Stubborn Yet Loved (Isaiah 48:1-22)

This is a surprisingly encouraging chapter, despite it being also surprisingly harsh… and rightly so. God calls His people out for their stubborn rebellion and disbelief. He had declared truths and futures, long ago, and brought them to pass so that no one can deny His sovereign control. Now, He is going to surprise the world again yet declares that the surprise is coming so no one can doubt. He will use Cyrus. He will free His people from Babylon. And Babylon has not even risen to take God’s people into exile yet!

The encouraging aspect of this passage is not that God is frustrated with His stubborn people. It is that He is going to show them grace and mercy for His glory. We receive God’s favor, grace, and mercy because He loves us, not because we love Him. Because He is good even though we are not. Because He will get the credit for rescuing creation, not because we will rescue ourselves.

We need to trust Him, in light of all the evidence, yet it is good to know that He has made a way possible for us to do so.