Isaiah 48
BEL and Nebo were chief among the idols of Babylonia. Ere long the Jews were to be carried away captives of Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, as their brethren, comprising the ten tribes of Israel now lost to our eyes, had been already taken captive by Babylonia's predecessor in power, Assyria. It was a just punishment for God's unfaithful people who had been sinking deeper and deeper into idolatry., that they should be brought under the rule of people whose worship of idols surpassed, as we judge any other land with which the Jews had to do. The Assyrians and Babylonians worshiped the same false gods.
When brought to Babylon the names of some at least of the Jews were changed to bear the names of idols (Daniel 1 :6, 7); the faithful Daniel was renamed Belteshazzar, which may mean "Bel is the keeper of secrets," or "Beltis (goddess, wife of Bel) protects the king;" Azariah was given the name of Abed-nep-,o, or Abel-nebo, meaning "slave of Nebo." The meaning of the names given Hananiah and Mishael is not known.
When Cyrus's army entered Babylon seventy years after the captivity, the idols were treated with disdain, the Persians scorning the idols of their western neighbor.
Verse 1 refers to the carrying out of the Babylonian idols on the backs of the animals used by the Persian conqueror to take away the spoils of war.
Why should any, particularly those who know about the true God, the living God, give their hearts, their minds to the false gods which the darkened minds of sinful men have invented? Alas! man away from God has always sunk lower and lower; to what depths have not men gone in sin ?
Yet God in patience and love still stretches out His hands to sinners, saying, Hearken unto Me! (verse 3). He who gave them the breath of life, and by whose power they continue, pleads through Isaiah with His earthly people. "Even to old age," "unto hoary hairs," He will carry those who trust in Him. He who made, will bear, will carry, will deliver. With whom can He be compared, to whom likened ? (verse 5).
What folly idolatry is, as the living God exposes it in these chapters of Isaiah ! There he stands,—the thing of gold and silver fashioned by art and man's device (Acts 17:29:),——he does not remove from his place; yea, one cries unto him, and he answers not; he saves him not out of his trouble. Remember this! says God; call it to mind.
Yes, remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is none else. What God has said, has never failed. Not a prophecy, nor a promise, whose fulfilment was to be in the past, has failed, nor will the things that are not yet done, fail of accomplishment: His counsel will stand, and He will do all His pleasure.
The bird of prey (verse 11) is Cyrus, called from the east, from a country far from Palestine to give liberty to Judah, and to punish the idolatry of Babylon. Yet God's righteousness (contrasted with man's) will be brought near.
In the coming day of blessing for this earth, He will reveal His salvation. For whom is it ? For them that believe, that trust His Word, turning to Him in heart. Thus it has ever been.
Messages of God’s Love 1/14/1934