1 Ne 20:3-8 I
have declared the former things from the beginning
Like
many Isaiah passages these six verses can be difficult to understand. However,
with patience and persistence, some sense can be made of Isaiah’s meaning. The
key to this passage is found in verse 5, I showed
them for fear lest thou shouldst say—Mine idol hath done them. An
interpretation of the rest of this passage is offered.
The
phrase, I have declared the former things from the beginning,
means that the Lord has told the children of Israel his doings (the former things) from the beginning of time down
to Isaiah’s time. His intent was to send a clear message of prophecy through
his prophets so that when these prophecies came to pass, the children of Israel
wouldn’t give the credit to their idols. Long before Israel had turned away,
the Lord knew that this would happen, I did it
because I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck an iron sinew, and thy brow
brass…I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and was called a
transgressor from the womb (v. 4,8). The phrase, Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye not declare them?, could
be paraphrased as follows, “you have heard of my prophecies and seen their
fulfillment from the beginning, won’t you admit it? Or will you give the credit
to your dumb idols?” The last half of verse 6 and verse 7 refer to new
prophecies and their eventual fulfillment which will also be rejected by Israel
because of their spiritual deafness (thou heardest
them not) and hearts which knew not the Lord (thou
didst not know them). The rebellion and idolatry of Israel is so bad
that the Lord considers destroying them, but He defers his anger for His name’s
sake.