view Isaiah II series – Listen to audio
Isaiah 48:12-22 The Lord Pleads for Israel to Pay Close Attention
God concludes this portion of Isaiah’s prophecy by basically saying, “Pay attention. I am working all things for your benefit and foretelling all my working for your benefit!” Share when it the hardest for you to see that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28)
48:12 Discuss the importance of Israel being called by God considering what we read in 48:1.
- Is 48:1 Hear this, you house of Jacob, you who call yourselves by the name of Israel, who came forth from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and invoke the God of Israel, but not in true righteousness.
- It doesn’t matter what we call ourselves. What matters is God’s calling us and what he considers us to be. What matters is trusting his Word, that he has called us in mercy to be his own.
48:12-15 Identify the significant connection between God’s power exercised at creation with his power exercised over nations throughout history.
- If God can speak and form all creation he certainly can influence and direct his plans in history.
- We should be just as confident in God’s ability to direct the events of history as we are that he is the all-powerful and only Creator God.
- Note: “I summon (the heavens)” and “I have spoken (regarding Cyrus)” both emphasize the power of the Word of the Lord.
48:12-15 Compare and contrast what it meant for Jacob to be “called” (48:12) and Cyrus to be “called” (48:15). Discuss what it means when Scripture says all believers have been “called” by him.
- Israel was called by God to be his own treasured possession and to serve him as his own.
- Is 43:1 the Lord who created you, O Jacob, the Lord who formed you, O Israel. Do not be afraid, because I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.
- Cyrus was called to be a tool to accomplish God’s purpose even though he didn’t believe the Lord.
- See Is 46:11: I am the one who calls a bird of prey from the east. I call the man who fulfills my plan from a faraway land. Yes, I have spoken. I will certainly bring it to pass. I have formed a plan, and I will certainly carry it out.
- All believers have been called through the gospel to share in the glory of Christ he also called you through our gospel so that you would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus 2 Th 2:14.
48:16 “The Sovereign LORD has sent me, endowed with his Spirit.” Explain why this verse must be spoken by the Christ and is not just meant to be a quote from Cyrus.
- Compare to the first time the holy Servant of the Lord is mentioned. “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
- my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. -Is 42:1
- Although Cyrus is called a servant of the Lord, he does not acknowledge the Lord. And his task is only a sample of what God will do when he foretells and makes his plans for Israel.
- The true servant of the Lord, unlike Cyrus, has the Holy Spirit poured out on him. Note Isaiah 42 when that servant was introduced.
- The previous verse just had the Lord say, “I have spoken.” It is the same speaker in this section.
- It is a little curious that the speaker doesn’t seem to change from the Lord, but the speaker is “sent” by God the Lord and has the Spirit of the Lord poured out to him. This only fits in the person of Christ.
- Isaiah shifts to focus now on the Christ. Cyrus was just a future prophesied event that assured them God can do whatever he has promised to do to rescue Israel. After this chapter we will not see any focus on Cyrus or Babylon anymore. This is leading up to the Servant, Christ, who is the focus of chapter 49 and following.
- Note: you can find the three persons of the Trinity in this verse.
48:17-19 God made a promise to Abraham to make his descendants as numerous as the sands and stars. 400 years later he also made a conditional covenant with the nation of Israel to continue to bless them if they remain faithful to him.
- God kept the promise to Abraham to make them numerous but would not keep the broken promise to continue to bless them when they broke his covenant.
- “Although your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Complete destruction has been decreed—overwhelming, but righteous.” Is 10:22–48:19.
“as numerous as the sand” is an idiom or hyperbolic expression. The Scriptures regard this part as having already been fulfilled. Basically, Israel was very great in number. (Compare: Joshua 11:4, Judges 7:12, 1 Samuel 13:5, 2 Samuel 17:11, 1 Kings 4:20, Heb 11:12)
- Romans 9:27And Isaiah cries out about Israel: Although the number of the sons of Israel is as great as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
48:17-19 In what light are we to view God’s commands for us?
- God desired to bless Israel as they kept his commands.
- He gives us his commands as our loving God who wants to bless us as we serve him.
- However, we fail to keep his commands as we ought and praise him for his faithful redemption.
48:20-22 These verses compare the deliverance from Babylon to the deliverance from Egypt. It is a good conclusion to this part of Isaiah’s prophecy. As we read on Isaiah will describe the Lord’s greatest deliverance which far outmatches both those events. Use these verses to discuss one of the proper responses to God’s greatest acts of deliverance.
- Announce the gospel with joy!
Review chapter 48:
Compare the first and last verses of this chapter. Explain why it would be a mistake to assume God will deliver everyone who invokes his name.
- There will be deliverance, but not for the unrepentant, only for the believing remnant.
- There are many who take on the name of the Lord but do not have faith in Christ. They cannot be saved.
Apply the truths from this chapter to your life. What is our natural condition and relationship with God from birth? Why is the call to action in 48:20 so important?
- By nature we are like Israel, rebels. But God who is rich in mercy made us alive in Christ and now calls on us to speak of his great act of redemption for us who were lost.
Chapters 46,47, and 48 all deal with God’s judgment on those who turn against him –both unbelievers and the rebellious unbelieving descendants of Israel. Use 48:9,11 to explain why the Lord dealt differently with Israel when dealing out his judgments against sin.
- It wasn’t because Israel was better or deserved it. Israel had greater advantages but still rebelled and turned away from the Lord. It was all for the Lord’s sake. His mercy is great. His name be glorified!
48:17 God says he “teaches” and “leads” Israel. Discuss some of the different ways God intervened in history to teach Israel some lessons. How might God teach us and direct our lives?
- God revealed in this chapter that the onslaught of Babylon was like a refining fire for rebellious Israel.
- The Babylonian exile and the return from exile was God’s way of demonstrating his power and his mercy.
Exercise: The title “Holy One of Israel” has been mentioned seven times previously since chapter 40. Look at each of the references to discover what is closely associated with this title.
Isaiah 41:14
Isaiah 41:16
Isaiah 41:20
Isaiah 43:3
Isaiah 43:14
Isaiah 45:11
Isaiah 47:4
Isaiah 48:17
- He is holy but acts to rescue his sinful people. Redemption, Ransom, and the title Redeemer are all closely tied to the title “Holy One” which points us the Messiah. Note: faith or trust in the Lord is also closely associated with this title.
- Isaiah 41:14 Do not fear, you worm, Jacob, you few men of Israel. I myself am helping you, declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 41:16 You will winnow them, and a wind will lift them up. A strong wind will scatter them. But you, you will rejoice in the Lord. In the Holy One of Israel you will be confident.
- Isaiah 41:20 so that they may see and know, and pay attention and perceive this all together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.
- Isaiah 43:3 Because I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior, I gave Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
- Isaiah 43:14 This is what the Lord says, the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. For your sake I am taking action against Babylon, and I will bring down all the Chaldeans as refugees, in the ships over which they rejoiced.
- Isaiah 45:11 This is what the Lord says, the Holy One of Israel, who formed Israel. Do you wish to question me concerning things to come? Will you give me orders about my children and about the work of my hands?
- Isaiah 47:4 Our Redeemer—the Lord of Armies is his name—is the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 48:17 This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. I am the Lord your God, who teaches you how to succeed, who leads you in the way you should walk.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS