a savior

September 9, 2016

All nations turn to Yahweh (Isa 45:14-45:17)

“They will make supplication to you.

Saying.

‘God is with you alone.

There is no other.

There is no god

Besides him.

Truly!

You are a God

Who hides himself.

O God of Israel!

The Savior.’

All of them are put to shame.

They are confounded.

The makers of idols

Go in confusion together.

But Israel is saved by Yahweh

With everlasting salvation.

You shall not be put to shame.

You shall not be confounded

To all eternity.”

Second Isaiah talks about the conversion of the whole world to Yahweh. This universal appeal is almost unique to Second Isaiah. The inhabitants of these other countries will say that Yahweh alone is God. There is no other god besides him. This had been the same request that Yahweh had made to his own people, but now everyone should say it, not just the Israelites. The God of Israel is a savior who hides himself. However, he will put all people to shame and confusion, especially those idol makers. Yahweh will then provide an everlasting salvation for his people, so that they will not be ashamed or confused for all eternity.

August 2, 2016

Yahweh in control of Egypt (Isa 19:19-19:22)

“On that day,

There will be an altar to Yahweh

In the center of the land of Egypt.

There will be a pillar to Yahweh

At its border.

It will be a sign.

It will be a witness

To Yahweh of hosts

In the land of Egypt.

When they cry to Yahweh

Because of oppressors,

He will send them a savior.

He will defend them.

He will deliver them.

Yahweh will make himself known

To the Egyptians.

The Egyptians will know Yahweh.

On that day,

They will worship with sacrifice.

They will worship with burnt offering.

They will make vows to Yahweh.

They will perform them.

Yahweh will strike Egypt,

Striking and healing.

They will return to Yahweh.

He will listen to their supplications.

He will heal them.”

On that special day, the Egyptians will convert to Yahweh. They will build an altar to Yahweh in the center of Egypt, much like another Jerusalem. There will even be a pillar to Yahweh at the borders of Egypt. This would indicate and witness that Egypt was under the protection of Yahweh. If they had any oppressors, all that they had to do was to cry out to Yahweh for help. Then he would send a savior to them in order to defend and deliver them. They were also going to be the people of Yahweh as the Egyptians would worship with sacrifices and burnt offerings to Yahweh. They would make vows and perform them for Yahweh. Yahweh would listen to them and heal them. He even would forgive them like the Israelites. Thus we have a new people of Yahweh in Egypt. How different this is from the idea of a few remnant Israelites in Jerusalem.