Why was there no one to answer when God called in Isaiah 50:2? Text of Isaiah 50:2 “Why was no one there when I came? Why was there no one to answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea; I turn rivers into a wilderness; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.” Literary Setting in Isaiah Isaiah 50 stands in the third major division of Isaiah (chs. 40–55), the section often called the “Book of Consolation.” Chapter 50 immediately precedes the third Servant Song (50:4-9). The voice in vv. 1-3 is Yahweh Himself, lamenting Israel’s refusal to respond to His covenant summons and affirming His unchanged saving power. The rhetorical questions highlight His faithfulness contrasted with Judah’s hardened indifference. Historical Background 1. Exile Imminent or Present. Isaiah prophesies more than a century before the Babylonian captivity, yet speaks as though exile were already a fact (41:27; 42:22). The prophetic viewpoint telescopes the future: Judah’s people will experience deportation and feel abandoned (49:14). 2. Covenant Lawsuit Form. Isaiah 50:1-3 employs the legal-covenantal “rib” pattern. God shows the “certificate of divorce” (v. 1) and the “creditor’s sale” motif to declare that the broken relationship and enslavement are Judah’s own doing, not His. The Motif of God Calling and Israel’s Silence • Isaiah 41:28—“I look, but there is no one; no counselor among them.” • Isaiah 59:16—“He saw that there was no man, and was amazed that there was no one to intercede.” • Zechariah 7:13—“‘Just as I called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen,’ says the LORD of Hosts.” • Matthew 22:3—Jesus’ parable mirrors the same refusal. Throughout Scripture, refusal to answer is tantamount to covenant breach (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). Reasons for Silence 1. Spiritual Deafness from Idolatry (Isaiah 42:17-20). 2. Hardened Hearts through Unbelief (Isaiah 6:9-10; Hebrews 3:12-13). 3. Misplaced Reliance on Human Alliances (Isaiah 30:1-5; 31:1). 4. Moral Compromise and Social Injustice (Isaiah 58:1-4). These factors mutually reinforce a collective apathy, rendering Israel unresponsive when Yahweh speaks. Divine Power Re-asserted God answers the implied accusation of impotence: • Red Sea memory: “I dry up the sea” (Exodus 14:21-31). • Jordan crossing: “I turn rivers into a wilderness” (Joshua 3:13-17). Historical miracles ground His self-vindication. Contemporary readers of Isaiah during exile could recall recent deliverances: the angel against Sennacherib’s army (Isaiah 37:36). The appeal to nature’s obedience contrasts sharply with human rebellion. Servant Christology: The One Who Does Answer Verses 4-9 introduce the obedient Servant whose ear is always open: “He awakens Me morning by morning… I have not turned back” (50:4-5). In the Gospels Jesus fulfills this paradigm: • John 8:29—“I always do what pleases Him.” • Philippians 2:8—He “became obedient to death—yes, death on a cross.” The Servant’s perfect response solves the problem Isaiah 50:2 exposes. His bodily resurrection—established by multiple independent eyewitness reports (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) and conceded even by hostile critics—validates that God’s hand is not shortened but decisively saving. Application to Modern Hearers 1. Salvation Offer. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7). 2. Evangelistic Urgency. God still calls through the gospel (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our task is to herald, not to coerce; refusal leaves the hearer accountable. 3. Assurance of God’s Power. If the Creator can rebuke the sea, raise the dead, and heal today—as attested by documented conversions and recoveries in missions worldwide—He can redeem any life. 4. Worship and Obedience. The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever; answering His call is the pathway to that purpose. Conclusion No one answered in Isaiah 50:2 because Judah’s sin-hardened deafness rendered her incapable of response, not because God lacked power or willingness to save. The obedient Servant, Jesus Messiah, answers perfectly and invites all to trust in His finished work. Hearing and responding in faith reverses the tragedy of silence, vindicates God’s faithfulness, and fulfills humanity’s highest calling. |
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