Isaiah 43
43
1But now this is what the Lord says to Jacob, the one who created you; to Israel, the one who formed you: “Don't be afraid! I have saved you! I have called you by name; you are mine! 2When you walk through the water, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they won't flood over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you on fire. 3For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt to pay for your freedom; I traded Ethiopia and Seba for you. 4Because you are so valuable to me, because I honor you, and because I love you, I give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your lives.
5Don't be afraid, for I am with you! I will bring you and your children from the east and the west, and gather you together. 6I will tell the north, ‘Hand them over!’ and the south, ‘Don't stop them!’ Bring my sons back from far away and my daughters from distant lands. 7Bring back everyone who bears my name, those I created for my honor, those I formed and made.
8Bring back those who have eyes but are blind, those who have ears but are deaf. 9Have all the nations gather together! Have all the peoples assemble! Who among them could have said this, and predict what was going to happen? Have them bring their witnesses to prove that they're right. Then have them listen, and say, ‘It's true!’#43:9. This refers back to the previous chapter and the inability of the idols to predict the future, as God has just done. Clearly nobody could meet God's challenge.
10However, you are my witnesses, the Lord declares, and my chosen servant, so that you can think about it, and believe me and understand that I am God.#43:10. “I am God”: literally, “I am he.” Also in verse 25. No god preceded me, and none will come after me. 11I, yes I am the Lord, and there is no Savior apart from me. 12I predicted what was going to happen, then I saved you, then I announced it—there was no foreign god among you that did this. You are my witnesses that I am God, declares the Lord. 13I am God from the beginning.#43:13. “I am God from the beginning”: literally, “Before the day was I am he.” No one can snatch anybody from my hand. No one can reverse what I do.
14This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sake I will send attackers against Babylon and bring them down. All the Babylonians will be like fugitives, escaping in the ships they're so proud of.#43:14. The Hebrew of the last part of this verse is obscure. 15I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King. 16This is what the Lord says, the one who makes a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters; 17the one who brought out a great army with its horses and chariots and laid them down, never to rise again, snuffed out like a burning wick.
18But don't dwell on the past; don't concentrate on what happened back then. 19Just look at something new I'm going to do now! In fact it's started already. Can't you see it? Yes, I'm making a way through the wilderness, rivers in the desert! 20The wild animals will be grateful to me—the jackals and the owls—because I'm providing water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, so my people, my chosen people, can drink. 21I made this people for myself so that through their praise for me they could make me known.
22But you haven't called on me for help, Jacob. You've grown tired of me, Israel. 23You haven't brought me sheep for burnt offerings; you haven't honored me with your sacrifices. I haven't burdened you by asking for grain offerings; I haven't tired you out by demanding incense. 24You haven't used your money to buy scented calamus;#43:24. “Calamus”: a sweet-smelling plant used in perfumes and ancient medicines. you have not pleased me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead you have burdened me with your sins, and tired me out with your guilt. 25I, yes I am the God who wipes out your sins because of who I am, and who doesn't remember your sins any more. 26Remind me of the evidence so we can come to a decision together! Present your case to prove that you're right! 27Your very first father sinned, and your leaders rebelled against me. 28So I treated the priests of the sanctuary with contempt, and I handed Jacob over to be destroyed, and Israel to be scorned.”
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 43
43
Israel’s Only Savior
1But now thus says the Lord,
# ch. 44:2, 21, 24 he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
# ch. 41:14 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
# ch. 45:3, 4; [Gen. 32:28] I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 #
Ps. 66:12 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
#
Ps. 66:12 when you walk through fire #ch. 42:25; [Dan. 3:25, 27]you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3For #See Ex. 20:2 I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
# [ch. 45:14; 52:3, 4] I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and #Ps. 72:10Seba in exchange for you.
4Because 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.
5 # ch. 41:10, 13, 14; 44:2; Jer. 30:10, 11 Fear not, for I am with you;
# ch. 49:12; [ch. 60:8, 9; Ps. 107:3] I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring #[2 Cor. 6:18]my sons from afar
and #[2 Cor. 6:18]my daughters from the end of the earth,
7everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8Bring out #ch. 42:19the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 # ch. 41:1, 21, 22 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.
10 # ver. 12; ch. 44:8 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and #ch. 42:1 my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
# See ch. 41:4 Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 # ch. 45:21; Hos. 13:4 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and #[See ver. 10 above]you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
13Also #ch. 41:4; Ps. 90:2; [John 8:58]henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”
14Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
# [ver. 4] “For your sake I send to Babylon
and #[ch. 47:1] bring them all down as fugitives,
# ch. 23:13 even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16Thus says the Lord,
# ch. 51:10; Ex. 14:21, 22; Ps. 77:19 who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17who #See Ex. 14:4-9 brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
# [Ps. 76:5, 6] they are extinguished, #ch. 1:31; [Ps. 118:12]quenched like a wick:
18 # [Jer. 16:14; 23:7] “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 # [ch. 42:9; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 21:5] Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
# ch. 35:8 I will make a way in the wilderness
# ch. 41:18; 48:21 and rivers in the desert.
20The wild beasts will honor me,
# See ch. 13:22 the jackals and the ostriches,
# [ch. 49:10] for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21the people whom I formed for myself
#
Ps. 79:13; [Ps. 22:3; 105:1; Luke 1:74, 75; 1 Pet. 2:9] that they might declare my praise.
22“Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but #Mic. 6:3you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 # [Amos 5:25] You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
# [See ver. 22 above] or wearied you with frankincense.
24You 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.
25“I, I am he
# ch. 44:22; [Ezek. 36:25, 26] who blots out #[ch. 46:8]your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
26Put me in remembrance; #ch. 1:18let us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 # [Ezek. 16:3] Your first father sinned,
and #[Jer. 5:31]your mediators transgressed against me.
28Therefore #Lam. 2:2 I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
and #[Jer. 24:9; 29:22]deliver Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.
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