Chapter 48

1 God, to convince the people of their foreknown obstinacy, revealed his prophecies. 9 He saveth them for his own sake. 12 He exhorteth them to obedience, because of his power and providence. 16 He lamenteth their backwardness. 20 He powerfully delivereth his out of Babylon.

1. Hear ye this. Isaiah addresses the hypocrites in Israel, those who profess to serve God but actually do as they please (see on Matt. 6:2).

The waters of Judah. The Targums read, “the seed of Judah.”

Make mention. Literally, “cause to remember.”

2. The holy city. These renegades profess to be citizens of Zion, but are so only in name (see Isa. 29:13; Jer. 7:4, 9–11; Micah 3:11; Matt. 3:9; 15:8; John 8:33, 39; Rom. 4:1, 2; 9:6). They seek the benefits that accrue from loyalty to God but are unwilling to pay the price of obedience (see on Matt. 7:21–27). They want all the privileges of discipleship but refuse to shoulder its responsibilities.

3. I have declared. See on chs. 41:4, 23; 42:9. Not the heathen, but the faithless people of Judah are now called to recognize the foreknowledge of God.

Suddenly. Or, unexpectedly. God had foretold these events, but to the faithless hypocrites what happened came as a complete surprise (see Matt. 24:39). For similar counsel to those who await the coming of the Lord, see 1 Thess. 5:1–8.

4. Obstinate. When God called Israel He already knew what they would be like. The warnings against transgression were given because the Lord knew the dangers that faced them and how easy it would be for them to fall into temptation (see on Deut. 9:6; cf. on Ex. 4:21).

5. Mine idol. Israel had scarcely left Egypt when they ascribed their deliverance to an idol (Ex. 32:4). At the time of the captivity of 586 b.c. Jeremiah also chided Israel for their obdurateness of heart (Jer. 44).

6. Thou hast heard. That which the Lord foretold has come true, and they have seen it with their own eyes. Will they not frankly admit His foreknowledge?

New things. Now the Lord reveals further information about events yet to occur. Neither men nor their idols could take credit for having predicted these things.

8. Very treacherously. See on v. 1. God well knew the perverse character of the people of Israel. He knew that they did not want to believe and that, to the end, they would justify themselves in their rebellion. Accordingly, He now presents a most unusual set of predictions, including their coming captivity, the mission of Cyrus, a century and a half before his time, the deliverance from Babylon, and other events culminating in the coming of Messiah.

A transgressor. Or, “a rebel” (Deut. 29:4; 31:27).

9. For my name’s sake. Because of their perversity (see on vs. 1, 2) the people of Judah deserved no further mercy or favor from God. But their fall would bring reproach upon His holy name, for men would think Him capricious, vindictive, and unable to carry into execution His own plans and purposes. The name of God stood for His character—a God who was “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Ex. 34:6). For this reason God would continue to manifest kindness and mercy toward them in spite of their obstinacy. They were His people, and His plan for the salvation of the world was, in ancient times, linked with them (see pp. 26–30).

10. Not with silver. Preferably, “after the manner of silver,” or “like silver.” Israel was not to be refined with such intense heat as is needed for the purification of silver, for then she would have been utterly consumed. Israel was to be corrected only “in measure” (Jer. 30:11; Hosea 11:9), that is, only to the extent necessary to consume her filthiness and dross (see Eze. 22:15–22).

Chosen thee. Or, “proved thee,” or “tried thee” (see Mal. 3:2, 3).

11. For mine own sake. See on v. 9. If the Lord had failed to redeem Israel, His name would have been desecrated among the heathen. God will restore Israel, not because of their merits, but because of His mercy—that His name may be glorified.

12. My called. In vs. 1, 2 Israel was addressed as a people who bore the name of the Lord in hypocrisy rather than in sincerity. Now God reminds them of their original call to be His people (see Deut. 7:6–16; 10:15; 14:2; Ps. 135:4; Isa. 41:8; Isa. 43:1; Isa. 44:1, 2). By reminding them of His love, God sought to woo them back to Himself (see Eze. 16:1–14; Hosea 11:1–8).

I am the first. See Isa. 41:4; cf. Rev. 1:5, 8, 17; 22:13. It was both an honor and a responsibility to be chosen by God as Israel had been.

13. Laid the foundation. See on ch. 40:12, 26, 28. The God who called the universe into being is the same God who called Israel to nationhood and gave to them the status of His chosen representative on earth (see pp. 26, 27).

14. Assemble yourselves. Once more God addresses those who have paid homage to idols (see on v. 5).

The Lord hath loved him. Whether this refers to Cyrus (cf. vs. 14, 15 with chs. 44:26 to 45:4) or to Israel (cf. chs. 45:4; 48:12, 13), the words are appropriate to either.

15. I have called him. See on v. 14. Both Cyrus (ch. 4:1–4) and Israel (chs. 43:1; 48:10) were called of God.

16. Come ye near unto me. That is, to the Lord. God invites the close attention of the people to what He is about to say.

Not spoken in secret. See vs. 3–7.

Hath sent me. According to the context the speaker appears to be Christ. It was God who sent Jesus on His mission. Jesus had been present with the Father from the beginning (John 1:1–3), but when the Father had a work for Him in this world of sin He left heaven to go on His mission (John 1:14; 3:34; 6:29, 57; 17:3, 4). When Jesus entered the world as the Messiah, God sent the Holy Spirit to rest upon Him (Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 61:1–3; Matt. 3:16; Luke 4:18–21; John 1:32, 33; Acts 10:38). The three members of the Godhead are here referred to (see on Isa. 42:1).

17. Teacheth thee to profit. That is, “teaches you what is for your own good.” Christ came to teach men the secrets of peace and blessing (Matt. 6:33; 16:24–26; John 6:33; John 10:9, 10; 17:3) and to guide them in the way of life eternal (John 10:9; 14:6; Heb. 10:20).

18. My commandments. God’s commandments were given to guide men in ways of peace and righteousness (Ps. 119:1, 2, 6, 9, 165; Prov. 3:1, 2). All of God’s laws are for the good of man, to direct him in the way of right and to protect him from sin and suffering.

19. As the sand. See Gen. 22:17; 32:12. Obedience would result in an abundant posterity; disobedience would bring extinction (Isa. 1:19, 20).

20. Go ye forth. This is in anticipation of the time when God would call His people forth from Babylon to avoid its fate (Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 45). In the last days the same urgent call is sent to God’s people yet in mystical Babylon (Rev. 18:4).

21. They thirsted not. This was the experience of Israel on the way from Egypt to the Promised Land (Ex. 17:6; Ps. 105:41). For the figurative application of these words, see on Isa. 41:17–19; 43:19, 20; John 4:10, 14.

22. There is no peace. Compare ch. 57:20, 21. The earnest exhortations and reproofs of this chapter (vs. 1, 4, 8, 10, 17, 18) are climaxed by this blunt statement concerning the tragic results of transgression. Peace is the inevitable result of righteousness (see on ch. 32:17), and is utterly impossible for those who walk in ways of evil. In v. 18 peace is associated with obedience to God’s commandments. However earnestly men may search for peace they cannot secure it except on God’s terms.

Ellen G. White comments

9    PK 319

10   AA 574, 576; LS 148; MB 31; MH 471; ML 92; PK 584; PP 129, 267; 2T 97; 3T 67; 5T 469, 474, 485; 7T 214

11   PK 319

13   MH 414

17, 18  CW 120

18   DA 331; GC 285; LS 25; 4T 284

21   PP 411

22   GC 285; 2T 289; 4T 185