Study notes

Isaiah 43

Introducing IsaiahWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

40:1–48:22 Section

At the end of chapter 39 Isaiah made an announcement about Babylon. The Babylonian government would take control of the southern kingdom. The Babylonian armies would force many people from the southern kingdom to leave their land. They would be forced to live in exile in Babylon.

Chapters 40 to 48 record messages of comfort to those people living in exile in Babylon. These messages were recorded as poems, prophecies and songs of praise. They were also recorded as arguments between God and others in a courtroom.

These messages make three things very clear. They make clear who God is, what false gods are and who God’s people were. First, God is the one true God who created everything and has always existed. No one and nothing is equal to God. Second, false gods are objects made by people and they have no power at all. False gods can’t tell people what’s going to happen or save people from their troubles. Third, the people of Jacob’s family line were God’s servants. God chose them to be witnesses to others that he is God.

God’s love for Jacob’s family line was strong and tender. God described himself as a shepherd who carried his people like lambs close to his heart. But his people complained that God had treated them badly. They thought that the exile showed that God didn’t care about them. God explained that they had gone into exile because of their sins. But he announced a new thing that he would do. He would bring his people back to Judah from Babylon. He would use the king of Persia as his tool to make this happen. That king would be named Cyrus.

God talked about someone called God’s servant in chapter 42. In many ways this servant is what the people of Israel were to be. By obeying God’s laws, they were to live in ways that were holy and just. They were to teach other nations about God and how to worship and honour him. In this way they would be a light for the Gentiles. New Testament writers showed how Jesus served God in these ways as well (Matthew 12:15–21). They understood that the poem about this servant was a prophecy about Jesus.

43:1

  • the LORD … who created you: The idea of creation (see study note on Isaiah 40:28) now refers to God forming the nation of Israel.

  • He who formed you: During the exodus, God freed his people from slavery. Similarly, God planned to bring his people back from exile to their land. Ultimately, Jesus gave his life as a ransom for all humanity (Matthew 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:6; Hebrews 9:15).

  • I have called you by your name; you are Mine!: Despite having faced his wrath, the people of Israel are still God’s chosen people.

43:1–7

In this promise of salvation, the Lord spoke directly to his people.

43:2

  • Conquering forces are compared to flooding rivers (see Isaiah 8:8).

  • I will be with you: God promises to stay with his people to protect and care for them (see Isaiah 7:14; 41:10; 43:5; 45:14).

  • Israel faced God's judgment as the fire of oppression during the exile in Babylon.

43:7

One of God’s purposes in restoring his people was to display his glory to the watching world.

43:8–13

The Lord here called on Israel, his blind servant, to be his star witness in a mock trial against idols and false gods. Israel knew that the Lord alone is God, and the people had experienced his salvation.

43:10

You are My witnesses: By their very presence in exile, Israel was evidence that God is truly God. He predicted the exile long beforehand, and now it had come to pass. God alone is the true God because he speaks and acts and controls all of history. Idols and false gods could do none of these things. Israel would later become even greater evidence because God had also predicted their redemption (Isaiah 43:11–12).

43:14–21

The Lord promised Israel that it would be freed from Babylon. This redemption would be similar to Israel's past freedom from Egypt but even greater in some ways (Isaiah 43:18).

43:18

God wanted the Israelites to remember the exodus from Egypt. However, they needed to focus on the amazing event that was about to happen, instead of staying stuck in the past.

43:21

One purpose of redemption is to honor God through the praises of the redeemed (see 1 Peter 2:9).

43:22

Israel's history of rebellion led them into many crises. Their rebellion was so strong that they refused to ask God for help. When they did pray, their wickedness often caused God not to hear their prayers (Isaiah 1:15).

43:25

God alone can blot out sins. This means he completely removes and forgives them.

It does not matter how many sins a person has committed or how serious they are. God has the power to forgive them all (see also Isaiah 44:22).

43:27

spokesmen: God held the kings of Israel and Judah especially responsible for leading the nation into sin (see 2 Kings 21).

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources