Isaiah Chapter 48

Isaiah 48, Chastening and Mercy for Judah

Isaiah 48 closes the section that began in Isaiah 40. The Lord has comforted His people, exposed idols, named Cyrus, promised deliverance from Babylon, and declared that He alone is God. Now He directly confronts Judah’s hypocrisy. They carry the name of Israel, swear by the name of the Lord, and claim connection to the holy city, but not in truth or righteousness. Yet even though Judah is stubborn, treacherous, and sinful from the womb, the Lord restrains His anger for His own name’s sake. He refines them in affliction, calls them to listen, laments what their peace and righteousness could have been if they had obeyed, commands them to flee Babylon with singing, and ends with the sober warning, “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.” The notes provided cover Isaiah 48:1-22, including Judah’s hypocrisy, God’s predictive prophecy, Judah’s stubbornness, mercy for God’s name’s sake, refining through affliction, the Lord as First and Last, the sending of the Servant by the Lord God and His Spirit, the loss caused by disobedience, the command to leave Babylon, and the warning that the wicked have no peace.

Isaiah 48:1-2

Isaiah 48:1-2, KJV, “Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by name of Israel, and are come forth out of waters of Judah, which swear by name of LORD, and make mention of God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. For they call themselves of holy city, and stay themselves upon God of Israel; LORD of hosts his name.”

The Lord begins with the command, “Hear ye this.” Judah must listen because God is about to expose the difference between religious identity and spiritual reality. They are called “the house of Jacob,” even though they are also “called by the name of Israel.” This is deliberate. Jacob reminds them of their deceitful, fleshly, and stubborn character. Israel means governed by God, but they bear the name without consistently showing the character.

They also “come forth out of the waters of Judah.” Judah was the royal tribe, the tribe from which the Davidic king would come. Yet Judah’s history also contained sin, cruelty, and immorality. The Lord is not flattering them. He is reminding them that their natural heritage gives them no room for pride.

They “swear by the name of the LORD,” and “make mention of the God of Israel.” They use orthodox language. They identify with the right God. They are not outwardly atheists. They know the covenant name of the Lord and speak of Him publicly. Yet God says they do this “but not in truth, nor in righteousness.”

This is hypocrisy. They have religious vocabulary without faithful obedience. They claim the holy city, Jerusalem, and say they rely upon the God of Israel, but their lives do not match their confession.

Matthew 15:7-9, KJV, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with lips; but their heart far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines commandments of men.”

Jesus uses Isaiah to rebuke the same kind of religious hypocrisy. It is possible to honor God with lips while the heart is far from Him.

The Lord ends verse 2 with the declaration, “The LORD of hosts is his name.” The God they claim is not a tribal symbol or religious label. He is the Lord of armies, the sovereign God who sees through pretense and rules all things.

Isaiah 48:3-5

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

The Lord reminds Judah that He declared former things from the beginning. He spoke before events happened, then brought them to pass suddenly. This is one of the central arguments throughout Isaiah 40 through 48. The Lord proves His deity by predictive prophecy. He declares what will happen, then fulfills His Word.

Isaiah 46:9-10, KJV, “Remember former things of old: for I God, and there none else; I God, and there none like me, Declaring end from beginning, and from ancient times things that are not done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”

God declares the end from the beginning because His counsel stands.

The Lord explains why He gave such clear evidence, “Because I knew that thou art obstinate.” Judah’s neck is described as “an iron sinew,” and her brow as “brass.” The image is stubborn resistance. An iron neck does not bend. A brass forehead does not blush. Judah was hard, stiff, and shameless in rebellion.

This was not a new problem. Israel had often been called stiff necked.

Exodus 32:9, KJV, “And LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it stiffnecked people.”

God gave prophecy in advance so that Judah would have no excuse. He knew their idolatrous tendency. If He did not tell them beforehand, they might later say, “Mine idol hath done them.” God’s advance declaration prevents idols from receiving credit for what only He has done.

The Lord’s Word strips false gods of glory. When God predicts and fulfills, no idol can claim the work.

Isaiah 48:6-8

Isaiah 48:6-8, KJV, “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. They are created now, and not from beginning; even before day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them. Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thine ear not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called transgressor from womb.”

The Lord says, “Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it?” Judah had received revelation and witnessed God’s works. They had heard enough to testify. Yet their stubbornness kept them from declaring the Lord’s glory as they should.

The Lord then says He has shown them “new things,” even “hidden things.” These are things they could not have known apart from divine revelation. God revealed them before they happened so Judah could not later claim, “Behold, I knew them.” Human pride loves to pretend it already knew what God graciously revealed. The Lord cuts off that boasting.

The problem is not lack of evidence. The problem is treachery. God says, “I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously.” Judah’s sin is deep, not shallow. They have not merely made mistakes. They have dealt treacherously with the covenant God.

The Lord says they were “called a transgressor from the womb.” This points to the rooted sinfulness of man. Sin is not merely learned behavior. It flows from a fallen nature. Men commit sin because they are sinners by nature in Adam.

Psalm 51:5, KJV, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Romans 5:12, KJV, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

The doctrine is humbling. Individual acts of sin prove what is already true of fallen man. We need more than correction. We need redemption.

Isaiah 48:9-11

Isaiah 48:9-11, KJV, “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. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.”

After exposing Judah’s hypocrisy, stubbornness, and treachery, the Lord explains why He does not cut them off. “For my name's sake will I defer mine anger.” God’s mercy is not grounded in Judah’s merit. It is grounded in His own name, His covenant faithfulness, His glory, and His purpose.

Mercy is never deserved. If it were deserved, it would not be mercy. Judah deserves judgment, but God restrains His anger for His name’s sake.

Psalm 106:7-8, KJV, “Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at sea, even at Red sea. Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to known.”

God saved Israel for His name’s sake even when they provoked Him.

The Lord says, “I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” Judah’s affliction is not meaningless. It is refining. God uses suffering to burn away impurity, humble pride, expose sin, and bring His people back to Himself. Yet He says, “not with silver,” likely meaning He has not refined them to the full heat that silver might require, lest they be consumed. His chastening is measured mercy.

Hebrews 12:10-11, KJV, “For they verily for few days chastened after their own pleasure; but he for profit, that we might partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for present seemeth joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which exercised thereby.”

God chastens for profit, so His people may partake of His holiness.

The Lord repeats, “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it.” This double emphasis is important. God’s ultimate purpose is His own glory. Man is not the center of the universe. God is. His mercy, discipline, redemption, and judgment all serve His glory.

He asks, “for how should my name be polluted?” If God utterly destroyed His covenant people, the nations would profane His name and think He had failed. Therefore He preserves them for His name’s sake.

He also declares, “I will not give my glory unto another.” God will not allow idols, nations, men, or false gods to receive the glory that belongs to Him alone.

Isaiah 42:8, KJV, “I LORD: that my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

The Lord saves, disciplines, and restores in a way that preserves His glory.

Isaiah 48:12-13

Isaiah 48:12-13, KJV, “Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I he; I first, I also last. Mine hand also hath laid foundation of earth, and my right hand hath spanned heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.”

The Lord again calls Jacob and Israel to listen. He names them “my called.” Despite their sin, God’s call still stands. Their hope is not in their faithfulness, but in His calling and purpose.

The Lord declares, “I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.” He is eternal, self existent, sovereign, and unmatched. He was before all things, and He remains after all things. He governs the beginning, the end, and everything in between.

This title also belongs to Christ in Revelation.

Revelation 1:17-18, KJV, “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I first and last: I he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I alive for evermore, Amen; and have keys of hell and of death.”

Jesus is the First and the Last. Since the Lord alone bears this title in Isaiah, Christ’s use of it reveals His deity.

The Lord then points to creation, “Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens.” He founded the earth and stretched out the heavens. Creation obeys His command. “When I call unto them, they stand up together.”

If heaven and earth obey His call, Judah should listen too. The Creator’s authority over creation strengthens His authority over His people.

Psalm 33:8-9, KJV, “Let all earth fear LORD: let all inhabitants of world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

God speaks, and creation stands fast.

Isaiah 48:14-16

Isaiah 48:14-16, KJV, “All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall on Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from beginning; from time that it was, there am I: and now Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.”

The Lord summons all to assemble and hear. Again He challenges the idols, “which among them hath declared these things?” No idol declared the future. No false god named Cyrus. No carved image revealed Babylon’s fall. The Lord alone declared it.

The phrase “The LORD hath loved him” likely refers to Cyrus as the instrument loved in the sense of being chosen and favored for the task of doing God’s pleasure on Babylon. God would use Cyrus to strike the Chaldeans and release His people. This does not make Cyrus the ultimate deliverer. He is the historical instrument pointing toward the greater Deliverer.

The Lord says, “I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.” Cyrus would prosper because God called and brought him. His success was appointed by the Lord.

Verse 16 becomes especially significant, “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.”

A speaker appears who has been present “from the beginning,” yet says, “the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.” This points beyond Cyrus to the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah. The language fits the eternal Son, sent by the Lord God and the Spirit. This is one of the Old Testament passages where the distinction of persons within the Godhead is seen clearly. The Lord God sends, the Spirit is involved in the sending, and the Sent One speaks as One present from the beginning.

The New Testament reveals this more fully in Christ.

John 1:1-2, KJV, “In beginning was Word, and Word was with God, and Word was God. Same was in beginning with God.”

John 17:18, KJV, “As thou hast sent me into world, even so have I also sent them into world.”

Luke 4:18, KJV, “Spirit of Lord upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach gospel to poor; he hath sent me to heal brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to captives, and recovering of sight to blind, to set at liberty them that bruised.”

The Son is sent, and the Spirit rests upon Him. Isaiah 48:16 therefore prepares the way for the greater focus on the Servant in Isaiah 49 and following.

Isaiah 48:17-19

Isaiah 48:17-19, KJV, “Thus saith LORD, thy Redeemer, Holy One of Israel; I LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as river, and thy righteousness as waves of sea: Thy seed also had been as sand, and offspring of thy bowels like gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.”

The Lord speaks as “thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” He is the One who buys back, rescues, and restores. He is also holy, pure, and faithful. His redemption never compromises His righteousness.

He says, “I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit.” God’s commandments are not given to harm His people. They are given for their good. The Lord teaches what truly profits. Sin promises profit but pays in loss. Obedience may seem costly, but it leads to life, peace, and blessing.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13, KJV, “And now, Israel, what doth LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep commandments of LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?”

God’s commands are for His people’s good.

He also “leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.” The Lord is not merely Lawgiver. He is guide. He leads His people in the right path.

Then comes one of the saddest laments in the chapter, “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments!” God laments the blessing His people forfeited through disobedience. This is not because God lacks sovereignty, but because their disobedience truly mattered. Sin brings real loss.

If they had listened, “then had thy peace been as a river.” Peace would have been flowing, abundant, refreshing, and continual. Instead, disobedience brought unrest, fear, exile, and chastening.

If they had listened, “thy righteousness” would have been “as the waves of the sea.” Righteousness would have been constant, strong, and recurring. Instead, hypocrisy and treachery marked them.

If they had listened, their descendants would have been as the sand, and their name would not have been cut off. This echoes the Abrahamic promise.

Genesis 22:17, KJV, “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as stars of heaven, and as sand which upon sea shore; and thy seed shall possess gate of his enemies.”

Disobedience did not cancel God’s ultimate covenant promises, but it did bring severe chastening and loss of experienced blessing.

This is sobering. There is such a thing as unfulfilled potential in the life of God’s people. The Lord’s way is the way of profit, peace, righteousness, and fruitfulness. Disobedience forfeits much of what could have been enjoyed.

Psalm 81:13-16, KJV, “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. Haters of LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with finest of wheat: and with honey out of rock should I have satisfied thee.”

God’s grief over disobedience is real. He delights to bless His people when they walk in His ways.

Isaiah 48:20-21

Isaiah 48:20-21, KJV, “Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from Chaldeans, with voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to end of earth; say ye, LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob. And they thirsted not when he led them through deserts: he caused waters to flow out of rock for them: he clave rock also, and waters gushed out.”

The Lord commands His people to leave Babylon. “Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans.” This is both literal and spiritual. Literally, the exiles were to leave Babylon when God opened the door through Cyrus. Spiritually, God’s people must not settle comfortably in the world system that opposes Him.

Babylon represents captivity, idolatry, pride, and worldliness. When God redeems His people, they must come out.

Revelation 18:4, KJV, “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”

God’s people must not share Babylon’s sins or plagues.

They are to leave “with voice of singing.” Redemption produces praise. The exodus from Babylon is not to be quiet despair, but joyful proclamation. They are to declare it, tell it, and utter it to the end of the earth, “The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.”

God’s redemption is not meant to be hidden. The whole earth should hear what the Lord has done.

Psalm 107:2, KJV, “Let redeemed of LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from hand of enemy.”

The redeemed should say so.

Verse 21 recalls the wilderness provision after the Exodus. “They thirsted not when he led them through the deserts.” The Lord who brought Israel out of Egypt gave water from the rock. If He could provide in that wilderness, He could provide again for those leaving Babylon.

Exodus 17:6, KJV, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite rock, and there shall come water out of it, that people may drink. And Moses did so in sight of elders of Israel.”

The Lord split the rock, and waters gushed out. The God who redeems also sustains.

Paul identifies the rock typologically with Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:4, KJV, “And did all drink same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

The Redeemer provides water for His people in the wilderness. Christ is the true Rock from whom living water comes.

Isaiah 48:22

Isaiah 48:22, KJV, “There no peace, saith LORD, unto wicked.”

The chapter ends with a warning. The Lord has promised redemption, mercy, guidance, provision, and song, but He also declares, “There is no peace unto the wicked.”

This is the necessary contrast. The redeemed may go out with singing, but the wicked have no peace. They may have temporary pleasure, outward success, wealth, influence, or religious appearance, but they do not have true peace with God.

Psalm 73:3-5, KJV, “For I envious at foolish, when I saw prosperity of wicked. For there no bands in their death: but their strength firm. They not in trouble as other men; neither plagued like other men.”

At first, the wicked may appear peaceful. But the psalmist’s perspective changes when he sees their end.

Psalm 73:17-19, KJV, “Until I went into sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in moment! they utterly consumed with terrors.”

The wicked may look secure, but they stand in slippery places.

True peace comes only through the Lord and His redemption.

Romans 5:1, KJV, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

There is peace for the justified. There is no peace for the wicked who remain in rebellion.

Isaiah 48 closes the Babylon deliverance section with this final dividing line. God will redeem His servant Jacob, but the wicked have no peace. Cyrus fades from view after this section, and the focus will turn more fully to the ultimate Deliverer, the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah. The deliverance from Babylon was real, but it pointed beyond itself to the greater redemption Christ would accomplish.