Isaiah 43
Notes
Transcript
Israel’s Only Savior...
Israel’s Only Savior...
Welcome
Prayer
Background
1 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
These words provide some hope, hope in the midst of the negative news we talked about last week in verses 18 to 25.
And this opening phrase “But now”… alerts us to a major contrast between the terrible time of judgement and the future care God will extend to His people.
And who saying this? It is the Lord who is telling this, just so everyone knows why this coming message can be counted as true.
The nation depends upon God, but just because they are God’s people doesn’t mean they will not face evil people. All of us face opposition at times, but the difference is that God is always with them, and with us.
So Isaiah says, he who created and formed you O Jacob. They are his, He created, formed and shaped through the divine act of His creative power.
And God says Fear not… For I have redeemed you. He brought them up out of Egypt, and entered into a covenant relationship with them at My Sinai.
He called them and named them, the children of Israel. They were a holy nation and they were His. They were set apart for himself.
God says this of them in Exodus 19:6
6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Verse 2 Isa 43:2
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
How do people know that God will continue to do these things to them?
The invasions of enemies, the trouble these nations caused may have seemed overwhelming in the past, so listen to what God says...
God uses three examples of destructoin. Waters, rivers and fire…
Passing through the waters and through the rivers seem to indicate perhaps the issue of flooding. Floods can take lives and destroy homes and cities. And here in the midst of this, God says He will be with them… It will not destroy them.
The reference to fire might be a reference to the military issues they have faced, the cities who were burned and using the imagery God wanted them to act by faith and trust him, he has proven his ability to take care of his people regardless of the situation they faced.
Verses3-4 Isa 43:3-4
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
God can make these type of promises to His people Israel. Why? Because he is their God, YHWH.
He has established a Holy Covenant with his people, and promises to give the other nations as a ransom in order to redeem his people.
God can and will work to guarantee the future of His people.
It is beautiful to see that God values His people. He says there in verse 4, You are precious in my eyes and honored and I love you.
To hear those words, gives Israel confidence, He would again treat them with love after their time of chastisement is over namely the 70 years in captivity.
Verses 5-6 Isa 43:5-6
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
Again, God speaks to them again in these encouraging words, telling them or reminding them they do not have to fear, He (who is their God and protector) is with them.
There is something wonderful even today to know that He is with us, He is not distant or cut off from them. He is right by their side.
God says that He will bring their people home from the four corners of the earth. He can do this, he is all powerful and able.. The question might be this: do you believe God is all powerful??
You see If God can bring them back after their captivity, then in a future day they will return from the 4 corners of the earth.
Verse 7 Isa 43:7
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
Now this seems to point out that those who are His sons and daughters. These are the ones who will return.. These sons and daughters are the ones who are the covenant faithful, they bring honor and glory to the Lord their God and He is pleased with them.
Verses 8-9 Isa 43:8-9
8 Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 All the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, It is true.
God is calling those who were disobedient, the blind, but have eyes and are deaf but have ears to come forward, to be gathered.
You see when God calls for his disobedient servant Israel to come forward, he is calling them to give their testimony. But their words prove they are not able to understand God’s true nature or to ever believe in God.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, they still have eyes and ears, they could pay attention and turn back to God.
All the nations are gathered, who can speak about those former gods that the people worshipped. But there is none who can testify to the greatness or power of these false gods, they are just wood and stone.
Verse 10 Isa 43:10
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
You are my witnesses declares the Lord. Who? God’s people are His witnesses to just who He is… His divine reality.
There are no divine beings that the craftsman have created.. just dead idols.
YHWH is the covenant God, He alone is the Savior, Deliver from their enemies. He is the one true covenant God and the children of Israel can bear witness to the mighty works of God.
Think about how God has acted on their behalf. He delivered them from Egypt, fought for them in many battles, gave them a land to exist upon and forgives their sin. What more could you say about their God.
Verses 11-13 Isa 43:11-13
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
13 Also henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”
There is no one like Him. Can we testify to that? Yes! God say I, I am the Lord.
He is speaking very emphatically here, I alone am God. There is no one else. and certainly no one who Saves.
To drive this point home further, God declared he is the one who demonstrated his power and faithfulness, and saved his people.
God says He proclaimed, causing them to hear. He is reminding them that there where no pagan gods to proclaimed and saved their people.
They, Israel were first hand witnesses to these actions.
He had demonstrated his divine sovereignty from the ancient days past when He created the heavens and the earth.
And I love that God says, no one can take us our or deliver us from His hand. That could be a two sided claim, the wicked will be punished and no one can stop his judgment and no one can pull Israel away from Him.
He is a work and no one can change it.
Verses 14-15 Isa 43:14-15
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and bring them all down as fugitives,
even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
The conclusion of this section is a fresh word from God and it is proclaimed this with “This is what the Lord says...”
He declares that He is the Holy One of Israel, he is their redeemer, He works to save them.
For their sake, he crushes Babylon, and see Babylon fall in the future is proof of His divine ability and power.
Cyrus of the Medo Persian kingdom will defeat Babylon in 539bc.
God has declared this before and told Isaiah the prophet has preached this earlier in his ministry that Babylon stood judged and would fall.
I love the ending of verse 15… I am the Lord, Your Holy One and the creator but above all this He is king.
Amen.
Verses 16-17 Isa 43:16-17
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
There is a new thought here and it is still God speaking.
Isaiah introduces God by reminding us of His great power. His guidance of his people through the Red Sea, and his defeat of the mighty armies of Egypt
Egypt chased after God’s people, Pharoah could not stand to see them go, they were good slaves.
Soldiers, chariots and horse, the warriors of the army, but they have been drowned, extinguished like putting ca candle out.
Verses 18-21 Isaiah 43:18-21
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild beasts will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.
Here is just a beautiful thought my friends....
This is a proclamation of His Salvation. IN the future he will do a new thing and it will far surpass the what anyone has seen God do in the past.
It will spring up suddenly just like plants coming forth in the desert as water comes to the land.
In the deserts being transformed, it is a new thing, Just as God could provide water in the desert so he provides spiritual water for the people.
God will care for his people by preparing the way for them, literally going before them.
Go back to the children of Israel as God led them through the desert, He prepared the way perfectly for them.
And the Lord says at the people who are His will praise his name. They will declare it/.
Here is a question: What can you declare praise to God for?
Now we come to the last section, verses 22 to 28
So lets look at verses 22-24 Isa 43:22-24
22 “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
God is making a straight forward accusation against His chosen people. They as a people had not worshipped Him
He tells them You did not call upon me.. They didn’t assemble and worship as they should have… this isn’t just a matter of sacrifices.
Sacrifices can be empty automatic practices with no heart behind it. God would rather have obedience over sacrifice.
They lacked a personal covenant relationship with the Lord.
They burdened him with sins, and wearied me with their iniquities. And their heart was not there as they offered what I would call empty sacrifices and offerings with no heart behind it
Verse 25 Isa 43 :25
25 “I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
Now suddenly the attention turns from the Israelites to what God wants to do about the situation. God declares to his wayward children that is is not the sacrifice but he himself who wants to wipe out their sins.
The forgiveness of sin is the prerequisite for worship and fellowship with God. Listen to Isa 59, verses 1-2
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2 but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
So.........
God freely offers atonement for sin for those who confess and turn from their sin and be forgiven. Only then would God not be burdened by their sins, but could forgive them and bury them in the deepest sea.
18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
Verse 26 Isa 43:26
26 Put me in remembrance; let us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
The problem, they had not confessed their sins, and received forgiveness. Israel was stubborn in the sin and meaningless ritual.
Can we be guilty of this?
Would they turn from their sin and turn back to God??
Verses 27-28 Isa 43:27-28
27 Your first father sinned,
and your mediators transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
and deliver Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.
You father sinned.. not sure if God is referring to Abraham, Isaac or Jacob here… The rebellious spokesperson, not sure if that is a wicked priest, a false prophet or a evil king. We are not sure, what we are sure about is that this rebellious spokesperson who led the people astray.
God would completely blot out their sin if they would turn from sin and to Him, and seek to stand in relationship with God.
And since the people made no effort to turn from their sin, their evil ways, God announces to profane or pollute meaning disgrace the leaders of the Temple. This will happen not right then, but in the future at some point.
If those priests are made guilty, they could no longer offer sacrifices to the Lord in the temple. And if they cannot offer sacrifices the temple will fall into a state where it cannot be used for worship.
What does it tell us, that unacceptable worship and forgivenss are life and death issues. Man must stand right before God, then and now.
Those who refuse to repent fall under God’s judgment and those who stand acceptable are right before God.
it is important that we stand rightly before God each day.