Isaías 43

El único Salvador de Israel

1 Pero ahora, así dice el SEÑOR,el que te creó, Jacob,el que te formó, Israel:«No temas, que yo te he redimido;te he llamado por tu nombre; tú eres mío.

2 Cuando cruces las aguas,yo estaré contigo;cuando cruces los ríos,no te cubrirán sus aguas;cuando camines por el fuego,no te quemarás ni te abrasarán las llamas.

3 Yo soy el SEÑOR, tu Dios,el Santo de Israel, tu salvador;yo he entregado a Egipto como precio por tu rescate,a Cus y a Seba en tu lugar.

4 A cambio de ti entregaré hombres;¡a cambio de tu vida entregaré pueblos!Porque te amo y eres ante mis ojosprecioso y digno de honra.

5 No temas, porque yo estoy contigo;desde el oriente traeré a tu descendencia,desde el occidente te reuniré.

6 Al norte le diré: “¡Entrégalos!”y al sur: “¡No los retengas!Trae a mis hijos desde lejosy a mis hijas desde los confines de la tierra.

7 Trae a todo el que sea llamado por mi nombre,al que yo he creado para mi gloria,al que yo hice y formé”».

8 Saquen al pueblo ciego, aunque tiene ojos,al pueblo sordo, aunque tiene oídos.

9 Que se reúnan todas las nacionesy se congreguen los pueblos.¿Quién de entre ellos profetizó estas cosasy nos anunció lo ocurrido en el pasado?Que presenten a sus testigosy demuestren tener razón,para que otros oigan y digan:«Es verdad».

10 «Ustedes son mis testigos —afirma el SEÑOR—,son mis siervos escogidos,para que me conozcan y crean en mí,y entiendan que yo soy.Antes de mí no hubo ningún otro dios,ni habrá ninguno después de mí.

11 Yo, yo soy el SEÑOR,fuera de mí no hay ningún otro salvador.

12 Yo he anunciado, salvado y proclamado;yo entre ustedes, y no un dios extraño.Ustedes son mis testigos —afirma el SEÑOR—,y yo soy Dios.

13 Desde los tiempos antiguos, yo soy.No hay quien pueda librar de mi mano.Lo que yo hago, nadie puede desbaratarlo».

La misericordia de Dios y la infidelidad de Israel

14 Así dice el SEÑOR,su Redentor, el Santo de Israel:«Por ustedes enviaré gente a Babilonia;abatiré a todos como fugitivos.En los barcos que eran su orgullo,abatiré también a los caldeos.

15 Yo soy el SEÑOR, su santo;soy su rey, el creador de Israel».

16 Así dice el SEÑOR,el que abrió un camino en el mar,una senda a través de las aguas impetuosas;

17 el que hizo salir carros de combate y caballos,ejército y guerrero al mismo tiempo,los cuales quedaron tendidos para nunca más levantarse,extinguidos como mecha que se apaga:

18 «Olviden las cosas de antaño;ya no vivan en el pasado.

19 ¡Voy a hacer algo nuevo!Ya está sucediendo, ¿no se dan cuenta?Estoy abriendo un camino en el desierto,y ríos en lugares desolados.

20 Me honran los animales salvajes,los chacales y los avestruces;yo hago brotar agua en el desierto,ríos en lugares desolados,para dar de beber a mi pueblo escogido,

21 al pueblo que formé para mí mismo,para que proclame mi alabanza.

22 »Pero tú, Jacob, no me has invocado;tú, Israel, te has cansado de mí.

23 No me has traído el cordero de tus holocaustos,ni me has honrado con tus sacrificios.No te he abrumado exigiendo ofrendas de grano,ni te he agobiado reclamando incienso.

24 No me has comprado caña aromática,ni me has saciado con el sebo de tus sacrificios.¡En cambio, tú me has abrumado con tus pecadosy me has agobiado con tus iniquidades!

25 »Yo soy el que por amor a mí mismoborra tus transgresionesy no se acuerda más de tus pecados.

26 ¡Hazme recordar! Presentémonos a juicio;plantea el argumento de tu inocencia.

27 Tu primer antepasado pecó;tus voceros se rebelaron contra mí.

28 Por eso humillé a las autoridades del templo;entregué a Jacob a la destrucción total,entregué a Israel al menosprecio.

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.