Isaiah 48 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Isaiah 48. Let’s go!
Isaiah 48:1-7 (NIV)
1 “Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel– but not in truth or righteousness–
2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel– the LORD Almighty is his name:
3 I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
4 For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze.
5 Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
6 You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.
7 They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew of them.’
On verses 1-7: So as to hopefully bypass the hardness of His own people’s hearts, God decided to tell the Jewish exiles way in advance (i.e. 150 years in advance) through Isaiah that they would be released from captivity in Babylon. That way they could not credit their release from captivity to an idol (v5) or claim that they knew this themselves (v7).
Isaiah 48:8-9 (NIV)
8 You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ear has not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth.
9 For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off.
On verses 8-9: Though we are rebels from birth, God is patient in His wrath, holding it back so that sinners like us would not be cut off and would still have a chance.
Isaiah 48:10-11 (NIV)
10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.
There are two truths we can learn from these two verses:
– God uses the furnace of affliction to test us, whether that affliction was something He desired us to experience or simply allowed.
– God will not always allow idols to receive the praise that only He deserves. There comes a time when God will come to the defence of His own glory and name.
Isaiah 48:12-13 (NIV)
12 “Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last.
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.
On verses 12-13: God is everlasting. He is creator.
Isaiah 48:14-16 (NIV)
14 “Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of [the idols] has foretold these things? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Babylonians.
15 I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission.
16 “Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, with his Spirit.
On verses 14-16: The “chosen ally” that the LORD speaks of is Cyrus, who will carry out God’s purpose against Babylon (v14). Once again Isaiah prophesies that God will bring Babylon down. No idol foretold. Rather God foretold it through Isaiah.
Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)
17 This is what the LORD says– your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.
On verse 17: This is a verse worth memorizing. Like Psalm 32:8-10, it reminds us that God teaches us what is best for us and directs us in the way we should go. God always has our best interest in mind.
Isaiah 48:18-19 (NIV)
18 If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be cut off nor destroyed from before me.”
On verses 18-19: The result of obeying God is peace, righteousness, blessing, and security. God’s commands are therefore not a moral straightjacket but a launchpad to blessing in our lives. In contrast, “there is no peace for the wicked” as verse 22 says.
Isaiah 48:20 (NIV)
20 Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, “The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.”
On verse 20: Isaiah looks ahead to the day when the Jewish exiles will be able to leave their captivity in Babylon with shouts of joy. When it happens, Isaiah says, it won’t be an accident but rather this is the LORD redeemed His servant Jacob (v20).
Isaiah 48:21-22 (NIV)
21 They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out.
22 “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”
On verses 21-22: Even when you walk through a desert season, God will provide for you when you trust and follow Him (v21). In contrast, when we don’t trust God, there is no peace (v22).
Father, thank You that always have our best interest in mind, that You always lead us in the best way. Thank You that peace flows like a river when we pay attention to Your commands. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
