48:20
So Israel had taken many wrong turnings, God has highlighted these, both in words and most serious actions, but His purpose is that they repent and receive the eternal life that was always intended for them. So now they are to prepare to flee from Babylon. They had been sent there for a time, it was a judgement upon them, but now the time to leave had come. Their place of punishment was not their home. This instruction to leave is to be announced with great joy. And the message is to go out to all the earth, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob”. The world will see the salvation of Israel. Likewise, the church in the West is in an absolute mess at present, but a time will come when it is redeemed.
48:21
They would have wondered “how can we possibly get out of Babylon”, “how can we flee from there?”. God reminds them that in the past He had taken Israel out of Egypt. This involved leading them through the desert, but even there He supplied them with water, and did so by making water flow from the rock. God is able to lead us out of situations in which we feel trapped.
48:22
“There is no peace for the wicked”. Who is this addressed to? The Israelites or the Babylonians? In either case it is true. Israel repeatedly looked in all the wrong places for help, and did not find it. Babylon thought she was ruling the world, as have many dictators ever since, and she was about to find out that she did not.
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