It may seem that comparing the well-being which, according to the prophet, awaits the people if they follow the Torah and God's commandments to the sea or a river is no more than a beautiful image. Yet it is not quite that simple. What is the Torah? What is the Decalogue?...
It may seem that comparing the well-being which, according to the prophet, awaits the people if they follow the Torah and God's commandments to the sea or a river is no more than a beautiful image. Yet it is not quite that simple. What is the Torah? What is the Decalogue? Commandments given by God? Laws based on those commandments? Undoubtedly, but not only that. Rabbinic tradition contains the idea of the Torah written on heavenly tablets before the creation of the world. We could treat that image as an allegory too, if we saw the Torah only as a text or as a legal and moral code. But is that what it is? Does God need such a code? Is morality what matters to Him, or something else? Today we often think that ethics is what matters most in communion with God, that God needs our morality, and that sin is abhorrent to Him because it is immoral.
The Bible sees this differently. The most terrible thing about any sin is not the violation of a moral norm, nor even the harm that violation does to one's neighbour—terrible though that may be. The most terrible thing is that sin objectively separates us from God and makes communion with Him impossible. Not some abstract communion, but a very concrete one, of the kind described in the Bible: communion as an encounter that completely changes a person because God's presence acts upon human nature.
It is this transforming action that sin obstructs. God will not work with a person whose nature—bodily and inward—is corrupted by sin. In any case, He will first cleanse that nature. To transform someone completely, they must be completely cleansed of sin: this is why the Messiah came into the world. The question of sin is spiritual, not moral. And the Torah describes the laws governing a person's relationship with God and people's relationships with one another.
It describes the laws of spiritual life, for spirituality is precisely relationships: people's relationships with one another and with God; their relationships with Christ, and Christ's relationship with His heavenly Father. These laws are as unshakeable as the laws of nature. They come from the same Source. By following them, we do not merely become decent people, or religious people. By following the Torah, we become part of God's plan and of God's great world—as organic a part of it as the sea or a river, but, unlike them, aware of ourselves and of our relationship with God. A world that will one day become the Kingdom, which we too will enter.
48 God reproves their hypocrisy and obstinacy by his prophecies, Isa 48:1-8.
He spares them for his name's sake, and that they may learn to know him aright, Isa 48:9-11.
God's powerful salvation a motive to obedience, Isa 48:12-17.
God laments their backwardness, Isa 48:18-19.
Deliverance out of Babylon, Isa 48:20-21.
No peace to the wicked, Isa 48:22.
48:1 Called - Who are Israelites in name, but not in truth.Are come - From the lineage of your progenitor, Judah, as waters flow from a fountain. Swear - Who profess the true religion; (one act of religion being put for all) and call themselves by his name.
48:2 Though - They glory that they are citizens of Jerusalem, a city sanctified by God, to be the place of his true worship, and gracious presence. And stay - Not by a true faith, but a vain confidence.
48:4 I knew - Therefore I gave thee clearer demonstrations of my nature and providence, because I knew thou wast an unbelieving nation.Thy neck - Will not bow down to receive my yoke. Thy brow - Thou wast impudent.
48:6 See - As thou hast heard all these things, from time to time, seriously consider them. Declare - I call you to witness: must you not be forced to acknowledge the truth of what I say? Shewed - And I have now given thee new predictions of secret things, such as 'till this time were wholly unknown to thee, concerning thy deliverance out of Babylon by Cyrus.
48:7 Created - Revealed to thee by me; brought to light, as things are by creation. Not - Heb. not from thence, not from these ancient times when other things were revealed to thee. Or - Heb. and (or, or, as this particle is frequently used) before this day. This day answers to now in the first clause: and seems to be added as an exposition of it.Before this time in which God hath revealed them to thee by my ministry.I knew - Either by thine own sagacity: or by the help of thine idols.
48:8 Yea - The same thing is repeated, because this was so illustrious a proof of the infinite power and providence of God. Thine ear - Thou didst not hear, I did not reveal these things unto thee: for so this phrase of opening the ear is understood, Isa 9:15.I knew - I knew all these cautions were necessary to cure thine infidelity.Called - Justly, thou wast indeed such.
48:9 For my sake - I will spare thee, and deliver thee out of captivity, not for thy sake, but merely for my own sake, and for the vindication of my name, that I may be praised for my power, faithfulness, and goodness.
48:10 Behold - Although I will not cut thee off, yet I will put thee into the furnace. Silver - Which is kept in the furnace so long 'till all the dross be purged away, I will not deal so rigorously with thee; for then I should wholly consume thee. I will chuse - God had in a manner rejected Israel, and therefore it was necessary he should chuse and try this people a second time.
48:11 It - This great work of delivering my people out of Babylon.Name - If I should not deliver my people, my name would be profaned and blasphemed. Glory - I will not give any colour to idolaters, to ascribe the divine nature and properties, to idols, as they would do if I did not rescue my people out of their hands in spite of their idols.
48:12 O Israel - Whom I have called out of the world to be my peculiar people.
48:13 Stand up - They are still continually in readiness to execute my commands.
48:14 Which - Which of the gods whom any of you serve.Him - Cyrus.
48:16 In secret - l have openly revealed my mind to you.The beginning - Either from the first time that I began to prophecy until this time: or from the beginning of my taking you to be my people, and of revealing my mind unto you. From the time - From the time that I first spoke of it, I am or was there, to effect what I had foretold.The Lord - God by his Spirit. Me - The prophet Isaiah; who was a type of Christ, and so this may have a respect to him also.
48:17 Teacheth - Who from time to time have made known to thee, all necessary doctrines; which, if observed by thee, would have been infinitely profitable to thee, both for this life and that to come.So that it is not my fault, but thine own, if thou dost not profit.Leadeth - Who acquainteth thee with thy duty in all the concerns of thy life; so that thou canst not pretend ignorance.
48:18 As the waves - Infinite and continual.
48:20 Singing - With joy and songs of praise. Declare - Publish God's wonderful works.
48:21 They thirsted not - They shall not thirst. He speaks of things to come, as if they were already past.
48:22 No peace - God having foretold that peace which he would give to his servant Jacob, adds an explication; and declares, that wicked men should not enjoy the benefit of this mercy.