How does Isaiah 48:16 reveal the Trinity's involvement in God's plan? Setting the Scene • Isaiah 40–48 paints God’s courtroom case against idolatry and announces deliverance for His people. • All along, the Lord keeps insisting that only He can predict, control, and carry out history (Isaiah 41:4; 44:6–8). • Into this flow steps Isaiah 48:16, a sudden, first-person declaration that pulls back the curtain on how God carries out His plan. Zooming in on Isaiah 48:16 “Come near to Me and listen to this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time it came to be, I have been there.And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, accompanied by His Spirit.” Notice the three distinct Persons: 1. “The Lord GOD” (Hebrew: Yahweh Adonai) – the Sender. 2. “Me” – the One sent and already present “from the beginning.” 3. “His Spirit” – sent alongside to empower and authenticate. Unpacking the Verse • “Come near” – An invitation from the Speaker (“Me”) to hear divine counsel. • “From the beginning… I have been there” – Claims eternal presence, a divine attribute (cf. Micah 5:2; John 1:1–2). • “The Lord GOD has sent Me” – Distinguishes the Speaker from the Sender, while affirming both are Yahweh. • “accompanied by His Spirit” – Introduces a third divine Person sharing the mission. Three Divine Persons on One Mission • The Father (Lord GOD) initiates the plan. • The Son (“Me”) is commissioned to execute it. • The Holy Spirit empowers and authenticates the work. Together they orchestrate Israel’s release from Babylon and foreshadow the greater redemption in Christ. Old Testament Echoes • Genesis 1:1–2 – God speaks creation; the Spirit “hovers” over the waters. • Isaiah 42:1 – “Here is My Servant… I will put My Spirit upon Him.” • Isaiah 61:1 – “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news.” These passages show a consistent pattern: the Father sends, the Servant speaks/acts, the Spirit empowers. New Testament Fulfillment • Matthew 3:16–17 – At Jesus’ baptism the Father speaks, the Son is baptized, the Spirit descends. • John 3:34 – Jesus “speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.” • Acts 10:38 – “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.” Isaiah 48:16 anticipates these scenes by centuries, revealing the same tri-personal action. The Trinity’s Unified Plan for Redemption 1. Revelation – Father speaks through the Son by the Spirit (Hebrews 1:1–2; 1 Peter 1:10–12). 2. Incarnation – Father sends the Son (Galatians 4:4–6); Spirit overshadows Mary (Luke 1:35). 3. Atonement – Son offers Himself to the Father “through the eternal Spirit” (Hebrews 9:14). 4. Evangelism – Father draws, Son commissions, Spirit convicts (John 6:44; 20:21–22; 16:8). 5. Sanctification – Father chooses, Son cleanses, Spirit indwells (Ephesians 1:3–14; 2 Corinthians 13:14). Living in Light of This Truth • Confidence – Our salvation rests on the coordinated work of all three Persons of the Godhead. • Clarity – The Old Testament already reveals a plurality within the one true God; the New Testament confirms it. • Communion – We are invited to relate to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). |
    |