Isaiah 48
Posted by Calvary Chapel Fremont at 12/9/2009 11:32 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Isaiah
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Isaiah
Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Wednesday December 9, 2009
Isaiah 48
The focus shifts from Babylon’s sorcerers/astrologers/false prophets to Israel’s idols. Both nations have a false hope. A false hope is like a misleading weather report – expect one thing/get another. How tragic to expect heaven and to end up in hell.
1-2 Six things are mentioned that mislead Israel into thinking that they are right w/ God – their name/birth/morality/prayers/ pride/faith. But these are only the motions of religion and not the dynamics of relationship. These are Israelites in name only, not in spirit. They have Israel’s name, but Jacob’s heart - explain. Their name says they are ruled by God, but they are actually governed by the flesh. They held to truth and lived a lie. They have deceived themselves. They left God behind.
A kind farmer came upon a young boy who had just lost a load of hay along the road, and suggested that the boy come home with him and have dinner before reloading the wagon. The boy said he didn’t think his father would like that/farmer persisted/boy agreed. After dinner the farmer drove the boy back to the scene of the accident, and started to help him put the hay back on the wagon. “By the way,” the farmer said, “you’re awfully young to be pitching this hay yourself. Where’s your father?” “He’s under this hay,” the boy replied.
That’s what we do w/ God. We’re so easily led off in a different direction. Jesus said that the Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit/truth. These worshipped in form/falsehood. Their false gods didn’t lead them to abandon Yahweh entirely – they kept the form of worship while abandoning its truth/power. They held to the form of truth, but their reality was a lie. But the form they held to gave them a false assurance that all was right w/ Yahweh.
An idol is a controlling influence. What controls people’s lives today? Money/power/pleasure/fame/achievement/autonomy/ philosophy/relationships (Susan Smith drowned her children because she wanted 2b w/ a man who didn’t want children.) And even as Israel continued to consider herself God’s people, many idolaters today consider them- selves followers of Jesus. They have a false hope.
My parents consistently taught us that all we had must be held in an open hand, that when we closed our fingers tightly over anything placed in our trust, we lost the joy/blessing. Things acquired as an end in themselves became idols and possess us.—Allan Emery
3-5 In the past God spoke and brought it to pass: deliverance from Egypt/entrance to Canaan/promises to Saul and David/etc. V5 is God’s complaint – what belongs to God is given to idols. The praise for prophecy/fulfillment is credited to idols. The people credited their idols 4 the good things that happened 2 them.
Why? In crediting God, they may have felt an obligation to truly follow Him; so they kept Him at the edges of their lives. To acknowledge God is to recognize His relevance. So they said, “God had nothing to do w/ this.” They had a form of religion, but never acknowledged God. Their idols didn’t demand holiness and so they were preferred above Yahweh. Idols today: Money/power/pleasure/ fame/achievement/autonomy/philosophy/relationships… don’t demand holiness.
6-8 God spoke prophecy in the past and brought it to fulfillment. He will do it again w/ a fresh wave of prophecy. Prophecy is God’s signature – it points away from man and his inventions to God. The prophecies referred to here are those concerning Babylon – the captivity and the deliverance.
9-11 Though you may have the heart of Jacob, God always has the heart of God. Though they deserved severe judgment, the regard that God has for His own name/integrity, held back His wrath. God had made covenant promises to Israel that He wouldn’t renege on. We who deserve judgment find refuge in Christ. He is true hope.
When silver is purified, all the dross is left behind. Had God refined Israel as silver, he would have been wholly consumed – because he was all dross. God desired to take the Jacob out of Israel, but had He done so, Israel would have perished because he was all Jacob at the time.
12-16 These verses sum up the principle thoughts of C40-48. Isaiah repeatedly writes of two proofs of God’s uniqueness:
#1 His creative power
#2 His ability to foretell the future
V16 is an invitation to draw near and listen to what God is saying by His Spirit through Isaiah. This invitation is issued 2u.
17-19 Profit, from verb ‘to ascend’. Paul tells us that he presses on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Cf. Col. 3:1-4.
The idols that Israel holds to keeps them earthbound. Their focus/hope is on earthly things. God would have us look to Him. The idols we hold to keep us from heaven – anchor on our soul.
Has a nation changed gods when they were not gods? But My people have changed their
glory for that which does not profit. Jeremiah 2:11
V17 links profit to guidance. V18 links guidance to paying attention to the word of God – the word will guide you to profit. Here’s the benefit – Well being (shalom) like a river | Righteousness like the waves of a sea | Descendants like the sand/grain | Name never cut off/destroyed from God’s presence.
In vv17-19 there is only one requirement from man – v18: if only you had paid attention to My commandments.
Aretta Loving, Wycliffe missionary, was washing her breakfast dishes when she saw Jimmy, the five-year-old neighbor, headed straight toward the back porch. She had just finished painting the back-porch handrails, and she was proud of her work.
“Come around to the front door, Jimmy,” she shouted. “There’s wet paint on the porch rails.”
“I’ll be careful,” Jimmy replied, not turning from his path.
“No, Jimmy! Don’t come up the steps.”
“I’ll be careful,” he said again, by now dangerously close to the steps.
“Jimmy, stop!” Aretta shouted. “I don’t want carefulness. I want obedience!”
RU wondering why there is no shalom in your life? RU paying attention to/obeying the Lord, walking in His ways/ascending?
20-22 You will never find peace in Babylon. Because of God’s great love, He has made a way 4U. Go forth! You have been redeemed. You will be provided for. Water in all three phrases of v21. “Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.”
This is the only path of well-being. Cf. v22. (no shalom). Don’t entertain a false hope.
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Isaiah 48
The focus shifts from Babylon’s sorcerers/astrologers/false prophets to Israel’s idols. Both nations have a false hope. A false hope is like a misleading weather report – expect one thing/get another. How tragic to expect heaven and to end up in hell.
1-2 Six things are mentioned that mislead Israel into thinking that they are right w/ God – their name/birth/morality/prayers/ pride/faith. But these are only the motions of religion and not the dynamics of relationship. These are Israelites in name only, not in spirit. They have Israel’s name, but Jacob’s heart - explain. Their name says they are ruled by God, but they are actually governed by the flesh. They held to truth and lived a lie. They have deceived themselves. They left God behind.
A kind farmer came upon a young boy who had just lost a load of hay along the road, and suggested that the boy come home with him and have dinner before reloading the wagon. The boy said he didn’t think his father would like that/farmer persisted/boy agreed. After dinner the farmer drove the boy back to the scene of the accident, and started to help him put the hay back on the wagon. “By the way,” the farmer said, “you’re awfully young to be pitching this hay yourself. Where’s your father?” “He’s under this hay,” the boy replied.
That’s what we do w/ God. We’re so easily led off in a different direction. Jesus said that the Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit/truth. These worshipped in form/falsehood. Their false gods didn’t lead them to abandon Yahweh entirely – they kept the form of worship while abandoning its truth/power. They held to the form of truth, but their reality was a lie. But the form they held to gave them a false assurance that all was right w/ Yahweh.
An idol is a controlling influence. What controls people’s lives today? Money/power/pleasure/fame/achievement/autonomy/ philosophy/relationships (Susan Smith drowned her children because she wanted 2b w/ a man who didn’t want children.) And even as Israel continued to consider herself God’s people, many idolaters today consider them- selves followers of Jesus. They have a false hope.
My parents consistently taught us that all we had must be held in an open hand, that when we closed our fingers tightly over anything placed in our trust, we lost the joy/blessing. Things acquired as an end in themselves became idols and possess us.—Allan Emery
3-5 In the past God spoke and brought it to pass: deliverance from Egypt/entrance to Canaan/promises to Saul and David/etc. V5 is God’s complaint – what belongs to God is given to idols. The praise for prophecy/fulfillment is credited to idols. The people credited their idols 4 the good things that happened 2 them.
Why? In crediting God, they may have felt an obligation to truly follow Him; so they kept Him at the edges of their lives. To acknowledge God is to recognize His relevance. So they said, “God had nothing to do w/ this.” They had a form of religion, but never acknowledged God. Their idols didn’t demand holiness and so they were preferred above Yahweh. Idols today: Money/power/pleasure/ fame/achievement/autonomy/philosophy/relationships… don’t demand holiness.
6-8 God spoke prophecy in the past and brought it to fulfillment. He will do it again w/ a fresh wave of prophecy. Prophecy is God’s signature – it points away from man and his inventions to God. The prophecies referred to here are those concerning Babylon – the captivity and the deliverance.
9-11 Though you may have the heart of Jacob, God always has the heart of God. Though they deserved severe judgment, the regard that God has for His own name/integrity, held back His wrath. God had made covenant promises to Israel that He wouldn’t renege on. We who deserve judgment find refuge in Christ. He is true hope.
When silver is purified, all the dross is left behind. Had God refined Israel as silver, he would have been wholly consumed – because he was all dross. God desired to take the Jacob out of Israel, but had He done so, Israel would have perished because he was all Jacob at the time.
12-16 These verses sum up the principle thoughts of C40-48. Isaiah repeatedly writes of two proofs of God’s uniqueness:
#1 His creative power
#2 His ability to foretell the future
V16 is an invitation to draw near and listen to what God is saying by His Spirit through Isaiah. This invitation is issued 2u.
17-19 Profit, from verb ‘to ascend’. Paul tells us that he presses on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Cf. Col. 3:1-4.
The idols that Israel holds to keeps them earthbound. Their focus/hope is on earthly things. God would have us look to Him. The idols we hold to keep us from heaven – anchor on our soul.
Has a nation changed gods when they were not gods? But My people have changed their
glory for that which does not profit. Jeremiah 2:11
V17 links profit to guidance. V18 links guidance to paying attention to the word of God – the word will guide you to profit. Here’s the benefit – Well being (shalom) like a river | Righteousness like the waves of a sea | Descendants like the sand/grain | Name never cut off/destroyed from God’s presence.
In vv17-19 there is only one requirement from man – v18: if only you had paid attention to My commandments.
Aretta Loving, Wycliffe missionary, was washing her breakfast dishes when she saw Jimmy, the five-year-old neighbor, headed straight toward the back porch. She had just finished painting the back-porch handrails, and she was proud of her work.
“Come around to the front door, Jimmy,” she shouted. “There’s wet paint on the porch rails.”
“I’ll be careful,” Jimmy replied, not turning from his path.
“No, Jimmy! Don’t come up the steps.”
“I’ll be careful,” he said again, by now dangerously close to the steps.
“Jimmy, stop!” Aretta shouted. “I don’t want carefulness. I want obedience!”
RU wondering why there is no shalom in your life? RU paying attention to/obeying the Lord, walking in His ways/ascending?
20-22 You will never find peace in Babylon. Because of God’s great love, He has made a way 4U. Go forth! You have been redeemed. You will be provided for. Water in all three phrases of v21. “Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.”
This is the only path of well-being. Cf. v22. (no shalom). Don’t entertain a false hope.
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