose Christ and the body of believers.
Dearly beloved, avenge not
yourselves, but rather give
place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance
is mine; I will repay, saith
the Lord. (Romans 12:19)
Isa 41:15
Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument
having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and
shalt make the hills as chaff.
God will take the weak Jacob and turn him into a strong
threshing sledge. It was two heavy
wooden planks held together by two cross pieces which have sharp iron teeth
underneath. It was dragged over the
cut grain stalks which readied the grain for winnowing.
The true Gospel will thresh the mountains.
Remember the true gospel will bring every mountain low as John the
Baptizer preached and hills will be as chaff which means there will be no more
opposition. In Scripture the
mountains and hills also represent the false religions or kingdoms which will be
brought low and to nothing by the true gospel.
We see many false religions in our day but each one will be brought to
nothing on the last day when they are judged.
Just like mountains and hills that have become level, these false
religions will no more be any opposition to the truth.
Isa 41:16
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away,
and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and
shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
When winnowing of the grain took place, it was thrown up
in the air and the wind would blow the chaff away.
In like manner, the enemies of Israel shall be no better or stronger than
the chaff. They will be dealt with
by being carried away and the whirlwind will scatter them to the point they will
never be able to come against Israel again.
The whirl wind can be compared to a tornado, that is how they will be
dealt with as a tornado destroys everything in its path so the enemies of God
will be destroyed. This is also a lesson
for those who come against the true body of believers that they too will receive
the whirlwind of God’s justice.
Then when the enemies are removed, the nation of Israel will rejoice in
the LORD because of the peace and security he will give them and then they will
glory in the LORD as their protector and true God of Israel.
Isa 41:17
When the poor and needy seek water, and there
is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear
them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
One major problem in the Middle East was the finding of
water to supply the people. The
poor and needy will search for water but will fail to find it and their tongues
will be parched and they will be close to death.
The LORD promises that he will hear them and supply the water they need
and promises to never forsake them.
This also has a spiritual application that the Elect of God will seek the water
of life which is the gospel of Christ and will be unable to find it on their own
because it is spiritual and not physical.
Then the LORD states that he will hear the requests of the Elect which
means he hears them because they are his and promises not to forsake them and
will supply all the spiritual strength they need.
Let your conversation
be without covetousness;
and be content with such things
as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
(Hebrews 13:5)
Isa 41:18
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the
midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry
land springs of water.
Here the LORD promises that he will open rivers in high
places which would be compared to barren mountaintops.
Those Elect which are caught up in false gospels before they are saved
will receive salvation because even though a person is caught up in a false
gospel, they will receive the truth and become saved.
Then there will be fountains in the midst of valleys which would normally
water the plants in the valley but here the fountains will be the fountains of
living water which is the everlasting gospel of Christ.
For the Lamb which is in the midst
of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of
waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 7:17)
Then in the midst of the wilderness which is the world with all its false
religions, he will turn it into pools of living water and the dry lands will
have springs running out of it.
38 He that believeth on me, as
the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him
should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet
given; because that Jesus was
not yet glorified.) (John 7:38-39)
Isa 41:19
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah
tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree,
and the pine, and the box tree together:
Then just as there are many different trees, there will
be many believers who will be saved from different lands and will be planted and
become the trees of righteousness to bring the gospel where the Lord plants
them.
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of
praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah
61:3) These kinds of trees do
not grow in the wilderness because there is little water to help sustain big
trees but as true believers planted in the world, the water of the gospel will
feed them wherever they live. The
trees named are those indigenous to the Syria and Palestine region.
The cedars grow in Lebanon, the Shittah tree was the Acacia tree in the
Jordan valley, the Myrtle tree grows on the hills around Jerusalem, the Oil tree
would be the Olive trees for oil, the Fir tree is grown in Lebanon, the Pine
tree was not too familiar in Syria, the Box tree was a cedar.
Isa 41:20
That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand
together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel
hath created it.