Redemption of Israel and the calling of the Gentiles

Text

Isaiah 43:1–21 NKJV

1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; 6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth— 7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” 8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes, And the deaf who have ears. 9 Let all the nations be gathered together, And let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, And show us former things? Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.” 10 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior. 12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the Lord, “that I am God. 13 Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?” 14 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon, And bring them all down as fugitives— The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships. 15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King.” 16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, 17 Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick): 18 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. 20 The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. 21 This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.

Lesson

Recap

We finished looking at the reasons for Israel’s exile. It wasn’t that they got caught up in world events that were out of their control, but because of sin.

They would not walk in his ways. The solution would seem to be this:

If you pinheads will start walking in God’s ways, then he’ll start to bless you,.

That is true. Except it isn’t possible.

What is needed is redemption.

Sin and leprosy - sin as a power that we are unable to defeat. Sin twists everything.

Redemption

Fear not - God has redeemed you.

Just as you were incapable of deciding to leave Pharaoh, so you are incapable of amending your life and being better behaved. Your hearts are ensnared by a deadly disease.

But just as God delivered you from Egypt, so now God redeems you from sin and misery and death.

Redemption - the payment of the purchase price to free the slave.

The ransom price - Egypt, Ethiopia, Seba

Because Israel was precious in the sight of God.

The exodus as a type

The red sea; the fire, the rivers, Egypt destroyed that Israel might live

God’s love

Because they were precious.

They were his firstborn son. But they were not obedient. The last chapter ended with their obstinate disobedience and unfaithfulness.

All of the YOUs are singular. Collective, yes - but like the Servant the one single figure that represents all.

The True Israel, the True Servant - the obedient firstborn. The son in whom God is well pleased.

The calling of the Gentiles

Everyone who is called by my name.

And here the collective becomes the individual. Each individual.

Love that is generic and universal isn’t love.

I love mankind. It’s the individuals that I hate.” (Ricky Gervais)

Election is God’s love on individuals. It is an expression of how deeply God loves YOU. He knows you and calls you by name,.

But our salvation is never in understanding the mysteries of election. All of the mysteries of election are placed in Christ. We are not called to “be elect”. We are called to come to Christ.

He now calls every creature under heaven - to the powers that hold them in bondage (the north, the south, the nations that represent the power of the demons - of sin and misery and death. The power that holds all mankind enslaved)

But the good news calls - give them up.

That is the good news - the gospel, which is to be proclaimed to every creature under heaven.

Jesus has conquered sin and death and misery - and he has commanded the graves to open and his people to come forth.

The same power that created the world raised Jesus from the dead - and this is the same power that now calls humans everywhere to repent and believe that gospel.

And what happens when the grave gives up its dead?

John 5:25 NKJV

25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

Creation and Redemption

God created all of mankind for his glory. Each one, created and formed for the glory of God.

And that is what we are restored to.

to my glory -

A light reflects. There is the source of the light, the rays, and the reflection.

The “image” is the reflection of the rays. for my glory.

That is, we are restored to knowledge of who God is, and we reflect that knowledge.

Our creation was to reflect God’s wisdom, beauty, love, justice, honor to the world around us.

Every piece of music, every glass of water given, every kind word - all of it reflects God’s glory.

We are image-bearers of God, shining his dominion to the world.

And, of course, we failed. So the purpose of our redemption is to be restored to that image.

The “Creation” in verse 7 refers to the new creation.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;   Pure and spotless let us be; Let us see Thy great salvation   Perfectly restored in Thee; Changed from glory into glory   Till with Thee we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee,   Lost in wonder, love and praise.

Hear, you deaf. See, you blind.

So then -

The blind - who have eyes to see Jesus

The deaf - with ears to hear the call

Come.

This paradox- the deaf with ears, and the blind with eyes.

The dead will hear the voice of the Son.

The blind will see.

And those that hear and see will live.

John 9:39 NKJV

39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

Those who are proud of their sight remain blinded. Those who are wise don’t need wisdom.

The righteous don’t need righteousness.

And the freeman doesn’t need redemption.

But for the blind, the deaf, the sinner, the fool, the slave -

God calls you - hear, you deaf. See, you blind. Be wise, you fool.

Practically, as long as we believe that we have the strength to overcome our sinful nature, we will continue to become more and more ensnared by it.

But when we see our bondage, and we cry out for mercy - no one who has ever cried out for mercy was ever denied.

Because God delights in showing the whole universe that there is no other God, that there is no other redeemer, that there is no other savior.

That the gods of this world are incapable of delivering mankind from death and misery.

That the strength of men and the power of testosterone are poor gods to put your trust in.

That only God himself saves.

Overcoming obstacles

Since it is our creator who is our redeemer, there is n obstacle that can stop him from fulfilling his promises.

In fact, he delights to bring the armies right to the door, to show his people that he isn’t afraid of their threats.

He communicates his power in very real ways, which is terrifying some times. He brings us to the point where it appears as if no one can do anything now -

Jesus waited until Lazarus was dead.

God waited until Pharaoh’s army trapped Israel

God brought 10 nations against Israel in the book of Joshua -

And then he tore the enemies apart.

So also us - don’t lose hope when it appears as if all hope is lost.

God makes roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

So that his people will praise him.