CHAPTER 44
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 1-4
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 1-4
These are all very beautiful promises of the Joys and Powers through the Holy Spirit
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 5
One shall say, I am the Lord’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 5
He is describing how His people divide up into denominations. They’ve been doing it since New Testament times, and are still doing it, and not focusing on the one-ness of the true, repented and saved Body of Christ.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 6-8
Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 6-8
We must all join in Him. He is all we need.—the First and the Last, Beginning and the End. The doctrines and differences between us melt away when we focus our hearts and minds and spirits on Him alone! He is our only God! Sometimes we can get so tied up in “church” that we make a god of that. Then our church becomes our idol.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 9-15
They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 9-15
Our graven images are our worldly things. We work and make our lives “successful” and feel we did it with our own hands, but all these worldly treasures are perishable. They won’t last, and we, being weak, can’t keep up without the help of God, Who gave us these things. Still, we claim we did it all ourselves (Jeremiah 10:3-5) This is modern day idolotry.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 16
He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 16
We use material things, and we feel they are important, and say, “aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire”. We think, because we have seen happiness, or what the world calls happiness, that we must be happy; we see fire, we feel warm; but we don’t know, until the Spirit of the Lord reveals it, just how cold and empty we really are. (Revelation 3:17-18)
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 17
And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 17
Whenever we ignore God in our lives, we are making a god of our natural lives. So, when we fall into trouble, we are still looking to the world system to save us. We, as God’s people, need to be so devoted to Jesus Christ, and so abiding in Him, as to look always to Him first and always.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 18-20
They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 18-20
Without listening to the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand these things, how God has given us the things of the world for our use, but not to take the place of Him in our lives. This is why He said those that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth. We are to live to give, to be prosperous for the Lord, and not for ourselves. As long as we put Him first, we will be prosperous. He will provide whatever we need in this world, but the lie comes when we put material things foremost and talk to the Lord when we have time, or when we have a problem. Material things should be irrelevant. If we are totally submitted to the will of God, we will trust that He will give us what we need, and that is prosperity.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 21-22
Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 21-22
He makes it clear that all we need do is come to Him in repentance and we are forgiven. He pleads with us, because He is bursting with Love for us!
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 23
Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 23
“The Lord hath done it.” The Lord has already forgiven us. All we need do is repent and accept His forgiveness, and His Power and Protection!
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 24-25
Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 24-25
We must remember we’re nothing on our own. Even to those who don’t realize it, He is giving. Even though they take the credit themselves, it is all from Him.
Those who are going through this life without Him—working from themselves, taking
the credit, don’t understand that He still is controlling all things even in their lives. He made the heavens and earth in every detail by Himself, He can certainly keep it going by Himself.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 26
That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 26
He is the God that performs everything He says through His servants; It is He Who inhabits His people. He dwells in us, and raises up our once dead spirits to new life!
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 27
That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 27
But those who chose not to follow after Him, will not have the flow of the Living Waters and will be dry.
SCRIPTURE: CHAPTER 44, VS 28
That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
APPLICATION: CHAPTER 44, VS 28
The Ne Jerusalem’s foundation is built right now, and we are the foundation, the living stones (Revelations 21:19) made firm and strong and precious by the revelations of Christ (1Peter 2:5)
Cyrus, in History, was a Persian king who had Solomon’s Temple rebuilt after it was destroyed. Here, he is a type of Jesus Christ, who brought about the New Testament, where His people, those who accept Him as Lord and Saviour, are the stones of the temple. We are the Temples of the Holy Spirit, and thus, Christ rebuilt the Temple as Cyrus did in the Old Testament. (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 1 Cor 6:19;
2 Corinthians 6:16; Rev. 3:12)
END OF CHAPTER 44