The Means and Purpose of Our Salvation – Isaiah 48:1-22
48 Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who have been named Israel and come from the lineage of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of Jehovah and invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness—(2) (they call themselves citizens of the holy city and depend upon the God of Israel, Jehovah of hosts is his name): (3) I foretold the former things long ago; indeed, I announced them with my mouth and made them known. Then suddenly I acted and brought them to fulfillment. (4) I did so because I know that you are obstinate and the sinews of your neck are made of iron and your forehead is like bronze. (5) That is why I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you, so that you could not say, My idol has done these things; my carved image and my molten image have ordained them. (6) You have heard about these things; take note, you have heard all this; will you not acknowledge this? From now on I will show you new things, hidden things that you did not know. (7) They are newly created and did not exist in the past; you have not heard of them before today, so that you cannot say, Yes, I knew about them. (8) Indeed, you had not previously heard about these things; indeed, you did not previously know about them; indeed, I did not open your ear long ago and tell you about these things. I did not do so because I knew that you are very treacherous; from the time of your birth you were called a rebel.
(9) For my own name’s sake I will defer my anger, and for the sake of my praise I refrain from expressing my wrath against you, so that I do not cut you off. (10) Look! I have refined you, but you have not proven yourself to be like silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. (11) For my own sake, for my own sake, I will do it—I will restrain my anger, for how can I allow my name to be profaned? I will not give my glory to anyone else! (12) Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, the one whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am also the last. (13) My own hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens. When I summon the starry host, they all stand up together. (14) Come together, all of you, and listen. Which of the idols has foretold these things? The one whom Jehovah loves will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Chaldeans. (15) I, I have spoken. Indeed, I have called him. I have brought him, and he will succeed in his mission.
(16) Come near to me and listen to this: From the beginning of these events I have spoken about them publicly, not secretly; from the time that they occurred, I was there. Now the Lord Jehovah has sent me with his Spirit. (17) This is what Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says, I am Jehovah your God, who instructs you for your benefit, who leads you in the way you should go. (18) If only you had paid attention to my commandments, your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness would have been like the waves of the sea. (19) Furthermore, your descendants would have been like the sand, and your children like its countless grains; his name will never be cut off from my presence nor destroyed. (20) Come out of Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans! Announce this with shouts of joy, proclaim it, declare it to the ends of the earth, say, Jehovah has redeemed his servant Jacob! (21) They did not suffer thirst when he led them through the deserts; he caused water to flow out of the rock for them—he split the rock and the waters gushed out. (22) But there is no peace for the wicked, declares Jehovah.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
