What is the meaning of Isaiah 47:15? This is what they are to you • Isaiah points to the utter worthlessness of Babylon’s helpers. They are like chaff in the fire (Isaiah 47:14). • The verse shifts from description to verdict: “This is what they are”—nothing more than empty promises. • Jeremiah makes a similar declaration about the futility of idols: “Surely our fathers have inherited falsehood” (Jeremiah 16:19). • Trusting anything other than the LORD ends in disappointment (Psalm 146:3-4). those with whom you have labored and traded from youth • Babylon’s alliances were built over centuries—merchants, sorcerers, astrologers (Isaiah 47:9, 12-13). • Long familiarity breeds confidence; yet length of association does not equal reliability (1 Timothy 6:17). • Like Tyre, Babylon boasted in commercial strength (Ezekiel 27:3-9), but God exposes the bankruptcy beneath the wealth. each one strays in his own direction • When crisis hits, self-interest rules; partners scatter instead of stand together (Proverbs 19:4, 7). • The phrase recalls Zechariah 13:7, “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered,” underscoring isolation in judgment. • Human alliances lack covenant faithfulness; only the LORD remains steadfast (Deuteronomy 31:6). not one of them can save you • Salvation is God’s exclusive domain (Isaiah 43:11). • Babylon’s gods and allies cannot deliver; they themselves go into captivity (Isaiah 46:1-2). • The New Testament echoes this truth: “There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). • Dependence on anything other than the Lord brings ruin (Matthew 7:26-27). summary Isaiah 47:15 strips Babylon of every false security. Lifelong partners and carefully cultivated networks prove useless when God judges. Each ally turns selfishly away, leaving the proud city helpless. The verse calls every reader to forsake misplaced trust and cling solely to the Lord, the only Savior who never fails. |
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