Isaías 43

1 Y ahora, así dice el SEÑOR Creador tuyo, oh Jacob, y Formador tuyo, oh Israel: No temas, porque yo te redimí; yo te puse nombre, mío eres tú

2 Cuando pasares por las aguas, yo estaré contigo; y en los ríos, no te anegarán. Cuando pasares por el fuego, no te quemarás, ni la llama arderá en ti

3 Porque yo soy el SEÑOR, Dios tuyo, el Santo de Israel, guardador tuyo. A Egipto he dado por tu rescate, a Etiopía y a Seba por ti

4 Porque en mis ojos fuiste de gran estima, fuiste digno de honra, y yo te amé

5 No temas, porque yo estoy contigo; del oriente traeré tu generación, y del occidente te recogeré

6 Diré al aquilón: Da acá, y al mediodía: No detengas. Trae de lejos mis hijos, y mis hijas de los términos de la tierra

7 todos los llamados de mi nombre; y para gloria mía los críe; los formé y los hice

8 Sacad al pueblo ciego que tiene ojos, y a los sordos que tienen oídos

9 Congréguense a una todos los gentiles, y júntense todos los pueblos. ¿Quién de ellos hay, que nos dé nuevas de esto, y que nos haga oír las cosas primeras? Presenten sus testigos, y serán sentenciados por justos; oigan, y digan: Verdad

10 Vosotros sois mis testigos, dice el SEÑOR, y mi siervo que yo escogí, para que me conozcáis y creáis, y entendáis, que yo mismo soy; antes de mí no fue formado Dios, ni lo será después de mí

11 Yo, yo soy el SEÑOR; y fuera de mí no hay quien salve

12 Yo anuncié, y salvé, e hice oír, y no hubo entre vosotros extraño. Vosotros pues sois mis testigos, dice el SEÑOR, que yo soy Dios

13 Aun antes que hubiera día, yo era; y no hay quien de mi mano escape; si yo hiciere, ¿quién lo estorbará

14 Así dice el SEÑOR, Redentor vuestro, el Santo de Israel: Por vosotros envié a Babilonia, e hice descender fugitivos a todos ellos; y clamor de caldeos en las naves

15 Yo soy el SEÑOR, Santo vuestro, Criador de Israel, vuestro Rey

16 Así dice el SEÑOR, el que da camino en el mar, y senda en las aguas impetuosas

17 cuando él saca, carro, y caballo, ejército, y fuerza caen juntamente, para no levantarse; quedan apagados, como pábilo quedan apagados

18 No os acordéis de las cosas pasadas, ni traigáis a memoria las cosas antiguas

19 He aquí que yo hago cosa nueva; presto saldrá a luz; ¿no la conoceréis? Otra vez pondré camino en el desierto, y ríos en la soledad

20 La bestia del campo me honrará, los dragones, y los pollos del avestruz; porque daré aguas en el desierto, ríos en la soledad, para que beba mi pueblo, mi escogido

21 Este pueblo crié para mí; mis alabanzas contará

22 Y no me invocaste a mí, oh Jacob, antes de mí te cansaste, oh Israel

23 No me trajiste a mí los animales de tus holocaustos, ni a mí me honraste con tus sacrificios; no te hice servir con presente, ni te hice fatigar con perfume

24 No compraste para mí caña aromática por dinero, ni me saciaste con la grosura de tus sacrificios; antes me hiciste servir en tus pecados, y en tus iniquidades me hiciste fatigar

25 Yo, yo soy el que arraigo tus rebeliones por amor de mí; y no me acordaré de tus pecados

26 Hazme acordar, entremos en juicio juntamente; cuenta tú para abonarte

27 Tu primer padre pecó, y tus enseñadores prevaricaron contra mí

28 Por tanto, yo profané los príncipes del Santuario, y puse por anatema a Jacob, y a Israel por vergüenza

Isaías 43 Commentary

God's unchangeable love for his people. (1-7) Apostates and idolaters addressed. (8-13) The deliverance from Babylon, and the conversion of the Gentiles. (14-21) Admonition to repent of sin. (22-28)

Verses 1-7 God's favour and good-will to his people speak abundant comfort to all believers. The new creature, wherever it is, is of God's forming. All who are redeemed with the blood of his Son, he has set apart for himself. Those that have God for them need not fear who or what can be against them. What are Egypt and Ethiopia, all their lives and treasures, compared with the blood of Christ? True believers are precious in God's sight, his delight is in them, above any people. Though they went as through fire and water, yet, while they had God with them, they need fear no evil; they should be born up, and brought out. The faithful are encouraged. They were to be assembled from every quarter. And with this pleasing object in view, the prophet again dissuades from anxious fears.

Verses 8-13 Idolaters are called to appear in defence of their idols. Those who make them, and trust in them, are like unto them. They have the shape and faculties of men; but they have not common sense. But God's people know the power of his grace, the sweetness of his comforts, the kind care of his providence, and the truth of his promise. All servants of God can give such an account of what he has wrought in them, and done for them, as may lead others to know and believe his power, truth, and love

Verses 14-21 The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.

Verses 22-28 Those who neglect to call upon God, are weary of him. The Master tired not the servants with his commands, but they tired him with disobedience. What were the riches of God's mercy toward them? I, even I, am he who yet blotteth out thy transgressions. This encourages us to repent, because there is forgiveness with God, and shows the freeness of Divine mercy. When God forgives, he forgets. It is not for any thing in us, but for his mercies' sake, his promise' sake; especially for his Son's sake. He is pleased to reckon it his honour. Would man justify himself before God? The attempt is desperate: our first father broke the covenant, and we all have copied his example. We have no reason to expect pardon, except we seek it by faith in Christ; and that is always attended by true repentance, and followed by newness of life, by hatred of sin, and love to God. Let us then put him in remembrance of the promises he has made to the penitent, and the satisfaction his Son has made for them. Plead these with him in wrestling for pardon; and declare these things, that thou mayest be justified freely by his grace. This is the only way, and it is a sure way to peace.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 43

Is this chapter the Lord comforts his own people, under their afflictions, with many precious promises; asserts his deity against the idols of the nations; promises deliverance from Babylon, and a greater redemption than that; one branch of which is forgiveness of sin; and closes the chapter with a prediction of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans, for their iniquities. The Lord claims his interest in his people, not only on the foot of creation, but of redemption and calling, and promises them his presence in the midst of afflictions, Isa 43:1,2, puts them in mind of what he had done for them; and assures them of future layouts, as the effect of his unchangeable love to them, Isa 43:3,4 and promises the conversion of their seed and offspring in the several parts of the world, Isa 43:5-7 then challenges the Heathen nations to give such proofs of the deity of their idols as he was capable of giving of his, as his people were witnesses, taken from his eternity and immutability, as the alone Jehovah, and from his omniscience and omnipotence, Isa 43:8-13, after which the destruction of Babylon is prophesied of, and the redemption of his people out of it; which they are encouraged to believe from his being Jehovah, their Sanctifier, Creator, and King; and from what he had done formerly for them, when he brought them out of Egypt, Isa 43:14-17, and which yet was not to be mentioned or remembered, in comparison of what he would do in the world, a new thing, redemption by the Messiah, and the conversion of the Gentiles to the glory of his grace, Isa 43:18-21, the sins of omission and commission the people of God had been guilty of are mentioned, which are freely pardoned for Christ's sake, Isa 43:22-25 when the body and bulk of the Jewish nation were given up to destruction, because of their sins, Isa 43:26-28.