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Isaiah 48

Isaiah 48 addresses Israel’s rebellion and God's call for their return to Him. God reminds them of His sovereignty, declaring that His purposes will prevail despite their stubbornness. He foretells the coming deliverance and calls them to heed His commandments, offering peace and prosperity if they listen.

Isaiah 48:1-5 (NKJV)
1 “Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness;
2 For they call themselves after the holy city, and lean on the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is His name:
3 “I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
4 Because I knew that you were obstinate, and your neck was an iron sinew, and your brow bronze,
5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my carved image and my molded image have commanded them.’”

Israel is called out for their hypocrisy in claiming to worship God but lacking sincerity. Though they invoke God's name, their actions reveal disobedience. God reminds them that He has foretold events, and they have come to pass, emphasizing that He alone is God. The people's stubbornness and pride are noted, but God still acts for His name's sake, so that they do not attribute His works to idols.

Isaiah 48:6-10 (NKJV)
6 “You have heard; See all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them.
7 They are created now and not from the beginning; And before this day you have not heard them, lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.’
8 Surely you did not hear, surely you did not know; surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb.
9 “For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it from you, so that I do not cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”

God reveals new knowledge to the people, things they had not known before. Their ignorance is linked to their hardened hearts. Despite their disobedience, God delays His judgment for the sake of His name. He refines Israel through suffering, showing that their trials are part of His refining process, not to destroy them, but to bring them back to Him.

Isaiah 48:11-13 (NKJV)
11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.
12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.
13 Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand up together.”

God acts for His own glory, not allowing His name to be dishonored. He reminds Israel of His eternal nature, as the First and the Last, and emphasizes His power in creation. His authority over all creation demonstrates His ability to fulfill His purposes and control the destiny of His people.

Isaiah 48:14-16 (NKJV)
14 “All of you, assemble yourselves, and hear! Who among them has declared these things? The Lord loves him; He shall do His pleasure on Babylon, and His arm shall be against the Chaldeans.
15 I, even I, have spoken; Yes, I have called him, I have brought him, and his way will prosper.
16 “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit have sent Me.”

God calls the people to listen, declaring His plan to raise up a chosen servant (likely referring to Cyrus) to defeat Babylon. This is part of His overarching plan, and He reassures them that this servant’s way will succeed because it is God who has called him. The mention of the Lord and His Spirit suggests divine cooperation in this mission.

Isaiah 48:17-19 (NKJV)
17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.
18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants also would have been like the sand, and the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me.”

God presents Himself as Israel’s Redeemer and Teacher, guiding them for their benefit. He laments their failure to obey His commandments, showing that their disobedience has deprived them of the blessings of peace and righteousness. Had they obeyed, they would have experienced prosperity, as numerous as the sands of the sea.

Isaiah 48:20-22 (NKJV)
20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, declare, proclaim this, utter it to the end of the earth; say, ‘The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob!’
21 And they did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.
22 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”

God calls His people to leave Babylon, proclaiming their redemption with joy. Just as He provided for them in the wilderness, He will provide for them again. However, the chapter ends with a solemn warning: there is no peace for the wicked. This highlights the importance of obedience to God for true peace and blessing.

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