Old Testament Scriptural
Summaries and Commentary
The Book of Isaiah, Selections
from chapters 40-49
Gospel Doctrine Class, Sunday
School Lesson #38
"Beside Me There Is No
Saviour" - Isaiah 43:11 and Hosea 13:4
Reference: Old Testament Gospel
Doctrine Teacher's Manual, (2001), 183-86
This lesson is all about the greatness
of the Savior. It is introduced by
quoting scriptures from holy texts (other than Isaiah) that ask questions about
our commitment and devotion to him as his disciple.
Matthew 22:41-42 - " While the Pharisees were gathered
together, Jesus asked them,
3 Nephi 27:26-27 - "And know ye [Twelve Apostles] that ye shall
be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall
give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men
ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as [perfect as] I am."
Matthew 16:13, 15 - 13 "When Jesus came into the
coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say
that I the Son of man am? 15 He saith unto them, But whom
say ye that I am?"
Exodus 32:26 - "Then Moses stood in the
gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let
him come unto me."
Alma 5:14
- "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have
ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image
in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in
your hearts? "
1. Isaiah teaches that the Savior is incomparable
QUESTION
Isaiah 40:18 - "To whom then will ye liken God? or what
likeness [idol] will ye compare unto
him?"
Isaiah 44:8 - " 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."
Isaiah
46:5 -
"To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal,
and compare me, that we may be like?"
ANSWER
Isaiah 43:11 - "I, even I, am the Lord;
and beside me there is no saviour."
Isaiah 44:6 - "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."
Isaiah 45:5, 6, 14, 18, 21-22 - 5
"I am the Lord, and there is none
else, there is no God beside me:"
6 - "That they may know from the rising of the sun,
and from the west, that there is none beside me.
I am the Lord, and there is none
else."
14 - "Thus saith the Lord,…[Egypt, Ethiopia, the Sabeans, and
men of stature], shall come over unto thee,… they shall make supplication unto
thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no
[other] God."
18 - "For thus saith
the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed
the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he
formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord;
and there is none else."
21-22 - "Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let
them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath
told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there
is no God else beside me; a just God and
a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Look unto me, and be
ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there
is none else."
Isaiah 46:9 - " Remember the former things
of old: for I am God, and there is none
else; I am God, and there is none like
me."
2. Isaiah describes the Savior’s incomparable qualities
"The Prophet Joseph Smith
taught that we need 'a correct idea of [God’s] character,
perfections and attributes' in order to have faith in Him (Lectures on Faith [1985], 38). Isaiah gives many beautiful descriptions of the Savior’s
character and attributes." (Old Testament: Gospel
Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2001), 183–86.)
▶Isaiah 40:13-14 - "Who
hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his
counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel,
and who instructed him, and taught him in
the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to
him the way of understanding?" [No one
counsels or instructs the Lord. He is
all knowing.]
▶Isaiah 40:28-31 - "Hast thou not known?
hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God,
the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not,
neither is weary? there is no searching of his
understanding." [The Lord is never weary.]
▶Isaiah 40:12, 21-22, 26 -"Who
hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven
with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed
the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?"
21-22 - "Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been
told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the
earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,
and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that
stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to
dwell in."
26 -"Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created
these things, that bringeth out their host by number:
he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that
he is strong in power; not one faileth." [The Lord created the universe and knows
every part of it.]
▶Isaiah 41:17-18 - "When the
poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their
tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will
not forsake them.
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the
midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the
dry land springs of water." [The Lord hears and blesses his people.]
▶Isaiah 42:1, 4 - 1 "Behold
my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my
soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall
bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 4
He shall not fail nor be
discouraged, till he have set judgment in
the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law." [The Lord will not be discouraged or fail to
fulfill his purposes.]
▶Isaiah 42:16 - "And I will bring the
blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in
paths that they have not known: I will make
darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things
will I do unto them, and not forsake them." [The Lord helps those who are lost.]
▶Isaiah 43:1-4 - "[Thus] saith
the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O
Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by
thy name; thou art mine. 2 When
thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through
the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame
kindle upon thee. 3 For I am the Lord thy
God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4 Since
thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I
have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy
life." [He will help his people through their trials.]
▶Isaiah 44:3-4 - "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." [The Lord pours out his spirit on us.]
▶Isaiah 46:3-4 - "Hearken unto me, O house
of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are
borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
4 And even to your old age I am he;
and even to hoar [gray]
hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I
will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you." [He carries us from birth to old age.]
▶Isaiah 49:14-16 - "Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me,
and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15 Can
a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I
not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven thee
upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually
before me." [He will never forget us.]
3. The world (Babylon) competes with the Savior for our devotion
"Babylon was a powerful city
of the ancient world that was destroyed for its wickedness. In the scriptures, Babylon
is often also used as a symbol for the wickedness of the world." (Old Testament: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2001),
183–86.)
▶Isaiah 47: 1, 5 - 1 "Come down, and sit in the
dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there
is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no
more be called tender and delicate. [Footnote 1b, Babylon was to be overthrown; this
prophecy was fulfilled by Cyrus, 539 B.C.] 5
Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness [footnote 5a, exile] O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called,
The lady of kingdoms." [The world will be brought down to the dust and
become silent and dark.]
▶Isaiah 47:7-9 - "And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that
thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst
remember the latter end of it. 8 Therefore
hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest
carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else
beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall
I know the loss of children: 9 But these two things shall
come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood:
they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy
sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments."
[Despite the world’s thoughts that it is invincible, it will be
destroyed and lose the things of greatest value, symbolized by the loss of
husband and children.
▶Isaiah 47:10-11 - "For thou hast trusted
in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom
and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and
none else beside me. 11 Therefore shall
evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth:
and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it
off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou
shalt not know." [Because the world declares that it is greater
than God, desolation will come upon it.]
4. Isaiah 49 describes the mission of latter-day Israel
Note: many of the prophecies
apply both to the work of the Savior and to the work of his servants,
the house of Israel. (Old Testament: Gospel
Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2001), 183–86.)
▶Isaiah 49:3 -"And said unto me, Thou art my servant,
O Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
▶Isaiah 49:1, 5 - "Listen, O isles, unto
me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the
womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 5
And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the
womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though
Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God shall be my strength." [We were called from birth
to fulfill the Lord’s work in the last days.]
▶Isaiah 49:2 - "And he hath made my
mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, [The
Lord has protected us and prepared us for our great responsibilities.]
and made me a polished shaft;
in his quiver hath he hid me;" [Arrows with polished
shafts will fly straight and true. We have been polished and prepared by the
Lord to fly straight and true wherever he sends us.]
▶Isaiah 49:6 - "And he said, It is a
light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for
a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be
my salvation unto the end of the earth." [The
Lord has asked his servants to raise up and restore the remnant of Israel and
to be a light to the Gentiles. In this way we can help bring salvation to the
ends of the earth.]
See also the following
supplemental study of chapter 49 from my summaries of The Book of Isaiah.
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