Old Testament - Isaiah 48-49 - September 23,, 2022

 9/23/2022 – Isaiah 48-49

Chapter 48: In this chapter, the Lord is inviting the Israelites to return to Him and start keeping their covenants. I believe the most important word in this is the word “invite”. The Lord doesn’t force us to do anything, but He does (in His scriptures and with sudden thoughts in our minds or a beautiful thrill through our chest) give us helps and hints about the ways we think and the ways we behave can help us find more peace and happiness in our daily lives. This is a chapter that Nephi felt was important enough to include in the Book of Mormon.

In v’s 1-2 Christ lays it straight: The Israelites “swear by the mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay {means ‘pretend to rely upon’} themselves upon the God of Israel.”

He reminds them of all the truths He has given to them, and that they have ignored. He reminds them that he has “declared the former things from the beginning” (v 3). He goes on saying that He knows that the Israelites “art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass” (v 4) He goes on to say that He told them of things to come so that when they DID come, the Israelites would not say ‘mine idol hath done them’. (v 5) And in v 6 He reminds them “I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.” 

My thoughts are that we need to prepare ourselves so that we can recognize when He speaks to us…and when He just nudges us to take a certain course. It’s up to ourselves, to prepare ourselves for His help and His comfort. 

In v 10, He tells them how He has worked with them: “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” He then pleads with them to “Hearken unto me…I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.” (v 12)

He instructs them how to correct their course: “Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.” (v 16)

V 18 tells us: It is so simple! Just keep the commandments!! He then goes on to remind them of the miracles that the Lord had performed just for them, and He asks them to remember those very things. And He ends with another truth: “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.” (v 22)


Chapter 49: In this chapter, Christ warns them once again of the problems that would come to them because of their wickedness, and refusal to follow the Lord’s commandments. And He reminds us all, that He is speaking to the Israelites [who were to be “a light to the Gentiles”], and also to “ye people from afar”. In v’s 9-10 He tells them that if they straighten-up and live right, then “they shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smith them for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even to the springs of water will he guide them.”

He assures us that the Lord will not forsake us. He also assures us that there will be hard times, and that staying close to Him may not change our situation, but it will change the strength we have to go forward, and the peace we will have in our hearts. “…for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children….know that I the Lord AM thy Saviour and thy Redeemer…” (v’s 25-26)


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