Study notes

Isaiah 48

Introducing IsaiahWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

40:1–48:22 Section

At the end of chapter 39 Isaiah made an announcement about Babylon. The Babylonian government would take control of the southern kingdom. The Babylonian armies would force many people from the southern kingdom to leave their land. They would be forced to live in exile in Babylon.

Chapters 40 to 48 record messages of comfort to those people living in exile in Babylon. These messages were recorded as poems, prophecies and songs of praise. They were also recorded as arguments between God and others in a courtroom.

These messages make three things very clear. They make clear who God is, what false gods are and who God’s people were. First, God is the one true God who created everything and has always existed. No one and nothing is equal to God. Second, false gods are objects made by people and they have no power at all. False gods can’t tell people what’s going to happen or save people from their troubles. Third, the people of Jacob’s family line were God’s servants. God chose them to be witnesses to others that he is God.

God’s love for Jacob’s family line was strong and tender. God described himself as a shepherd who carried his people like lambs close to his heart. But his people complained that God had treated them badly. They thought that the exile showed that God didn’t care about them. God explained that they had gone into exile because of their sins. But he announced a new thing that he would do. He would bring his people back to Judah from Babylon. He would use the king of Persia as his tool to make this happen. That king would be named Cyrus.

God talked about someone called God’s servant in chapter 42. In many ways this servant is what the people of Israel were to be. By obeying God’s laws, they were to live in ways that were holy and just. They were to teach other nations about God and how to worship and honour him. In this way they would be a light for the Gentiles. New Testament writers showed how Jesus served God in these ways as well (Matthew 12:15–21). They understood that the poem about this servant was a prophecy about Jesus.

47:1–48:22

We can draw two conclusions from the earlier evidence that the Lord alone is God:

Babylon's great pride is foolish (Isaiah 47:1–15);
Israel should listen to the word of the Lord (Isaiah 48:1–22).

48:1

Jacob … Judah: Isaiah usually focused on Judah, but here he spoke to all the tribes of Israel.

48:1–2

Israel was religious but not truly committed to the Lord.

48:1–11

This prophecy is a disputation, a speech in which the prophet argues a set of points against his audience.

48:1–22

The Lord urges Israel to abandon its long history of rebellion and pay attention to his words. In Hebrew, the word for listening often means the same as obeying or acting on what is heard.

48:3

The Lord had warned Israel about what was going to happen in the exile.

48:6–7

Although Israel often did not believe God's past predictions, God revealed new things they had not heard. Specifically, God revealed that Babylon would fall and Israel would be restored.

48:10

The exile in Babylon was a period of intense suffering (compare Deuteronomy 4:20) that God used to purify Israel.

48:11

For My own sake … I will act: Israel's exile made other nations question the Lord's character and reputation. These nations did not see that Israel's wickedness caused the exile. Instead, they saw it as a failure of Israel's God to protect his people and their land (see Isaiah 36:19–20; 37:12; Ezekiel 36:19–26).

48:12–22

This final trial speech reviews the arguments of Isaiah 40–48 and presents the final conclusion.

48:14

chosen ally: See Isaiah 44:28; 45:1–2.

48:15

I have brought him, and he will succeed in his mission: Cyrus would humiliate Babylon and liberate Israel (Isaiah 45:1–4).

48:16

I have not spoken in secret: God's promises are clear, though they do not always specify how or when they will happen.
And now the Lord GOD has sent me, accompanied by His Spirit: The identity of the one sent is unclear. Isaiah might be referring to himself as a prophet inspired by the Spirit, speaking God's words to Israel. The connection with the spirit suggests it refers to the promised servant, the Messiah.
The presence of the Spirit ensures the servant's success.

48:18

Peace and righteousness will be established when the kingdom of God fully comes (see Isaiah 66:12).
like a river … like waves of the sea: There will be abundant peace and overflowing righteousness (compare Amos 5:24). Israel could have had this if its people had listened to God.