Bible Studies

God's favor expressed

by Henry Jaegers
08/05/25
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Isaiah Chapter 43.

God's favor expressed

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 God's claim upon his people. Verses one through 4

 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine. When thou passaest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire. Thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Saba for thee, since thou wast precious in my sight. Thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee. Therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life. Because they are God's possession, He can stake His claim upon them. Certain phrases throughout these verses describe their privilege. I have created thee.

We did not evolve out of nothing. There was an invisible and eternal power at work behind our creation. Men need not rack their brains trying to decide how it all began. God has made it easy to understand, but without faith it's confusing, lack sufficient information to come to a logical conclusion.

 I have formed thee. He did more than put together a lump of meaningless clay. He formed us and designed us for a specific purpose. God was not playing games in the formation of man. He was carefully and craftily put together.

Consider how wonderfully the human body and all of its intricate parts so wonderfully harmonized with each other.

 I have redeemed thee. Although I was perfectly formed, I was also given a mind and the freedom to make choices. When man made the wrong choice, God did not immediately destroy him because he destroyed himself.

He made it possible for a fallen man, due to his rebellion, to be restored and made whole. That is what it means to be redeemed. Satan once owned us, but God provided a price in order to buy us back to Himself. While in our flesh we are physically the sons of Adam, but through the redemption that God has provided, we have now become the sons of God and He has become our heavenly Father. Hallelujah, what a savior he is.

 I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine, and I give unto Him eternal life.

We are in God's hands, and no one can separate us from him because He holds us firm. John 10 verse 28 and 29. And because of this, he makes these promises to them. When thou passaest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

All of these have been demonstrated so clearly in their deliverance from Egypt and while being led by Moses through difficult terrain and threatening circumstances. And God is yet going to do this as they are released from their present captivity. And even after all of this, consider what more he shall do.

 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Saba for thee, since thou wast precious in my sight. Thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee. Therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

 When God said that He had given Egypt, Ethiopia, and Selah as a ransom for Israel, what did this mean?

First consider the words, For I am the Lord, thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. It tells us who is really in charge of Israel's circumstances. These heathen nations were mere puppets in the hands of the Almighty.

 Instead of the nations taking God's people in captivity and being able to choose what they will do with them, it is God who is the final arbitrator.

They will become the bartering tool in the hands of God. When things are finally turned right side up, they will become the servants of God's chosen ones,

 The call or deliverance. Verses 5 through 8

Fear not, for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the West. I will say to the north give up, and to the South keep not back. Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even everyone that is called by my name. For I have created him. For my glory I have formed him. Yeah, I have made him bring forth the blind people that have eyes and the deaf that have ears in the midst of their captivity.

There is no need to panic or to be dismayed because the God of peace is in control. Consider these opening words.

 Fear not, for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the West. Although they are scattered far from each other, it will not be forever. God promises to bring them back and they will be one fold.

 They can still pray for help and protection for their scattered brethren. And As for the Christians, the God of peace is still available to help them in their time of dispersion.

Finally, consider how God calls forth the captors of God's people and tells them it is time to release their prisoners.

Introducing the True Witnesses of Jehovah, verses 9 through 13.

 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this and shew us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses that they may be justified, or let them hear and say it is truth. Ye are my witnesses. Saith the Lord and my servant whom I have chosen, that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I even I am the Lord, and beside me there is no Savior. I have declared and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange God among you. Therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord that I am God. Yeah, 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?

There are many voices in our world who take it upon themselves to be the arbitrators of truth. They are human agencies, equipped with natural abilities and claim superior understanding. But consider these opening words. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled.

Who among them can declare this and shew us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified, or let them hear and say it is truth.

 There is great boasting about their ability to declare the truth, but God says, let them bring forth substantial evidence. Any evidence they bring forth will fail in the face of true righteousness and judgment because it is not of God it will fail. Now God is about to declare who His true witnesses are. They are the chosen of God, and the message that they have to declare is truth as God declares it to be. Consider the true witness that God has prepared.

Ye are my witnesses. Set the Lord and my servant whom I have chosen, that ye may know and believe me and understand that I am He and there is none before me. There was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Now what do these verses tell us about these witnesses?

First, as a fact, they are among the captives of Babylon, the captive Jews. Who would have thought?

Next, they are called God's , servants. This speaks of their privilege and responsibility as Jesus the Messiah is the true witness to the world. In like manner, these children of Israel are to be in their land of captivity.

 Finally, what is to be their purpose?

 That ye may know and believe me and understand that I am He and none is before me. There was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Throughout we find God reminding His servants, Behold, I am the Lord. In times past it seems that they needed to be reminded of this often, but now things are about to change. The promise is that they shall go forth in full confidence with the message, of which they are now fully convinced that God is the Lord and there is none other. These are the true witnesses of Jehovah, and they are bent on sharing his glory to the world wherever God has placed them.

 A reason to persevere. Verses 14 through 17.

 Thus set the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, for your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the Lord, which makes  away in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power. They shall lie down together, they shall not rise. They are extinct, They are quenched as tow.

 There is no doubt that the Babylonians are a formidable army, but unknown to them is one greater than their kings and nobles. They are in control by the permissive will of God. But there is a message of encouragement to those awaiting God's deliverance. Consider these opening words.

Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. For your sake. I have sent to Babylon and have brought down all their nobles and the Chaldean’s, whose cry is in the ships.

First, God confirms that He is their God and Redeemer. He is alive and active, and He loves His people. The Babylonians have nothing like that in their favor. Then God states for Israel's sake, He has taken charge of how long their captivity shall be.

 They lean on their military to deliver them. Their God is the ships they have trusted to supply their armaments. But God controls them as well. I am the Lord, your holy One, the Creator of Israel, your king. He who made them is in control of the outcome of their lives. Their captors think that they are in control. But consider further what God has to say.

Thus saith the Lord which makes away in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters, which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power. They shall lie down together. They shall not rise. They are extinct. They are quenched as tow.

There is something to which God is reminding them.

They may be lacking in faith due to their present circumstances, but they have a history to remind them concerning God's demonstration of power when they departed from Egypt. God reminds them that He is the same God and has not diminished in His power to do it again. These words serve as a powerful encouragement to Israel as they await that great day. They are a beacon of hope, a reminder of God's faithfulness and power.

God promises a new thing. Verses 18 through 22

 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing now. It shall spring forth. Shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honor me, the Dragons and the owls, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself. They shall shew forth my praise. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob. But thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

 The people may be wondering about the unseen path that lay before them again. They have a history of hardship as well as a blessing. They remember the wilderness and the deserts that they once passed through. They fear having to pass through all those hardships. When they leave Babylon, God declares that they need not focus on the past. God has a new thing planned for them. Consider God's promise is a source of comfort and security. He assures us that He will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honor him, the Dragons and the owls, because

He gives waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to His people, His chosen.

In the past there were complaints and doubts because they were not familiar with God's ways, but there is no need to consider these things.

The journeys in the desert took many years due to failure and disobedience, but all of those previous obstacles will be no more. The length of the tie will be shorter, and their circumstance will be much different and will be accompanied by success. That does not mean that there will be no obstacle along the way, but their ultimate end will be one to the glory of God.

But there is a word of disappointment from God.

But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

God's disappointment is not a condemnation, but a reflection of His understanding of human nature. He is disappointed over the great blessing that was missed due to a lack of trust in His protection and provision. He knows the potential for failure in the human heart, but He is always there to pick us up and guide us back.

 The reason for God's disappointment verses 23 and 24

Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings, neither hast Thou honored me with Thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices, but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins. Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

First, God addresses sins of omission, the things they have failed to do. This is a word of application to us all. We are often absorbed in the evil that we have not done, but we stand condemned when we fail through neglect. The Israelites neglected to do those things that were a regular part of their worship, as seen in the Book of Malachi where the prophet had to deal with worship being performed out of the wrong motives. They were satisfied with doing the regular things and gave no concern toward their selfish tendencies. The corrupted priesthood produced a corrupted people. Their offerings lacked honor or sweetness. This neglect had severe consequences.

 But thou hast made me serve with thy sins. Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

It's natural to wonder what these particular sins and iniquities might be that caused God to respond this way. This question invites us to consider our own actions and how they might be perceived by a higher power. The first might be pride. for  that always comes at the top of the list. It is a form of idolatry because it replaces the God of glory with the God of self-interest, self absorption, self pity, and any other forms of self that occupy the throne of our lives. God is indeed a jealous God and wants no rivals. Some who lack understanding may charge God for being unrighteous, but He is God and has the right to be jealous. He expects no rivals. We can list all sorts of sins, but self righteousness is their root.. So in these verses we see the sins so familiar to us, all things that we have committed in defiance, and sins that we have failed to do through neglect.

 What must not be forgotten. Verses 25 through 28.

I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Declare that thou mayest be justified. Thy first Father hath sinned, and Thy teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I have profaned the sanctuaries, Princess, and given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

 Our chapter closes with a reminder of what we are not to forget. First, I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins forever, erasing them from my memory.

When God takes care of our sins, He does a thorough job of removing them. Psalm One O 3 is a perfect exposition of what God does with our sins. He pardons, removes, forgets, and scatters them as far as the East is from the West.

Satan, the slanderer, an accuser of us to God, might lead us to believe that forgiveness is beyond God's reach due to our wickedness. But remember, Satan does not have the last word; God does. His forgiveness is complete, bringing us a sense of security and peace. What else are we not to forget?

Put me in remembrance.

That means simply that we must do all that we can to be faithful in our daily relationship toward Him. Never forget the importance of the place that God must have in our life. It is easy to become distracted through busyness or forgetfulness, but remembering Him is vital because He gives us life and health. Then consider,

 let us plead together. Declare thou that thou mayest be justified.

 It seems that this might apply to coming together in our need in a corporate manner, pleading and praying for one another, and seeking God's righteousness toward us. Finally, we close with this.

Thy first Father hath sinned, and Thy teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I have profaned the sanctuaries, Princess, and given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

The leaders of the people are now addressed. They are not to forget those who formerly, because of their inner corruption, had a bad influence on those they taught. The call from God is to learn from the past and not repeat their errors.