Daily Devotions
Isaiah
"Keep silence before Me"
Text: Isaiah 41:1
APPROACHING GOD WITH DUE RESPECT
The LORD sought to engage ancient Israel in discussion. Israel had to be instructed as to how it ought to approach the LORD. The disregard for God made their backsliding problem even worse!
“Keep silence before Me, O coastlands,
And let the people renew their strength!
Let them come near, then let them speak;
Let us come near together for judgment.
‘Who raised up one from the east?
Who in righteousness called him to His feet?
Who gave the nations before him,
And made him rule over kings?
Who gave them as the dust to his sword,
As driven stubble to his bow?'”
Isaiah 41:1-2
1. Addressing the issue of basic regard for God.
a) Addressing the “Coastlands”.
i) This is a reference to the idolatrous nations.
ii) They did not have any regard for the God of Israel.
b) Israel had a similar problem.
i) It had been affected by idolatrous influences.
ii) There was now an arrogant disdain of God.
c) To keep silence before God meant:
i) Letting God speak without interrupting Him.
ii) Taking proper heed to what He says.
2. An invitation to the Coastlands and others.
a) To meet with God.
b) To draw near to God with strength.
c) Israel is invited to speak up on any and every matter to the LORD.
d) Let all the nation also be ready to accept the clear judgment of God.
3. God raised up four questions.
a) “Who raised up one from the east?”
i) This question may not be very clear to us.
ii) Some believe that this was a reference to Abraham who came from
Ur of the Chaldeans, which is East of Canaan.
iii) Others believe that it could be a reference to Cyrus who would one day
cause Israel to return from the Babylonian captivity.
iv) The correct answer would be “the LORD”.
b) “Who in righteousness called him to His feet?”
i) NKJV capitalised the personal pronoun unnecessarily.
ii) This is a follow up question of the first one.
iii) The answer is “The LORD”.
c) “Who gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings?”
i) This is an unlikely reference to Abraham.
ii) Cyrus was the one who overcame the Babylonians and set up
the Medo-Persian empire.
iii) The LORD was the One who made this come to pass.
d) “Who gave them as the dust to his sword, as driven stubble to his bow?”
i) This is not a reference to Abraham.
ii) It would aptly apply to Cyrus.
iii) The weapons, “sword” and “bow” would be more associated with Cyrus.
iv) Only the LORD can bring this to pass.
e) This was a prophetic word concerning the future.
i) Only the LORD can speak of the future in this manner.
ii) Being a prophetic word, this cannot be a reference to Abraham.