Page 90 - Isaiah Student Worktext

But this points to a far greater release from captivity. Babylon was east of Israel, but this speaks to
people being called from the north and the west and the south, from the ends of the earth. ‘Everyone
who is called by My name’ is certainly pointing to the Last Day when all who have believed, all who are
called by His name, will be gathered into their home in eternity.

V. 8-9 Blind who have eyes, deaf who have ears…they ought to be able to see and hear. This is in
reference to God’s own people, Israel who will be gathered. It goes on to say that ‘all the nations’ will
be gathered together.

V. 10-15 God calls us all to be witnesses. He also once again points out the impotence of other gods,
there are none before Him and none who may come after who offer salvation.

God says that He alone declared, saved and proclaimed—He predicted what would happen, He
orchestrated events so that they would happen and then proclaimed what happened. No other ‘god’
can do that.

The very ships that the Chaldeans had rejoiced in seeing will be used to carry them off as they flee.

V. 16-17 This is a reminder of the Exodus, when God delivered the Hebrew people from Egypt. He made
a way in the sea, the chariots and horses of the Egyptians will ‘lie down together’ at the bottom of the
sea.

V. 18-19 Don’t remember the former things, the things of old. God is saying essentially that if we
thought the parting of the Red Sea was something, wait until you see what is coming.

This lends credence to the idea that this is not speaking just about deliverance from Babylon. In Ezra 2:
64 we are told that around 42,000 people returned. The Exodus involved several million, so how could
the relatively small group returning here be greater than the Exodus? It probably is not…but the
ultimate fulfillment, when ALL of God’s people are gathered into eternity in Heaven…that will be greater
than anything anyone could call to memory.

V. 20-21 The image of the water in the wilderness is an image of the refreshing of the Holy Spirit. Even
wild animals will honor the Lord.

V. 22-24 Now we go back to the present for Isaiah’s audience. The idolatry that will cause the exile has
not yet taken place. God knows it will come because Judah has grown ‘weary’ of Him. They haven’t
brought offerings but continue to burden Him with their sins.

Here again, this message for ancient Israel rings true today.

V. 25-28 Sin has been a part of every step of the human journey. But we know that God’s final word for
His chosen people is not judgment, but grace. God is the one who blots out our transgressions and He is
the one who will not remember our sins.

Therefore, we should ‘put [Him] in remembrance that we may be ‘acquitted’ or found innocent,
justified.

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