Isa 41:21-29 | KingComments | STEP | At the beginning of this chapter the LORD declares the fact of His Godhead in exercising His absolute power to arouse a ruler who subdues nations and that He controls the rise and course of generations. Now He declares His Godhead by stating that He alone knows and can foretell the future. Earlier He challenged the idolaters, now He challenges the idols themselves, the gods of the nations. The LORD and His people – for He is “the King of Jacob” – stand on one side and the idolatrous heathens stand on the other side ( ). Let their gods come forward and prove to them that they are gods if they can. Then let them declare “to us” – that is the LORD Who as King represents His people and connects them with Himself – what the future looks like ( ). This concerns both the near future, “what is going to take place”, and the distant future, “what is coming”. Let them at least do something, whether “good or evil,” so that they at least give some sign of life ( ; cf. ). Then, says the LORD, we will at least have a foothold, a face that we can imagine, something we can measure ourselves against and possibly even fear. Then let the idols speak now to prove their deity! That does not happen, of course, because they cannot do it. Hence the destructive judgment on them and their creators ( ).

‏ Isaiah 41:21-29

The LORD Challenges the Idols

At the beginning of this chapter the LORD declares the fact of His Godhead in exercising His absolute power to arouse a ruler who subdues nations and that He controls the rise and course of generations. Now He declares His Godhead by stating that He alone knows and can foretell the future. Earlier He challenged the idolaters, now He challenges the idols themselves, the gods of the nations.

The LORD and His people – for He is “the King of Jacob” – stand on one side and the idolatrous heathens stand on the other side (Isa 41:21). Let their gods come forward and prove to them that they are gods if they can. Then let them declare “to us” – that is the LORD Who as King represents His people and connects them with Himself – what the future looks like (Isa 41:22). This concerns both the near future, “what is going to take place”, and the distant future, “what is coming”.

Let them at least do something, whether “good or evil,” so that they at least give some sign of life (Isa 41:23; cf. 1Kgs 18:27). Then, says the LORD, we will at least have a foothold, a face that we can imagine, something we can measure ourselves against and possibly even fear. Then let the idols speak now to prove their deity! That does not happen, of course, because they cannot do it. Hence the destructive judgment on them and their creators (Isa 41:24).

The LORD Foretells Future Things

Again the LORD makes clear that power and authority belong to Him alone in the exaltation in which He disposes of national and international affairs. That is why He repeats the prophecy about Cyrus (Isa 41:25). He has aroused him “from the north, and he has come”. In this way the LORD shows again His omniscience and continues His challenge of the idols. The “north” is Media (Isa 41:2). No one else can do it, none of the heathen deities has revealed it (Isa 41:26). No one has heard about it from them. They have not expressed themselves.

There is no answer to the challenge of the LORD. Had there been an answer, their divine power would have been recognized. But the LORD speaks! As the Only One, He formerly addressed the word to Zion (Isa 41:27). They are the first to receive the promise of blessing. All others can only repeat what He has already said. They cannot say anything new that He would not know.

With a clear delight in the lasting good for His people, He promises to give Jerusalem a messenger of good news. The “messenger of good news” is also the LORD Himself. With the words “behold, here they are” He calls upon Zion to see how He has fulfilled His promises, looking to the future time of fulfillment.

Isa 41:28 gives the expected outcome of the lawsuit. The idols and their worshipers are silent. There is no counselor to say a word. The case concludes with an explanation of the contempt and anger of the LORD (Isa 41:29), which literally reads: ”Behold them all! Nullity! Their product is nothing; wind and desolation are their molten images.” This is the deathblow for idolatry. The faithful remnant is now convinced of the foolishness of idolatry, which will reappear in the future during the great tribulation in the most penetrating way (Rev 13:14-15).