The LORD Corrects His People

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.

Hear this house of Jacob, conniver and fraud, which are called by the name Israel; "God prevails", a name after God, but a hard hearted people. Come forth from Judah, who sold his brother Joseph into slavery. Interesting to me that from these two; Jacob and Judah, by the will of God came the nation Israel and the redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, the people of Israel and often those who go by the name of Christian, are so in name only, but not in character. God desires a people of truth and righteousness. This means we must submit our will to that of God.

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.

They claim to be of God, but they are not really seeking or following him.

Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Isa 48:3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
Isa 48:4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
Isa 48:5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

The LORD God of Israel speaks things through his prophets, before they happen; in this way he proves that he is God. Even though he knew that they would resist his words, it is written and it comes to pass. God is faithful to his word while those he calls his people are often stubborn and stiff necked, perhaps like a stubborn mule, not willing to turn into God's way, but self willed, seeking the things of the world. When we refuse to repent of known sins, we are as this. When we make up our own belief system and seek to follow the commandments of men, we are as this. Because the LORD spoke what would happen, when the thing that was spoken comes to pass, you cannot take credit or say your idol did this. When things go well do we thank him, or do we say it is luck? When things go wrong are we complaining and full of pity? Where is God in our life? He should be foremost.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning
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1 Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
1 Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
1 Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
1 Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
1 Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Isa 48:6 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
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.

The LORD continues to speak to the nation of Judah, captives in Babylon. You have seen my miracles and glory; my secret things and yet you will not declare it. On a personal level, do our words glorify God and speak of his great works? Or are we negative and depressed and pessimistic. God wants us to trust him and to speak of his good works. What is God doing in your life. Is he showing you secret things? Is he giving you answers to your problems? All too often God is ignored as if he had no influence on the things that happen. We are to praise to him in our everyday lives and in our testimonies and witnessing.

Psa 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
Psa 22:23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

Isa 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.

The LORD sees evil hearts in his people. You were born a sinner and a transgressor from the womb. We are inheritors of the sin nature of Adam and Eve. Jesus, the second Adam, brought us out of the curse of sin into righteousness.

Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

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.

Israel is given mercy through God's covenant and the coming redeemer. Moses led them out of bondage and Christ Jesus freed their souls from sin.

Exo 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Heb 13:21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
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.

He refined them by putting them through fiery trials of captivity in Babylon. They were seeking worldly gods and worldly things, so the LORD had a worldly nation to take them captive. Refining of Silver, is the refining in Christ, whereby he sees his image, the image of the Father in the pure silver as we become as he is. Their refining was one of affliction, to burn away stubborn rebellion and sin. They were carnal, in Christ we are made spiritual creations. Israel was being Chastened, corrected by Father God. Afflictions prepare us to become worthy to meet our LORD.

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

1 Pet 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1 Pet 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Isa 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
Isa 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.

Hearken unto me, your God, I AM, I AM HE; the alpha and omega.

Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
He created all that there is. Any other explanation is atheism, including evolution.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

It is estimated that there are as many stars as there are grains of sand, are we able to be as this great creator? Do not be like the lost with their head in the sand saying, there is no God, there is no evidence.

Psa 14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psa 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.Psa 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Is it any wonder that judgment is coming to our nation as well?

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.
Isa 48:15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

Speaking of Cyrus who was to conquer the Chaldeans and free the Jews.

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.

Who is speaking now, who has revealed the truth from the beginning? I believe it is the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit hath sent me. Notice the spelling of "Lord", referring to the Lord Jesus. LORD, refers to the Father.

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.
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:

I AM the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, come to lead you. If only you had of hearkened to my commandments and remembered my word, then you would have peace like a river. I like that, the river flows and usually is quiet; it is peaceful to see, like the living waters of God's spirit.

"and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:" The sea is generally symbolic of the restless nations, striving without peace. The antichrist will come from the sea.

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Here, the Lord focuses on the waves, as his righteousness. Waves are awesome and beautiful and the roar is as the voice of God. At times I stand by the waves and shout to them what is on my heart, or just to praise our LORD. Surfers seek the perfect wave to ride upon with there surf boards. Can we ride high above the turbulent sea, gliding upon his waves of righteousness? Or will we take our eyes off of him and be crushed by the wave and go under? We must be led by the LORD. He must be our constant companion and guide.

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 of Abraham of offspring as numerous as the sands of the sea, were to those of faith in the messiah. The name of Israel should not have been cut off or destroyed before me. The northern kingdom of Israel was lost, dispersed among the nations, but the LORD knows who they are. The nation of Judah would be dispersed after the death of Jesus, the temple pulled down and no longer a nation until 1948. They are few in number, but the people of faith are without number.

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.

Go ye forth, you are set free from Babylon, flee the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing. In your songs declare of your salvation and your redeemer, to the ends of the earth. Our hymns should be hymns of praise and gospel truth. I think many new songs are self centered instead of God centered. I will sing of my redeemer, the Christ who set me free. Our hymns should tell the story of God's amazing grace.

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.

Miracles followed the people of Judah as they returned to Jerusalem. The LORD provided for those of Judah who were returning home; waters sprung forth from the desert as they did when Moses led the people out of Egypt. The same LORD cares for his people, then and now. How awesome is the LORD, we can depend on him. He cleft the rock, a type of Christ. Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee. He was wounded for me, that my sins would be forgiven so that I may be with those who glorify him at his throne, for by him I am known.

Isa 48:22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

No peace for the wicked Chaldeans left behind being conquered by King Cyrus and no peace for the wicked Jew or Gentiles, without faith in the Messiah.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Afflictions will come to all people, so come to God through Jesus now and be forgiven, the time is short, you need God's help in this time of trouble and the everlasting peace of a child of God.