What is the meaning of Isaiah 48:22? There is no peace - God’s statement is absolute. Peace—shalom—means wholeness, rest, security, and well-being. By declaring its absence, the Lord strips away every illusion of safety apart from Him. - Isaiah makes the same point again in Isaiah 57:21, “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” The repetition within the same prophetic book shows how central the warning is. - Jeremiah exposed false prophets who cried, “Peace, peace,” when there was no peace (Jeremiah 6:14). Superficial comfort cannot quiet a conscience under guilt. - Romans 3:17 echoes Isaiah: “the way of peace they have not known.” The New Testament confirms that unrest continues wherever sin reigns. - Personal application: any sense of calm that ignores God’s righteousness is temporary and deceptive. Lasting peace begins only when sin is forgiven and fellowship with God is restored (John 16:33). says the LORD - The authority behind the declaration is the covenant-keeping God Himself, the One who “declares the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10). His words are final and unchanging (Numbers 23:19). - Because the Lord speaks, the warning is not mere religious opinion; it is reality. To doubt it is to argue with the Creator whose counsel stands forever (Psalm 33:11). - The phrase underscores His personal involvement. The Lord is not distant; He addresses His people directly, holding them accountable while offering mercy to the repentant (Isaiah 55:6-7). - Believers can trust that every promise of peace in Christ is just as sure, for the same Lord who warns also invites (Matthew 11:28-29). for the wicked - “Wicked” describes those who persist in rebellion, rejecting God’s ways. Psalm 1:4–6 contrasts them with the righteous, noting that they are like chaff and will not stand in the judgment. - Proverbs 13:15 observes, “The way of the treacherous is hard,” illustrating that the lack of peace is experienced both now—in restless hearts, broken relationships, fear of death—and eternally, in separation from God (2 Thessalonians 1:9). - Yet the term does not leave anyone without hope. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 reminds us that many who were once “wicked” have been washed, sanctified, and justified in Jesus’ name. - The verse therefore calls every hearer to examine his or her standing before God. Peace is withheld only as long as one remains in wickedness; it is granted the moment a person turns to the Savior (Acts 3:19). summary Isaiah 48:22 delivers a sobering but graciously clear message. Real peace is absent wherever sin rules, because the Lord—whose word is final—has decreed it so. The unrest promised to the wicked is both a present consequence and a future judgment, yet it doubles as an invitation: forsake wickedness, come to Christ, and receive the true peace that God freely gives to all who believe. |
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