Isaiah 42:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Hence, the prophet proclaims, “My help is from the Lord” (Psalm 120:2). So much grief and heartache, such sorrow and peril! If the body were to perish, the spirit, overwhelmed by the weight of these burdens, would surely flee. Despite the abundance of suffering and distress, He does not abandon us; even though He may sometimes seem distant, it is in these moments that you must recognize the manifestation of His mighty power when He chooses to remain close. Consider the creatures of the earth: they too encounter countless troubles, endure much hardship, yet they continue to exist. This is why Paul asserts, “And to these He is pleased” (2 Cor. 2:16), followed by “He who comforts us in all our affliction” (2 Cor. 1:4). If heaven were not our helper, we would find it insurmountable to endure such tribulations. You give breath to all people upon it, and spirit to those who walk on it. Alternatively, there is a Sustainer of souls, signifying that all creation is upheld by divine providence; some bodies possess life, while others do not. When you behold the majestic and tangible expanse of the heavens, do not be misled by the false Greek myths that assert it is alive; rather, everything that exists does so and remains intact, though devoid of a soul. Similarly, when you gaze upon the earth, do not assume it possesses life simply because it is steadfast; the same applies to water. Observe how the heavens are above and the earth below; there are both living and non-living entities. God has endowed humanity with a soul, while neither the heavens, nor the earth, nor the waters have such a gift; to animals, He has imparted a sensitive soul but not a rational one. It is clear that He is the Creator of both sensible and sentient souls. In humans, there is no distinction between spirit and soul; these terms express one and the same essence, similar to body and flesh, human and rational being.

To clarify who is the speaker of these words, the following is asserted: Thus says the Sovereign Lord, who creates the heavens and stretches them out, or as the Septuagint translates, Who made the heavens and established them. Therefore, the Creator and Ruler of the universe has promised the coming of His Anointed One, who not only extended and established the heavens but also laid the foundations of the earth in its depths, and all that emerges from it, so that through observing His creations, one might perceive His unseen attributes, including His eternal power and divinity (Romans 1:20). He breathed life into all dwellers of the earth, adhering to the primordial ordinance of mortal beings. For God breathed into Adam's nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). However, He bestowed the spirit upon those who tread upon the earth, yielding their earthly wisdom to His divine authority.

The promise of the miraculous works of the Messiah is not simply a human declaration but is attributed to the Lord God Himself, the One for whom nothing is impossible, who demonstrated His power through the acts of creation: He fashioned the heavens, established the earth, and secured its place among the celestial realms. He granted life not only to inanimate objects but also to all living beings. Humans and the various creatures that dwell upon the earth depend on this divine will for their existence and vitality. Given these manifestations of God's might evident in creation, can there truly be any doubt regarding the fulfillment of His intentions for the redemption of humankind through the Messiah?