43:1 “But now” (Hb. weʾatta) introduces a contrast between deserved judgment and undeserved grace.90 The verse is rich with great words of creation and salvation, showing the consistency of God and his capacity to do what no idol possibly could. The word from Genesis 1 for “create” (baraʾ), used there of the created order, refers here to the creation of God’s people as an act of sovereign freedom. Creation and new creation belong together (cf. 2 Cor. 4:6). This is followed by yatsar, the word from Genesis 2 for “create,” with its suggestions of the loving and painstaking care of a craftsman in forming an object, pointing toward the doctrine of providence. The recurrence of the pairing Jacob/Israel again emphasizes that this care is not occasional or fitful but extends throughout Israel’s entire history. And God has also redeemed his people; the verb gaʾal (“redeem”) shows that the people are to be freed from slavery (Lev. 25:25) and adds the further nuance that, like Boaz (Ruth 4:3–10), the Lord has married his people. They bear his name and are eternally linked to him. All of this is good reason not to be afraid.

43:2 These great theological truths are now applied to the perplexing circumstances of life. Water and fire are a merism suggesting the totality of life. God promises not avoidance of these dangers but protection in and through them, such as Daniel’s friends experienced (Dan. 3:25, 27). In Motyer’s words, the Lord pledges “waters without drowning, fire without burning up.”91

43:3 These promises are rooted in God’s character and mighty acts, especially the exodus. The words recall the Sinai covenant (Ex. 20:1)—the one who rescued them from Egypt is the one whom Isaiah saw in the temple (Isaiah 6) and who gave the prophet his entire message. The exodus was at the expense of Egypt and its southern neighbors, Cush and Seba (cf. Ex. 10:7). God sees no price as being too high for the redemption of his people; ultimately, he did not spare even his Son (Rom. 8:32).

43:4 This idea of finding a ransom continues here as God declares that his people are “precious,” “honored,” and “loved.” These verbs are in the perfect tense, suggesting definitive actions in the past whose effects continue into the present and the future. His people matter to him eternally, and he continues to care tenderly for them.

43:5–6 The Lord’s people are scattered throughout the world, but his intention is to gather them home. This looks far beyond the return from Babylon to the final gathering of the nations, which is still future for us, as it was for Isaiah. This vision emphasizes continuity: when that gathering takes place, all God’s people from the beginning will participate (cf. Jer. 30:10–11). These are the people he has redeemed, his sons and daughters, and not one will be missing. Despite the ultimate end-time fulfillment of this vision, it is also seen partially in the people’s return from exile (cf. Isa. 2:2–5) and even more so in the gathered nations at the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). God graciously gives anticipations in history of what he will do at the end of history.

43:7 The section closes with an inclusio echoing Isaiah 43:1. Those whom God will restore are those who belong to him and were created and shaped for his glory. One day they will reveal that glory to the world (6:3). The purpose of God cannot be thwarted; the full outworking of his glory as Creator and Redeemer lies in the future. Yet evidence of the coming of his kingdom is seen throughout history as people turn to him in faith.

43:8 Once again Isaiah uses courtroom imagery; his declaration is not fable or speculation but truth for which there is evidence that can be presented to a judge. The first party to come to court is described as blind, yet having eyes, and deaf, yet having ears. “Bring out” is probably the call to the bailiff to present them in court. This group is probably God’s own people, who ought not to be blind and deaf in light of the revelation they have received. This does not negate the promises of verses 1–7 but is a reminder that such promises ought to lead to obedience, not complacency. They ought to be witnesses, but their spiritual perception is lacking.

43:9 The nations are now summoned to the court and again challenged to comment authoritatively on the events of history. “Former things” may suggest God’s ability to comment on the past, not least the exodus itself, and to show how this was a revelation of the true God, as opposed to being the work of idols, who have no such actions to their credit. Because of this lack, the nations are challenged to produce witnesses to testify to their gods’ activity. The whole course of OT history revolves around the twin poles of exodus and exile, the former being the prime evidence for Yahweh’s intervention in history and the latter appearing to challenge that evidence.92 The point to be emphasized here is that Yahweh is no better than the other gods if he fails to predict and control the future and indeed rule over the whole sweep of history.

43:10 Now God turns to his people and reminds them that they not merely are observers but have a responsibility to make known who he is and what he does. To be a servant includes bearing witness to the truth about the Lord and understanding his actions (as much as humanly possible). If they are not doing so, they are no better than the other nations or their gods. This involves a developing understanding. “Know” is the initial experience, which then becomes a conviction: to “believe.” This is followed by “understand,” which is a deepening knowledge and insight into who God is. This God is self-existent and self-sufficient, with no rivals or potential equals. This is the mandate for worldwide mission: the Lord is Creator and Savior of the world, and human destiny is entirely bound up with him.

43:11 This verse is a summary of the previous truths. The one speaking is Yahweh, who was and is and is to come. This is no mere abstraction; rather, because he alone has these properties, he alone can save. This was uniquely demonstrated in the exodus, but the Lord has delivered his people many times, not least in the rescue of Jerusalem from Sennacherib (ch. 37).

43:12 The Lord not only did these things but “declared” them, which implies that they were the subject of revelation. Events are not self-explanatory. After all, the exodus could be “explained” as a group of Semitic people on the fringe of the Egyptian empire escaping through the shallow waters of the Sea of Reeds while being pursued by a chariot division that was overwhelmed when a strong wind whipped up the water. That would be no gospel to proclaim. God’s Word comes first as he announces the events and then as he grants further and fuller revelation to interpret the events. No other gods were involved, and thus these events become saving truths to be taken to the nations by God’s witnesses.

43:13 If his witnesses will not proclaim these truths, then the Lord himself must sum up the case and deliver the verdict. “Henceforth” is gam miyyom, which can mean “from ancient days” or “since time began,” and can imply that the situation is the same now. Whether in the past, the present, or the future, there is only one God; no one can save but him, and no one can prevent him from working.

43:14–15 The downfall of Babylon, mentioned here for the first time since 39:3–6, is specifically linked with the exodus. This is important because it confirms that the God of the exodus is active once again; this is part of his saving activity, and another homeward journey is envisaged. The Lord is holy, and all he does relates to his holiness. He is Redeemer, and his activity is always directed to the saving of his people. It is for their sake that he will destroy Babylon. The once great empire will be reduced to a status as “fugitives.” The Euphrates in which they take pride as their shipping passes along it will be deserted. The use of the name “Chaldeans” is a reminder of their whole history back to Nimrod (Gen. 10:8–10) and of their age-old civilization. The linking of Babylon with ships may also be echoed by Jeremiah in his long oracle against Babylon, in which he speaks of the drying up of her waters (Jer. 50:38) and of their dwelling “by many waters, rich in treasures” (Jer. 51:13).

43:16–17 The language use here echoes the exodus story (Exodus 14–15) and emphasizes the power of the Lord in that event. It was God, not Pharaoh, who was in charge of the Egyptian chariots, which were reduced to impotence and snuffed out like candle wicks. The verbs are participles, suggesting the unchanging character of the Lord. Neither natural forces (such as the sea) nor human might or power can stop his progress.

43:18–19 The past is recalled in order to teach God’s people, not to trap them. Isaiah is not stating that Israel should forget God’s goodness in the past; nevertheless, God is always active, and there is a danger of yearning for past glories while neglecting present blessings. The “new thing” includes the return from Babylon, but it is not to be confined to that. The ultimate fulfillment is when God declares, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5). The exodus imagery continues with the Lord’s making a way through the desert and providing springs of water.

43:20 This new thing also includes transformation of nature (as in Isaiah 11; 35) and points to restored harmony throughout all God’s creation and among all his creatures. Creation will one day not merely see Eden restored but be an environment in which God’s people will drink of the water of life.

43:21 God, like a patient potter, is forming his people, through all their changing circumstances, for the day when they will praise him fully. This remains true for us: the NT speaks of praise as the purpose for which we were made and redeemed (e.g., Eph. 1:4–6).

43:22 Isaiah is a master of contrast, this time focusing on the Lord’s desire for a praising people, which is not what he currently finds among them. They were made to praise but instead have wearied of God; indeed, they have become bored with him. Their hearts are neither listening to his word nor worshiping him as they should.

43:23–24 At first glance we might imagine that the people’s failure has been in not following the divinely ordained pattern of worship. In fact, this is a repeat of the accusation of Isaiah 1:11–14: the people go through the motions of worship, but their hearts are not in it. Similar accusations are made by Amos (Amos 4:4–5; 5:21–24) and Micah (Mic. 6:6–8), and they will be repeated by Isaiah (Isa. 66:3), Jeremiah (Jer. 7:5–10), and Malachi (Mal. 1:7). God commands these acts, but without true engagement of heart and mind they become empty charades. The actions are vivid parables of the Lord’s holiness, our sinfulness, and the sacrifice needed for sin, but they become meaningless when carried out without any realization of the realities to which they point. This is why the sacrifices do not honor God and bring no benefit to those who present them. If ritual becomes more important than the truth to which the ritual points, no true worship occurs. These sacrifices are meant to bring relief for the people from the burden of sin through a sense of being welcomed back into the presence of God. Whether it is regular daily sacrifices or frankincense used in the anointing oil (Ex. 30:23), the various sacrifices and rituals are all about placing God at the center.

There is a powerful contrast in these verses between “me” and “you.” They bring their offerings but not to the Lord. The emphatic position of “me” suggests that the rituals are followed but are not honoring to God. The peoples’ concern is for their own satisfaction rather than for glorifying God. This is reinforced by the wordplay on “wearied,” from the Hebrew verb ʿabad, meaning “to make a slave of, to oppress.” That is exactly what Egypt did to Israel, but the exodus brought them out of the “house of slavery” (Ex. 20:2). Their cultic rituals were never meant to be a wearisome burden but have become so because the focus on worship has been lost in the details of the regulations; the result is weariness for both the Lord and his people. The verb yaga, suggesting “becoming weary,” shows how the offerers fail to find the joy of the Lord’s presence; the sacrifices allegedly offered for sin leave it unforgiven because of a lack of true repentance.

43:25 The hope of rescue lies, as always, in the nature of God himself. “I, I am he” is emphatic and emphasizes the eternal character of God, who here is the one who removes sin completely. What he does is an expression of who he is. “Blots out” is a participle expressing a habitual attitude; David longs for this wiping clean in Psalm 51:3. “Transgressions” are deliberate faults, while “sins” are the habitual imperfections so much part of us. When God forgives, he intentionally forgets, and no accuser can undo that.

43:26 As humans, we tend to excuse our sins, so God here invites us to put forth our case. We tend to want to see some good in ourselves rather than to accept his grace. In order to receive forgiveness, however, we must acknowledge our own unworthiness and helplessness.

43:27 The problem with the path of self-justification is that sin is no temporary slip but goes back through all generations. “First father” may refer to Adam, or perhaps Abraham or Jacob. “Your mediators” could be the priests who offered the sacrifices or the leaders of the nation from Moses himself, none of whom were sinless. The Bible never glosses over the failings of its heroes, for all of them were sinners who required forgiveness.

43:28 Such persistent sinfulness inevitably brings judgment. Repentance leads to forgiveness and the blotting out of sin, but persistent disobedience brings judgment not only through the exile but in all subsequent history. The priests will be judged for their unholiness, and the “destruction” (Hb. herem) that came on the Canaanites (Josh. 6:17) will come on God’s own people. The only hope is in God’s grace.