Isaiah 48:1-11--Israel Refined for God's Glory

Isaiah 48:1-11
English Standard Version

Israel Refined for God's Glory
48 Hear this, O house of Jacob,
    who are called by the name of Israel,
    and who came from the waters of Judah,
who swear by the name of the LORD
    and confess the God of Israel,
    but not in truth or right.
2 For they call themselves after the holy city,
    and stay themselves on the God of Israel;
    the LORD of hosts is his name.

3 “The former things I declared of old;
    they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;
    then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
4 Because I know that you are obstinate,
    and your neck is an iron sinew
    and your forehead brass,
5 I declared them to you from of old,
    before they came to pass I announced them to you,
lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,
    my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’

6 “You have heard; now see all this;
    and will you not declare it?
From this time forth I announce to you new things,
    hidden things that you have not known.
7 They are created now, not long ago;
    before today you have never heard of them,
    lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 You have never heard, you have never known,
    from of old your ear has not been opened.
For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,
    and that from before birth you were called a rebel.

​9 “For my name's sake I defer my anger;
    for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
    that I may not cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
    I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
    for how should my name be profaned?
    My glory I will not give to another.

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There is a group of people that Isaiah is writing this passage to that believe they are truly devoted to the LORD and say everything right with their lips, but it seems that Isaiah says that their hearts are still far from the LORD when the LORD says through Isaiah, "not in truth or right."

The LORD has revealed things that are going to happen as if they were things that had already happened.  I like how the word "suddenly" is used here to say that even though God tells us about the events of the future, He doesn't usually tell us in such a way where we can start counting the days and hours and get ready.  It still takes us by surprise when it happens, but it happens exactly the way He said it would.  Why did God prophecy these things to them in times of old?  So that they would not image that the idols that they currently worship did these things.  No, the LORD made sure all the credit and glory, and honor would go to Him--there would be no confusion who knew the future and caused events of history to unfold to accomplish His divine plans and purposes.

Now the people are seeing things come to pass, and they are failing to give glory to God, and they continue to worship their idols.  This is one of the reasons that God is going to send them into exile--so that they will realize their idols are worthless (like the gods of the Egyptians were worthless, the gods of the Babylonians will be worthless, the gods of the Assyrians will be worthless, and so on) and that those who call themselves by His name will be true worshipers of Him.  Also, it should be obvious that things that the LORD revealed where beyond the capability of human wisdom and intuition to figure out on our own.  We also cannot be glory-thieves.  God also reveals that He knew from the beginning who would submit to His authority and who would rebel against it--who would be citizens of His kingdom, and who would be a part of the kingdom of this world--the kingdom of darkness which will eventually be the kingdom of antichrist and the kingdom of the devil.

It brings God great glory though for Him to make those who were rebels into His faithful servants (see the story of the Apostle Paul as an example).  It also brings Him great pleasure to transform us into good image-bearers once again, this time to be made into the image of the Son of God.  We are refined like silver which becomes a reflective surface as it is refined.  The dross is burnt away and only what is pure and valuable remains.  How does He accomplish this?  Through many trials and tribulations, event to the point of sending His people away into Exile or causing His Church to be persecuted unto the point of death.  However, He will not break His covenant promises with His people, and He will not let the world annihilate them.  He will always save and preserve a remnant for His name's sake and for His glory.  When He brings us through the fire, we will proclaim the name of the LORD throughout all the earth and praise His name which is above every name.  We will share His gospel with the whole world so that people everywhere might be transformed and become true worshipers of the Living God who is Creator, Sustainer, Alpha and Omega, and the Judge of the Living and the Dead.  He alone is worthy to receive all glory, blessing, honor and power now and forevermore.