Isaiah 45:20–25 20 “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. 21 Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. 22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ 24 “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. 25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.”
Long ago, God inspired Isaiah to prophesy, communicating His intention to use Cyrus to bring judgment on the nations. The sentence Cyrus metes out brings the children of Israel back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the wall around Jerusalem. In His restorative work, the Lord exposes the futility of idolatry characterizing the nations. He declares that worshiping the work of one’s own hands is hopeless (“…keep on praying to a god that cannot save.”). In mercy, the Lord calls the nations to bow in surrender and submission to Him as Lord and the only hope of salvation.
Isaiah’s prophecy finds its ultimate fulfillment in our Lord Jesus. The New Covenant work of redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ is not a picture of defeat but victory. The Apostle Paul applies the declaration of Isaiah 45:23 to Jesus in Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10. Jesus reigns triumphantly over empty religion and the idolatrous work of human hands. Jesus is the only righteous God and Savior. Jesus is the only Savior for both the Jews and Gentile.
Jesus is the Savior who came to earth to take on human flesh, Jewish flesh. But the salvation He provides is not limited to Jews. Jesus calls both Jews and Gentiles to become one new man in Him. All Jews and Gentiles find that the ground of our sinful need is level at the foot of the cross. Jews and Gentiles find the provision of salvation and sanctification, achieved by Jesus through the power of His resurrection, ensures victory and blessing for the people of every nation.
Jesus’s invitation today is, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!” Both Jew and Gentile are fortunate to receive this invitation, and Christians from every nation are blessed to share this invitation.
Jesus is the means of justification and glory for all Jews and Gentiles who bow before Him. May the gracious name of the Lord be praised!
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