Isaiah　４８：１－１１ “God who refines”

Israel becoming captive to Babylon is recorded about in this passage. Isaiah prophesized about it 150 years before it occurred. Even so, why was Israel destroyed by Babylon and taken as captives? That was because they were prideful. Even though they were the people of God, they turned their backs on God and lived however they wanted to live. They made idols and worshipped them. Therefore, God punished them by Babylon. God punished them not because He hated them, and not because He detested them, but to refine them. God loved them so He didn’t treat them as illegitimate children, but treated them as his own children. Today let’s look at the refining of Israel by God.

I. The external faith of Israel (Vs. 1-5)
First please look at verses 1 to 5. Verse 1 says, “Listen to this, O house of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel
and come from the line of Judah,
you who take oaths in the name of the LORD
and invoke the God of Israel-
but not in truth or righteousness-“
Here it says, “house of Jacob”, “the name of Israel” and “the line of Judah.” (1) This is referring all to the same people. “Jacob” means deceiver or he who grasps the heel. This expresses Jacob’s carnal nature. This Jacob wrestled with God and overcame so he was called “Israel”. This says that this Israel came “from the line of Judah.” (1) “Judah” (1) was the fourth son of Jacob. His name means “a person of praise”. “From the line of Judah” (1) King David was born. From David’s descendants the Messiah, the Savior, was born. This is Jesus Christ. Therefore, here that they are called “house of Jacob”, “the name of Israel” and “the line of Judah” (1) expresses that they are legitimate Jews. At least they had a sense of pride. On the outside they thought that they were “from the line of Judah” (1), were “called by the name of Israel” (1) and were the chosen people of God.
However, they missed the most essential things. What they were missing were “truth” (1) and “righteousness” (1). “Truth” (1) is a heart that has an unchanging dependence upon God. “Righteousness” (1) is walking appropriately in the way of God. In other words they took oaths not in the name of other gods, but “in the name of the LORD” (1) and they invoked “the God of Israel,” (1) but even so the substance of their faith was not carried out. It was an empty faith.

What became of them is written in verses 3 to 5. “I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew how stubborn you were, the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze. Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you, so that you could not say, ‘My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’”
“The former things” (3) are the series of acts of God that occurred in Israel’s history. Especially here this refers to the events of the Exodus. That was “foretold” (3) by God. Then one day suddenly God acted, and the things that God had foretold “came to pass.” (3) The reason that God told them about these things before they happened was because if he didn’t they might say, “My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.” (5) They were that “stubborn”. (4) While saying that they believed in the God of Israel, at the same time they had idols with them. Is that possible? That happens! While saying that we believe in God, at the same time we depend upon our own abilities. If we believe in our own knowledge, experiences and financial ability, that is worshipping idols at the same time as believing in God. They were just like that.
For example, by the almighty power of the Lord they were saved from Egypt. After that, they were led to the desert. When Moses climbed Mt. Zion to receive the 10 commandments, Moses didn’t come down off the mountain for a long time, so they got tired of waiting for him. Therefore, they said to Aaron, “Come make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” (Exodus 32:1) They made a golden calf and worshipped it. That is not just them. Christians too are apt to be at the risk of committing the same sin. There are cases when while saying that we believe in the real God, at the same time we make our own gods.
Israel by this sin was destroyed by Babylon and was taken to Babylon as a captured people. Next they began to worship the gods of Babylon. Therefore, before God set them free from there, he “announced” (5) that He was going to do so. That was so they “could not say, ‘My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’” (5) They were that “stubborn”. (4) Verse 4 expresses this like this. “I knew how stubborn you were, the sinews of your neck were iron, and your forehead was bronze.” They were so stubborn that the sinews of their neck were iron and their “forehead was bronze.”(4) “Your forehead was bronze” (4) expresses how stubborn and stiff necked Israel was. No matter how much God’s prophecies were fulfilled, they doubted that God had fulfilled it, and went to the point of having the mistaken idea that the idols had done it.

They had become that “stubborn”. (4) They were “called by the name of Israel and” (1) came “from the line of Judah.” (1) They took “oaths in the name of the LORD and” (1) invoked “the God of Israel”, but even so their faith had no substance. It had no “truth or righteousness.” (1)
This is also a warning to us Christians. We believe in Jesus and are saved, and we might not worship the idols of the people of the world. However, there are cases when our faith is separated from our hearts. We are content with being saved, and without noticing it fall into a Christian life in form only. There is danger of being pulled to the gods that you make like the idols of the pleasures of this world, or the idols of your own fleshly desires.
Please open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 7. In verse 22 of Matthew chapter 7 many of those who will not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven in the Day of Judgment will say to the Lord, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” In answer to these people Jesus will clearly say, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matt. 7:23) The reason is that “not everyone who says to” (Matt. 7:21) the Lord, “’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of” (Matt. 7:21) God.
Therefore, Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matt. 7:24-27)
No matter how hard the storm blows, the house that is built on the rock does not move at all. This is the people who hear the Word of God and do it. God does not look at how much we do. What God look at is how faithful we have been before Him. Also how much we walked in the will of God.
Let’s read together Micah 6:8. “He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
“To walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8) does not mean to walk a perfect life without making even one mistake. It is a life of obeying: following God, being supported by grace and even if you make a mistake in your life, by the grace of God, repenting. In the eyes of man, it is thought that a mistake in life simply represents failure. However, if you look at it from God’s eyes, it isn’t so. Therefore, even if you look at your past and you feel that your life has had no value, whenever God reveals a sin to you, each time repent, humble yourself, and walk with God. “Walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) Also let’s make God’s desire for us to walk in His will, our desire.

II. A new creation (Vs. 6-8)
Next please look at verses 6 to 8. “You have heard these things; look at them all,
Will you not admit them?
From now on I will tell you of new things,
of hidden things unknown to you,
They are created now, and not long ago;
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
‘Yes, I knew of them.’
You have neither heard nor understood;
from of old your ear has not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous you are;
you were called a rebel from birth.”
Israel had looked “at them all.” (6) “At them all” (6) is up until now in Israel’s history everything that God has spoken about has all been fulfilled. They looked “at them all.” (6) Therefore, what is necessary for them to do is to “admit them”. (6)
Then God will tell them “new things”. (6) Those “new things” (6) “are created now”. (7) It is a new creation. That is directly a chain of acts of salvation by God in saving Israel from Babylon. No matter how much they heard the Word of God they were “stubborn” (4) and didn’t understand and lacked faith. However, the Lord didn’t destroy them, but is going to save them. Then God used the pagan Persian King Cyrus to fulfill this. This was the new method that God “created”. (7)
However, this is ultimately God’s acts of salvation from sin for all mankind. That was “created now.” (7) It is a new creation. God used a method that couldn’t be thought of to save us from our sins. That is the cross. God’s only sinless son took upon human form just like us and was born. He became the substitution for our sin and died on the cross. Three days later he rose again. Who could ever thought of this method! This is a method that no one except God could have thought of. This is the wisdom of God that no human person can imagine.
Paul talks about this wisdom of God in I Corinthians 1:18 to 25. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent will frustrate.’
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (I Cor. 1:18) This is something that cannot be understood by the wisdom of this world. Who would think that the words of the cross would be salvation! For the people of this world “the message of the cross is foolishness,” (I Cor. 1:18) “but to those whom God has called…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (I Cor. 1:24) By a method that by our wisdom we wouldn’t be able to think of at all, God saved us. That is the one and only plan of God by which we are saved from our sin.
There are geese in South Africa. Geese are very strong and can live in areas that other farm animals can’t live and they were ever increasing. However, one day a large number of geese died. They researched the cause and it was found that one variety of grass that they always ate　made an abnormal amount of the substance, tannin, in their stomachs.
Actually the plants that they always eat have an interesting characteristic. About two minutes after animals come and start eating them, they produce a powerful substance, tannin. By not allowing the animals to eat more than that, the plants are protecting themselves. After eating for about two minutes, they go to the next grassy area, and again two minutes later they go to another place. Here and there they eat for about two minutes at each place. Therefore, over a large area a large amount of plants are needed.
However, one time the humane society to protect the geese from poaching made a fence around their home. Therefore, the geese’s, area of activity was limited. They couldn’t go here and there eating a little at a time. It couldn’t be helped, so what they did was to continue to eat the grass that produces tannin for over two minutes. Then tannin collected in their body and they died.

As a result the geese were destroyed because man made a fence to protect the geese. If they hadn’t made a fence, the animals and plants would have lived together and flourished together. Here is the limit to man’s wisdom. What you think is good and you do, at times threatens the other person’s life.
However, God’s wisdom is different. God’s wisdom is perfect. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” (I Cor. 1:25) “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (I Cor. 1:18) God in order to save us thought of a method that we never would imagine. That was the cross and resurrection. That is the new creation.
Galatians 6:14 and 15 says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.”
This “new creation” (Gal. 6:15) can be said to be the new method that God made. It is the completely new method that mankind can’t even imagine. It is a completely unexpected method! That is the cross. That is “what counts” (Gal. 6:15) for us; “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything.” (Gal. 6:15) In order to save us God planned the method of our Lord Jesus Christ’s cross and resurrection. For “what counts is” (Gal. 6:15) to live following this criterion.
How about you? Are you following this criterion? Is there anything else other than “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14) that you are boasting in? “What counts is a new creation.” (Gal. 6:15) Let’s boast “in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14) Let’s walk following this criterion. That is a Christian.

III. God who refines you
Lastly, let’s look at verses 9-11. The Israelites were treacherous and were called a rebel from birth, but God didn’t destroy them. In verse 9 it says, “For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely.” We might think that it is better to just destroy those who are treacherous from birth right away, but God didn’t. God continuously gives us blessings according to the promise given by His grace. Even though the Israelites rebelled against God, God delayed His judgment and made them realize it through His slight punishment.
Please look at verse 10. Here it says, “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have rested you in the furnace of affliction.” God used “the furnace of affliction” to purify the Israelites. What is “the furnace of affliction”? The furnace of affliction is a furnace that breaks their obstinate thoughts they have through affliction. Here it is talking about Babylon. God used Babylon to break their obstinate hearts. He made them obey God through their life as captives in Babylon.
In Deuteronomy 4:20 it says, “The Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt.” Here it talks about the iron-smelting furnace, not the furnace of affliction Even though the kinds of furnace are different, the purpose is the same. Over 400 years of their life in Egypt was truly a life of discipline in the iron-smelting furnace. However, in the midst of their sufferings, they cried out to God and depended on Him. People tend to not cling to God unless they experience this kind of painful experiences. This is why God put them into Egypt’s imprisonment, and sent them into the iron-smelting furnace.
And now it is the furnace of affliction instead of the iron-smelting furnace. God made them cry out to Him and be obedient to Him in the midst of their affliction. What happened to the Israelites after they were saved from this furnace of affliction? After being able to return back to Jerusalem through King Cyrus, they hated idols and eliminated their marriage with the pagans. This was because those were things that God hated the most. We can see this by looking at book of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Bible. Because they went through this furnace of affliction, their obstinate hearts were broken and they were changed to be obedient towards God.
We are the same. We also tend to be arrogant like the Israelites. God sends us to the furnace of affliction or to the iron-smelting affliction in order to cleanse us. However, this is to punish us, and not to destroy us. It is to purify us. God loves us so much that He uses the furnace of affliction to work on us.
In Hebrews 12:5-6 it says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
God treats you as His child. Is there a father who wouldn’t discipline their child? If you are someone who hasn’t given the punishment that everyone else has gotten, then you are just an illegitimate child, and not a true child. Because we are God’s true child, He disciplines us to train us. If so, we should be thankful to God when He puts us through the furnace of affliction or through the iron-smelting furnace, and accept it as lashes of love from God. We should also accept what God has prepared as the training of our faith and be patient. Normally we are people to be punished by God for being disobedient towards Him. But we should be thankful to God for His generosity of waiting in patience for us to come back to Him. We should also be thankful to God for His patience of delaying His punishment because of His grace and compassionate promises. This is God’s patience and mercy that surpasses far our imagination.
The author of Psalms wrote, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” (Psalms 119:71) We too should confess like this. It was good for me to be afflicted. I learned your decrees. What is your affliction? What is the furnace of affliction for you? Those are lashings of love from God to train you. Let’s believe that and look up to God even in the midst of that affliction, and walk with Him in repentance.