Isaiah 41:4
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
The Lord alone is God, who has wrought and done it throughout history, calling the generations from the beginning, and who is the first and remains with the last. Its immediate setting describes His raising up the righteous man from the east and giving him victory over nations, which the isles and the ends of the earth see with fear. The verse belongs to Isaiah 41-45, where God very fully reveals His purpose for His people, and those chapters are to be prayerfully studied. The chapter calls readers to recognize God's power in what He does, including transforming wilderness into fertile land, so that people may know His hand has done it and that He is Israel's Holy One.
The verse teaches that the Lord alone is to be trusted, and His people are not instructed to turn away from Him and His wisdom to look to finite man for wisdom or to make flesh their arm. The Lord will not be trifled with. The Lord who governs history will work with those who cheerfully do the work He assigns them. He calls His people to diligent and most earnest work for repentance, and strength is given to His own people.
The chapter is set forth to show the work to be done in the last days to prepare for Christ's second appearing. Isaiah 41, including this verse, foretells the work of presenting God's warning message to the world and making known why believers hold their faith. The verse is a declaration full of promise, assurance, and encouragement for true believers amid the afflicting providence of judgments coming upon the world near the close of this earth's history, involving earthquakes, storms on land and sea, and heavy calamities by sea and railroad. It comforts the sincere, humble, righteous followers of Christ who are themselves afflicted while the rebellious perish, and it strengthens them against Lucifer, the fallen angel, in his war against God and all who exalt the Lord, as he causes calamities and as a mighty deceiver leads many away. Its word will certainly be fulfilled, and those who fulfill it in these latter days place themselves where the Lord will surely do all He has promised.