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No.4.
His servant Jacob, redeemed
(48:).
pp. 126 - 130
Comfort and controversy (Isa. 40:-48:) come to an end with the destruction of
Babylon (Isa. 47:) and the redemption of Israel (Isa. 48:). The great controversy
however persists throughout this chapter as the most casual reading will make evident.
Israel swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel--they do
indeed, "but not in truth, nor in righteousness" (Isa. 48: 1, 2).
One of the reasons given for the constant practice of prophetic foretelling, declaring
`the former things from the beginning' was to prevent Israel from saying "Mine idol hath
done them, and my graven image and my molten image, hath commanded them" and
moreover lest Israel should say "Behold I knew them" (Isa. 48: 3-7). Israel is charged
with treachery (8) and it is lamented that they had not hearkened to the commandments of
the Lord, for "then had thy peace been as a river" said the Lord (18), and their seed
should have been as the sand, his name should not have been cut off.
Jenour's summary of the chapter is worth reading:
"The contents of this section are addressed to the carnal Jews, with whom Jehovah
expostulates for their hypocrisy and formality, verses 1, 2; declares the reason why He
had made known the fate of Sennacherib's army only a short time before it was
destroyed, verses 3-5; promises further revelations respecting His people, and reprove
them for their rebellion and obstinate unbelief, verses 6-8; intimates that He would
deliver them from captivity, yet not for their sakes, but for His own glory, verses 9-11;
appeals to His prophecies concerning Cyrus, as a proof of His being the first great cause
of all things, verses 12-16; addresses a pathetic apostrophe to Israel as a nation, mingled
with many encouraging promises, verses 17-19; and concludes with an exhortation to
His people, now supposed to be captives in Babylon to come forth and return home,
verses 20-22."
The structure of this chapter must now be discovered, and it appears to be divided into
two parts, the former being devoted to the refining of the people, the latter part to the
redemption of the people.