A Review of Isaiah 48
by Keith E Gardner
Always using the King James Bible
Isaiah 48:1
In verse 1 the LORD is speaking to the “… 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”. Looking at this verse we see the key phrase is “but not in truth”. Knowing that the Bible has been written by God for all men throughout all time we can know it is also applicable today. We know, from past studies, that the “house of Jacob … which swear by the name of the LORD …, but not in truth nor in righteousness “ is speaking of all the churches of today.
Isaiah 48:2
In verse 2 we see our Lord God continues to speak of the false self-perception of the churches as He says “For they call themselves of the Holy City”. This is the belief of all the churches without regard to any particular religious affiliation. They all believe as they desire and then profess the name of God: Isaiah 4:1.
Isaiah 48:3
In verse 3 we see the LORD telling how He has attempted to make Himself known to the mankind throughout time. He speaks of how He told of things to come and suddenly bought them to pass: Exodus 14:1-31.
Isaiah 48:4-7
In verses 4 thru 7 we see our Lord GOD as He speaks of His many attempts to sway the hearts and minds of an obstinate people who simply refuse to see or hear the will of the LORD. The LORD has put the entire history of the world in the Bible and at this time He has opened the eyes of men that, if they desire, they can see truth. Unfortunately the vast majority of mankind desire their own gods consequently the God of the Bible will confuse them allowing them to slip further into sin: Isaiah 28:7-19.
Isaiah 48:8
In this verse the LORD is telling us He knew the transgressors, the lost, before they ever were. Therefore, because the LORD is a just God He gives everyone the opportunity to acknowledge Him knowing the lost will not. Regardless He presents all mankind with an opportunity to humble themselves before Him and beg for His forgiveness. I personally believe our Lord God gives the lost only one such opportunity as He already knows their hearts. We can look at king Saul in 1 Samuel 13:8-14 where it seems at Saul’s first episode of disobedience the LORD rejects him. In light of this Saul never plead to God for mercy or forgiveness instead he continued in his disobedient way. However in 1 Kings 21:21-29 we read of Ahab who was also lost however, Ahab did humble himself in truth before the LORD and for this he was allowed to die in bed amongst his people. King Saul died “with his shoes on” as he was forced to kill himself in battle or be captured and tortured until dead.
Continuing with our study we see the LORD says “Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knowest not; yea, from that time thine ear was not opened”. This is the LORD telling us because the lost desired not to hear or understand His truth from that time, the first time He brings them His truth and they reject it, He would give them up. He would give them a strong delusion that they would believe a lie: 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12. Consequently their eyes are shut, their ears are blocked and their understanding of His word is taken away that they will be prepared for the judgment. This is done so as we move toward Judgment Day everyone will be either cold or hot, Revelation 3:15-16, and judgment will be totally just. Therefore I believe today anyone who receives the truth of God and in the face of that truth still desires their own way they are assuring they too will die with their shoes on.
Isaiah 48:9-11
In verse 9 we see the LORD will have mercy on the lost, prior to the judgment, for His name’s sake. His mercy unto the lost is one more source of praise from all His elect, to whom many of the lost are dear.
In verse 10 we see the LORD says “I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction”. This is the will of our Lord GOD for all those whom He has “given up”. The refining spoken of is the preparation for damnation. Our Lord God will allow mankind to perform all the wicked desires of his sinful heart that he may seal his fate in the end: Romans 1:28-32. This will assure that everyone who goes into judgment will have his or her predetermined time and place in the judgment process.
In verse 11 we see the LORD is angry as He says “for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory to another”. In this clause we can see clearly the source of His anger. It is the attribution of the acts of the LORD to an idol; once again this idol can be material or intellectual. God will not give His glory to another; and why should He? Therefore everyone who does not love, honor, worship and obey the God of the Bible, John 14:21, is giving His glory to another. Although the blatant idol worshipers are worse than those who do not worship at all our Lord God desires that we are all either cold or hot: Revelation 3:15-16. Henceforth the LORD gives up all those who are not elect of Him and do not call out unto Him that they will go from bad to worst solidifying their place in the judgment.
Isaiah 48:12
In verse 12 we see our Lord God is now direction His dialogue unto His called; those who are to be chosen. The LORD is making it clear that we will all know His voice as He says “I am He; I am the first, I also am the last”.
Isaiah 48:13
In verse 13 the LORD continues to identify Himself as He speaks of His creation; as He speaks of His all-encompassing power over all things.
Isaiah 48:14
Verse 14 opens with “All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things?” This is the LORD telling the entire world to hear and acknowledge what He has given unto His elect to tell the world. He continues with “The LORD hath loved him: he will do His pleasure on Babylon, and His arm shall be on the Chaldeans”. This sentence interpreted says the LORD hath loved His elect: the elect will do the pleasure of the LORD unto Babylon; they will take the truth of God to the lost. As a consequence of the word or the will of God being taken unto Babylon, the church and the world, the LORD will judge the Chaldeans or the people of the church and the world.
Isaiah 48:15
In verse 15 we see our Lord GOD has paid for the sins of all His elect as He says “I have bought him …”. He closes the verse with “… and he shall make his way prosperous”. The prosperity our Lord GOD speaks of is His will being fulfilled by all of His elect. Through doing His will the very best we are enabled we become profitable servants unto the LORD: Matthew 25:14-30.
Isaiah 48:16
In verse 16 we see an interesting and inexplicable scenario unfolding. Our Lord GOD is telling His elect that He has not spoken in secret even from the beginning. This says clearly that those who do not hear the true word of God will not because they have had their one opportunity and are now being fitted for destruction: Romans 9:20-23. Therefore if an individual is elect of God they will respond to the call of God however, if they are not elect of God they will not respond and God will give them up that their eyes will be blinded, their ears will be deafened and their understanding of any of the truth of God will be taken away to prepare them for the judgment. As our Lord God knows us all, elect and lost, I can not comprehend any reason for a relentless exercise in futility. Going to 1 Samuel 13:8-14 we can see the LORD took the kingdom away from Saul after only one episode of disobedience and I believe this verifies that our Lord God gives all lost mankind one opportunity to minimize their torment in the end. I don’t believe it is for any other reason as the LORD already knows who is saved and, amongst the lost, who will humble themselves before Him.
Looking at the last clause of this verse we see “and now the Lord GOD, and His Spirit, hath sent me”. This is the inexplicable scenario I opened the discussion of this verse with. For although it says “… the Lord GOD, and His Spirit, hath sent me” it is the LORD that is sent. This is one of several incomprehensible paradoxes in the Bible; however we must simply acknowledge it, accept it and move on as we cannot explain it.
Isaiah 48:17
In verse 17 our Lord GOD continues to identify Himself. He says in the second clause of the verse “I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit”. Looking at this in the environment of the Bible we can know that the only way a prophet of the LORD can profit is to prophesy the truth of the Bible. Therefore we can know it is through the wisdom, understanding and knowledge of His word that a prophet will profit. This is His leading us by the way we should go.
Isaiah 48:18-19
In verses 18 and 19 our Lord GOD is speaking to the lost. Looking at verse 18 we see our Lord GOD telling the lost how it could have been if they would have heeded His commandments in truth. In verse 19 He continues to tell them how it could have been if they would have acknowledged Him and how He would have given them a full and more satisfying life.
Isaiah 48:20
In verse 20 we see the LORD has redeemed His elect as He tells us to flee Babylon and the Chaldeans; the church and the ways of the world.
Isaiah 48:21-22
In verses 21 and 22 the LORD has set up a comparison and contrast between what He does for those He cares for and those who are on their own. As you can see there will be no peace for the wicked.
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