Israel’s unfaithfulness rebuked. Remember in today’s study, 1Cor.10:11] Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. With that, Isaiah 48 and verse 1 reads.
Isa.48:1] 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.
Jacob’s name being changed by the LORD to Israel, God prevails, is said for all twelve tribes. Notice we have comes forth out of the waters here in the Old Testament, Rev.17:15 lets us know that the waters are all peoples. But what is said here? He is saying my people who he brought out of Judah and are called by my name, Christians. Then tells us they (we) follow not in truth or in righteousness. We have fallen away from his word, apostacy. And now he is going to say something, listen.
Isa.48:2] For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.
The holy city is Jerusalem which means; teaching of peace. Isaiah is warning the holy city of something to come. Let’s go to Isa.64 and verse 9 reads.
Isa.64:9] Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
[10] Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
[11] Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste.
Keep in mind what has come to pass will repeat again. Also note, Heb.12:29 For our God is a consuming fire. Back to Isa.48 and verse 3 reads.
Isa.48:3] 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.
In Joshua there was a promise given, Josh.21 and verse 45 reads.
Josh.21:45] There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
What the LORD has written or what he speaks will come to pass. Here the house of Israel is said for all twelve tribes. Back to Isa.48 and verse 4 reads.
Isa.48:4] Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
In other words, you are hard headed, and God knows his children. Moses knew this also, let’s go to Due.31 and verse 26 reads.
Due.31:26] Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
[27] For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
And the book of the law will be there to pass judgement on the whole house of Israel. Back to Isa.48 and verse 5 reads.
Isa.48:5] 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.
Isaiah is speaking of the false idols here, remember there were two golden calves set up in Dan as well as in Samaria. But also, after they came out of Egypt, while Moses was on the Mount receiving the law from God. Israel has had its problems from the beginning, and likewise, we will also in the end.
Isa.48:6] 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.
Remember Isa.42:9, let’s read it again.
Isa.42:9] Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
The LORD has always sent his prophets to his children. He has always answered our questions before we ever asked them. Back to Isa.48 and verse 7 reads.
Isa.48:7] 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.
Quit carrying your idols around. They get heavy and are a burden, and a great sin.
Isa.48:9] 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.
Let’s go to Psalms 79 and verse 9 reads.
Psa.79:9] Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.
For God’s name’s sake, God of our Salvation. That’s Christ, Christ men, Christian. Back to Isa.48 and verse 10 reads.
Isa.48:10] Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
What does the furnace do to silver or gold? It refines it, it makes it pure or takes out the slag. Now think of us, through repentance we are made pure and without sin.
Isa.48:11] 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.
For his name’s sake, he does this. In verse 10 he mentioned he chose us out of the furnace. Through our repentance we give him the glory.
Isa.48:12] 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.
Listen to me the LORD says, Jacob and Israel. Both houses, both are his children. This is why I think for these end times, America and Israel is who he is talking about here. We are chosen and called by him to stand up together for his name’s sake.
Isa.48:14] 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.
Listen up, he declares. The LORD sent them into captivity for their sins, and promised them that they would come out in 70 years. Using Cyrus, who we know is also reading this, will with the hand of the LORD do these things. And we know that after the second advent we have the millennium for those that are deceived. Again, we have here his love for his children is on full display.
Isa.48:15] I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
Twice for emphasis, he called on Cyrus. Likewise, we have the second advent.
Isa.48:16] 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.
Isaiah is speaking here, first let’s go to Zec.2 and verse 7 reads.
Zec.2:7] Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
[8] For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
[9] For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.
I hope you can see the similarities between the children coming out of Babylon and the seventh trump. He also said in verse 16 that God had not spoken in secret from the beginning. Let’s go to John 1 and verse 1 reads.
John 1:1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[2] The same was in the beginning with God.
[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
This “Word” is Logos, Jesus Christ. Nothing was made without him, speaking of Salvation. And finished verse 16 with “His Spirit sent me”. The trinity is throughout God’s word. Back to Isa.48 and verse 17 reads.
Isa.48:17] 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.
To profit is to be useful to God, he said he would teach us to profit himself. My question is can you be useful to God, if so, let his word lead you.
Isa.48:18] 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:
We can take from this last verse that the LORD will overflow our banks with blessings IF we keep his commandments. Commandments are his laws, let no man tell you we are not under the law anymore, they are false teachers.
Isa.48:19] 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.
The promise given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as numerous as the sands of the sea. Notice it said “should not have been cut off from before me”. His name has been cut off once more, see to it that it isn’t by you.
Isa.48:20] 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.
Coming out of confusion, Babylon. For both, the house of Judah and the house of Israel, then and at the seventh trump. The LORD has redeemed his children of Jacob, all twelve tribes.
Isa.48:21] 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.
The LORD brings up his children in the wilderness coming out of Egypt. Likened to the children coming out of Babylon, and for us in these end times that we thirst not. Amos 8 and verse 11 reads.
Amos 8:11] Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
But the LORD just promised that we would have that Living Water and we see here that, In that Day, there will be a thirst for hearing his word. Jesus taught us with the woman at the well this very thing. Let’s go to John 4 and pick it up with verse 23 and it reads.
John 4:23] But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
[24] God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
[25] The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
[26] Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Jesus did come to her and to the world and did teach all these things. We read and know that Jesus is the Living Word, he is that Living Water. We see here that the Word is the Water and both are Jesus Christ. The famine is for hearing the Word of LORD, but those that are called and chosen will not thirst, we keep his commandments, we read his word. Back to Isa.48 and verse 22 reads.
Isa.48:22] There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
There is no peace, no rest in the Lord Jesus for the wicked. Great study today, let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible