1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
Judah was pretending to serve God, calling His name when they did things, but they didn’t mean it.
2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is His name.
3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of My mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
What God says will happen, happens.
4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
Why anyone would falsely claim to be a Jew, I don’t know. The Bible very much portrays them as unusually stubborn and rebellious. I often think God choose them to show us that He can love even the worst of humans.
5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee: lest thou should say, “Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.”
God has been very careful from the start to leave no doubt who exactly was doing what is done. He didn’t want any other “god" to get the credit.
6 Thou have heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou did not know them.
Though God has gone out of His way to show His presence and control, the Jews have flat ignored Him.
7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heard them not; lest thou should say, “Behold, I knew them.”
God is doing new things in order to prove His God-ness.
8 Yea, thou heard not; yea, thou knew not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou would deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
We humans wonder why God would bother with such a people. Truth is, though, we are all like the Jews. Humans are the same all over.
9 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 is so mad that He would destroy them, but He wants to show other nations His glory and power.
10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
11 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 did not redeem the Jews because of anything good about them. They were in no way better than anyone else. He redeemed them to show His own glory.
12 Hearken unto Me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last.
There is none other but God. He started it all and He will end it all.
13 Mine hand also has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
He built and controls all of nature.
14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them has declared these things? The Lord has loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
Whoever acknowledges God will be victorious.
15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
God blesses His servants. Ours is a voluntary servitude. We don’t have to serve God if we don’t want to. But if we make that choice, He will bless us and guide us.
16 Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this; “I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and His Spirit, has sent me.”
This is what the servant of God says.
17 Thus says the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teaches thee to profit, which leads thee by the way that thou should go.
God is our guide.
18 O that thou had hearkened to My commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
If Israel/Judah had only obeyed God. He really wanted to protect them and keep them in peace for their entire history. But they refused.
19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me.
God would have given them lots of babies (always a good thing in the Bible). But instead they have suffered infertility and miscarriages, as well as having their children killed and carried away as slaves by their enemies.
20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
You better begin acknowledging God now, Judah!
21 And they thirsted not when He led them through the deserts: He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: He clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
Remember you own history? How that God worked obvious miracles to provide for you?
22 There is no peace, says the Lord, unto the wicked. He won’t provide for those who refuse to choose righteousness, to live for Him.