A hypocritical righteousness, characteristic of the time of
Hezekiah's reformation. A false confidence in "father" Abraham: Joh 8:33; Rom
2:17-19.
Isa 48:2
An almost superstitious reliance on the holiness of Jerusalem:
cp Mic 3:11.
Isa 48:3
Vv 3,5-7: God makes the same argument to Israel (here) that He
has made against the Assyrians (Isa 41:22; 42:9; 44:7,8; 45:21;
46:9,10).
THEN SUDDENLY I ACTED, AND THEY CAME TO PASS: The
"sudden" destruction of Sennacherib's host (Isa 37:33-37).
Isa 48:4
The image is that of a person who has tensed the muscles of
the face and neck as a sign of resolute refusal.
IRON: Unbending, stiff.
FOREHEAD... BRONZE: Instead of gold (Exo 28:38; cp Jer
31:33).
Isa 48:5
The prophet Isaiah's tirades against the folly of idolatry was
not directly only at the Assyrians! Cp 2Ki 18:4.
Isa 48:6
HIDDEN THINGS UNKNOWN TO YOU: A dramatic new
development still in the future: ie, the final and absolute fulfillment of these
prophecies, in the days of the Messiah. Esp the idea (the mystery to be
revealed) that salvation would be extended to the Gentiles (Rom 16:25; Eph
3:9).
Isa 48:11
The God of Israel is a God in control of events (Isa 41:22;
42:9; 44:7,8; 45:9,10).
Isa 48:15
The "him" = Hezekiah, whose birth and character and
achievements had all been foretold in earlier days (Isa 7:14; 9:6,7;
11:1-12).
Isa 48:16
I HAVE NOT SPOKEN IN SECRET: As Jesus told Annas (Joh
18:20).
AND NOW THE SOVEREIGN LORD HAS SENT ME, WITH HIS
SPIRIT: Cp Isa 61:1; 11:2. "For the one whom God has sent speaks the words
of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit" (Joh 3:34; cp Joh
7:33,37-39).
Isa 48:20
LEAVE BABYLON... THE LORD HAS REDEEMED HIS SERVANT
JACOB: Return from Babylonian captivity of 200,000 or so Jews.
Isa 48:21
WATER... FROM THE ROCK: Exo 17:6 (cp Isa 41:17,18). In
Hezekiah's day, the Siloam conduit (2Ch 32:30; 2Ki 18:17; Isa 8:6). Jesus in Joh
7:37-39.
Isa 48:22
THERE IS NO PEACE... FOR THE WICKED: Compare Isa
57:20,21. These two similar references to the wicked divide the last portion of
Isaiah (40-66) into three equal divisions of 9 chapters each (40-48; 49-57;
58-66).
Contrast with Isa 66:24: "the dead bodies of those who
rebelled against me". Thus the three-fold division of this section of Isaiah:
ending with wicked... wicked again... and finally, NO wicked! -- for they have
all perished.
Thus, there is no peace for the wicked (Isa 48:22), and still
no peace for the wicked (Isa 57:20,21)... until, finally, they all perish. Then,
at last, they find "peace": the peace of death!