Isaiah 48:16, commentary and pictures

The summons to come near and hear is addressed to the house of Jacob, those called by the name of Israel and come forth out of the waters of Judah, who swear by the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel and call themselves of the holy city and stay themselves upon the God of Israel, but not in truth nor in righteousness. The speaker declares that he has not spoken in secret from the beginning, but has been openly present from the time that events began to be, and that he is now sent by the Lord God and His Spirit. That open speaking means declaring the former things from the mouth, showing them and doing them suddenly so that they came to pass, and showing new and hidden things, line upon line and precept upon precept, with testimonies of warning.

The verse exposes its hearers as obstinate, with neck as an iron sinew and brow as brass, with ear not opened, dealing very treacherously, refusing to hear and receive warning, hindering the work and cause of God by misrepresentation, falsehood and heresy, and dismissing the message of the Spirit of God as worthless. Its context presents the Lord as Israel's Redeemer and teacher, who promises to teach His people what is for their profit and to lead them in the right way they should go, so that heeding His commandments would have brought them peace as a river and righteousness as the waves of the sea, and trusting Him and letting Him lead brings salvation. The verse shows that the Lord still carries the work of redemption forward not because of goodness, devotion, purity or fear of the Lord seen in those in high places, but for His own name's sake and for His praise He defers His anger and refrains from cutting them off, so that His name will not be polluted and His glory will not be given to another, and so the enemies of truth will not triumph.

As applied, it teaches that the prosperity of God's people depends on humility, wholehearted obedience and devotion to Him, not on supposing that their own abilities make God dependent on them. It calls the wayward in their self-exalted course to repent, to turn decidedly from evil ways and make straight paths, with the promise that if they repent God will have mercy and they will become monuments of almighty power and abounding grace and witnesses for the truth, rebuilding and establishing what they once tore down. Belonging to the instruction of Isaiah 48 to 52, it shows the work to be done now and is to be studied carefully and obeyed, calling for united and determined effort to proclaim the message throughout the world, with decided work in the cities, an increase of workers, and means brought in to carry the soul-saving work forward without delay. It calls for reconsecration, harmony with the Lord God and with Christ His only begotten Son, willingness to do His bidding, and resistance to Satan's temptation to enter commercial enterprises instead of putting means into the Lord's work.