The Prophecy of Isaiah – Lesson 42

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Last week focused on Babylon and their pride and ignorance of God. Babylon is a good general picture for the secular world and its influence and it has been used in that way for a long time. For example, Martin Luther wrote a book titled "The Babylonian Captivity of the Church" and we find Babylon in modern cultural references frequently.

 

This week the prophecy turns back to Israel and Judah but God speaks about those who use the name but not truly or rightly.

 

Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.

Isaiah 48:1

So if you want to consider Babylon as the world apart from the God of the Bible then you can consider these statements as directed at the unregenerate in the visible church. Remember that we use the terms the "visible church" and the "invisible church" to reflect what Scripture teaches us about the unregenerate or unsaved who live in the church with the regenerate or saved. The visible church is what you see and the invisible church is what God sees.

 

A similar thing was happening in Israel. In the current context this was addressed to those who were identified as Israel but were not in truth part of Israel. Notice how God uses the names "Jacob" to indicate the nation, "Israel" to indicate the people of God, and "Judah" as those who are the audience right now.

 

For they call themselves after the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is his name. "The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say, 'My idol did them, my carved image and my metal image commanded them.'

Isaiah 48:2-5

This is a hard word to a stiff necked people who don't get the point and won't change their mind even if you thump them on the forehead. Sound like anyone you know? It is by God's mercy that we are not judged for our lack of response to the word of God.

 

God says here that He prophecies so that sinful man will not attribute the blessing to an idol. Here is a thing we can be careful to do. We can be careful to give God thanks for all things. Giving God thanks for your meal is not a trivial thing and is a good discipline to remind ourselves that, in spite of the means of His provision, it is still He who provides.