Isaiah 44 - Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Isaiah 44:1-2. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chose: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

He comes back to that point again, you see: «Israel whom I have chosen, Thus saith the Lord that made thee.» See the deep argument for infinite love. God will not forsake the work of his own hands. «I have formed thee, and chosen thee; therefore, fear thou not, but come to me anew, and serve me henceforth with all thine heart.»

This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 43:1-7; Isaiah 43:18-28; and Isaiah 44:1-2.

Isaiah 44:1-5. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

There are different ways of making the same profession of attachment to the Lord. All do not acknowledge in the same way their faith in God, but it is a great blessing when our offspring do acknowledge it. Let us end our reading with that sweet blessing upon our children: «I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. May it come to pass in all our families, for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake! Amen.

This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 43:1; 21-28; And 44. 1-5.

Isaiah 44:1. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

After all these charges, you see, the love of God to his chosen people is still the same. Well might Paul say, «I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.» Sin is an exceedingly evil and bitter thing, but even that shall not divide us from the love of God, for, «while we were yet sinners, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.» So herein grace triumpheth over sin, and layeth our follies beneath its feet.

Isaiah 44:2-8. Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing is on thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts, I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Now turn to Psalms 85:1. This Psalm is dedicated to the chief musician. It is a Psalm worthy of the ablest musician. It is to be sung with care; they are well instructed who can understand it, and enter into the experience it describes. It is called- A Psalm for the sons of Korah. I have often reminded you, dear friends, that, when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, went down alive into the pit, the sons of Dathan and Abiram perished with their fathers, but we read, «Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not» We cannot tell why, we must set it down to the sovereign grace of God: and if it were so, then I can see why they henceforth became singers in the sanctuary. «A Psalm for the sons of Korah.» You will sing best who wonder most at your salvation. You who can see no reason for it, except the sovereign goodness of God, will have sweet voices tuned with gratitude wherewith to praise God. The first verse of the Psalm contains a happy memory

This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 43:22-28; Isaiah 44:1-8; and Psalms 85:1.

Isaiah 44:1-3. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant and Israel, whom I have chosen. Thus saith the LORD, that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

«Think not that I am anxious to punish you for your sin. Only return to me, and I will be delighted to bless you. I will help you out of your troubles; I will supply your needs; and not only so, but I will bless your children generation after generation.»

Isaiah 44:4-5. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the LORD'S, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and, surname himself by the name of Israel.

God still has power over human hearts; he can bring back to himself his wandering children.

Isaiah 44:6. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

He gathered up all into himself: as he is the first and the last, where is there space for any other god? He, therefore, would have all our hearts; he would have us love, and adore, and serve him, and him alone.

Isaiah 44:7. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order fore, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.

If these idols be gods, let them prophesy, and tell what is to happen in the future; but they cannot even speak to one another.

Isaiah 44:8. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses, is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 43:14-28; and Isaiah 44:1-8.

Isaiah 44:1-2. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my Servant; and thou, Jesurum, whom I have chosen.

God cannot bear his people to be sad, he delights to drive away fear, trembling, and mistrust. He loves faith, for faith brings confidence, hope, rest. So he says to us, «Fear not, fear not, be not afraid.» It is God himself, who made us, and who chose us, who says to us, «Do not fear.» Come, dear hearts, lay aside your disquietude, if God bids you cast away fear, will you not do it? Nothing hushes a babe to sleep like its mother's voice. Let God's voice hush you into sweet and blessed calm whenever you are troubled and full of fear.

Isaiah 44:3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground:

God will never do anything by halves. He will not only send rain, but the waters shall pour down from the sky. He will not merely moisten the surface of the dry ground; he will send floods to saturate it. God is great in giving his grace. When once you reach the region of grace, you have entered the region of plenty, even the riches of God's unspeakable grace. If, dear friends, you have at this time no spiritual power, and unction, and favor, and love, you may have it, for here is the Lord's own promise, «I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.»

Isaiah 44:3. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

Is that your great burden,--trouble about your boy? Does your dear girl grieve you? Well, he who blesses the father and the mother will bless the children; the God of Abraham is the God of Isaac. Pray that this promise may be fulfilled to you, that your need may get a share of that spirit of grace which has been given to you.

Isaiah 44:4. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

You can track a stream by the willows; standing on a hill, and looking down the valley, you can tell where the little brook winds, for there are the willows. So shall it be with your children; they shall spring up by the waters of grace, and be a joy and a blessing.

Isaiah 44:5. One shall say, I am the Lord's

That is the brave son who comes out boldly, and avows his faith: «One shall say, I am the Lord's.»

Isaiah 44:5. And another shall call himself by the name of Jacob;

That is the one who goes and joins the church, and does not say much about it; but he has united himself with the Lord's people: «and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob.»

Isaiah 44:5. And another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

He cannot speak much, but he can write; he is not so bold as the others, perhaps, but he is quite as true: «Another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord.» It does not so much matter how our children are converted so long as they really are converted, and as to the particular way in which they join the church, we have only to bid them seek the guidance of God's Word and his Spirit, and follow wheresoever they lead. Pray earnestly, dear friends, that the Lord will bless your children. I thank God that most of the members of the church, known to me, have their children saved; there are many families that are altogether in the church. There are others which have not that privilege yet, but, dear friends, you may have it; ask believingly, act faithfully, watch hopefully, and you shall see it joyfully ere long.

Isaiah 44:6-7. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts, I am the first, and I am the last, and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them.

Jehovah challenges the idol gods to utter a prophecy. Let them tell the future if they can; but they cannot. Prophecy is ever the mark of the one living and true God.

Isaiah 44:8-11. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. They that make a graven image are all of them vanity, and their delectable things shall not profit, and they are their own witnesses, they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.

Well they may. Men who pretend to make a god, ought to be ashamed.

Isaiah 44:12. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms:

What irony! God-making, with hammers and bellows!

Isaiah 44:12. Yea, he is hungry,

This god-maker is hungry!

Isaiah 44:12. And his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

The god-maker is getting faint. There is a sarcasm about this description which ought to convince the most blind devotees of an idol.

Isaiah 44:13. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule, he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

A god in the house! A god shut up in a room! A god that has been made with compasses and planes! How ridiculous it seems!

Isaiah 44:14. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.

The raw material for a god is an ash, a watery tree: «The rain doth nourish it.»

Isaiah 44:15-17. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread, yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it, he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: and the residue thereof he maketh a god,

Oh, the folly of idolatry! Perhaps you do not see your own folly, you who are worshipping yourselves. A man who worships his belly is a worse idolater than the one who worships a god of wood. A man who worships gold and silver, if that gold and silver should take the shape of sovereigns and shillings, is not a bit more justified in his idolatry than if he had made it into the shape of a calf, and had bowed before it in idolatrous homage and reverence.

Isaiah 44:17-20. Even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes:

Mad people have been known to do even that, they have thrust cinders into their mouths; and this is what everybody does who is not trusting in the living God: «He feedeth on ashes.»

Isaiah 44:20-21. A deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Remember these, O Jacob and Israel;

Think of these false gods, and be ashamed of them.

Isaiah 44:21-22. For thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sin: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

These wooden gods have done nothing of the sort. Come back to the true God, and worship him, and be happy in his love.

Isaiah 44:1-2. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

You see, the Lord goes on to show his people that, if they were in trouble, they had brought it upon themselves. If the sanctuary had been degraded, it was because both themselves and their teachers had transgressed against God. But, after he has justified his wrath, he still goes on to talk of mercy; and, oh with what plenteousness of love does he address these wandering people of his!

Isaiah 44:3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

Here, O ye needy souls, ye who thirst after mercy is a rich promise for you! How plenteously does God bestow it! «I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.» Your needs cannot be so great as the divine supply. All the Lord asks is that you should be willing to receive his mercy, willing that your emptiness should be filled out of his fullness.

Isaiah 44:4. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

They shall spring up where there were none before, and grow very quickly. These are our young converts, I trust that we shall have many such springing up «as willows by the water courses»?

Isaiah 44:5-6. One shall say, I am the LORD'S, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

That is a great truth, always to be kept in mind, that there is no God beside Jehovah. Let us beware of ever attempting to set up, in our own hearts, any god save the one living and true God.

Isaiah 44:7-12. And who, as I, shall call and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith

Note how the Lord holds up to mockery and scorn the makers of idol gods. He shows the process of god-making, the making of idol gods but his words may be equally well applied to the making of Virgin Mary and the various saints, crucifixes, and all other lumber of this kind in the idolatry that galls itself Christian: «The smith»

Isaiah 44:12. With the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

That is one of these god-makers, you see; a man who makes an idol god, yet who himself gets thirsty by reason of the heat of the coals in his forge. A fine god it must be that he makes! Next comes the carpenter.

Isaiah 44:13-14. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.

They like some choice wood out of which to make their gods. So we see that these idol gods grow in the woods first, and then, afterwards, they need a carpenter's rule, and line, and compass, and plane in order to shape them according to his taste, or the order of his customers.

Isaiah 44:15-17. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself, yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread, yea, he maketh a god and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.

Did ever sarcasm truthful and proper sarcasm go further than this? Idolaters in various lands have frequently been convinced of the absurdity of their worship as they have read this very remarkable piece of inspired writing.

Isaiah 44:18-19. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?

Shall I, an intelligent being, worship gold, silver, wood, or brass, however excellent may be the workmanship of it? Shall I, an immortal being, cast myself down before a piece of bread, and worship that, as some do who first worship, and then eat their god. Oh, what strange infatuation!

Isaiah 44:20. He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand!

The prophet concludes that madness must have laid hold upon the minds of men, or they never could have fallen into the debasing superstitions which degrade them all over the world. Yet, even in this present century old superstitions have come back to our country; it is strange that here, where so many martyrs were burnt, the sons of these martyrs should actually be willing to go back again to the beggarly elements and superstitions of the olden times. The Lord have mercy upon this land, and deliver it from all forms of idol worship!

Isaiah 44:21-22. Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee, thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

Out of all the world, God had a chosen people, his own Israel, to whom he revealed himself, but they also turned aside unto idols, yet here he bids them return to him. Even to this day, they bear their protest against idols bravely. I would to God that they also knew the Christ of God, and worshipped him. All believers are the true Israel after the spirit, and are to maintain for ever the glory of the one only living and true God.

Isaiah 44:23. Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree the therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 43:21-28; and Isaiah 44:1-23.

This evening, we will read two Chapter s from Isaiah's prophecy, the forty-fourth and the fifty-fifth, and a few verses from the twenty-third chapter of the second Book of Samuel. May the Lord bless all these passages to us as we meditate upon them!

Isaiah 44:1. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

See, the chapter begins with a «yet.» There is a great deal in God's «yets.» Notwithstanding all the sin and provocation mentioned in the previous chapter, the Lord still reveals his mercy and goodness to his ancient people.

Isaiah 44:2-3. Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground:

Be not cast down, ye thirsty souls, think not that you must perish of drought, you who are like the parched earth; God is ready to bless, and to bless largely, too: «I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.»

Isaiah 44:3-4. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

God's grace to our children is also grace to us, for there is nothing that we desire more than to see them saved. It will be well for all of us who are parents to grasp this promise, and to plead it before God, «Lord, send such floods of thy grace that our children may grow like the willow trees that flourish wherever the brooks and rivers wander!»

Isaiah 44:5. One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

They shall come in different ways, but they shall come unto the Lord. Some can perhaps only write out their resolve to be the Lord's, while others can boldly speak it, whoever may hear; but they shall come when grace is given to them.

Isaiah 44:6-7. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts, I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.

God claims to be the one great source of all true prophecy. He challenges the gods of the heathen to arrange future providences, or even to foretell what those providences will be.

Isaiah 44:8. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

God himself, who knoweth all things, knows of no other God beside himself indeed there is no other, and there can be no other. The unity of the Godhead must be accepted by us; we cannot think of there being two Gods, since the one living and true God filleth all space. Now the Lord, through the prophet, holds up to ridicule the unreasonableness and folly of those who worship graven images.

Isaiah 44:9-10. They that made a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit, and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god,

The very question is absurd.

Isaiah 44:10-11. Or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men:

Doth man make God? What kind of a god must that be that man can make?

Isaiah 44:11-12. Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

This maker of a god is faint! How utterly ridiculous is the idea that one who can make a god should himself be faint.

Isaiah 44:13-16. The carpenter stretched out his rule; he marketh it out with a line he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it he for a man to burn; for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image and falleth down thereto.

It has often happened that, when this passage has been read in the hearing of idolaters, they have been convinced by it of their folly. It is a very simple description of what takes place in an idol-maker's workshop; yet, simple as it is, it shows the absurdity of the idea of worshipping that which can be made by man's hands.

Isaiah 44:16-18. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god, They have not known nor understood:

There must be a failure of knowledge or understanding where such folly as this is possible.

Isaiah 44:18. For he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

They have been so full of sin that God has given them up to judicial blindness, and hardness of heart has come upon them as a punishment for their rebellion against the Most High.

Isaiah 44:19-20. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes:

He is like a madman who takes to eating ashes:

Isaiah 44:20-21. A deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant:

You who fear God, remember these things, and keep clear of idolatry, the setting up of crucifixes, the hanging up of crosses or any kind of symbol whatever. Even though it be merely the simple triangle, or the sacred Alpha and Omega, away with it, for the people of God must be clear from even the slightest traces of idolatry. See how many so-called Christian churches are nothing better than congregations of idolaters, such as the Church of Rome, and even the Greek Church the one with her images and her relics, and the other with her pictures and her icons. We must have none of these things, for the command still stands, «Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, nor any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.» In days like these in which we live, the people of God should be more particular than ever not to countenance any form of idolatry lest, by slow degrees, we come back to the old abominations which God abhors.

Isaiah 44:21-23. I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

Glory be to his holy name, it shall be our delightful occupation, as long as we live, to glorify him who «hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.» Now turn to the fifty-fifth chapter of this prophecy; might we not almost say, the fifty-fifth chapter of this gospel?

This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 44:1. and 45; and 2 Samuel 23:1-5.

In this chapter, God encourages his Church by a promise of the visitation of his Spirit. Oh, that it may be fulfilled to us also!

Isaiah 44:1-3. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

That is exactly what we need. Oh, that God would thus revive his Church! A little while ago, you saw the earth become dry and brown and bare, the very pastures were chapped and parched, and opened their mouths to cry for rain. What could we have done if the clouds had still withheld their nourishment? But at last down came the refreshing showers, and all the face of nature was revived. What we have had upon our fields, we need upon our churches; nothing will do for our souls but a visitation of the Spirit. Let us pray for it. Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly rain, pour out thy life-giving treasures upon thirsty souls even as the floods have been poured out upon the dry ground. Here is a divine promise, let us plead it: «I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.»

Isaiah 44:4. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

You must often have noticed how you can trace the course of a brook by the willow trees that grow upon its banks. When you cannot see the brook from a distance, you can see the willows. So, wherever the Spirit of God comes, young people are converted, we see our children growing up in God's fear, and we know that this is the result of the Spirit's working.

Isaiah 44:5-6. One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

This is spoken in the Lord's usual majestic style; does it not remind you of the words of our Lord Jesus as recorded in the Book of the Revelation? «I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.» How can he be less than divine who rightly adopts the same style which Jehovah uses in the Prophets: «I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God»?

Isaiah 44:7. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.

The great God challenges all pretended gods to compete with him, and to show that they have ever prophesied or foretold the future. One of the greatest proofs of the inspiration of Scripture, and that our God is the only living and true God, is that the prophecies hitherto have been literally fulfilled. Go to Bashan, or to Edom, or to Sidon, or to Egypt, and wherever you go, you will see that whatsoever the Lord said concerning the ancient nations and peoples and cities has been carried out to the very letter.

Isaiah 44:8. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God, I know not any.

«There is no God» in the world but Jehovah, the one living and true God whom we adore.

Now follows that very wonderful passage descriptive of the making of idols, which we have often read. If there are any of you who worship crosses, and crucifixes, or any other visible objects, please to recollect that God's command is spoken as much to you as to any other idolaters. We may not worship anything that can be seen or handled, for this is the law laid down by God himself: «Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.» Here, then, is God's description of idol gods

Isaiah 44:9. They that make a graven image are all of them vanity;

They must be very empty-headed and foolish people, or they would not worship a thing which they have graven with their own hands.

Isaiah 44:9. And their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.

Idolaters are just as wooden and doltish as their idols, or else they would know better than to worship them.

Isaiah 44:10-12. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

Here is a god-maker, with his tongs, and his coals, and his hammers; yet this god-maker gets hungry and faint! Here comes another.

Isaiah 44:13. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

Fancy a god-maker with his rule and his line, his planes and his compasses! What fine irony there is here.

Isaiah 44:14. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest; he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.

The forest is growing stuff to make gods with out of ash, and oak, and cedar, and cypress.

Isaiah 44:15. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself;

He cuts up part of the tree for fuel, and warms himself with it.

Isaiah 44:15-17. Yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: and the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.

And have not we seen hundreds of persons adoring a doll, or a little picture said to be a likeness of the virgin, or something of that kind? Ah, me! that even under the garb of Christianity the lowest kind of idolatry should still be common amongst our fellow men; God grant that none of us may ever fall into this deadly evil!

Isaiah 44:18-20. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes:

As madmen will sometimes devour ashes, so surely men who worship things that they have made or bought must be mad: «He feedeth on ashes.»

Isaiah 44:20. A deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

If thou shalt worship the crucifix, or anything else that is visible, thou art dishonouring thyself, and thou art breaking the law of God. Remember that, «God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.» He will have no similitude. This he abhorreth with his whole heart, and will hold no one guiltless who worships an idol of any kind. Even though the man has reverentially and sincerely bowed before it, he is transgressing against God. These are the false gods; now we shall read of the one true God

Isaiah 44:21. Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee;

«Thou hast not formed me, as these idolaters make their gods; but I have formed thee.»

Isaiah 44:21. Thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

God does not forget his people. If you are trusting in him, you may forget him through your infirmity, but because of his infinite love, he will never forget you.

Isaiah 44:22. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud; thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

First he pardoned their sins, and then he bade them return unto him. What a wonder of mercy this is-free grace removing sin, and then the sweet constraints of gratitude drawing the forgiven sinner near his God!

Isaiah 44:23. Sing, O ye heavens, for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

Pardoned sin is enough to make even the rocks sing; mountains, trees, forests, and even the lower parts of the earth, are made to echo with song when sin is blotted out.

Isaiah 44:24. Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

God does everything by his own unaided strength. With whom took he counsel when he formed the universe? Who instructed the Ever blessed when he made the heavens and the earth! He did it all by his own wisdom and power.

Isaiah 44:25. That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad: that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

This is what he does to those who boast and think that they know better than he does. But simple hearts, that will believe his Word, shall know his will, and shall grow wise unto salvation.

Isaiah 44:26-28. That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

This Book of the prophet Isaiah was written long before the days of Cyrus; yet he is here mentioned by name, and the prophecy of what he would do is here given. We know how completely this prophecy was fulfilled; and the Lord who uttered it, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is our God for ever and ever. He shall be our guide even unto death, blessed be his holy name! Amen.