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Isaiah 41 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
In this chapter, God is reminding His people of His promises. The people of Israel would be used to glorify the one and only true God of this world. Even though consequences were coming, God was not going to abandon His people. Even though they would feel hopeless, He would not forget His promises to them.
In verse 2, we read about “the one from the East” who is “raised up.” This undoubtedly refers to Cyrus, Emperor of Persia. As history tells us, Cyrus would be the one who eventually conquered the Babylonian Empire when the Jewish people were in exile there. He would permit all exiles, including the Jews, to return to their homeland. Although Judah would be captured by Babylon, the Lord had already prepared a leader to deliver them.
This is our God. He works ahead of us, even in darkness. He does not forget His promises. We need to be reminded of these truths every single day. Our God works even among nonbelievers to bring about His will. There is nothing He cannot use or alter in order to bring glory to Himself. What kind of response do these reminders trigger within your soul? How does knowing this affect your outlook today?