Isaiah Chapter 41 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Isaiah 41:1
"Keep silence before me, coastlands! Let the peoples replenish their strength! Let them approach; then let them speak. Let us assemble for judgment."
The word that is translated here as coastlands actually refers to islands or remote places. This verse speaks of the fact that even the peoples in remote places are going to be brought before the Lord for judgement.
Isaiah 41:2–4
Who has raised from the east one who is just and called him to be in his service? He hands nations over to him and subjects kings to him; his sword reduces them to dust, his bow to driven straw. He pursues them, passing on unscathed, hardly touching the path with his feet. Whose work is this? Who has brought it about? He who called the generations from the beginning, "I, ADONAI, am the first; and I am the same with those who are last."
This passage speaks of God the Father calling Yeshua to establish the kingdom of righteousness. We see that this kingdom is to be ruled by Yeshua Messiah and he is given victory in the final battle as the corpses of men are as the dust of the ground. The purposes of God are fulfilled in the establishment of this kingdom and it is done supernaturally. We also see that God's purposes and plans have not changed from the beginning to the end.
Isaiah 41:5–7
The coastlands have seen and became afraid. The ends of the earth have trembled. They have approached, and now they have come. Every one helps his fellow workman, everyone says to his brother, "Be strong!" The woodworker encourages the goldsmith, the polisher encourages the hammerer; he says of the soldering, "Yes, that's good," then puts nails in [the idol] to keep it from moving.
Even the peoples from the most remote parts of the earth are assembled for the judgement day and yet we see that the majority of them cling to their idols and refuse to repent. They continue to build their idols and put their hope in them even as the judgement begins.
Isaiah 41:8–10
"But you, Isra'el, my servant; Ya'akov, whom I have chosen, descendants of Avraham my friend, I have taken you from the ends of the earth, summoned you from its most distant parts and said to you, 'You are my servant' - I have chosen you, not rejected you. Don't be afraid, for I am with you; don't be distressed, for I am your God. I give you strength, I give you help, I support you with my victorious right hand.
Now, we see a contrast between the idolatry of the nations and the faithfulness of Israel. It speaks of Jacob and we are reminded that the name Jacob speaks of one who pursues or, in this case, the fact that Jacob pursued the things of God. We see that, after the time of the gentiles is finished, Israel will be once again redeemed from the nations and the fact that it is God's right hand speaks of the work of Yeshua Messiah.
Isaiah 41:11–13
All those who were angry with you will be disgraced, put to shame; those who fought against you will be destroyed, brought to nothing. You will seek them but not find them, those who contended with you; yes, those who made war with you will be brought to nothing, nothing at all. For I, ADONAI, your God, say to you, as I hold your right hand, 'Have no fear; I will help you.
This passage speaks of the battle for the land of Israel which is partially happening now but will continue until the final battle of Armageddon. We see that the outcome of this battle for the land is that the armies of the earth will be brought to nothing as Messiah steps in just as God has promised.
Isaiah 41:14–16
Have no fear, Ya'akov, you worm, you men of Isra'el!' I will help you," says ADONAI; "Your redeemer is the Holy One of Isra'el. "I will make you into a threshing-sledge, new, with sharp, pointed teeth, to thresh the mountains and crush them to dust, to reduce the hills to chaff. As you fan them, the wind will carry them off, and the whirlwind will scatter them. Then you will rejoice in ADONAI, you will glory in the Holy One of Isra'el.
Here, God refers to the people of Israel as worms and that is not a complement as worms are seen as unclean and of decaying. This speaks of the spiritual condition of the people of Israel as they have rejected Yeshua Messiah but we see that there is going to be a change that is brought about through the power of God. In the original Hebrew, it uses the past tense and says that God has helped instead of the future tense of "I will help". This shows a promise that is as good as done and this unclean people is going to be changed to where they can be used by God in the harvest of the earth. This speaks of the fact that Israel is the chosen people of God and they were chosen for his purposes. Those that accept that fact will be separated from those who don't just like wheat is separated from the chaff during the harvest.
Isaiah 41:17–20
"The poor and needy look for water in vain; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, ADONAI, will answer them. I, the God of Isra'el, will not leave them. I will open up rivers on the barren hills and wells down in the broad valleys. I will turn the desert into a lake and dry ground into springs. I will plant the desert with cedars, acacias, myrtles and olive trees; In the 'Aravah I will put cypresses together with elm trees and larches." Then the people will see and know, together observe and understand that the hand of ADONAI has done this, that the Holy One of Isra'el created it.
This passage speaks of the fact that, as the people are about to perish, God will answer and his answer will be a restoration of the land of Israel as even the desolate areas will become forests of trees and water will be abundant in the land. Through this intervention by God, people will see and understand that it is the hand of God that has done these things.
Isaiah 41:21–24
"Present your case," says ADONAI, "Produce your arguments," says Ya'akov's king. Bring out those idols! Have them foretell the future for us, tell us about past events, so that we can reflect on them and understand their consequences. Or tell us about events yet to come, state what will happen in the future, so that we can know you are gods. At least, do something, either good or bad - anything, to make us awestruck and fearful! You can't! - because you are less than nothing. Whoever chooses you is an abomination!
This passage calls Israel to present their complaints to God and to explain why they have turned to idolatry. He goes on to speak of the futility of idol worship as idols cannot do anything and the fact that those who choose to worship them do so because they do not want to follow the one true God.
Isaiah 41:25–29
"I roused someone from the north, and he has come from the rising sun; he will call on my name. He will trample on rulers as if they were mud, like a potter treading clay." Who said this at the start, so we could know, or foretold it, so we could say, "He's right"? In fact, no one said it; no one foretold it - the fact is, nobody hears what you say. I am the first to declare it to Tziyon, to send Yerushalayim a messenger with good news. But when I look around, there is no one - not a single one can give counsel, who, when I ask, can give an answer. Look at them all! What they do is nothing! Their idols are so much wind and waste.
This passage speaks of Yeshua Messiah and the fact that he will be the king of kings. Unlike the idols which could not tell of the future, God has told of the coming of Yeshua Messiah from the beginning but men did not want to listen or to follow.
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