Isaiah 45:18-21 – Being rooted in the true God

In Isaiah 45, especially from verse 9 onwards, God had been presenting one evidence after another to show proof to vindicate Himself to be the only true God. He began by reproofing those among His people who had the audacity to question His intention to deploy Cyrus as the instrument to rescue Israel His people. They failed to recognize that He, the Sovereign Lord, had always been the Maker and Architect of the universe and man’s affair. He had every right to choose who He wanted as His instrument. And He chose to raise Cyrus to fulfill His righteous purpose. He would be used to save His people, liberating them from the exile to rebuild Jerusalem. His plan included restoring Zion, making it a glorious place where people from other nations would be attracted to this restored city. He had been working constantly and mysteriously to bring about His plan and purpose.

In Isaiah 45:18-21, God continued to authenticate Himself and prove His divinity. Here He appealed to the fact that the heaven and earth which He created had been purposefully and logically designed. Where could He have put man and the life forms if He did not first create heaven and the earth as their habitat? So He wisely created the habitat for the life forms and not just a stretch of wasteland. So in creation, we see God’s orderliness which shows us that He has a purpose in how He designed heaven and earth. In verse 19, God proved His divinity by appealing to being the only One who could provide revelation and reveal secrets that would otherwise not be known. He alone could speak righteously and declare the right thing.  

In verse 20, God then summoned all people to come and listen to His reasoning. Here He showed how foolish it was for man to trust in man-made idols, believing that they were gods. It’s foolishness because those idols could not even walk by themselves but need to be transported around by their worshippers. Furthermore, they could not see what was happening currently, much less being able to foretell the future. What the idols could not do, God did. He knows the past and is acquainted with the present and can tell what would happen in the future. He had predicted the coming of Cyrus long before he appeared on the scene. Who could have done so except Him, the only true God? He had proven Himself to be the Righteous God and Savior, and the only One true God.  

The generosity of God is seen clearly in these verses. He invites all people to consider His grace. There is no other God except Him who can save. He is our Righteous God, the Savior. And we are glad that in Jesus He has drawn us to Himself. Now let us give our all to know Him and be deeply rooted in Him. Colossian 2:6-7 exhort us, “Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” Praise be to God!