How does Isaiah 47:6 illustrate God's response to Israel's disobedience? Setting the scene • Isaiah is speaking of Judah’s exile in Babylon, a judgment foretold long before (Deuteronomy 28:36,49). • Babylon thinks its rise is by its own genius, yet God states He Himself handed Israel over. The verse itself “I was angry with My people; I profaned My inheritance; I gave them into your hand.” (Isaiah 47:6a) “You showed them no mercy; even on the aged you laid a very heavy yoke.” (Isaiah 47:6b) What God did—and why • “I was angry with My people” – righteous anger provoked by persistent rebellion (2 Kings 21:9-15). • “I profaned My inheritance” – He treated His own nation as common, withdrawing protective favor (Lamentations 2:1). • “I gave them into your hand” – handing Israel to Babylon was not defeat but discipline orchestrated by Him (Jeremiah 25:8-9). How this illustrates God’s response to disobedience 1. Divine anger is real, not metaphorical. Sin invites God’s holy displeasure (Romans 1:18). 2. Discipline can involve severe loss—land, freedom, honor—yet remains purposeful (Hebrews 12:10-11). 3. God uses even pagan powers as instruments of correction (Habakkuk 1:6-7). 4. When He withdraws protection, oppressors show no mercy, highlighting the cost of covenant breach (Psalm 106:40-41). The covenant background • Deuteronomy 28 promised exile if Israel “did not obey the voice of the LORD.” • Isaiah 47:6 fulfills that warning: covenant blessings removed, curses enacted. • Yet the same covenant guarantees eventual restoration (Isaiah 54:7-8). Justice tempered with future mercy • Babylon’s merciless yoke is noted, and in verses 10-11 God vows to judge Babylon too—no one escapes His justice. • Israel’s punishment is finite; God calls the nation “My people” even in anger, signaling ongoing relationship (Jeremiah 30:11). Take-away truths • God’s patience has limits; habitual sin invites real-world consequences. • His sovereignty means even painful seasons are under His control. • Discipline aims at repentance and future hope rather than destruction. Related passages for further reading • Leviticus 26:27-45 – warnings and promise of remembered covenant. • 2 Chron 36:15-21 – historical summary of exile’s cause. • Hebrews 12:5-11 – New-Testament affirmation of loving discipline. |
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