Isaiah 43, You Are Mine

Israel has bounced back and forth, disobedient to God and then defeated and captured by other countries, then freed and then disobedient again. Judgment is coming. And then redemption.

Isaiah 43:1-2, Redemption

But now, this is what the LORD says—

    he who created you, Jacob,

    he who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

    I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

    they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

    you will not be burned;

    the flames will not set you ablaze.

Israel will be protected, even in floods or fire. Only YHWH, who identifies Himself as the creator of Jacob, is capable of doing this. 

Both water and fire are identified as potential enemies for Israel.

Isaiah 43:3-4, Still precious

For I am the LORD your God,

    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom,

    Cush and Seba in your stead.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

    and because I love you,

I will give people in exchange for you,

    nations in exchange for your life.

The passage, like much of this chapter, has echoes of the Exodus. (Verse 3 reminds us of Exodus 20:1-2, from the beginning of the Ten Commandments.) Egypt and its southern regions Cush and Seba are old enemies but here they are to be defeated.  

The people of Israel are still precious to God.

Isaiah 43:5-7, From east, west, north, south they return

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

    I will bring your children from the east

    and gather you from the west.

I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring my sons from afar

    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—

everyone who is called by my name,

    whom I created for my glory,

    whom I formed and made.”

From the four corners of the compass, YHWH will call back the people of Israel.

Isaiah 43:8-10, Israel witnesses to YHWH

Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,

    who have ears but are deaf.

All the nations gather together

    and the peoples assemble.

Which of their gods foretold this

    and proclaimed to us the former things?

Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,

    so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”

“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,

    “and my servant whom I have chosen,

so that you may know and believe me

    and understand that I am he.

Before me no god was formed,

    nor will there be one after me.

As the nations gather together, YHWH challenges Israel -- you alone are my witnesses and servants.

Isaiah 43:11-13, No other savior

I, even I, am the LORD,

    and apart from me there is no savior.

I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—

    I, and not some foreign god among you.

You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.

Yes, and from ancient days I am he.

No one can deliver out of my hand.

    When I act, who can reverse it?”

Again, Israel is reminded: There is only one savior, YHWH. He, and He alone, reveals, controls, saves.

Isaiah 43:14-15, To and from Babylon

This is what the LORD says—

    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“For your sake I will send to Babylon

    and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,

    in the ships in which they took pride.

I am the LORD, your Holy One,

    Israel’s Creator, your King.”

God is the personal redeemer of Israel, allowing them to go to Babylon and bringing Babylon down.

Isaiah 43:16-21, A new thing!

This is what the LORD says—

    he who made a way through the sea,

    a path through the mighty waters,

who drew out the chariots and horses,

    the army and reinforcements together,

and they lay there, never to rise again,

    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

“Forget the former things;

    do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

    and streams in the wasteland.

The wild animals honor me,

    the jackals and the owls,

because I provide water in the wilderness

    and streams in the wasteland,

to give drink to my people, my chosen,

the people I formed for myself

    that they may proclaim my praise.

Although it was God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, they are not to look back but forward, as God plans new things, including water in the desert for His people.

Isaiah 43:22-24, But Jacob has not worshiped

“Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,

    you have not wearied yourselves for me, Israel.

You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,

    nor honored me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with grain offerings

    nor wearied you with demands for incense.

You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,

    or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.

But you have burdened me with your sins

    and wearied me with your offenses.

“I, even I, am he who blots out

    your transgressions, for my own sake,

    and remembers your sins no more.

The people of Israel have not worshiped God. They have not done sacrifices or burned incense, while their sins build up. Grogan points out that this is a priestly teaching, contradicting some scholars who distinguish the messages of prophets like Isaiah and priests (like Ezra.)

Like numerous passages in Isaiah, the text alternates between condemnation and promise.

Isaiah 43:26-28, Come state your case

"Review the past for me,

    let us argue the matter together;

    state the case for your innocence.

Your first father sinned;

    those I sent to teach you rebelled against me.

So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;

    I consigned Jacob to destruction

    and Israel to scorn.

It is God Who blots out sin. He calls the descendants of Jacob to come to Him and converse, to be in relationship. It is probably Jacob who is described as the "first father" of Israel, who sinned (Grogan.)

The word translated "destruction" in verse 28 is the Hebrew word cherem, discussed in the study of Joshua. It implies something "full devoted to God", often by destruction. (See this blog post.)