Isaiah 43 THE WITNESS OF ISRAEL God spoke with sorrow to Israel because of their spiritual decay in chapter 42. In chapter 43 the prophecy takes an entirely different course as the Lord deals with them by showing mercy in view of restoring them to Himself. He does this by redeeming them, not by overlooking their sin. It would be unjust if He removed the consequences of sin without the price incurred being dealt with. So, the consequences of sin had to be faced and gone through, but the Lord protected them as they went through the trials, and they are preserved as an identifiable people until this day.
There are some very encouraging “Fear nots,” at the beginning of this chapter that believers can claim for themselves. The first verse tells us what the Lord has done for us. “I have redeemed thee…” We have been purchased. “I have called thee…” We have been placed in a position. “Thou art Mine…” We are His possession. In verse two: “I will be with thee…” is a promise. In verse three: “I am the Savior…” is the greatest possible provision. Then in verse four we learn what we mean to Him. “I have loved thee…” indicates the preciousness which is His value of us. Then in verse five, the last “fear not,” assures us: “I am with thee…,” His present presence is always with us.
The debt of sin has to be paid and the bondage of the Jews in Babylon for seventy years was a debt that could not be avoided. By the end of that time, almost all of those who had ignored and rejected the entreaties of the Lord through the prophets, had died. Restoration and redemption from Chaldean bondage was promised by God because of His love for them. But the redemption price had to be paid. The full restoration of Israel is still in the future, but the price of redemption has already been paid by our Lord Jesus Christ. The day will come when they will say, “Who is this that cometh from Edom?” Then they will see the wounds in His hands, and will wonder and worship as they consider Him who they had despised and rejected.
Israel is His own family. He has rights to claim from them, and He will fulfill all His obligations to them. They will be gathered to Him in peace, but until then His intention was that the nation of Israel would be a witness for Him. Probably the most outstanding assurance of the validity and power of the word of God to skeptics, is Israel. They stand alone in the world as a testimony of the faithfulness of God to them over thousands of years. However, the church, and the individual witness of true believers are also “witnesses unto [Him].” It is our privilege and obligation to be examples of righteousness and to reflect in daily life and walk, the principles of holy living. Our faith in God should be plain enough to see that people know we believe in a living God who has everything under His control. The forgiveness we have been given, has brought the relief to our soul and spirit to the extent we don’t have to feel guilty in spite of the fact that we have sinned. We have placed our trust in Him who has righteously dealt with our sin problem, and has given to us the gift of eternal life when we believed on Him.
The promises God made to Israel were not based on them being superior to the other people of the world in any way, but because He chose to set His love upon them in a unique way. They were weak and knew it. But “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto Him for righteousness.” This testimony of the father of the Jews, and of people of faith, is given three times in the New Testament, giving us the proof of positional righteousness being imputed as a gift from God to us by simply believing on Him. There was unspeakable suffering as payment for our sin by our Savior, and by His grace He has saved us. To us who believe, and in a coming day, by the natural seed of Abraham, there is favor given because of His commitment to the new covenant He made with us, and the covenant He made with the seed of Abraham. These people are precious to God because of the perfections of our Lord Jesus Christ that have been imputed to us by grace. This includes those who are “called by My name” from all over the world who He created for His own glory.
Israel as an identifiable people, is not only a testimony to the validity of the Bible through fulfilled prophecies, but to the character of God who keeps all the promises He makes. What He says He will do, He does. Israel, the servant- nation, is God’s testimony to the world that He is faithful and true, and is the only One who can save sinners in a just way. Such promises are relevant to us because of the promises He gives to us of salvation, eternal life, power for living, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the presence of the Lord with us to the end of the age. As we fulfill the “commission” He gave to preach the Gospel, we experience in a special way, the blessing of His presence. No heathen deity/god can deliver anything or anyone, but still the “idols” of the world, are still given priority by millions of people. God will not demonstrate His saving grace and power when any other gods are worshipped. Even the “modern smooth cross” before which many people genuflect, or the gods of pleasure, money and fame, will not permit the blessing of forgiveness and salvation from sin to be experienced by those who put such things before the Lord.
God demonstrated His universal sovereignty when He brought down empires and nations using His authority over creation and supernatural events to deliver His people. In spite of the broken condition of Israel spiritually, that nation is evidence of God’s greatness and His grace. They have survived only because of His intervention and deliverance time after time. He does not always use the same means nor act in the same way. A “new thing” is not uncommon when God deals with us and with sin. He “blots out” sin but does not ignore the transgressions committed against Him. He deals with sin justly, to the full extent of the law, and completely, in the way He chooses. The people and nations of the world will benefit and rejoice when restored Israel bears worldwide witness to the Sovereign Lord as their King.
Sadly, the ungrateful children of Israel will have to suffer more yet, before God can bless them. Agnosticism, atheism and unbelief are common to the majority of the natural seed of Abraham. They also have substituted outward forms in the place of inward reality. It wasn’t only animals and sacrifices they brought before the Lord, but they also brought unconfessed sins and unrepentant hearts. Those things canceled out any benefit a lavish expensive offering would bring. God “blots out” sin for His own sake to honor His covenant promises, and testify of His genuine love for them. The Jews had no basis for justice to be carried out on their behalf, because right from Abraham’s lie to Pharaoh, to those who are alive at this present time, they have sinned and ignored the seriousness of sin against the Lord and disobedience to His revealed word.