Introduction: Let us look at names! First – ‘Hear this, O house of Jacob.’
Jacob derived from the Hebrew word meaning ‘heel’ implying that he was a cheat. Remember he cheated to get the firstborn’s birthright as their father was dying.
Second – ‘who are called by the name of Israel.’
Israel means to struggle or wrestle with God
Third – ‘and who came from the waters of Judah.’
Judah means ‘Praise’ – because Leah praised God when her fourth son was born to Jacob. But he was a rebel who eventually accepted responsibility and played a major role in the saving of the tribe of Israel when they went into Egypt to escape the seven year famine. He was a progenitor of David, Jesus was to become the Lion of the tribe of Judah!
Fourth – “who swear by the name of the LORD
and confess the God of Israel,
but not in truth or right.“
LORD printed in capitals means Almighty God, Jehovah the great ‘I AM’. Israel had split into two by Isaiah’s time. The Northern Kingdom (called Ephraim, Samaria) had deserted the basic Law of Moses and followed other gods. Their kings were not in the line of David! The Southern Kingdom’s kings were David’s descendants who at least in name followed and worshipped the Great I AM, but not in truth or right.
1 Hear this, O house of Jacob,
who are called by the name of Israel,
and who came from the waters of Judah,
who swear by the name of the LORD
and confess the God of Israel,
but not in truth or right.
2 For they call themselves after the holy city,
and stay themselves on the God of Israel;
the LORD of hosts is his name. – Here again is the word ‘name’. The tribe of Judah is claiming all that ‘Jerusalem’ means in the history and Glory of the Zion of God! But apparently in name alone!
3 “The former things I declared of old;
they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;
then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
4 Because I know that you are obstinate,
and your neck is an iron sinew
and your forehead brass, – stiff necked and empty headed!
5 I declared them to you from of old,
before they came to pass I announced them to you,
lest you should say, My idol did them,
my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’
6 “You have heard; now see all this;
and will you not declare it?
From this time forth I announce to you new things,
hidden things that you have not known.
7 They are created now, not long ago;
before today you have never heard of them,
lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 You have never heard, you have never known,
from of old your ear has not been opened.
For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,
and that from before birth you were called a rebel. -They are true to the ‘name of Judah‘! We will wait until tomorrow for the ‘new things’ promised above!
Ezekiel 36: 26&27 – And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
Prayer: May I learn the lessons which You teach me so clearly, and live honouring Your Name, Lord Jesus.