Introduction
With this chapter there is a change of subject. Now there will follow three prophecies about the idolatry in Babylon. However, there is a connection with the previous chapters because the prophet has foretold what Israel can expect through the arousing and service of Cyrus. Now Isaiah is going to show what Cyrus will do to Babylon, making the powerlessness of Babylon and its idols clear. This Persian ruler will be the instrument in the hand of the LORD to judge the gods of Babylon.
At the same time, the three prophecies contain things that are still future in connection with Israel, and are an exhortation to God’s people to keep themselves completely free from idolatry. The first prophecy is in this chapter, the second is in Isaiah 47 and the third is in Isaiah 48. The first deals with the gods, the second with Babylon itself, and the third with those who are delivered out of Babylon and depart from it.
The third and final prophecy finds its full fulfillment in the end time, when God’s people are called to depart from the prophetic Babylon, the religious system in the end time (Rev 18:4). That system is recognizable to us in the professing Christianity with papacy at its head.
1 - 2 Idols Have to Be Carried
1 Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are [consigned] to the beasts and the cattle.
The things that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary [beast].
2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But have themselves gone into captivity.
The main gods of Babylon – Bel and Nebo (verse 1) – are presented as gods who succumb. “Bel” means ‘lord’. It is the title of Enlil, the father of the gods, and later of Marduk, the god of the city of Babylon, similar to the idol Jupiter of the Romans. Bel is represented by a large human image with the horns of a bull. The image speaks of ‘worldly power’. “Nebo” is one of the main idols, similar to the idol Mercury of the Romans. It is the god of writers and intelligence. He is the son of Marduk and the protector of the royal family. It represents ‘worldly wisdom’. Their names can be found in names of persons like Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar.
“The beasts” that carry them, such as camels and elephants, collapse, as well as “the cattle” on which they are loaded, such as horses and donkeys. In spite of all efforts, these gods do not reach the place where they are supposed to be brought to be safe. Instead of being carried around in a procession to their honor – a ritual that takes place every year with New Year – they become a booty of the conqueror (verse 2). They fell into the hands of their enemy Cyrus and could not be saved. That shows how impotent they are. They could not save themselves, let alone save others.
3 - 4 The LORD Bears His People
3 “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to [your] old age I will be the same,
And even to [your] graying years I will bear [you]!
I have done [it], and I will carry [you];
And I will bear [you] and I will deliver [you].
The rest of the chapter consists of three admonitions. The first is to Israel (verses 3-7), the second to the apostates of the people, those connected with the idolaters (verses 8-11), the third to the rebellious (verses 12-13).
The first admonition reminds the people of their unique origins and support. As the seed of Abraham, they were formed and have been carried by God (Deu 1:31; 32:11-12) and He has cared for them from their earliest days (verse 3). That is the past. As for the future, He is the Unchanging. He promises that He will carry them (verse 4), a great contrast to the gods of Babylon that must be carried (verses 1-2) and are unable to help and carry their servants.
It is the Lord Jesus Who “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Heb 1:3). He it is Who “Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1Pet 2:24). And it is also He Who as the High Priest now carries us on His shoulders and on His chest (cf. Exo 28:12-29). God bore His people on eagles’ wings and brought them to Himself (Exo 19:4). It is an encouragement for the remnant to whom the LORD assures that His care for them will not fail in their exercises, no matter how long they take, no matter how old they get. It is also an encouragement for every old believer in our time.
The question today is also: Do we carry the things we idolize or does God carry us? Idols like money and pleasure do not give support and outcome when life ends. Nor can they carry us through the difficulties. But those who know God, revealed in Jesus Christ, are carried by Him to and beyond the end of life to be with Him forever.
5 - 7 The Idols Mocked
5 “To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 “Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it [into] a god;
They bow down, indeed they worship it.
7 “They lift it upon the shoulder [and] carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands [there].
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;
It cannot deliver him from his distress.
Is this God to be compared with someone or is there something to be equated with Him (verse 5)? To ask the question is to answer it. Place any idol beside Him and the foolishness to invest money in that god and call upon him will become clear (verses 6-7). It does not matter if it is a god of gold for the rich or a god of wood for the poor, because what is the use of a god you have to carry with you and lug him around? God ridicules the gods and those who lug with them around. Putting your hope in such gods is the stupidest thing you can do.
8 - 11 There Is No Other God
8 “Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.
9 “Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
[I am] God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned [it, surely] I will do it.
The second admonition begins with a call based on the foregoing. It is addressed to those who surrender to idolatry. Let them be “assured”, literally “firm’, i.e. let them be men, that is, let them be powerful instead of faltering (verse 8). Let them think of what has happened before, of the great truths regarding His Person, He Who is totally unique, to Whom no one is equal (verse 9). He determines the course of history (verse 10). That is why He can predict it. He has always foretold how things will go. Has He ever put them to shame in this? What He has said in the past has all come true. Let them therefore learn the lesson of history and take it to heart.
That He is perfectly trustworthy has been proven by His actions throughout the history of the people. This will also be proved in the future when He introduces the man of His purpose (verse 11). This is about Cyrus. He is the “bird of prey” from the east, that is Persia. He is looking for prey, that is Babylon. Through this man the LORD will bring judgment on the enemies of Israel and thereby also deliver His people.
Here again, Cyrus is a picture of the Lord Jesus, Who will also come from the east to judge the enemies of His people and thereby deliver and bless His people. With a double promise, “I will bring it to pass” and “I will do it”, the LORD establishes its fulfillment.
It is good for the believer when he remembers the past, that he learns from the past how the Lord helped and guided and delivered him. It stimulates the soul to praise Him and it stimulates faith and hope for the future.
12 - 13 His Righteousness Is Near
12 “Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded,
Who are far from righteousness.
13 “I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant salvation in Zion,
[And] My glory for Israel.
The third admonition is addressed to those who resist God’s will. They are the “stubborn-minded” (verse 12). Their unbelief has caused doubt on God’s promises and removed the desire to know them. As a result, they are without the salvation He gives on the basis of righteousness. But there is salvation for those who accept His conditions (verse 13). Isaiah is here again evangelical. He offers God’s righteousness. They can accept it without making certain efforts or making a far journey (cf. Deu 30:11-14; Rom 10:6-10).
Righteousness is the basis for salvation. God will give salvation to Zion and His glory will come to Israel. His “salvation” is a clear reference to the coming of the Lord Jesus. Salvation is connected to His Name and His work. In Him God gives salvation to Zion and His glory to Israel.
This will be done on the basis of His righteousness which He has established for Israel. That foundation is, as for us, the death of Christ. The glory of the LORD who will leave the people (Eze 9:3; 11:23) will return to them. This will happen in full measure, so that Israel, which shines in Divine splendor, will reflect His glory with dignity.