Isaiah 44

Remember these things, Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. Wesley: These—These things, the deep ignorance and stupidity of idolaters. Forgotten—I will not forget nor forsake thee; therefore thou shalt have no need of idols.

Remember the idolaters’ stupidity; Forgotten is the LORD’s not-forgetting, so Israel has no need of idols. Remember these things, Jacob; my servant. I have formed you. You will not be forgotten. Jacob is addressed right after the satire of 44:9–20. He formed them; they will not be forgotten.

Remember these things, Jacob. Calvin: apply the idol satire so they are not corrupted in Babylon. Thou art my servant; I have formed thee: regenerated and sanctified, heir of eternal life. Do not thou forget me: forgetfulness of God is the cause of apostasy; error never prevails so long as remembrance of God is rooted.

Formed is regeneration of the servant-heir; do not forget me—forgetfulness is the cause of apostasy. Wesley reads it the same way: Remember these things, Jacob; my servant. I have formed you. He formed the servant; remembrance is rooted.

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. Wesley: As a cloud—So that there is no remnant of it left.

Blotting leaves no remnant, as a cloud is gone; return, for I have redeemed you. Transgressions blotted like a cloud; sins like mist; return; I have redeemed you. He has blotted; he has redeemed.

I have blotted out as a cloud thy iniquities. Calvin: future deliverance; hearts cannot be raised unless God is perceived reconciled. Guilt remitted, therefore punishment remitted (overthrows those who grant guilt remitted but deny punishment remitted). Return thou to me; For I have redeemed thee: confirmation that they will return though banishment makes them doubt.

Blotting is reconciliation perceived, so hearts rise; guilt remitted means punishment remitted; return is confirmed though exile makes them doubt. Wesley concurs: blotted like a cloud; no remnant; return, for I have redeemed you. He has blotted; he has redeemed.

Sing, you heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth! Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel. Wesley: Sing—By such invitations to the senseless creatures, he signifies the transcendent greatness of this mercy, sufficient to make even the stones, if it were possible, to break forth into God’s praises.

Even stones would praise if they could; the mercy is that great. Heavens, depths, mountains, forest, every tree; the LORD has redeemed Jacob; he will glorify himself in Israel.

Praise, O ye heavens. Calvin: dictate a song as if already delivered. Heaven and earth and mountains and forest. For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob: not only return to native country, but the end included—God collect under one head a Church taken out of the whole world.

A song as if already delivered; return to the land, and the end included—a Church gathered under one head from the whole world. Wesley says as much: heavens and earth praise; the LORD has redeemed Jacob.

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb says: I am the LORD, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself. From v. 21: I have formed you. You are my servant; Forgotten—I will not forget nor forsake thee; therefore thou shalt have no need of idols. So here: Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb says: I am the LORD, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens.

The same former of the servant now names himself Redeemer from the womb, maker of all things, heavens stretched by himself. Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer; formed from the womb; made all things; stretched out the heavens; spreads out the earth by myself. He made all things; he alone stretched the heavens.

Thus saith Jehovah thy Redeemer and Maker from the womb. Calvin: not first creation only but regeneration of those adopted. Past redemption (Egypt) to expect continual advancement. Who alone stretcheth out the heavens: government of the whole world; power united to his word.

Redeemer and Maker from the womb is regeneration of the adopted, not first creation only; Egypt’s past redemption grounds continual advancement; stretching the heavens is government of the world, power united to his word. Wesley reads it the same way: Redeemer; formed from the womb; made all things; heavens stretched alone.

“Who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish.” Wesley: Liars—Of the magicians, and astrologers, who were numerous, and greatly esteemed in Babylon, and who had foretold the long continuance and prosperity of the Chaldean empire. Mad—With grief for the disappointment of their predictions, and their disgrace which followed it. Turneth—Stopping their way, and blasting their designs.

Babylon’s magicians and astrologers, esteemed, had foretold Chaldean continuance; he makes them mad with grief when the signs fail; he stops their way. Both confess: signs of liars frustrated; diviners made fools; wise men turned back; their knowledge foolish. He frustrates what they signed; events will not agree with them.

Frustrating the signs of liars. Calvin: Babylon surpassed in arms AND in pretended sagacity—astrologers/Chaldeans, judicial astrology. Makes diviners mad. Condemns using stars to predict governments and events; God remains judge of the world.

Chaldean astrologers’ pretended sagacity; diviners made mad; stars do not judge governments; God remains judge of the world. Common ground with Wesley: Babylon magicians and astrologers; their signs frustrated; diviners mad.

He confirms the word of his servant and performs the counsel of his messengers; he says of Jerusalem, She will be inhabited, and of Judah’s cities, They will be rebuilt, and I will restore their ruins. Magicians and astrologers of Babylon had foretold the long continuance of the Chaldean empire; Cyrus is named two hundred years before he was born as undeniable evidence of the exactness of God’s fore-knowledge, and a convincing argument to conclude this dispute between God and idols. So here: he confirms the word of his servant against those signs; Jerusalem shall be inhabited; Judah built.

The servant’s word stands; the magicians’ Chaldean continuance does not; Jerusalem inhabited, cities of Judah built, ruins raised. Confirms the word of his servant; counsel of his messengers; Jerusalem inhabited; Judah built; ruins raised. He confirms his servant’s word; he says she shall be inhabited.

Confirming the word of his servant. Calvin: prophets versus Chaldean unfounded predictions. Promise: Babylon shall fall, my people restored. Jerusalem shall be inhabited; cities of Judah built. Church will be raised when it appears ruinous.

The servant is the prophet against Chaldean predictions; Babylon falls, the people restored; Jerusalem inhabited; the Church raised when it looks ruinous. Wesley concurs: confirms his servant’s word; Jerusalem inhabited; Judah built.

“Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers.” Wesley: That saith—That with a word can dry up the sea and rivers, and remove all impediments.

A word dries the sea and rivers and removes all impediments. Says to the deep, Be dry; rivers dried. He says Be dry; the rivers will be dry.

Saying to the deep, Be dry. Calvin: not limited only to Babylon as allegory; unexpected change, people drawn as from the depths. Alludes to the Red Sea (Exod 14)—I did this for your fathers.

Not Babylon-only allegory; unexpected change; people drawn from the depths; the Red Sea for the fathers is the type of this drying. Wesley says as much: a word dries the deep and rivers; impediments removed.

“Who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She will be built; and of the temple, Your foundation will be laid.” Wesley: Cyrus—Whom God here mentions by his proper name, two hundred years before he was born, that this might be an undeniable evidence of the exactness of God’s fore-knowledge, and a convincing argument to conclude this dispute between God and idols. Shepherd—Then will I set up to be the shepherd of my people, to rescue them from wolves or tyrants, to gather them together, to rule them gently, and to provide comfortably for them.

Cyrus named two hundred years before birth proves exact fore-knowledge against idols; shepherd means he will rescue, gather, rule gently, and provide. Shared loudly: Cyrus named before birth; he is my shepherd; he shall fulfill all my purpose; Jerusalem built; the temple’s foundation laid. Persian Cyrus, not the Christ-Servant of 42:1–9. He named Cyrus; events will agree.

Calvin: named long before he was born (more than a century after Isaiah/Manasseh). Who would have conjectured he should come from the most distant mountains of Persia to Babylon? Shepherd of my people to bring them back. Jerusalem built; temple founded. Later “living temples” (2 Cor 6:16) is application; the verse’s referent is Cyrus and the Jerusalem temple.

Cyrus named long before birth, from Persia’s mountains to Babylon; shepherd to bring the people back; Jerusalem built; this temple’s foundation laid. Shared loudly with Wesley: Cyrus named before birth; my shepherd; all my purpose; Jerusalem built; temple founded. Persian king, not the Christ-Servant of 42:1–9. He named Cyrus; he shall fulfill all my purpose.