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>> Chapter Ten - Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Chapter 47. Complete abasement of the proud city of Babylon. Almost two centuries before the queen of ancient cities rose to glory among the nations, she is prophetically viewed as debased (1-5). The reasons for this were, her exceeding God's prescribed limit for the chastening of His

people (6), refusal to heed God's judgments upon Israel and haughtily boasting herself against Him (7-9). She even trusted in her own wickedness, foolishly forgetting His omniscience (10). Evil would surely come upon her and no seeking to divination and the dark arts, or the counsel of her wise men, could avert the calamity (11-15).

Chapter 48. Summary of God's dealings with Judah, culminating in the return from captivity. The captives are reminded that the Lord had foretold the situation in which we see

them prophetically (3), and the reason for it was their obstinate apostasy (1-6). The purpose of the exile is reveal-

ed as a refining process, the result of which would be to again make them a praise to His name and a glory among the nations (6-11). Through His chosen instrument, the Almighty (12,13) will visit judgment upon Babylon, Israel's "furnace of affliction" (14-16). The design of Jehovah in this chastening, as with all His dealings with those He loves, is to teach them "to profit;" the Lord regrets that this chastening was necessary, but assures of a glorious and happy issue out of it all in release (17-21). The wicked have no part

in these blessings (22).

LESSON TEN

B. Consolation in view of Messiah's first advent (chs.49-57).

The restoration from Babylon, while a signal event in the history of Israel, was only preliminary to a more glorious dealing of God, a "new thing," which He had in His counsels. Only a remnant returned from Chaldea under Ezra and Nehemiah,

and while the purifying fires of the exile were powerful in burning out the idolatrous spirit, yet the result fell far

short of fulfilling the promise of their ultimate blessing to the whole earth. Hence this section points to the advent of their Messiah. "The evangelist Matthew, sketching in chapter 1 the chronology of Israel from Abraham to Christ through the genealogy of Christ, puts three events into a series like mountain-tops, with fourteen generations between

successive peaks, namely, Abraham to David, David to Babylon, Babylon to Christ." -- Stevens. Babylon is now viewed as prophetically past, and the view is forward to the coming of the personal Deliverer, the true "consolation of Israel"

(Luke 2:25-32).



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