Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar;
Isaiah 46:4: “Till you grow old, I will be the same, when you grow gray, it is I who will carry; I was the maker and I will be the bearer. And I will carry and rescue you.”
When the Babylonians conquered Judah, they took the best and strongest into captivity. Daniel and his friends were among them. Left behind were the elderly, the young children, the weak, diseased and those who were unable to do any valuable work. Do you sometimes feel like you are abandoned, left to fend for yourself? Do you feel like you are in exile? Well then this is the message for you.
The preposition “ad” can also be translated as “since” or “while.” The translator chose to use the word “as” or “till” as this keeps with the flow of the poetic expression: “As you grow old, I will remain the same.” But it also carries the duel meaning, for those who are already old. “I will remain the same” is also tough to translate since it is literally translated as “I am He.” I know what you Hebrew students may be thinking. The “I am He” is Yehohah, but it is not. It is simply “I am He.” So once the translators translated the Hebrew into “I am He.” They then had to translate what “I am He” means. The word He is “hu’” which is a simple pronoun and can mean “He, she, or it” It could also mean “this “or “that.” Davidson adds “same” not as a definition but as a use. No doubt the writer intended for the reader to understand the pronoun to mean “same” but using the word “Hu’” rather than “sharah” which is the proper word for “same” is your remez or hint that there is something deeper here.
I believe the writer wanted to use the “hu’” because the Gematria equals “12” which represents earthly government. God is saying that you despair because your government has changed but keep in mind that I have and always will be the ultimate earthly government. I find so many Christians in despair because they don’t like either one of our presidential candidates. But God is saying: “I don’t care what your earthly government is, who is president, I am your government. Your new president is under my domination.
God sort of repeats Himself here when He says “When you grow gray, I will carry.” Again we have “ad” “As you are gray…” Not too much to say about the word gray (sivah) except that it is in a feminine form. Gray is a symbol of innocence. In it’s prime material state it is a picture of a home being disruptive. When your home is shattered through divorce, separation, financial disaster, or like Judah during this time when husbands were separated from their wives and children and taken into slavery; the Lord will “carry.” Note the word “carry” or “bear” is ‘esebol” It is in a simple qal future form. In other words He does not carry, but will carry. It is your choice. He will not automatically carry you, you must be willing to let Him carry you. The word “sevol” means to carry a burden, to be a porter. For the woman whose husbands were taken into exile, God promised to be their husbands, to provide for them, protect them, to carry the burden that their husbands would normally carry. As today for women who have been abandoned, divorced, separated, widowed, God promises to take their husband’s place as the protector, the provider. Hey, for us men too, we need a protector and provider when our source is gone, like a job or health etc. Indeed the word “sevol” in it’s prime state is samek – shelter for the; beth – home (if you will ask for it) lamed – prayer or receiving from heaven. God will be the shelter and provider for your home if you just ask and receive.
He goes on to say that he is our “maker” “’asithi.” He does not say “creator” “bara.” The creator creates the clay, the maker forms the vessel, fine tunes it to his desire and as a result he will not only “esbol” (carry) you but will “emalet” you or rescue you. Malet is also used for cement or mortar. It is also in a piel form which means he will most surely be this for us. It is also in the imperfect form so again we must ask. “You have not because you ask not.”
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