< Isaiah 41 >

God calls upon men v.1Isaiah 41:1XWaiting for response to recognise both him and the evidence he has placed before them in his word which shows the purpose he declared from the beginning v.4.Isaiah 41:4XWaiting for response This purpose is that he will manifest himself in members of the human race, initially in their characters and finally when they are physically partakers of his divine nature. This is the significance of his name, “YAHWEH” translated “LORD” here, meaning “He who shall be”, and he says (in the original Hebrew): “I YAHWEH, the first one, and with the last ones” v.4.Isaiah 41:4XWaiting for response The “first one” is Jesus, who has already been raised to the divine nature, and the “last ones” are the saints who manifest God’s character now and will partake of the divine nature when Jesus returns.

God’s purpose is with Israel, the seed of Abraham, God’s friend v.8,Isaiah 41:8XWaiting for response a people who is his servant and whom he brought to himself in the land v.9.Isaiah 41:9XWaiting for response The people of Israel are encouraged not to fear because he will help and save them v.10,Isaiah 41:10XWaiting for response and destroy their enemies vs.11-12.Isaiah 41:11-12XWaiting for response For centuries the Gentiles have despised and persecuted them, treating them as “a worm” v.14Isaiah 41:14XWaiting for response but the time is coming when, as they return to the land, they will be like “a sharp threshing instrument” and a “whirlwind” against those who seek to harm them vs.15-16.Isaiah 41:15-16XWaiting for response God will greatly bless both them and their land vs.17-19Isaiah 41:17-19XWaiting for response and they will thereby know the Holy One of Israel has delivered them v.20.Isaiah 41:20XWaiting for response

In his word, God has provided abundant evidence of his existence and that he is in control of the nations and is developing his purpose with the earth. Therefore he calls upon men to consider this evidence and challenges those who oppose him, especially those who trust in idols vs.22-23.Isaiah 41:22-23XWaiting for response Neither men nor their gods are able to accurately tell of past events nor inform us of the future, but the one true and living God has the ability to do both these things and the scriptures are full of examples. He told men in his word what has happened in the earth from the very beginning and also what would happen thereafter. We can examine these prophecies and compare them with both history and the state of the world today and see that events have taken place exactly as God declared beforehand. By such evidence we can be assured that God exists and that he is doing and will do all that he has promised.