Isaiah 48

Summary: When we lack authenticity, we deceive others and ourselves. Isaiah challenges his readers to look inward and ask who am I really? Not who I pretend to be, nor who I want to be - but who am I really? This is so they can realise who God is and why he deserves worship and obedience. What we need: To be true and genuine - to be committed and not changing. God laments that "Jacob" is dishonest and does not keep promises. God longs for his people to be consistent and to live out what they profess to be. They are deceiving everyone and themselves. God wants us to listen to his commands and respond consistently. If we live authentically and in line with God's word, we will have peace flowing like a gentle river, righteousness rolling over us like waves in the sea. Why we can't: Unwilling to be corrected. Easier to pretend than adjust (vs 4). Tell ourselves a different narrative - I had to do it this way. The narrative for those Isaiah writes to was to ignore God and just claim the idols are better. God speaks of the future to correct that belief and challenge their worldview. Easy to rationalise away God's word "I already knew that." Honesty comes when humility is present. We choose destructive habits that prevent us from being honest and living genuinely. Instead, they defaulted to traitorous acts. They betrayed God. Why Jesus can: Jesus never broke a promise. The hands that formed the heavens and formed humans from the dust of the ground - were the same hands that healed lepers and were nailed to the cross. Jesus had peace in the most difficult times because he was perfectly attuned to his Father. He was betrayed, he was not a traitor. He suffered but not to be refined - so that we would be refined. How do we live now: The only person God can’t save is the one you pretend to be. Obedience and authentic living come from the realisation of Jesus and to start being honest with ourselves. We will live authentically because He is authentic.