Isa 41:1-7 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 41:1-7: 41:1-7 The Lord here invited the nations to a trial where he would prove that he alone is God. They were defenseless as he declared that a king from the east (41:2 ) would crush Babylon, opening the way for Israel to return. 41:1 The nations coming together for a trial have to listen in silence to the presentation of God’s arguments. • Bring your strongest arguments: Literally let them find new strength, a play on 40:31 . • God invited the nations to come ... and speak , challenging them to refute his case.

Summary for Isa 41:1-7: 41:1-7 ^a The Lord here invited the nations to a trial where he would prove that he alone is God. They were defenseless as he declared that a king from the east (41:2 ^b) would crush Babylon, opening the way for Israel to return. 41:1 ^c The nations coming together for a trial have to listen in silence to the presentation of God’s arguments.

• Bring your strongest arguments: Literally let them find new strength, a play on 40:31 ^d.

• God invited the nations to come ... and speak, challenging them to refute his case.
41:2 ^e This king from the east was Cyrus, the Persian king who conquered Babylon in 539 BC and permitted the Jews to return to their land and rebuild Jerusalem (538 BC; Ezra 1:1-4 ^f). Isaiah’s prophecies about Cyrus (see Isa 44:28–45:13 ^g; 48:14-15 ^h) encouraged Israel to look to the Lord as sovereign over all of human history, including the actions of great kings.

• Who gives this man victory over many nations? As victorious as the conquering Cyrus was, he was still subject to the Lord.
41:4 ⁱ each new generation from the beginning of time: God is sovereign over all things. From the beginning he has unfolded each stage of history according to his plan.

• In the book of Revelation, Jesus identifies himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev 1:8 ^j, 17 ^k; 2:8 ^l; 21:6 ^m; 22:13 ⁿ).

• I alone am he: The Lord alone is God (see also Isa 43:10 ^o, 13 ^p; 46:4 ^q; 48:12 ^r; Deut 32:39 ^s). Jesus used similar expressions for himself (see John 6:35 ^t; 8:12 ^u, 24 ^v; 9:5 ^w; 10:7 ^x, 9 ^y, 11 ^z, 14 ^aa; 11:25 ^ab; 14:6 ^ac; 15:1 ^ad, 5 ^ae).
Summary for Isa 41:5-7: 41:5-7 ^af This taunt against idolatry was a response to God’s raising up of Cyrus; the nations hope to find protection in their idols.
41:6 ^ag Be strong! The nations put their hope in things that have no strength, objects made by human craftsmen.