Verse 21 says, “’Present your case,’ says the LORD.
‘Set forth your arguments,’ says Jacob’s King.”
“Your” (21) are the gods of the “idols”. (22) Here the Lord is calling to the gods of the idols saying to come bring their evidence “so we may know that you are gods.” (23) In other words, so that we can know who the real God is. If the idols are real gods then they must have proof of it. It is only by God showing proof that he is God that we discern that he is legitimate. In today’s passage it really shows that the Lord is the real God. Today I would like to talk about 3 aspects of the Lord really being God.

I. Tell us what is going to happen (Vs. 22-24)
First let’s look at verses 22 to 24. I will read verses 22 and 23. “Tell us you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them. Or declare to us the things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.”
Here the Lord says, “Tell us you idols, what is going to happen.” (22) The God who can tell us “what is going to happen” (22) is the real God. The reason this says “us” (22) is because it is referring to the God and Israel. It is making God and Israel one. However, at the same time it shows that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity is 3 in 1. In Genesis 1:26 God says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” It is this God.
This God sought proof from the idol gods, “Tell us you idols, what is going to happen.” (22) If it was a real god, he would be able to tell “what is going to happen.” (22) That is something that only God can do. If they can do that then it could be said that they are gods. However, they can’t. Idols can’t tell us ““what is going to happen.” (22)
However, the God of the Bible is different. The God of the Bible, the Creator God declares in advance the things of the future, “what is going to happen.” (22) A lot of things about the future are recorded in the Bible. These things are called prophecies. In reality 1/3 to 1/4 of the Bible is prophecy. That is the reason that the Bible is said to be a book of prophecy. This is one reason that the Bible is an unique book. The Bible declares in advance precisely and concretely “what is going to happen.” (22)
For example, if you look at verse 25, it says, “I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes- one from the rising sun who calls upon my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.”

This too is a prophecy. “I have stirred up one from the north。” (25) “North” (25) is Persia. The “one” (25) God has stirred up one from the north is the Persian king, Cyrus. “He comes- one from the rising sun who calls upon my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.” This is a prophecy that King Cyrus will come and attack Babylon. Just like a potter treads clay, King Cyrus will tread on Babylon.
This was spoken about 700 B.C. This actually occurred 150 years later in 539 B.C. In reality it was a 150 years later. At the time that these words were spoken the Persian Empire hadn’t flourished yet. At that time was the time of the Assyrian empire. After that the Babylonian empire rose. The Persian, the Medo-Persian Empire was after that. Of course, King Cyrus had not been born yet. Even so it declares with exactness the name of a person that hasn’t even been born yet. There are some people who doubt and think that is impossible so they think there was a second and third Isaiah and in a later age they wrote it and added it on. However, it can be said that if God is omniscient and omnipotent it should instead be proof that the Creator God is the real God.
Often people say that Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism are all the same. They say that all religions are good. However, in reality that is wrong. They say that because in reality they have not studied the Word of God much. A person, who knows the Bible well, will definitely not say such a thing. Who can tell us “what is going to happen?” (22) The Bible is not just a text book. It is not just an ethics book. Nor is it just a psychological book either. It is not the kind of book that if you read it your heart becomes calm. Of course, it does have that side to it, but that is not its main one. If you read it for that purpose, you may stumble when you face realities that are not like that. The Bible shows the Lord is truly God, and to know how God has intervened in human history and to follow Him, and to live honoring God is a joy given to us mankind and a blessing. Also if this God is a real God, he can tell us “what is going to happen” (22) with exactness and concreteness. That is the Bible.
II Peter 1:21
This is the decisive differential point between the Bible and other books. In the world there are many frauds such as the Great prophecy of Nostradamus or the Maya prophecy. However, it is very difficult to say that they are prophecies. That’s because they are always off. Just recently too, according to the Maya prophecy mankind will be destroyed on Dec. 21, 2012 was off. Since the prophecy was off, the excuse was given that there was a mistake in the calculations. They changed their mind commenting that when they calculated it well it is the year 2015, not 2012. When they are off like this they postpone it, and postpone it, but that is nothing more than fraud. It is only ensnaring people into fear and confusion.
However, the Bible is different. The Bible “never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (II Peter 1:21) so what is spoken is for sure fulfilled. You will never be betrayed. Naturally, if this is prophesized as the Words of God and if it isn’t fulfilled, the prophet’s life will be taken. Then the God that the person who spoke the prophecy believed in too will be thought of negatively. If the prophet was off by even by one thing, he had to die. Therefore, you can see that the prophets of that age spoke putting their life on the line. They couldn’t talk irresponsibly. From this the Bible was made. Therefore, you can see that the Bible is worth believing in. It is worth putting your life at stake for. This is Christianity. I think you will understand that this point is completely different from other religions.
Of course, in the Old Testament there are many prophecies about Jesus Christ. Christ is the Messiah, the Savior. It was clearly prophesized where this Christ would be born, what kind of life he would live, how he would suffer, how he would die, and how he would rise again. In reality he was prophesized about directly over 300 times, including indirectly over 350 times. Therefore, if you look at the Old Testament you will know clearly what the coming Messiah, the Savior will be like. Also the Old Testament clearly declares that Jesus of Nazareth is truly Jesus who died on the cross and 3 days later rose from the grave is really the Savior. One significance is it can be said that the New Testament is a book of proof. It verifies how the Messiah that is prophesized about in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It is said that the evangelist, Paul, had a major impact on the world wide spread of Christianity. However, how Paul evangelized was he went to the Jewish synagogue and spoke the Word of God. The reason why he went to the Jewish synagogue was because they all believed in the Old Testament. He showed them who the Messiah that was written about in the Old Testament was. He argued about it from the Old Testament. Then many people only by hearing the Words of the Bible, believed. That is because Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism are not on the same level. In Christianity there is the assurance that Jesus is truly Christ, the Savior. That’s because Jesus is truly the Messiah that was prophesized ahead of time in the Old Testament.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
This is assurance. 2000 years have passed since then. Now after 2000 years have passed through the testimonies of the people who lived in the New Testament time, we can know what the person Jesus was like. Wr can know clearly that Jesus is really the Messiah, the Savior that was prophesized about in the Old Testament. At the same time this is declaring about things that have not been fulfilled yet. That is the end of the world. It is also declaring about the Millennium which by the second coming of Jesus Christ will be brought in and then the new heaven and the new earth, the new Jerusalem that will continue to come after that. Also by looking at how everything that has been said up until now has all been fulfilled, we can believe that the things that have been prophesized to happen from now on too will 100% occur. It is more reliable and certain than the prediction of earthquakes. Recently too big earthquakes are continuously occurring in succession. Scientists are going mad trying to figure out how we can predict when earthquakes will occur. I will give the conclusion: No matter how much scientific data you analyze, you can’t predict an earthquake. Therefore, it is more important to be prepared so you’re o.k. whenever the earthquake comes. However, because in the Bible it is recorded that the Lord’s second coming and after that the coming of the Millennium will definitely occur so it is more important to prepare for that. How should we prepare?
If you look at verse 22, an interesting thing is said. That is “Tell us what the former things were.” “What the former things were” (22) everyone knows. Anyone can tell us that so why would the Lord say, “Tell us what the former things were”? (22) This is not just to tell what has happened before, but to declare and look at what the events mean. If you can’t correctly talk about the true accounts and meaning of the past, then you can’t correctly talk about the future either. Only those that know the world had a beginning and that world was made by God; moreover, it was made orderly and in it man was specially made to be like God, in the image of God can declare “what is going to happen.” (22) It is like someone rowing a rowboat. The person rowing the boat has his back to the future and while looking at the past rows towards the future. It is the same. Only those who can look at the past history, and know correctly who God is can declare “what is going to happen” (22) in the future. This is only by knowing the Creator God that made the heaven and the earth. There is no other way.
When we know this God, we know how much God loves us and how God is concerned about us. By our effort and work we are never made righteous. We know that it is only by believing is God’s only son, Jesus Christ that we are saved. We know that is our preparation for the things that are going to happen, and the preparation for eternity.
The other day, a life insurance salesman came. He came to confirm the insurance that we are in. In the conversation I mentioned that I am a Christian so I believe in God. I said something like in the world people believe what the superiors or the country say, but what the country is saying changes over and over again so I don’t believe what it says. Therefore, I believe in God who never changes. Then the salesman said, “In my office there is a Christian. 3 times a week he has training and so he takes a holiday.” I said that he is probably not a Christian, but a Jehovah’s witness. Christians don’t have trainings all the time and don’t take holidays like that. Then I asked him if he believed in Jesus. Then he answered, “No, Actually, I’m Sokka Gakai. Now I listened to various things, but I thought people that believe are different“. I thought OH, Sokka Gakai!, but there are some Sokkai Gakai who become saved so I decided not to give up and continue witnessing to him. “Sokka Gakai are very zealous. However, do you know the difference between Sokka Gakai and Christianity?” Then he answered, “In Sokka Gakai you can’t just believe. You have to work hard. You can’t be saved by just believing.”
I said, “That’s right. Doing things by one’s own power. It’s a world of how hard you can work. That is what is important, but our strength has limits, doesn’t it? No matter how much strength a person has there are limits to what he can do. Even if we are proud of our strength it is still not much. What is important is to believe in God’s grace.”
This person seems like a very serious, and sincere person and said, “I came to talk about insurance and I’m sorry, but we got off on this subject. Please tell me about this again” and he left. How we understand how we are saved, determines the road we take.
How we accept what is declared in the Bible and the salvation that is shown in the Bible is connected to knowing “what is going to happen” (22) and preparing for it. We need to remember in our life to turn our back on the future, and while looking at the past move on to the future.

II. An amazing work (Vs. 25-27)
Next please look at verses 25 to 27. I will read verses 26 and 27. “Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you. I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’ I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.”
“Of this” in verse 26 is the contents of verse 25. Concretely this is as I said earlier, God is going to raise up a person “from the north”. (25) He will tread ”on rulers.” (25) This is a prophecy that Medo-Persian Empire’s King Cyrus will rise up, and overthrow Babylon. He will come to Babylon and tread on the rulers “as if he were a potter treading the clay.” (25) Before King Cyrus who was sent by the Lord, the nation’s rulers were completely unable to resist and will be submissive.
Here it says, “and he comes-one from the rising sun who calls on my name.” (25) This interpretation is difficult. Looking at this the image seems like King Cyrus knew God, like he believed in God, but that is not so. King Cyrus was a Gentile and didn’t believe in the Lord. He didn’t believe in the Creator God.

If you look at Ezra 1:2 it says, “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says; ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.” Cyrus was a Gentile and didn’t believe in the Lord, but he used the Lord’s name in his decree and was used for the realization of the Lord’s work. It is really amazing. It was a surprising mysterious work. Who could think of such a thing? Who could declare of this before hand? No one can. Only the Lord planned this and accomplished this. Only the Lord made King Cyrus appear, destroy Babylon, and could have his people return to Jerusalem. In verse 27it says, “a messenger of good news.” These are the prophets. Through such prophets the Lord proclaimed repeatedly over and over again the destruction of Babylon and the victory of King Cyrus, and the liberation of Israel. This is the Gospel.
This is the work of God. God’s work of salvation is not by the way that we can think of, but a way that we never ever thought about. Jesus was put on the cross and died because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22) . However, now Jesus “has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26) This is God’s method of salvation.
Some people think that Jesus’ cross is a coincidental event, or like a martyr, but that is definitely not so. So that we can be saved, the Messiah had to take upon himself our sins in our place, and he had to die. Please open your Bibles to Isaiah 53. Here it prophesizes about what the coming Messiah will do.
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.”(54:4-10)
Just as this prophecy says, Christ was put on the cross for us and died. Who has ever thought of this? No one. Therefore, when Jesus was put on the cross, many people were scattered here and there. However, that was the work of God. God does not think the way we think, but by a completely mysterious method led us. We must leave all in the Lord’s hands. Not be how you think, but learn how the Lord is things and leave all in his hands.

III. The idols amount to nothing (Vs. 28-29)
Lastly let’s look at verses 28 and 29. “I look but there is no one-
no one among the gods to give counsel,
no one to give answer when I ask them.
See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;
their images are but wind and confusion.
There are many idols around us, but when we “ask them” (29) none of them answer. There are many fortune tellers around us. In all regular women’s magazines there is almost always a column on fortunetelling. On our cell phones too, on the internet too, on the television every morning too “Today’s fortune”, there are fortunetelling. However, fortunetelling is declared as if it is so, but it is completely unreliable. Moreover, if we are bound by it, we can’t move. It is just something to relieve the vague sense of fear towards the future. If you ask a Japanese, “When you run into a crisis, what do you depend upon?”, the most common response is “mass media”. They depend upon the T.V. and the internet. However, such things are false, and can’t give correct advice. Just as verse 29 says, “Their deeds amount to nothing;
Their images are but wind and confusion.”
They are only images made in the form of man’s desires. They “amount to nothing.” (29)

The other day there was a denominational pastoral meeting so I went to Tokyo. I wanted to relax so I took the Shinkansen. However, it wasn’t very relaxing. That was because I got to the station o.k. in the morning, but I couldn’t find my cell phone. I searched the car and my bag, but no matter how much I searched I couldn’t find it. I didn’t have any more time so I decided to look for it when I got back. However, I couldn’t relax. I had set it up so I could receive the calls that came to the church on my cell phone so I was worried someone might call. Also I was worried that maybe someone would pick up and use it. I thought of many things as I arrived in Ueno.
I thought that being up tight like this was not good so in order to calm myself, I took mouth wash out of pocket and gave several squirts into my mouth. Immediately a terrible taste spread throughout my mouth. What I thought was mouth wash and took from my desk was eye glass cleaner. When I thought about it when I got new glasses they gave me cleaner. I had sprayed it by mistake. Immediately I went to the faucet and rinsed out my mouth, but I felt really like I didn’t “amount to nothing” (29)
“See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing.” (29)
If we make a mistake and think they are like god then that amounts to nothing. The real God is Jesus Christ. There is salvation in no one else. The real God can tell us “what is going to happen” (22) accurately and concretely. This God is worth depending upon. This God does an amazing work and leads your life. Please depend up Him. The Lord only is the real God. Please look to Him and depend only on Him. Then you too will experience a greater work of God than you ever dreamed of.