View Isaiah 43 in the note window.
Promises to protect and enlarge the church, ver. 1 - 5.
God appeals to them as witnesses of his power and knowledge, ver. 6 - 13.
He foretells the destruction of Babylon, and a new deliverance of
his people, ver. 14 - 21.
whose sins, ver. 22 - 24.
against God's mercies render them inexcusable, ver. 25 - 28.
1: But - Notwithstanding thy gross insensibleness, I will deal
mercifully with thee. Created - That made thee his people, and that
in so miraculous a manner as if he had created thee a second time.
Redeemed - From the Egyptians. Called thee - By the name of
God's people, which was as proper and peculiar to them, as the
name of Israel.
3: I gave Egypt - This was fulfilled when the king of Assyria,
Esar - haddon, who designed to revenge his father's disgrace, upon the
Jews, was diverted and directed by God to employ his forces against
Egypt, and Ethiopia, and Seba. Seba - The Sabaeans were
confederate with the Ethiopians.
4: Since - From the time that I chose thee for my people, I have
had an affection for thee. Men - As I gave up the Egyptians, so I am
ready to give up others to save thee, as occasion requires.
7: For my glory - And therefore I will glorify my power and goodness,
and faithfulness in delivering them. Formed - I have not only created
them out of nothing, but I have also formed and made them my peculiar
people.
8: Bring - O ye idolatrous Gentiles, bring forth your false gods,
which have eyes but see not, and ears but hear not.
9: Assembled - To plead the cause of their idols with me.
This - This wonderful work of mine in bringing my people out of captivity.
Former things - Such things as shall happen long before the return from
the captivity, which yet your blind idols cannot foresee. Witnesses - Who
can testify the truth of any such predictions of theirs, that they may be
owned for true gods; or if they can produce no evidence of any such thing,
let them confess, that what I say is truth, that I only am the true God.
10: Ye - You my people are able to witness for me, that I have given
you plain demonstrations of my certain knowledge of future events.
My servant - Cyrus who is an eminent instance and proof of God's
foreknowledge: or, the Messiah, who is the most eminent witness in this
cause. Understand - That I am the true God. Nor after me - The gods of
the Heathens neither had a being before me nor shall continue after me:
whereas the Lord is God from everlasting to everlasting; but these
pretenders are but of yesterday. And withal he calls them formed gods,
in a way of contempt, and to shew the ridiculousness of their pretence.
12: I - I first foretold your deliverance, and then effected it.
When - And this I did when you did not worship any idols.
13: Yea - Before all time; from all eternity, I am God.
14: Sent - I have sent Cyrus against Babylon, to this very
end, that he might deliver you out of captivity. Chaldeans - The common
people of Chaldea, who make fearful outcries, as they flee away from
the Persians in ships.
17: The chariot - Pharaoh and his chariots and horses, and army.
Lay down - In the bottom of the sea. They never rose again to molest the
Israelites. Quenched - As the wick of a candle when it is put into the
water, is extinguished.
18: Remember not - Tho' your former deliverance out of Egypt was
glorious: yet in comparison of that inestimable mercy of sending the
Messiah, all your former deliverances are scarce worthy of your
remembrance and consideration.
19: A new thing - Such a work as was never yet done in the world.
Now - The scripture often speaks of things at a great distance of time,
as if they were now at hand; to make us sensible of the inconsiderableness
of time, and all temporal things, in comparison of God, and eternal
things; upon which account it is said, that a thousand years are in God's
sight but as one day.
20: The beast - Shall have cause, if they had abilities, to praise me
for their share in this mercy. Dragons - Which live in dry and barren
deserts.
22: For - God called to the Gentiles to be his people, because
the Jews forsook him. Weary - Thou hast not esteemed my service to be
a privilege, but a burden and bondage.
23: Honoured - Either thou didst neglect sacrificing to me; or didst
perform it merely out of custom or didst dishonour me, and pollute thy
sacrifices by thy wicked life. Although - Altho' God had not laid such
heavy burdens upon them, nor required such costly offerings, as might
give them cause to be weary, nor such as idolaters did freely perform
in the service of their idols.
24: Sweet cane - This was used in the making of that precious
ointment, (Ex 30:34), and for the incense, (Ex 30:7).
Thou hast been niggardly in my service, when thou hast, spared for no
cost in the service of thine idols. Nor filled me - Thou hast not
multiplied thy thank - offerings and free - will offerings, tho' I have
given thee sufficient occasion to do so. But - Thou hast made me to bear
the load and burden of thy sins.
25: I - I whom thou hast thus provoked. Mine own sake - Not for thy
merits, but my own mere goodness.
26: Put me - I remember nothing by which thou hast deserved my favour.
27: Thy father - This may be put for their forefathers; and so he
tells them, that as they were sinners, so also were their progenitors,
yea even the best of them. Teachers - Thy priests and prophets; who were
their intercessors with God: and if these were transgressors, the people
had no reason to fancy themselves innocent.
28: Therefore - I have exposed them to contempt and destruction.
Princes - The highest and best of your priests. Curse - To utter
destruction, to which persons or things accursed were devoted.
