Isaiah 46:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He emphasizes that He alone is the God of all and impresses upon us the evidences of His divine nature: “For I,” He declares, “know all things, and before anything occurs, I announce it and bring to fruition what has been proclaimed.” Furthermore, He assures us that everything He has decreed will come to pass and that nothing He has desired remains unfulfilled. This is a remarkable testament to His invincible and divine might. Even those among humanity who possess the highest ranks and authority, despite their ambitions and resolutions, often do not see their plans realized. Numerous unforeseen obstacles may arise in their paths. If the Almighty wills something to happen, what force can oppose or deter it? Who can dismantle the intentions of the Holy One? Who can thwart the will of the Most High? Thus, to affirm His nature as the true God, He assures us, “All my counsel shall stand, and all that I please I will accomplish.” He speaks of one who “calls a bird from the east and from a far country” (Isaiah 46:11). This refers to the Babylonian, who devastated the land of Judea, captured Jerusalem, and destroyed its temple. He annihilated many inhabitants, taking others captive and relocating them within Persia, imposing a heavy yoke of bondage. God's declaration to the prophet Ezekiel clearly illustrates this: “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak a riddle, and relate a parable to the house of Israel; say to them, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with large wings, long feathers, full of colors, came to Lebanon and took the highest branch of the cedar” (Ezekiel 17:1-3). While His message may not have been immediately clear, He reiterated its significance to His audience, stating, “Speak to the house of Israel, who has provoked me: Do you not know what these things mean? Say to them, Behold, the king of Babylon is approaching Jerusalem… he shall take the king and the princes and carry them to Babylon” (Ezekiel 17:12). The accounts in the books of Kings describe how the city was taken and Zedekiah was led away in chains, along with other noble Jews, symbolizing the chosen cedar. Thus He asserts, “I am he who calls the bird from the East… I have foretold how it shall be accomplished in due time,” affirming that His prophecies have indeed come to pass. This illustrates that calamity has been prepared for those who dishonored His glory and worshiped lifeless idols. He orchestrated, guided, and prospered the path of the oppressor; without His support, the victory over Israel would not have occurred. As the one who saves and directs kings, He led them to impose righteous judgment upon those who neglected to honor Him, relinquishing the reverence due Him in favor of devotion to mere wood and stone.

This signifies that only those who have faith can truly declare from the depths of their hearts that God orchestrates all that appears to us as joy or sorrow for our benefit, and that His concern for our salvation and wellbeing surpasses our own. Alternatively, we may interpret it this way: God's will is the salvation of all, as the blessed Paul noted: who wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). This divine will is also proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah, speaking for God the Father: and all that I please I will do (Is 46:10).

No one can defy this Divine will, as it stands beyond external laws and influences, remaining immutable, wise, and sacred in its essence. This truth is affirmed by the prophet Isaiah: "Remember the things that have happened from the beginning of the world; for I am God, and there is no other God, and there is none like Me. I proclaim from the beginning what will be in the end, and from ancient times what has not yet been done; I advise, and My counsel shall come to pass, and all that I please I will do" (Isaiah 46:9, 10).

In our humble state, we must accept with gratitude and bear patiently everything that God bestows upon us. Each of us encounters challenges and tribulations, some destined for splendid and opulent lives, while others walk a path filled with hardships. In truth, God watches over all with diligent care and preserves each equally; those who entrap others may find themselves ensnared as well. Our entire existence consists of toil, often accompanied by suffering and distress. We must learn to be at peace with the circumstances given to us by God and to remain steadfast in our position without questioning why things are the way they are.

The ultimate solace lies in surrendering ourselves to God's will in all that unfolds in our lives; phrases such as "God wills it so" and "It is His will" remind us that no force can counter His sacred intent. This is precisely what Mordecai understood and acknowledged in his earnest prayer for Israel’s deliverance from Haman’s accusations: "O Lord, O Lord, King Almighty! All things are in Thy power, and there is none that oppose Thee, when Thou wilt save Israel."

Blessed Augustine eloquently captured this sentiment, stating, "Great and marvellous are the works of the Lord, provident and arranged so wisely, that when the angelic beings sinned by failing to adhere to the divine command and instead followed their own desires, leading to their separation from God, their very fall was transformed into a conduit for fulfilling God's will among them." God did not merely punish their wrongdoing by denying them communion with Him; instead, He transformed their transgression into a greater good—for the infallibility of the faithful angels and the redemption of humanity through the God-man Jesus Christ.

Although the wicked—those who ignore God and, due to their disbelief, fail to honor Him—may resist His divine ordinances and most holy will, God, through His wise Providence, can turn their malevolent intentions to serve the greater good for others and perhaps even for themselves. Thus, it is made clear that God desires all to attain salvation and come to a knowledge of the truth. However, not everyone achieves this, as some choose to disobey and defy God's established laws and injunctions. Those who do face a dire fate, as foretold by our Savior: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day: 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? And did we not work many miracles in your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matthew 7:21-23). Understanding this truth transformatively compels one to become a sincere doer of God's will. May it be so.