Isaiah 48:9

Isaiah 48:9 says, For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.  God said for the sake of His name and for His glory that He wouldn’t just cut them off, or completely destroy them.  God could have just as easily destroyed mankind when they rebelled against Him, but He chose to provide a way of redemption instead.  He did this for the sake of His name and for His praise and not for mankind to be praised.  Even if we are redeemed by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are still but a part of God’s creation, and all the honor and glory for our redemption should go to Him. 

Verse ten adds, Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.  God said that He had refined the people, not with wealth, but with affliction.  We today seem to often proclaim a gospel that says that God is going to refine us with material blessings, but I believe we are more often refined with affliction.  If we have everything we want or desire as Christians, then it is easy to begin to think that we are so valuable to God that we deserve these blessings, but we are still like grass before God.  It is in trials and tribulations that our faith is really refined. 

Verse eleven continues, For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.  God said He was going to redeem the people of Israel for His name’s sake alone and that none other would ever receive His glory.  As Christians, all that we have is a gift of God and we can rest assured that He will never fail to deliver on His promises.  We just need to always give Him the glory, even if we are going through times of trouble, or maybe especially when we are.

Verse twelve adds, Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.  God again calls on the people of Israel, the ones He entered into a covenant relationship with, to listen to His word and obey it.  We as follower of Christ are a part of the new covenant that God made with mankind when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, so we need to listen to His words to us.  We should start by reading and understanding what His word, the Bible, says, and the Holy Spirit will help us to do so if we submit to His leadership. 

Verse thirteen continues, Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.  God said that He created and controls the universe, and we either believe that, or we don’t.  Those are the two choices.  I believe that God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and that Jesus Christ is the only Redeemer that there is. 

Verse fourteen states, All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.  The people were called on to assemble themselves and were asked which of these idols among them had declared these things.  There was none that did or even could.  God said that He loved the people of Israel and He would defeat the Babylonians and the Chaldeans, even though the false prophets had not said anything about their deliverance. God alone can deliver us from the power and penalty of sin, so we need to put our faith in Him alone.  Not only can He do it, but He already has, when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place.  All we have to do is accept this gift of salvation. 

Verse fifteen adds, I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.  This was speaking about Cyrus at that time, and God was already at work to bring about his success in delivering the people of Israel from captivity.  I believe that it also refers to a date in future when Jesus Christ would come to deliver all who believe in Him forever.