1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.
3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
6 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
8 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
9 For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
View All Isaiah Chapter 48 Comments...
BSP's Isaiah Chapter 48 comment on 8/25/2022, 11:50am...
Verse 22-Those who set their own standards of right and wrong and do wicked things will not enjoy true peace.
Richard H Priday's Isaiah Chapter 48 comment on 2/16/2022, 3:13pm...
The obstinance of those of the "house of Jacob" known as Israel is much as the Pharisees in the New Testament; they were deaf to His Truth; and obstinate (v. 4) Idol worship is implied in this section as well (v. 5) which never helps in any understanding of the truth. God; as always keeps from total destruction and will refine His people for His own sake (v. 9-11). This was the case in Isaiah's time with the nation of Babylon and certainly will be the case in the time of Jacob's trouble in the Tribulation in the future (Jeremiah 30:7).
God's role in Creation is in the following two verses; and verses 14 to 15 reiterate the theme also from Jeremiah that God was using other nations to judge Israel and indeed shows favor so that their invasion is ensured to succeed in His timing. Then verse 16 talks about God and states "and now the Lord God; and His Spirit hath sent me." This shows the whole Godhead; with Christ being the one sent. Verse 17 shows God leading Israel; even when they are in exile He still is there and they are to return back after 70 years. Verse 18 reminds us of Christ when He said that as little birds He would have led them but they refused; they didn't know the day of their visitation. The multiplying of the nation according to verse 19 would have been quicker had they remained obedient. God promises provision in their diaspora (verse 20-21); which could also refer to the time He protects them in the wilderness in Revelation for 1260 days. Finally; the last verse indicates that there is no peace for the wicked; which is repeated in Isaiah 57:21; and similar themes in Psalms and elsewhere.
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