Isaiah 48
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This is the first time God (or Isaiah) mentions the name Babylon in connection with Cyrus’ mission. The Israelites must have been doubly confused when they heard this message because Babylon was not even a great power when Isaiah wrote these words. And yet someone named Cyrus (who hadn’t been born yet) was going to destroy Babylon and free the Jews from exile—an exile which itself was a hundred years in the future!188
17–19 In these verses God speaks again and reveals His heart, the heart of a grieved parent yearning for a wayward child. “If only . . .” (verse 18). If only the Israelites had paid attention to God’s commands, they would have experienced overflowing peace and righteousness—the righteousness of faith leading to salvation. Their descendants would have been like the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17); their name would never be cut off (verse 19).
These verses teach us once again that our enjoyment of God’s blessing is contingent on our obedience to His commands. When God established His covenant with Israel, He promised to bless them, as long as they obeyed Him (see Exodus 19:5–6 and comment). Even though we are now in a new covenant relationship with God through faith in Christ, covenant blessings are still contingent on our obedience to God’s commands.
20–22 In these verses, Isaiah tells the Israelites to flee from the Babylonians (verse 20); their exile is over! Babylon is about to be destroyed. The Lord has redeemed them!
Then Isaiah reminds them of the past: when their forefathers were traveling through the desert, God provided them with water from a rock (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11). God will do the same for them again as they travel through the desert from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Then the Lord gives them a final warning: “There is no peace . . . for the wicked” (verse 22). There can be no “peace” with God for those who rebel against Him. Here the word “peace” includes health, security, prosperity and, above all, fellowship with God and ultimately eternal salvation. To forfeit such peace is truly a high price to pay for the momentary “benefits” of rebelling against God!