Isaiah 48:1
Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
The call is directed to the house of Jacob, the people of Judah, who are called by the name of Israel and have come forth out of the waters of Judah. They bear Israel's name by profession and belong to Israel by name. They swear by the name of the Lord, speak of the Lord and the God of Israel, claim the God of Israel as their own, and profess reliance upon Him, yet not in truth nor in righteousness. Religious identity and profession alone do not make worship sincere or conduct right, because profession without truthful and righteous action is empty. Their religious profession does not match their conduct.
The same description applies to those who have received repeated instruction and warning yet refuse to hear and accept God's testimonies. In that application the refusal misrepresents the work and rejects the words of the Spirit. In that application the refusal also hinders God's work through falsehood and heresy. Standing in chapters 48 to 52, the verse belongs to a portion that together shows the appointed work to be done at this time. That work is a united and determined effort with no delay to proclaim the message throughout the world, with decided work in the cities, an increase of workers, and means brought in for soul-saving. It requires reconsecration to be in harmony with the Lord God and with Christ, and refusal to yield to temptation to enter commercial enterprises instead of investing means in the Lord's work.