God"s final word that His people needed to hear was a word of warning (cf. Isaiah 57:21). For the wicked there is no peace (Heb. shalom, the fullness of divine blessing, cf. Isaiah 48:18). The wonderful promise just summarized ( Isaiah 48:20-21) was no guarantee that Israel would enjoy God"s richest blessing if she continued to practice wickedness. The wicked Babylonians would not enjoy His shalom, and neither would they. [source][source][source]
By way of application, God has similarly promised to build His church ( Matthew 16:18). But that is no excuse for Christians to conclude that because our election is secure, we can sin with impunity and disregard God"s commands. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Isaiah 48:17-22 - "a Light To The Gentiles"
The first division of this second part of Isaiah closes at Isaiah 48:22, with the phrase there is no peace to the wicked. The second division of part 2 closes with a similar phrase, Isaiah 57:21. The first division here ends with the proclamation for Israel to leave Babylon. They need never have gone there. If only they have been obedient in every particular theirs would have been the happy lot of Isaiah 48:18, as contrasted with Isaiah 48:22. But even under such circumstances, in captivity and as slaves of the Chaldeans the redeeming grace of God would triumph, Isaiah 48:20; Isaiah 49:5.
The second great division of Part 2 opens with Isaiah 49:1. In their first and immediate reference, these verses evidently apply to our Lord. See Acts 13:47, etc. In the mission of Jesus, the ideal of the Hebrew race was realized. As the white flower on the stalk He revealed the essential beauty and glory of the root, Isaiah 49:6. See Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:1-2; Matthew 2:14-15, etc.
There is a secondary sense, also, in which the Christian worker may appropriate many things in this glowing paragraph. Our mouth must be surrendered to God, that He may use it for His own high purposes. But do not dread the shadow of His hand. It is the quiver case in which He keeps His chosen arrows against the battle! [source]
Chapter Summary: Isaiah 48
1God, to convince the people of their foreknown obstinance, revealed his prophecies 9He saves them for his own sake 12He exhorts them to obedience, because of his power and providence 16He laments their backwardness 20He powerfully delivers his people out of Babylon
What do the individual words in Isaiah 48:22 mean?