 |  |
Isaiah 51: 9 - 16.
A | 9. | a | Awake
b | put on strength
a | Awake
b | as in ancient days
B | 10-16. Ancient days and their prophecy of the future. |
D | 10, 11. | c | "dried the sea?" ref. to Egypt
d | Future restoration
"shall return"
E | 12. I even I am HE
D | 15, 16. | c | "divided the sea"
d | Future restoration
"Thou art My people"
The words of verse 11 are similar to those found in Isa. 35: 10 showing most
clearly the prophetic intention to link Israel's deliverance from Egypt with their future
restoration.
The believer is now directed to consider another reason for confidence in the Lord.
Not only is there the blessed history of the exodus, there is behind it all the overwhelming
creative record of Genesis:
"I even I am HE (the pronouns are emphatic here) that comforteth you" (Isa. 51: 12),
and the corollary is therefore:
(1)
Fear not a man that shall die.
(2)
Forget not the Lord thy Maker.
Isaiah enlarges upon the mighty power of Israel's Deliverer by drawing attention to
the wonder of creation:
"That hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth" (Isa. 51: 13).
We have too much regard for the inspired Scriptures to think that the many references
they contain to this wonderful `stretching forth' of the heavens is merely a piece of
oratory, and the following scheme may be useful as a guide to the interested student:
A |
Isa. 41: 22. Idolatry.
B
| Isa. 42: 5; 44: 24; 45: 12; 51: 13. Israel's deliverance.
A |
Jer. 10: 12. Idolatry (note verse 9 is in Chaldee not Hebrew).
B
| Jer. 40: 15. Babylon's overthrow.
The reader will remember that both Isaiah (34: 11) and Jeremiah (4: 23) make
direct reference to Gen. 1: 2 when the earth was "without form and void". The
"stretched out heavens" of these same prophecies refer to the `firmament' of Gen. 1: 6,
where the margin instructs the reader that the Hebrew word used means `expansion'. We