Isaiah Chapter 48
[Isaiah 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.
This could be referring to the present State of Israel whose founders and main constituting members descend from Judah.
By world standards Israel as a country is not as bad as it is sometimes represented.
There is a lot of charity, a lot of concern for the welfare of others, a
lot of good points. On the other hand there are many matters that should
be corrected. In Israel, all the left-wing “do-gooders” who in other countries
do manage now and again to effect needed reforms often seem more concerned
with the Palestinians than they are with their own people. There is no reason
why the standard of concern for others should be inferior to that of any
other nation. Left-wing bodies (such as “BeTzelem”) receive financial support
from European governments (and in the past from the USA under Clinton) and
these governments pay for Palestinian concerns.
[Isaiah 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 present-day Jews do acknowledge the God of Israel.
[Isaiah 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.
They say that everything that happens is written somewhere in the Bible.
The problem is to read it. Even without trying to discover “secret” things
concerning the present or future the Bible is worth reading. It is in itself
more interesting than any other work. The problem is that we are all a little
lazy and also have a self-destructive impulse within us.
[Isaiah 48:4] BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THOU ART OBSTINATE, AND THY NECK
IS AN IRON SINEW, AND THY BROW BRASS;
[Isaiah 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 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.
[Isaiah 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.
[Isaiah 48:8] 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.
[Isaiah 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.
[Isaiah 48:10] BEHOLD, I HAVE REFINED THEE, BUT NOT WITH SILVER; I
HAVE CHOSEN THEE IN THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION.
[Isaiah 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.
Even if Judah is not worthy the name of the God of Israel is called upon
them in the eyes of the peoples of the earth. God will therefore not destroy
them but rather deliver them for the sake of HIS name.
[Isaiah 48:12] HEARKEN UNTO ME, O JACOB AND ISRAEL, MY CALLED; I AM HE; I AM THE FIRST, I ALSO AM THE LAST.
[Isaiah 48:13] 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.
[Isaiah 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.
According to simple meaning He is speaking of Cyrus the King of Persia who
has been called to conquer Babylon. If speaking of the future he is
apparently speaking of a future leader of the Ten Tribes (“Messiah the son
of Joseph”?) spoken of elsewhere. If so however he is not speaking
so much of Judah.
[Isaiah 48:15] I, EVEN I, HAVE SPOKEN; YEA, I HAVE CALLED HIM: I HAVE BROUGHT HIM, AND HE SHALL MAKE HIS WAY PROSPEROUS.
[Isaiah 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 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.
[Isaiah 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:
[Isaiah 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.
This is what could have been and can still be on a national level if we do God’s will.
[Isaiah 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.
“FLEE YE FROM THE CHALDEANS” Amos Chacham (Daat Mikra) suggests that it means
to flee from the Land of the Chaldeans lest you be overcome with the disaster
that will befall that area.
“END OF THE EARTH” an expression frequently linked to the Lost Ten
Tribes as we have explained elsewhere. Perhaps the Lost Ten Tribes will be
subjugated to “Babylon” for a period prior to the end?
[Isaiah 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.
Water was very important. I was just reading an account of the Holocaust.
One of the ways the Germans subjugated the Jewish population before exterminating
them was by denying them sufficient water. A person constantly on the
edge of collapse through thirst can become very compliant.
[Isaiah 48:22] THERE IS NO PEACE, SAITH THE LORD, UNTO THE WICKED.
Chapter Forty Nine
HOme