Isaiah 48 GOD WILL DELIVER THE JEWS The people of Judah felt confident because they lived in Jerusalem and the temple was there. Israel’s faithless hypocrites were pious appearing idol worshippers who used the name of the Lord as a pretense. Israel’s piety, even in the time of Moses and all down through succeeding generations, was merely a sham with no real appreciation for the Lord who was their Deliverer and Redeemer. So, they had to suffer the consequences of their pretense. But God is still their God, and Israel is still His people.
Heritage, location, and religion are all false security when they are mere forms without an active relationship that involves hearts and minds joined in fellowship. Divided loyalty is not real loyalty. “You cannot serve two masters.” The promises God made to the children of Israel will be kept, even though they haven’t done anything to deserve it. The “faith” of the Jews is only superficial. There were things revealed to them right from the beginning of God’s personal dealings with them, and things which God did for them, that they credited to idols. They were a very perverse nation that relied on their own ideas and false opinions of idolatry.
According to Isaiah, they dismissed as of no worth, the many ways God preserved them, like the manna from heaven and water from the rock as well as other things, and even forgot about them. Redemption as Isaiah described it to them was new to them, because they had not paid attention to it before, and didn’t seem to think it was important. They were just going through religious forms. The teaching of redemption apparently held no concern to the nation as a whole, so they couldn’t honestly say, “Behold, I knew them,” or “Of course I knew them.” If they had, they would not have followed the path of idolatry.
When there is no real response to the will of God and the word of God, there is nothing that would keep the just hand of God from chastening His children. Attitudes and actions reveal what a person, or a nation, is really like. All their accomplishments mean nothing when it is done only for self-centered interests. Unpleasant things that happen to us cause us to complain if we are not cognizant of the fact that God allows, and occasionally arranges, troubles for our benefit and learning. “The furnace of affliction” may at times be the best thing to happen to us. Faith, spiritual God- given strength, holy conduct and a godly attitude will refine us and make us useful to our Master.
Even though the people of Israel and Judah were perverse and willfully ignorant of the truth of God, the Lord didn’t cut them off. Instead, He set about to refine them by putting them through the “furnace of affliction.” For His own sovereign reasons, the Lord chose Cyrus to be His ally, and through him, the Lord would free the Jews and make it possible for them to return to the land promised to their forefathers. When the captives were freed and able to leave Babylon, Isaiah said there would be shouts of joy for the relief of freedom, and the security of being under divine guidance.
Often people take their liberty in Christ as liberty to do what they want regardless of what God wants. If there is no repentance for sin or trust in the Lord, there will be no peace. God teaches us and directs us in ways of His own choosing. When we are aware of that and pay attention to Him, we learn to obey Him. When we obey Him, we will be committed to righteousness, and peace follows.
Any person who is willing to listen to the voice of the Lord, will not only know the ways of the Lord, but will also know Him who is the “First and the Last, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord thy God.” The call goes out to all who will listen. “Come ye near unto Me,” from the One who is the Messiah of Israel. It is necessary to hear and heed the commandments of God in order to live as we should and be able to please Him. If the people of Israel had listened, and learned, and paid heed to what the Lord said through His servants the prophets, they wouldn’t have been taken captive, and the deliverance after seventy years of captivity wouldn’t have been necessary.
To us, the Lord is the Prince of Peace when we are obedient to His words and commandments as in verse eighteen. Not only is obedience expected but also righteousness, verse twenty-two. When our mind is set on the word of God, and there is real love for God’s word, we will find ourselves dead to the flesh and alive unto God. The Lord Jesus Christ is also the Prince of Peace to God because “He made peace through the blood of His cross.” He has “broken down the middle wall” that was between Jews, Gentiles and the Lord and made us one in Him. Through our Lord who has commissioned His own, the “Gospel of peace” goes out to the world that is in a state of turmoil.
To have peace, we must seek the Lord and He will give us His peace. By God’s grace there will be deliverance from Babylon in the future like there was in the past from the first Babylon. There will be redemption for Israel, “His servant Jacob,” and they will know and recognize it for what it is and the value of it when they see the Lord Jesus Christ in His glory. This is the last mention of Babylon by name in the book of Isaiah, which seems fitting, as the chapter ends with, “There is no peace,” saith the Lord to the wicked. All who choose the course of wickedness in this life, will never find peace – forever. From chapter forty through forty-eight, God deals with Israel concerning their idolatry. From chapter forty-nine through fifty-seven, God deals with Israel concerning their rejection of the Messiah, and ends with the same words, “There is no peace,” saith my God to the wicked.
Isaiah 48:11; 17. “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… 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 thou shouldest go.”
FOR MINE OWN SAKE. Why such restraint when evil abounds? Why would God allow such calamities all around? There is an on-going purpose God knows and wants to be. God has a plan for us all – it is God who “refineth thee.”
Long ago, it happened before the earth was made. God made plans – there are those who would be saved Without prejudice – any person who wanted to see God’s salvation, now realize – it is God who has “chosen thee.”
For the benefit of man – much more than the profit of money, It has been revealed by the Spirit – God does not respect any Higher or of more value, all humans, whether he or she All can learn God’s will – it is God who “teacheth thee.”
In early life or as the many years fly by We need the Lord to lead us in ways we don’t know why – With trust in Him who wants the best for me – I’ll walk in faith with confidence – it is God who “leadeth thee.”
“O Father in heaven, this passage of scripture makes me to understand that Thy plans and purposes are not just for the sake of the Israelis, or even me – but for Thyself too. There are reasons things happen to nations and persons that are for Thine own sake. May all that is going on bring much glory to Thee. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”