Isaiah 43

Notes

Ver. 1. God formed the Israelites into a church and state, redeemed them from their Egyptian and other enemies, and made them his peculiar people. 2. Whatever great troubles churches or saints endure, they are not hurt nor destroyed by them. 3, 4. God destroyed the Egyptians and others to advance the glory and happiness of the Israelites; and has and will destroy nations for the preservation of his gospel church. 5-7. God gathered the captive Jews from the different places of the Chaldean empire, and brought them to Canaan as his people; and, in like manner gathers believing sinners from all nations to Christ. 8-13. Let either the heathen idols or their votaries, who are almost as stupid and senseless, produce proofs of their foretelling such events, or else own me to be the only true God.—The several events, which I have foretold concerning you Jews and my Servant the Messiah, and which, by mighty power, I have performed, or will accomplish, are demonstrative evidences that I am the only true God. 14-17. In order to your deliverance from Babylon, I will send the Medes and Persians to destroy the Chaldean empire, and will remove all hindrances of your return. 19-21. Nay, the division of the Red Sea, and drowning of Pharaoh and his army in it, and other things which I have done for you, shall not be comparable to what I will do, in safely conducting you from Babylon, and re-establishing you into a glorious church for myself; and especially in spreading the gospel and the gospel church, and convicting multitudes of the most stupid and mischievous sinners by Christ for the manifestation of my glory. 22-24. But though I never required of you any services that were really burdensome, ye have neglected and been weary of my true worship; ye have not offered me sacrifices in obedience to my commands, or for my glory, but for some selfish respects; and have even grudged the expense of them, while ye were liberal in the service of idols; ye have abused my revelations, ordinances, and bounties of providence, to encourage you in wickedness, till I can no longer bear with you. 25. Nevertheless, merely for my own name's sake, I still offer you a full and free forgiveness of all your iniquities through the blood of my Son. 26. Let this my gracious pardon and promise be pleaded by you; or, if you think you have a righteousness of your own to plead upon, which I have not observed, point it out if you can. 27, 28. Ye cannot plead the merits of your ancestors or rulers in church or state, as all of them have been sinners, and most of them notorious transgressors. Yea, on that very account have I exposed your chief priests to contempt and ruin, and your whole nation to dreadful misery and ignominy.

Ver. 1. The fulfilment of this prophecy, in part at least, has been referred to the time of Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, or Cyrus; and it is possible the series of events included may have commenced at any of these periods, or even earlier, at the exodus; but it is evident from ver. 6, 7, that the great purpose of the prediction is still future—even the wondrous and (ver. 7) complete restoration of the Jews to their own land. C.——'The main object of this chapter,' says Alexander, 'is the true relation of Israel to Jehovah, and its application in the way both of warning and encouragement. The doctrine taught is, that their segregation from the rest of men, as a peculiar people, was an act of sovereignty, independent of all merit in themselves, and not even intended for their benefit exclusively, but for the accomplishment of God's gracious purposes respecting men in general. The inferences drawn from this fact are, that Israel should certainly escape the dangers which environed him, however imminent, and, on the other hand, that he must suffer for his unfaithfulness to God.' The last clause of the verse embodies a glorious and cheering truth. God claims Israel—Israel after the flesh as a type of the spiritual Israel, the church—he claims them as his own. He has redeemed them: they are therefore his by right of purchase. He has given them his name; he has adopted them; they are therefore his by right of sonship. P.

Ver. 10. Ye are my witnesses. Since the calling of Abraham the Jews have been the most prominent witnesses for God, and that partly by doctrine, partly by ritual worship, but chiefly by their being the principal exemplification of prophecy. And if there be any that can read the prophecies peculiar to the Jews in the Bible, and the completion of them in history, and still remain an infidel—'neither would he believe, though one rose from the dead.' C.

Ver. 14. Babylon proud of her walls, the Chaldeans 'boasting in their ships'—proud of their naval power and commercial wealth. —Note, Though not a prophecy concerning Britain, how much doth she need this record as a warning. How ready hath she been to boast of her 'wooden walls,' and the inexhaustible extent of her 'national resources!' And may the Lord defend her from her enemies, and increase her riches a thousand fold. But may the Lord preserve her from pride and self-confidence, and trusting in uncertain riches, to the forgetting of the living God. C.

Ver. 19. Is not the wilderness, with its inhabitants, the adverse and uncultivated Gentile world, whom, by conversion to Jesus, the Lord will render favourable to the restoration of his people? And it is a fact undoubted, that, just in proportion as the love of Jesus is revived in a church, in the same proportion is anxiety for the conversion of the Jews revived. C.

Ver. 25. For mine own sake. Every sinner hates God, Ro. 8. 7, and is therefore, as such, hateful to him, Ps. 5. 5. It follows that the salvation of a sinner cannot originate from any quality in the sinner himself; but in the mercy, compassion, love, and undeserved grace of God, Jn. 3. 16; Ro. 5. 8, 10; Ep. 2. 8. C.

Reflections.—O how grace much more abounds where guilt and ignominy had abounded! Thrice happy are those troubles which occasion the peculiar presence, supports, and comforts of a reconciled God! How important that relation which is the source and foundation of such divine favours! Happy are they whom God has chosen for himself! Neither opposition, guilt, nor distance shall be able to prevent their access to and enjoyment of him. But unhappy are they who stand in the way of their mercy. Incomparably better is Jehovah than any of his rivals, both enemies and friends being judges. And great and glorious things his people ought to attest concerning him in their profession and practice; for mighty are the things which he hath showed or done, or will do, for them! Marvellous is the change which his grace in the gospel makes on hearts and nations. And every mercy received is but a pledge of another. Surely then we should, with the most ardent affections, show forth his praise! But, alas! by what fearful sins of omission and commission many professors provoke him, to their own and their neighbours' destruction! Yet transcendently tender are his gracious pardons. And hopeful is the case if, under a deep sense of our own and our fathers' iniquities, we supplicate for and receive them.