Year 9, Day 32: Isaiah 48

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Isaiah 48 evokes a myriad of emotions.  We have love.  We have sorrow.  We have hope.  We have regret.  We have forgiveness and redemption.

At the beginning, God speaks to the Hebrew people about their stubbornness and their love for idols.  He reminds them that He has spoken truth across the ages, something they attribute to their idols but the idols can’t actually deliver. 

Yet in spite of the obvious irritation that the Lord has, there is hope in this passage.  The Lord tells the Hebrew people that He is deferring His anger.  The Hebrew people have largely turned their back on Him, still His response is to invite them into relationship.  He still refines them regardless of their attitude towards Him.  He works in them even if they are unwilling participants!  This is love.  This is genuine unconditional love.

God genuinely wishes that they had not rebelled.  He wants a relationship untainted by rebellion.  He knows this isn’t a reality, however.  We, like them, are sinful.  We are rebellious.  We will go our own way.  God desires that our lives would be lived in His provision and not within our sinfulness.  Therefore, He continues to call us.  Like the Hebrew people, He calls us to go forth and proclaim our redemption.

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