Isa 44 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 44:1-5: 44:1-5 The promise of salvation extended the usefulness of sinful Israel to another generation (44:3 ). The past was bleak (see 43:22-28 ), but the future would be a glorious new era transformed by the Spirit.

Summary for Isa 44:1-5: 44:1-5 ^a The promise of salvation extended the usefulness of sinful Israel to another generation (44:3 ^b). The past was bleak (see 43:22-28 ^c), but the future would be a glorious new era transformed by the Spirit.
44:3 ^d The restoration theme is connected with God’s promise to pour out the Spirit (see also 32:15-17 ^e; Joel 2:28-32 ^f; Acts 2:16-18 ^g).

• on your descendants ... children: The next generation of Israelites offered hope.
Summary for Isa 44:6-20: 44:6-20 ^h This passage uses the form of a trial speech to press God’s argument that disgrace comes to all who trust in idols and false gods.
Summary for Isa 44:15-17: 44:15-17 ⁱ he uses part of the wood to make a fire ... he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship: This description of the process of making an idol drips with sarcasm and ridicule at the stupidity of the foolish idol worshipers (see also 44:19 ^j).
Summary for Isa 44:18-19: 44:18-19 ^k Their minds are shut: Idol worshipers cannot see the irony in using one part of a log to warm themselves and another part of the same log to be their god.
Summary for Isa 44:21-22: 44:21-22 ^l The Lord promised to forgive Israel’s sins.
44:23 ^m All creation is called to celebrate God’s redemption of Israel (cp. 1:2 ⁿ).
Summary for Isa 44:24-45:8: 44:24–45:8 ^o The Lord alone is sovereign over history. He raised up Cyrus of Persia to execute judgment on Babylon and restore Israel to the Holy Land.
44:25 ^p False prophets and fortune-tellers used forbidden forms of divination to try to predict the future. Eventually God would expose them as deluded liars (see 3:2 ^q; 9:15 ^r; 47:13 ^s; Deut 18:10-11 ^t).
44:27 ^u The sudden depletion of natural resources at times indicates a divine judgment (see 42:15 ^v; cp. 43:20 ^w). Here, however, God’s ability to dry up streams with just a word illustrates his power to do what he said he would do through Cyrus of Persia.
44:28 ^x He is my shepherd: Cyrus went beyond simply permitting the Jews to return to their homeland. He facilitated a major restoration project to rebuild Jerusalem and restore the Temple (see 45:13 ^y; Ezra 1:2-4 ^z; 6:3-5 ^aa).