41:4 beginning. God has ordered human history.

I, the Lord . . . I am he. This is a most significant formula of divine self-identification (41:13; 42:8; 43:3, 10, 13, 15; 44:24; 45:3, 5, 6; 46:4; 48:17; 49:23; 51:15; 60:22; note the use of “I am” in John 6:35; 8:12, 58; 9:5; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5).

first . . . last. These words give assurance that everything is always under the Lord’s control (44:6; 48:12; cf. Heb. 13:8; Rev. 1:8, 17; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13).