Listen, To Receive God's Best (Isaiah 48:1-22) Series

We all know people who have grown old, and looked back on their lives with regret. They chased the wrong things. They lost sight of what's important. And they didn't figure things out until the very end, the last couple years of their life. I think what this passage shows, is that God looks back on some people's lives the same way. There's a regret on God's part that comes, when His people don't listen, and don't walk with faithfulness and righteousness. Many of those people call on God's name. They identify as belonging to God, and they maybe even do. Or, at least, for a time they belonged to God. But their life is much harder than it needed to be, because, verse 22, God refuses to give shalom-- peace, prosperity-- to the wicked.

At this point in Isaiah, God's people have certainly missed out on some of God's blessings. But what we see, in verse 20, is that there is still a path forward. God calls on them to leave Babylon. Return to Jerusalem; go home. Rejoice in what Yahweh, and not your idols, has done for you. Tell everyone what Yahweh has done.

The second thing we see in these verses, I think, is that there are things that Yahweh will do his people, regardless of their faithfulness. In Isaiah, God is redeeming them, and freeing them, so that they are able to go home. God is doing this, even though they are serving idols.

But we also see that there are things God won't do. God won't make his people repent. God won't make his people listen. God won't even make his people go home. He invites them to leave Babylon (Revelation 18:4) and come home, but He doesn't force this. In Isaiah 46, we saw a vision of God having no problem dealing with the Babylonian gods (Isaiah 46:1 in particular). In Isaiah 47, we saw God having no problem dealing with Babylon itself. The only real obstacle to parts of God's plan, is here, in chapter 48-- God's own people. God won't force his people to be faithful, against their stubborn and rebellious will.

So that's our passage for today. It's a big, messy, important passage, and it's hard to know where to focus.

Let me leave you with three quick thoughts:

(1) You can choose to live in a way, where you don't receive God's best. God would love if your commitment to Him was done with faithfulness, and righteousness, and that's what He expects from you, but it's your choice. The choice you make comes with consequences, positive and negative-- but it's your choice. If you listen, there is shalom like a river (verse 18). But there is no shalom for the wicked (verse 22).

(2) The most valuable character trait that you can develop in life, is a willingness to listen. Something like 11 times in this chapter, Israel is told to listen. No one likes to be told they are doing something wrong, or that something could be done better. No one enjoys being challenged by a friend, when they approach you, and say, "Garrett, I feel like you are being selfish, or proud, or stubborn. I feel like you are in the wrong here." If you're not willing to listen to God, or to the people sent by God to fix you, and build you up (Ephesians 4:11-13), nothing will ever change for you. You might always have a streak a stubbornness inside of you, that wants to rise up, and push back, when people challenge you. But if you overcome that, and listen despite yourself, you put yourself in a position where you will grow in loyalty and allegiance to God, and where you will set yourself up to receive God's shalom blessings.