Isaiah 48

Read Isaiah 48

God was fully aware of Israel's sins. Recognizing their weaknesses, the Lord both concealed and revealed what He knew would eventually come to pass. He had written about certain matters long ago so that people could not claim that their idols had brought about these events. But there were also new developments that He had never mentioned. Therefore His people could not claim to know all the hidden things of God.

For the glory of His own Name the Lord remained committed to His people. It was only right that the One who was immeasurably greater than all of creation should glorify Himself. He was the first and the last. He had laid the foundation of the earth and spread out the heavens. All the stars had responded to His commands.

The Babylonians would not continue to stand by their own sovereign will. It was God who gave them their years of rule and the extent of their empire. If He eventually appointed a man to defeat them, that man would prosper.

There would ultimately be one amazingly victorious King who would rule over an eternal kingdom by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. The Lord would redeem His wayward people by that royal Messiah. God would lead them in a new way.

Surely Israel experienced a small taste of this redemption in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. Yet this little victory was nothing when compared to the new world that is coming through Jesus Christ. The God who brought His people through the wilderness has now given them every spiritual blessing and an eternal hope. There is no peace for the wicked, but God has provided a way for the ungodly to be counted as righteous in His sight. This blessing comes to sinners only through the death and resurrection of the Son of God.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father, should we be shocked when we face persecution and trial? You have warned us of the troubles that would come. You know our pride and our reckless wandering. You know the temptations all around us. You have seen our treachery and have heard our presumptuous boasting. You will not give Your glory to another. You have called us, and You will save us. You will use strong measures to keep Your chosen ones. You have not spoken about this in secret. We should pay attention to Your commandments. Then our peace would have been like a river, even when Your enemies abused us. Yet Your promises shall still stand. You have redeemed us from an adversary that was far too strong for us. We shall praise You together with all Your holy ones and we shall glorify Your Name forever.