John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 45:16

"They shall be put to shame, yea, confounded, all of them; they shall go into confusion together that are makers of idols." — Isaiah 45:16 (ASV)

And 17. They shall all be put to shame. Here the Prophet compares the Jews with the Gentiles, in order to meet a grievous and dangerous temptation by which they might be assailed when they saw the Gentiles enjoying prosperity. For, amidst such great troubles, they might have suspected that God was favorable to the Gentiles, or that He had cast away the care of His people, or that everything was governed by the blind impulse of fortune.

The Prophet, therefore, assures them that, although for a time the Gentiles flourish and appear to be exalted to heaven, yet the result must be that they shall perish and Israel shall be saved.

In a word, he exhorts them not to judge God's power from the present condition of things, nor to have their minds fixed on temporary happiness, but rather to raise them to eternal salvation. Furthermore, when struck by the hand of God, they should patiently bear their condition. On the other hand, they should not envy the prosperity of the wicked, which will be followed by a mournful reverse, as it is excellently described by the Psalmist (Psalms 37:1–2).

This statement is added to the preceding one; for whoever knows that God, when He is a Savior, is “hidden,” will not wonder that wicked men enjoy prosperity, and that good men are poor, despised, and tried by various afflictions.

Thus the Lord tests our faith and patience, and yet no part of our eternal salvation is lost. But those who now appear to be a thousand times safe and happy will eventually perish, and all the wealth they possess will plunge them into deeper ruin, because they abuse God’s benefits and, like robbers, seize what belongs to other people, even though they appear to possess all of it by a just title.

Whenever, therefore, this thought arises in our minds—“Wicked men are at ease, and therefore God favors them, and the promises on which we rely are unworthy of credit”—let us turn to this declaration of the Prophet as the surest anchor. Let us fortify ourselves with it: “The Lord will not disappoint our expectation, but we will eventually be delivered, even though we are now exposed to the reproaches, slanders, mockings, and cruelty of the wicked.”