The Prophecy of Isaiah - Lesson 38: “Israel’s Stubbornness vs. God’s Grace” (Isaiah 48:1–22)

The Prophecy of Isaiah: A Bible Study
Lesson 38: “Israel’s Stubbornness vs. God’s Grace” (Isaiah 48:1–22)*

1. Israel’s Stubbornness (48:1–5)

a. Israel’s Election (48:1a)

"Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, (Isaiah 48:1a, NIV)

b. Israel’s Sin (48:1b–2)

you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel-- but not in truth or righteousness--2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel-- the LORD Almighty is his name: (Isaiah 48:1b-2, NIV)

c. Israel’s Inexcusability (48:3–5)

3 I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. 4 For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze. 5 Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, 'My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.' (Isaiah 48:3-5, NIV)

2. God’s Even More Relentless Grace (48:6–22)

a. God’s Patience (48:6–11)

6 You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? "From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. 7 They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them.' 8 You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. 9 For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely. 10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another. (Isaiah 48:6-11, NIV)

b. God’s Openness (48:12–16)

12“Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. 13My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together. 14“Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The Lord’s chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Babylonians. 15I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission. 16“Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with his Spirit. (Isaiah 48:12–16, NIV)

c. God’s Instruction (48:17–19)

17This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. 18If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea. 19Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be blotted out nor destroyed from before me.” (Isaiah 48:17–19, NIV)

d. God’s Redemption (48:20–22)

20Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.” 21They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out. 22“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.” (Isaiah 48:20–22, NIV)

*Outline adapted from Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering the Book of Isaiah: A Historical and Theological Survey, Encountering Biblical Studies (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2007).