seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Isaiah 43:1 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.
2 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.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.
4 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.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children 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 hold 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 created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
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.
2 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.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.
4 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.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children 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 hold 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 created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
9 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.”
10 “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.
11 I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 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.
13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”
who have ears but are deaf.
9 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.”
10 “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.
11 I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 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.
13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”
14 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,[b]
in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator, your King.”
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,[b]
in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator, your King.”
16 This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 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:
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 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.
20 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,
21 the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 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:
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 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.
20 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,
21 the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.
22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
you have not wearied yourselves for[c] me, Israel.
23 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.
24 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.
you have not wearied yourselves for[c] me, Israel.
23 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.
24 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.
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.
26 Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;
state the case for your innocence.
27 Your first father sinned;
those I sent to teach you rebelled against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
I consigned Jacob to destruction[d]
and Israel to scorn.
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.
26 Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;
state the case for your innocence.
27 Your first father sinned;
those I sent to teach you rebelled against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
I consigned Jacob to destruction[d]
and Israel to scorn.
a. Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
b. Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
c. Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
d. Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them
Well, I can't tell if this is Isaiah delivering God's message or if it's Isaiah delivering Jesus' message. They're the same but different. So I went to Bible-studys.org for that take on the subject.
In spite of Israel’s deliberate rejection of the lord as her rightful king, God reassures them, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee.” The theme of redemption appears 22 times in the Servant passages of the Book of Isaiah.
It indicates a redemption from physical and spiritual bondage as well as the eschatological redemption yet to come. In addition to redeeming Israel, God also announces that “all the nations” (Gentiles), will be gathered to Him for salvation.
Isaiah here combines the titles “redeemer” and “Holy One of Israel” as the One who shall overthrow “Babylon … and the Chaldeans.” He predicts that God will judge Babylon after using them to judge Israel. God announces that He will profane “the sanctuary” (temple).
The use of the imperfect verb construction throughout much of the section clearly indicates that the curse of the Captivity and their subsequent deliverance was yet future at the time of Isaiah’s writing.
This is from the easy English site.In Israel’s culture, to call someone by name was more than a convenient method to refer to that person. It meant to establish a close relationship with them. So God can say, ‘You are mine.’ His people belong to him by covenant.
The Lord is still able to save his people from dangerous situations. Centuries before, he helped them ‘to cross deep waters’ (the Red Sea; see Exodus chapter 14). And he helped them across a full river (the river called Jordan, when it was in flood; see Joshua chapter 3).
· All the people needed to do was to accept the benefits that the Lord’s actions gave to them.
· God created all things. So God can control all things. His people can have confidence in that fact.
· Punishment is the result when people do not obey God. The punishment will seem like the action of fire (see Isaiah 33:11-14). But such severe punishment will be fair. It will not harm God’s people.
· Actual fire may also threaten God’s people because they remain loyal to the Lord. But the Lord can even protect them from this kind of fire (see Daniel 3:25-27)
So when I was reading these verses.... I highlighted a couple of verses that seemed to call out to me. And then I went to more commentaries. This is about verse 4 from studylight.org.Since thou wast precious in my sight - This verse contains another reason why God would defend and deliver them. That reason was, that he had loved them as his people; and he was willing, therefore, that other people should be overcome in order that they might be saved.
Thou hast been honorable - This does not refer so much to their personal character, as to the fact that they had been honored by him with being the depository of the precious truths of his religion. It means that he had made them honorable by the favors bestowed on them; not that they were honorable in reference to their own personal character and worth.
Therefore will I give men for thee - As in the case of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba Isaiah 43:3. He would cause other nations to be destroyed, if it were necessary, in order to effect their deliverance, and to restore them to their own land. We learn here:
1. That nations and armies are in the hand of God, and at his disposal.
2. That his people are dear to his heart, and that it is his purpose to defend them.
3. That the revolutions among nations, the rise of one empire, and the fall of another, are often in order to promote the welfare of his church, to defend it in danger, and deliver it in time of calamity.
4. That his people should put the utmost confidence in God as being able to defend them, and as having formed a purpose to preserve and save them.
So... the way I read this.... God originally picked Abraham's family to focus on..... but like Ruth and Naomi.... there were times when people from other nations got intertwined in the family. In addition, there were times when God had to use people who were not from the tribes of Abraham to bring the tribes back into line.... like when Joseph was sold to the slave trader and Egypt got involved.... then God used Pharaoh to accomplish His goal. I'm sure that as clear as mud....
I went back to studylight.org concerning verse 24.
Neither hast thou filled me - Margin, ‹Made me drunk,‘ or ‹abundantly moistened.‘ The word used here (רוה râvâh ), means properly “to drink to the full, to be satisfied, sated with drink.” It is applied to water which is drank, or to fat which is sucked in or drank rather than eaten Psalm 36:9; or to a sword as drinking up blood. Here it means to satiate, or to satisfy. They had not offered the fat of sacrifices so as to satiate God. Probably this passage does not mean that the Jews had wholly neglected the public worship of God; they had not worshipped him with a proper spirit, and had thus served him with their sins, and wearied him with their transgressions. It is true, also, that while they were abundant in external rites and ceremonies, they frequently made oblations to idols, rather than to the true God. Perhaps, therefore, an emphasis is to be placed on the word ‹me‘ in this passage, meaning, that however diligent and regular they had been in the performance of the external rites and duties of religion, yet that God had been neglected.
Working.... getting that lawn right.... selecting the right player for that fantasy team..... dressing the part..... paying the bills..... rehearsing that song just to get it perfect so all the people will hear every note..... making out that proper check for the tithe [while wishing a cube or online payment plan was available to make this more convenient].... not loosing cool when that favorite parking space at church is not available..... holding the tongue when seeing how one of the people is not properly attired for "church"..... carrying the perfect leather bound thumper ........ those are the things that are important to humans.... not God... not worship.But if humans get a bad diagnosis.... or they find themselves in a jam.... or humans want to complain about their neighbor..... God is the one stop shop of miracles.... God's only convenient..... like an online payment plan with a special events bonus.
I think what this is saying is..... God wanted the family of Abraham to be His.... but the humans cared about humans from other regions.... So God dealt with it.... God became inclusive..... the humans figured out where the line was between worshiping and just showing up.... and they barely stayed on the right side of that line..... until they wanted something.....
God says "you're worrying me". Humans were supposed to be a source of pleasure. Eden was for humans.... and God had to run them out of Eden. God says "you're worrying me".
