READ: Is. 44:21-28: Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant… you will not be forgotten by Me! I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob and glorified Himself in Israel. Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: I am the LORD, who makes all things… Who frustrates the signs of the babblers… Who confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, you shall be inhabited, to the cities of Judah, you shall be built… Who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, you shall be built, and to the temple, your foundation shall be laid.
In verses 1-20, the LORD described the futility of idols and the foolishness of their worship with vivid imagery. It is absurd to expect anything from them.
Now He calls Israel to reflect on this and, in contrast, recognize His divine glory, grace, closeness, care, and His creative, ruling, and redeeming power. Let them serve only the LORD as the one true living God! Let them turn to Him and trust Him!
The LORD has an intimate relationship with His people: He will never forget them (v.21). He will forgive all their sins and erase them as easily as a cloud vanishes (v.22). So great and glorious is His redemption that all creation must sing with joy.
As the almighty God, He exposes all false spirits (v.25) and fulfills His promises (v.26). He brings them back to Jerusalem and ensures the rebuilding of Judah’s cities. For this, He uses Cyrus as His shepherd, who will rule over the nations. By his decree, Jerusalem and the temple will be rebuilt.
What comfort does this bring us?
Sing: Ps. 69:12