Isaiah Chapter 48 is a powerful message from God to the Israelites, revealing their deep unfaithfulness and His unwavering plan for their deliverance, which includes a surprising deliverer, as well as revealing God’s purposes in his relationship to Israel. This chapter also contains a key verse that points to the nature of the Trinity.

• Unfaithfulness Despite Blessings: God addresses the “house of Jacob,” acknowledging their lineage and their religious practices like swearing by the Lord and confessing the God of Israel. However, He quickly points out that their faith lacks genuineness and righteousness. They were not true in their worship of God. The Israelites, despite being God’s chosen people and receiving numerous blessings, are called out for their obstinacy and headstrong nature. God reveals that they are so hard-hearted that they would give credit to their idols for their deliverance if He didn’t tell them of it beforehand.
• God’s Foreknowledge and the Naming of Cyrus: To demonstrate His power and prevent them from attributing future events to idols, God declares future events to the Israelites. God specifically names Cyrus, a Gentile Persian king, as the one who will deliver them from their Babylonian exile. This is significant because it was done about 150 years before Cyrus was born. The Israelites would have never believed that God would raise up a gentile to deliver them. God makes it clear that it is He who will cause Cyrus to prosper.
• God’s Glory and Mercy: God emphasizes that His mercy towards the Israelites, despite their sinfulness, is ultimately for the sake of His own glory. All of God’s actions, including both trials and mercies, are to highlight His glory and underscore that He is the center of the universe. God’s actions and choices are always for his own glory.
• Refinement Through Affliction: God uses trials and afflictions to refine His people. The upcoming exile, which they have not yet experienced, is meant to be a refining fire for the Jews. These trials are not only for their benefit but ultimately serve God’s purpose to glorify Himself.
• God’s Sovereign Authority: God asserts His power and authority as the first and the last, the creator of the earth and the heavens. He is the one who calls people, and He highlights His ability to fulfill His purposes. God has the right to speak because of who He is.
• The Trinity in Verse 16: Verse 16 of Isaiah 48 is particularly significant, as it provides a glimpse into the Trinity. It states: “and now the Lord God has sent me and his spirit”. This is understood to mean that the Lord God has sent the speaker, who refers to himself as “me,” and also sent his spirit. This is a picture of the Trinity where all three are in view: the Lord God, the one who speaks, and the Holy Spirit. This is an important, though not perfect, picture of the Trinity even in the Old Testament. The speaker in the verse is the same one who earlier said that he had called Cyrus. This means that Jesus is speaking in this verse, referring to the Father who sent Him and the Spirit.
• Missed Blessings Due to Disobedience: God reminds the Israelites that His commandments are for their benefit and to lead them in the way they should go. He also laments how their refusal to listen has caused them to miss out on the blessings He had promised. God’s word is for our profit and benefit.
• Deliverance from Babylon and a Call to Return: God foretells their release from Babylonian captivity, urging them to rejoice and declare His redemption of His people. He promises to care for them on their journey home, just as He did in the wilderness.
• No Peace for the Wicked: The chapter concludes with the statement that there is “no peace for the wicked,” which is a truth that stands regardless of the context. This is a universal principle and applies both to the Israelites and to people today.

In summary, Isaiah 48 reveals a God who is both just and merciful. He confronts Israel’s unfaithfulness and proclaims His plan of deliverance, highlighting His sovereignty, His glory, and the future role of the Messiah as revealed in the Trinity in verse 16. It serves as a powerful reminder that despite our shortcomings, God’s plans will ultimately prevail, and his promises will be fulfilled.

References

• Isaiah 48-49 • A Light for the Nations