Israel’s Stubbornness
The LORD calls out the house of Jacob for swearing by His name and leaning on the holy city while lacking truth and righteousness. He reminds them that He declared former things long ago and then brought them to pass precisely because He knew their necks were iron and their foreheads bronze, unwilling to acknowledge His hand unless prevented from assigning credit to idols.
“1Listen to this, O house of Jacob, 2who indeed call yourselves after the holy city 3I foretold the former things long ago; 4For I knew that you are stubborn; 5Therefore I declared it to you long ago;
Having already shown the fulfillment of former things, the LORD now unveils new things hidden until the present moment so Israel cannot pretend prior knowledge. Their failure to hear and receive these revelations is not accidental but consistent with a long history of treachery, confirming that from the womb they have been known as rebellious and unfaithful.
6You have heard these things; look at them all. 7They are created now, and not long ago; 8You have never heard; you have never understood;
The LORD says He restrains His anger and does not cut Israel off because His own name and praise are at stake. He has refined them in the furnace of affliction, not to destroy them utterly but to purify them, and He insists that He will act for His own sake rather than allow His name to be profaned or His glory handed over to another.
9For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath; 10See, I have refined you, but not as silver; 11For My own sake, My very own sake, I will act;