OUR ONLY SAVIOUR

Isaiah 43:1-28 / Keywords 43:11-12

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.

 

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.”

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?”

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

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.”

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.

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.

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.

Footnotes

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.

 

1. I will be with you (1-13). God created and formed his people Israel for himself. He redeemed them, even giving other peoples and nations in exchange for them. God loved his people. His people would be scattered after the Babylonian exile but he planned to gather them again to himself. His people should not fear. God would be with them when they passed through the deep waters of sorrow and grief and trials of fire. God has also redeemed us through his Son Jesus. God has saved us to be his servants. Our new lives in Jesus witness to the world that the Lord is God.

 

2. I am doing a new thing (14-28). God promised to redeem Israel from exile by bringing down the Babylonians. God had once helped the Israelites leave Egypt by crossing the Red Sea and snuffing out the Egyptians. But God would do a new thing in bringing his people out of Babylon. God would make a way in the wilderness for his people to return home. He would do this so that his people would praise him. God made great promises but his people did not call on him. Instead they burdened God with their sins.

 

Prayer Lord, thank you for Jesus our only Savior. Help me to be a witness of your love and grace.

One Word Jesus, the only Saviour