Here is an excerpt from my new book
on Isaiah
Our Lord is surely interested in His
covenant people. The chapter 43 begins
with the Lord's claim to His people. He
claims them by creation. Of course all
of us are here as a result of His creation.
Here, however, He singles out a people calling them O Jacob or O
Israel. He further claims that He formed
him or them. He calls on His people to
fear not saying, "I have redeemed thee." How could He say that? All the sacrifices of the Old Testament were
types of the One Sacrifice Who would come in the person of Jesus Christ. Those sacrifices covered the sins of Israel, but
they waited for the sacrifice of Christ to make the needed atonement. God further claims His people by saying He
had called them by their name. It was
God Who gave to Jacob his new name, Israel. Finally He says, "Thou art mine."
In verses 2-7 the Lord declared His
care for His people. In verse 2 He
promises His presence through all the problems of life. Verses 3, 4 declare the love of God for His
people. Verses 5-7 tell of Israel's
restoration. This is not speaking of the
restoration from the Babylonian Captivity.
It is a restoration from the nations of the world, which must refer to
the coming restoration.
In verses 8-28 tells of His people
as witnesses. The call is made to bring
forth the spiritually blind and deaf that He might give them spiritual sight
and hearing :8. It is asked of all the
nations who of them could tell before hand things that would come to pass
:9. In verse 10 Israel is called His witnesses. They
witness to His being God, the only God :10, 11.
In verse 12 they are witnesses of His salvation.
God has a plan for His work. It takes men - not machinery. It takes soldiers - not barracks. It takes action - not wishful thinking.
God Uses a certain type person. He must be born again. He must be faithful to his duty. He will be an excited person.
In verse 13 they witness to His
eternality. Before there was a day, or
before there was creation He, God, existed.
Jeremiah tells us that eternity was God's habitation. He is all powerful.
In verses 14-17 they witness to His
sovereignty. Reference is made to God's
bringing down the princes of Babylon, which was,
of course, to release Israel
from the captivity. They witnessed the
Lord's declaration of his sovereignty in that He called Himself, the Holy One,
the Creator, and their King. They
witness His sovereignty in His omnipotence, One that could make His way in the
sea and in the mighty waters, One that could bring forth the horse and chariot
or instruments of war, and One that could bring forth His army and great power.
They were not to remember the former
things, but they were to take note that He would do a new thing. This new thing would spring forth, and He
would make a way in the wilderness and also rivers in the desert. What else could this new thing be but the
incarnation of Jesus Christ, when He would spring forth as a man Who is also
God? He is to be honored, and He is to
be praised.
God is gracious to His people in
spite of their sin :22-28. In verse 22 Israel is
rebuked for not calling on the Lord.
They had not honored Him with their sacrifices, but they had wearied the
Lord with their iniquities :23, 24. Yet
in His grace for His own sake he blotted out their transgressions :25, and He
would forget those sins.
In verse 26 He calls on them to
remind Him. This is not because He
forgets, but that His people are to plead His promises before Him. In verse 27 they are reminded of the sin of
Adam in which all participated, and He lays accusation at the feet of religious
leaders or teachers who themselves were guilty of sin. In verse 28 our Lord says He will profane His
ministers, the princes of the sanctuary.
He also says He will give Jacob to the curse and reproaches which she
has surely borne.
For
those who do not believe in the restoration of Israel, I would refer to Rom.
11:15. I with great delight anticipate
that “receiving” of them
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