Putting the Past Aside

Devotional Reading: I Kings 8:33-40

Background Scripture: Isaiah 48
Print: Isaiah 48:14-19, 21-22

Introduction to the Lesson

God’s strongest case against idolatry has been made in Isaiah chapters 40-47. Chapter 48
ends this section from chapter 40-48 which talks about the greatness of God the Father,
before we go to the next section of Isaiah, verses 49-57, which focuses on the Son, as the
suffering servant to redeem Israel from Her sins.
Verse 1 & 2

When ever there is a name change of a person in scripture, that person is never referred to
by their old name again. Example: Abraham, Sarah, and Paul. But in chapter 48 Israel is
referred to as Jacob.

The nation is Israel is claiming to be like the prince of God and swear by the name of the
LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but God is calling them Jacob in chapter
48 because the do not do it in truth, or in righteousness and their idolatry would make
them better be described as "heel holder" or "supplanter".

Jacob: 3290
‫ ַיֲעֹקב‬Ya`aqob (yah-ak-obe'); Proper Name Masculine, Strong #: 3290

Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter"

Israel: 3478
ְׂ ‫ ִי‬Yisra'el (yis-raw-ale'); Proper Name Masculine, Strong #: 3478
‫שָרֵאל‬

Israel = "God prevails" or “Prince of God”

Joshua Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the
24:14 gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve
ye the LORD.

In Isaiah 48, God validates all the previous prophets of God. (Verse 3)

They have a two fold obligation to respond to prophecy.

a. Respond to the command of God.
b. Believe God regarding the far predictions.

Fulfillment of prophecy brings with it certain obligations.

Deuteronomy I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will
18:18 put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall
command him.
Deuteronomy And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which
18:19 he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

In chapter 48, God is subjecting Himself to the test of a prophet.

Deuteronomy But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have
18:20 not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even
that prophet shall die.
Deuteronomy And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD
18:21 hath not spoken?
Deuteronomy When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor
18:22 come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet
hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

The Spirit of Prophecy is the testimony of Jesus Christ:

Revelation And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am
19:10 thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship
God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

God knows the ending from the beginning. (Verse 5 & 6)

That is why it is an offence to God to seek horoscopes and fortune telling from witches,
soothsayers, divinators, and fortune tellers.

There are three reasons that God didn’t totally destroy Israel when Judgment and total
destruction was warranted:
1. For God’s own name's sake and for His glory, God is not going to cut off Israel. If
Israel were to be cut off, it would not glorify God. (Verse 9)
(Exe 20:14 & 22)
2. For Israel’s refinement. (Verse 10)
3. So the gentiles could not claim that it was their gods who destroyed Israel. (Verse 11)

In Chapter 48 of Isaiah, God is speaking to the Nation of Israel 150 years later.

In Chapter 48 God reveals Himself as the God of:

1. Eternity (Verse 12)
2. Creation (Verse 13)
3. Human affairs (Verse 14)
4. Prophecy (Verse 15)
5. The Trinity (Verse 16)

I. God is in Control (Isaiah 48:14-16)

Isaiah All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The
48:14 LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the
 Chaldeans.
which among them hath declared these things?

Zechariah And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will
13:2 cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be
remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to
pass out of the land.
Zechariah And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father
13:3 and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for
thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother
that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
Zechariah And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed
13:4 every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a
rough garment to deceive:
Zechariah But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me
13:5 to keep cattle from my youth.

Acts For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for
19:24 Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
Acts Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs,
19:25 ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
Acts Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all
19:26 Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they
be no gods, which are made with hands:
Acts So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the
19:27 temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence
should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
Acts And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out,
19:28 saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
Acts And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and
19:29 Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with
one accord into the theatre.

The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his
arm shall be on the Chaldeans. God is the one who knows and controls
the future. Only God had the ability to the historical events that were
about to unfold in the conquest of King Cyrus of Persia.

Isaiah I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his
48:15 way prosperous.
King Cyrus, amazing rise to power was because of God.
Isaiah Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from
48:16 the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
We see a single voice speaking throughout this chapter speaking in the
first person about all that He has done, but who is speaking? To the
Hebrew, it was God, but in verse 16 the Speaker is revealed to be
Someone other than God the Father.
Jesus is being introduced in this chapter which is the closing of the first
part of this section in Isaiah, because in chapters 49-57 the main theme
in Isaiah is going to be the servant of God. It is no longer going to be
speaking about King Cyrus as a type of Christ, but Christ Himself.

and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. The reference to
“now” points us forward to the future day of the Messiah’s arrival

• Clearly there are three persons mentioned in that verse

• And the One speaking has been the one accomplishing everything
through the earlier verses
• It’s been the One sent Who has been the Author of creation and the
One speaking to the nations
 Who was speaking?
 Consider these teachings from the New Testament:

Colossians We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying
1:3 always for you,
Colossians Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have
1:4 to all the saints,
Colossians For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in
1:5 the word of the truth of the gospel;
Colossians Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as
1:6 it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God
in truth:
Colossians As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a
1:7 faithful minister of Christ;
Colossians Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
1:8
Colossians For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for
1:9 you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in
all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Colossians That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in
1:10 every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all
1:11 patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Colossians Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of
1:12 the inheritance of the saints in light:
Colossians Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us
1:13 into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Colossians In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of
1:14 sins:
Colossians Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
1:15
Colossians For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
1:16 visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Colossians And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
1:17
 John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God.
John 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that
was made.

• SALVATION IS THE WORK OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE

HOLY SPIRIT

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: II Thessalonians 2:13, 14;

II Thessalonians But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren
2:13 beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of
the truth:
II Thessalonians Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory
2:14 of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.
- Through sanctification of the Holy Spirit.
- And called by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the obtaining of the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Titus 3:4-6;

Titus But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
3:4
Titus Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
3:5 he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost;
Titus Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
3:6
Titus That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope
3:7 of eternal life.
- the kindness and love of God our Saviour according to his mercy he saved us.
- by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
- Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: I Peter 1:2

I Peter Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
1:2 sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
- Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father
- through sanctification of the Spirit
- sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ

Salvation is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit which are of one power
substance and eternity.

II. Learning from Our Past (Isaiah 48:17-19)

Isaiah Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God
48:17 which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
The LORD, thy Redeemer. In Luke the Redeemer is Jesus Christ:
Luke And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied,
1:67 saying,
Luke Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his
1:68 people,
Luke And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant
1:69 David;
Luke As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the
1:70 world began:
Luke That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate
1:71 us;
Luke To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy
1:72 covenant;
Luke The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
1:73
Luke That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our
1:74 enemies might serve him without fear,
Luke In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
1:75
Luke And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go
1:76 before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
Luke To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
1:77
Luke Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high
1:78 hath visited us,
Luke To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide
1:79 our feet into the way of peace.
Observation: The book of Isaiah speaks of the Holy One of Israel 24
times.

I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth
thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
John Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
14:6 unto the Father, but by me.
Isaiah O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river,
48:18 and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Isaiah Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel
48:19 thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
The most regrettable thing that one could imagine is what could have
been if they had only listened to God.

Today the Jewish population is only fourteen million, they have been
around long enough to have a population in the hundreds of millions.
Psalm Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my
81:13 ways!
Psalm I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their
 81:14 adversaries.
Psalm The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but
81:15 their time should have endured for ever.
Psalm He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey
81:16 out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
Key Verse: The Call to Flee from Babylon

Isaiah Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye,
48:20 tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant
Jacob.
After reminding Israel what would have been if they had only listened,
God then gives them the obligation of what they would have to do
when they recognize the fulfillment of prophecy. They have three
obligations:
A. Leave Babylon
B. Leave with a voice of singing
C. Declare to the world that God had redeemed Israel

Hebrews See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who
12:25 refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn
away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Hebrews Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet
12:26 once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

III. God’s Assurance (Isaiah 48:21-22)

Isaiah And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow
48:21 out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
Even in the return there is a promise. The promise is that as they
return to their homeland, that water will be provided for them as they
leave Babylon and travel through the desert.

John Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not
6:32 that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
John For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life
6:33 unto the world.
John Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
6:34
John And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall
6:35 never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Isaiah There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
48:22
There will be no peace to those who do not give heed to the word of
God after witnessing the fulfillment of prophecy.

They have three obligations:

A. Leave Babylon
B. Leave with a voice of singing
 C. Declare to the world that God had redeemed Israel

The end of every section in this part of Isaiah ends the same way:
Isaiah 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

Isaiah And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have
66:24 transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be
quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.