Isaías 43

O Único Salvador de Israel

1 Mas agora assim diz o SENHOR,aquele que o criou, ó Jacó,aquele que o formou, ó Israel:“Não tema, pois eu o resgatei;eu o chamei pelo nome; você é meu.

2 Quando você atravessar as águas,eu estarei com você;quando você atravessar os rios,eles não o encobrirão.Quando você andar através do fogo,não se queimará;as chamas não o deixarão em brasas.

3 Pois eu sou o SENHOR, o seu Deus,o Santo de Israel, o seu Salvador;dou o Egito como resgate para livrá-lo,a Etiópia^[a] e Sebá em troca de você.

4 Visto que você é precioso e honrado à minha vista,e porque eu o amo,darei homens em seu lugar,e nações em troca de sua vida.

5 Não tenha medo, pois eu estou com você,do oriente trarei seus filhose do ocidente ajuntarei você.

6 Direi ao norte: ‘Entregue-os!’e ao sul: ‘Não os retenha’.De longe tragam os meus filhos,e dos confins da terra as minhas filhas;

7 todo o que é chamado pelo meu nome,a quem criei para a minha glória,a quem formei e fiz”.

8 Traga o povo que tem olhos, mas é cego,que tem ouvidos, mas é surdo.

9 Todas as nações se reúnem,e os povos se ajuntam.Qual deles predisse issoe anunciou as coisas passadas?Que eles façam entrar suas testemunhas, para provarem que estavam certos,para que outros ouçam e digam: “É verdade”.

10 “Vocês são minhas testemunhas”, declara o SENHOR,“e meu servo, a quem escolhi,para que vocês saibam e creiam em mime entendam que eu sou Deus.^[b]Antes de mim nenhum deus se formou,nem haverá algum depois de mim.

11 Eu, eu mesmo, sou o SENHOR,e além de mim não há salvador algum.

12 Eu revelei, salvei e anunciei;eu, e não um deus estrangeiro entre vocês.Vocês são testemunhas de que eu sou Deus”, declara o SENHOR.

13 “Desde os dias mais antigos eu o sou.Não há quem possa livrar alguém de minha mão.Agindo eu, quem o pode desfazer?”

A Misericórdia de Deus e a Infidelidade de Israel

14 Assim diz o SENHOR,o seu Redentor, o Santo de Israel:“Por amor de vocês mandareiinimigos contra a Babilôniae farei todos os babilônios^[c] descerem como fugitivosnos navios de que se orgulhavam.

15 Eu sou o SENHOR, o Santo de vocês,o Criador de Israel e o seu Rei”.

16 Assim diz o SENHOR,aquele que fez um caminho pelo mar,uma vereda pelas águas violentas,

17 que fez saírem juntos os carros e os cavalos,o exército e seus reforços,e eles jazem ali, para nunca mais se levantarem,exterminados, apagados como um pavio:

18 “Esqueçam o que se foi;não vivam no passado.

19 Vejam, estou fazendo uma coisa nova!Ela já está surgindo! Vocês não a reconhecem?Até no deserto vou abrir um caminhoe riachos no ermo.

20 Os animais do campo me honrarão,os chacais e as corujas,porque fornecerei água no desertoe riachos no ermo,para dar de beber a meu povo, meu escolhido,

21 ao povo que formei para mim mesmoa fim de que proclamasse o meu louvor.

22 “Contudo, você não me invocou, ó Jacó,embora você tenha ficado exausto por minha causa, ó Israel.

23 Não foi para mim que você trouxe ovelhas para holocaustos,^[d]nem foi a mim que você honrou com seus sacrifícios.Não o sobrecarreguei com ofertas de cereal,nem o deixei exausto com exigências de incenso.

24 Você não me comprou nenhuma cana aromática,nem me saciou com a gordura de seus sacrifícios.Mas você me sobrecarregou com seus pecadose me deixou exausto com suas ofensas.

25 “Sou eu, eu mesmo, aquele que apagasuas transgressões, por amor de mim,e que não se lembra mais de seus pecados.

26 Relembre o passado para mim;vamos discutir a sua causa.Apresente o argumentopara provar sua inocência.

27 Seu primeiro pai pecou;seus porta-vozes se rebelaram contra mim.

28 Por isso envergonharei os líderes do templo,e entregarei Jacó à destruiçãoe Israel à zombaria.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebraico: "Cuxe."
• [b]. Ou "ele"
• [c]. Ou "caldeus; " também em 47.1, 5; 48.14 e 20.
• [d]. Isto é, sacrifícios totalmente queimados.

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.