Isaiah: Never Rejected. Always Refined.

Isaiah 48

Ferdinand Waldo Demara was a master of deception. During his lifetime, he impersonated a college dean, a prison warden, a psychologist, and a monk. And here is one other career he faked. During the Korean War, he pretended to be a naval surgeon. He performed operations, including amputations and bullet removals, using medical textbooks as his guide.[1]

Some people pretend to be followers of God. That’s the issue Isaiah is addressing in our passage today.

Isaiah 48:1
Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. 

Isaiah begins this passage with the Hebrew word simu, which means “Listen up!” God has important things to say. Israel called themselves by the name Israel, and they were proud to be from Jerusalem. They even practiced the religious rituals, but the title was in name only, and their rituals fell flat. The NET Bible says that they confessed God but “not in truth and not in righteousness.”^[2] They were like Ferdinand Waldo Demara. They pretended to be who they were not. This is an important reminder: Our actions do not make us believers, yet they are evidence that we follow Jesus.

God had provided Israel with prophecies in the past (Isa. 48:5), but the people refused to listen. So, God graciously announced to them “new things, hidden things that you have not known” (Isa. 48:6).  Now, to clarify, God did not make this up as he went along. In Deuteronomy 30, God said that Israel would fall away, and eventually, he would gather his scattered people to bring them back to their land (Dt. 30:1-5). Their disobedience resulted in trials that God describes as “the furnace of affliction” (Isa. 48:10). The purpose of trials is always to refine us and bring us back to a place where we can honor God (Isa. 48:10-11).

The God that Israel serves and honors is God and God alone. He is the living God, in contrast to the idols of the nations. To drive home the point of God’s uniqueness, two proofs are presented:

Proof #1: God’s Creative Power
God reminds Israel that the One who called them to be his people is the eternal Creator. He is the first and the last (Isa. 48:12). He “laid the foundation of the earth” and with his right hand “spread out the heavens” (Isa. 48:13).

Proof #2: God’s Ability to Foretell the Future
Since God is the first and the last, he knows all things from beginning to end. God reminds Israel again that he raised up Babylon to discipline Judah. Now, he will “perform his purpose on Babylon” to allow Judah to return home (Isa. 48:14-15). God has not “spoken in secret” (Isa. 48:16). Remember, Judah’s return after their captivity is one hundred fifty years into the future!

At the end of Isaiah 48:16, there is a statement that receives much attention from commentators: “And now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.”

Who is the intended speaker? Scholars interpret it to be Isaiah, Israel, or Cyrus. However, the best choice, I believe, is the coming Messiah. This will become clearer in our next section (Isa. 49-57). The ESV Study Bible makes an interesting observation in their notes: “Many would see this as a reference to the three persons of the Trinity: the Father (“the Lord God”), the Son (“has sent me”), and the Holy Spirit (“his Spirit”).”[3]

God chose Israel to be his people by whom he would bless the nations of the world and through whom he would send his Son. But they were obstinate. God said, “your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass” (Isa. 48:4). This is the image “of a person who has tensed the muscles of the face and neck as a sign of resolute refusal.”^[4]

God declared, “Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!” (Isa. 48:18a). Had they followed God, they would have experienced continual peace like a flowing river and righteousness as consistent as the waves of the sea (Isa. 48:18b). However, Isael chose to do their own thing and go their own way. We do too!

But now, their chastening is over. It was time for them to return to Jerusalem. The ensuing trip to their capital city would be long and treacherous. But they could leave with “a shout of joy” because the Lord would provide along the way as he had done before.

Isaiah 48:20-21
Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!” 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 the water gushed out. 

This section ends with a pertinent statement: “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked” (Isa. 28:22).

We will end with a quick review. 

The book of Isaiah, sometimes called the “miniature Bible,” has two main parts. Chapters 1-39 drive home the point that God takes sin seriously. Chapters 40-66 reassure us that God forgives fully. Both sections are reminders that true peace and purpose are found in Jesus, the coming Messiah, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Chapters 40-66 can be divided into three, nine-chapter sections:

• God will deliver his people (Isa. 40-48).
• God will send a Savior (Isa. 49-57).
• God will bring about a glorious consummation (Isa. 58-66).

Let’s wrap up the first nine-chapter section with this Anchor Point: Isaiah 48:17

Isaiah 48:17
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 in the way you should go.”

What a great promise of God’s deliverance! He is our “Redeemer,” purchasing us from the slavery of sin. He is the “Holy One,” perfect and set apart; there is no one like him. He is the “LORD your God,” Yahweh—the personal God, and Elohim—the powerful God. And he is the One who teaches us what is best and the way we should. The “Way of Holiness” (Isa. 35:8-10) is made possible by Jesus, who leads us all the way home.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Isaiah 48. Focus on our Anchor Point—Isaiah 48:17. Can you recall a time when you sensed God leading you in the way you should go?

Talking to God:  Pray Isaiah 48:17 to God. Thank him for who he is and what he provides. Ask him to show you which way he would have you go. And remember, he will provide everything you need to follow him.

Have Questions?
Be sure to send your questions to our team. We are happy to assist you as we study God's Word together. Submit your question below, and we'll reply soon. Let us know if you’d like to learn more about a relationship with Jesus or desire spiritual counsel.

Every day is a day of spiritual renewal as we follow hard after Jesus.