Isa_43
God is NOT through with the nation Israel…
Isaiah 43:1-4
Isaiah 43:1-7 (ESV) – Retrospect – Creation, redemption, preservation of Israel
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.
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.
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.
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,
7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Paul states the principle that God has not thrown away his people or will he do so.
Romans 11:1 (ESV)
1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
V.1-7 – God directs the nation of Israel. He speaks of their origin and the crookedness of Jacob. He redeems them from Egypt. They belong to Him because of creation and because of redemption.
Quote Ray Orland:
This is a promise which specifically applies to Israel and the manner in which God delivered them in the past, for example, when they crossed the Red Sea and the Jordan River.
It also has a marvelous spiritual application for all of God’s children in all times. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.” Sometimes in my experience I get into what I could call “deep water” when I can’t touch bottom. But I have the assurance that God is going through the experience with me. I think I’m going to drown, but He has promised, “they shall not overflow thee,” and He intervenes and delivers me.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee [Isa. 43:3].
He does not lower His high standard in salvation. How could God give Egypt and Ethiopia ransom for Israel? The answer is simple. God says in effect, “I used these nations to discipline you. I gave them, that is, I permitted them to treat you as they did, and now I will judge them.”
In Proverbs 21:18 we read, “The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.” Have you ever wondered why God permitted the enemy to cross your path and cause you all the trouble he did? He did it in order to bring you into line and in order to develop you spiritually. God gave him for your deliverance. Proverbs 11:8 says, “The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.” God has let several people really mistreat me, and I talked to Him about it. I thought God was treating me wrong, but I noticed that the Lord paddled these individuals, and I must confess that I was rather satisfied about it. The Lord used these people to straighten things out in my life, and then He straightened them out.[1]
Isaiah 43:8-13 (ESV) – Gods plan for His people!
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.
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.
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?”
To regather the nation Israel and they will hear the word of the LORD.
V.11 – there is no other savior.
V.13 – …”there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?” (ESV)
V.14 (KJV) 13 Yea, [before the day/] was I am he; and there is none, that can deliver [out of my hand:/,] I will work, and who, shall let, it?
The word let in this verse means to hinder (undo). No person or creature can slip out of the hand of God or escape out of His reach. HOWEVER, the word “Let” is found in the kjv can be hard to understand the true meaning of the Hebrew word H7725. However, in the ESV it is translated “turn it back” (ESV). Some others translate: “reverse it” (NKJV) & (NASB) “undo” (NLT)…
KJV: Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let (H7725) it? [Isa. 43:13] KJV –
This version uses “who shall let” for the Hebrew H7725 that have the sense of “to undo”. We use “let” to mean existing or allow to happen or somebody to do something.
KJ4313
Isaiah 43:13 (ESV)
13 Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it (H7725) to UnDo back?” In the ESV they translate H7725 as “turn it back” which we would understand as “to undo” something.
ESV4313
S 7725. שׁוּב shûwb, shoob; a prim. root; to turn back (hence, away) trans. or intrans., lit. or fig. (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); gen. to retreat; often adv. again:—([break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep]) × again, (cause to) answer (+ again), × in any case (wise), × at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call [to mind], carry again (back), cease, × certainly, come again (back) × consider, + continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back, fetch home again, × fro, get [oneself] (back) again, × give (again), go again (back, home), [go] out, hinder, let, [see] more, × needs, be past, × pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, + say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, × surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.
Isa. 43:13 ESV: Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand (H3027)
“the hand” – (Power) (H3027) – His plan, protection, and purpose.
ISA4313esv
H 3027. יָד yâd, yawd; a prim. word; a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adv., etc.) in a great variety of applications, both lit. and fig., both proximate and remote [as follow]:—(+ be) able, × about, + armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, × bounty, × broad, [broken-] handed, × by, charge, coast, + consecrate, + creditor, custody, debt, dominion, × enough, + fellowship, force, × from, hand [-staves, -y work], × he, himself, × in, labour, + large, ledge, [left-] handed, means, × mine, ministry, near, × of, × order, ordinance, × our, parts, pain, power, × presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, × thee, × by them, × themselves, × thine own, × thou, through, × throwing, + thumb, times, × to, × under, × us, × wait on, [way-] side, where, + wide, × with (him, me, you), work, + yield, × yourselves.[2]
Isaiah 43:14-24 (ESV)
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.”
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:
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.
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.
V.14-15 – the ultimate destruction of Babylon is foretold.
V.16-17 – God makes the way in the sea, a path…
V.18 – The former things – consider the things of old….
V.19-24 – His argument of all things done and their closed eyes…
Isaiah 43:25-28
25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
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.
V.25-28 – because of their transgressions he will deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling (H421) (taunt).
H1421 – giddûphâh, ghid-doo-faw´; from 1422; vilification:—reproach, reviling.[3]
“Reviling” – to make a fierce or abusive verbal attack on somebody or something – to use insulting or abusive language – to hate and criticize someone or something very much (Bing Dictonary)
[1] McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Prophets (Isaiah 36-66) (electronic ed., Vol. 23, pp. 60–61). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Vol. 2, p. 47). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[3] Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Vol. 2, p. 25). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.