Fear Not, I Have Redeemed You
Study note
After the rebuke at the end of chapter 42, God now speaks with incredible tenderness. He has created Israel, formed them, and redeemed them. He calls them by name and declares that they belong to him. Through every danger, whether flood waters or flames, God will be there. He has given other nations as a ransom for Israel because they are precious and honored in his sight. He will gather his scattered people from every direction on earth.
1 But now, here is what the Lord says — the one who made you, O Jacob, the one who shaped you, O Israel: 'Don't be afraid. I have bought you back and set you free. I have called you by your very own name. You belong to me.' But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 'When you walk through deep waters, I will be there with you. When rivers threaten to sweep you away, they will not pull you under. When you walk straight through fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not touch you.' When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 'For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have traded Egypt as a ransom for you, along with Cush and Seba, to get you back.' For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 'You are precious to me and deeply honored, and I love you. I would give entire nations and peoples in exchange for your life.' Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 'Don't be afraid — I am with you. I will gather your children from the east and bring you together from the west.' Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 'I will tell the north, Let them go! And the south, Do not hold them back! Bring my sons from faraway places and my daughters from the ends of the earth.' I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 'Bring every person who carries my name. I created them to show my glory. I formed them and made them.' Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
You Are My Witnesses
Study note
God again takes the nations to court. He calls Israel as his witnesses to testify that he alone is God. Before him, no god was formed, and after him there will be none. He alone is the Lord, and there is no other savior. He has declared, saved, and made it known. No foreign god did these things. Israel is his witness. From the very beginning, God is the same, and no one can undo what he does.
8 Bring out the people who have eyes but act blind, who have ears but act deaf. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Gather all the nations together, and let the peoples assemble. Which of their gods predicted this would happen? Which of them announced it in advance? Let them produce witnesses to prove they were right, or let them hear the truth and admit it. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 'You are my witnesses,' the Lord says, 'and the servant I chose, so that you would know me, trust me, and understand that I am the one. No god existed before me, and none will come after me.' Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 'I — only I — am the Lord, and there is no savior besides me.' I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
12 'I made myself known, I saved, I announced it — and there was no foreign god among you doing these things. You are my witnesses,' says the Lord, 'that I am God.' I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
13 'From the very beginning, I am the one. Nobody can snatch anyone from my hand. When I act, who can undo it?' Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
A New Thing in the Wilderness
Study note
God reminds Israel that he is their Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, their Creator and King. He is the one who made a way through the sea and destroyed the powerful Egyptian army. But then he says something surprising: 'Forget the old things. I am doing a new thing!' He will make roads through the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Even the wild animals will honor him. God formed this people for himself, and they will declare his praise.
14 Here is what the Lord says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 'For your sake, I am sending an army to Babylon. I will bring the Babylonians down as refugees in the very ships they were so proud of.' Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
15 'I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King.' I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Here is what the Lord says — the one who cut a road through the sea and carved a path through the powerful waters, Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17 the one who lured out the chariots and horses, the entire army with all its strength. They collapsed together and never got up again. They fizzled out and died like a candle wick. Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
18 "Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old." Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20 'Even the wild animals will honor me. The jackals and the owls will praise me. This is because I am pouring water into the wilderness and sending streams into the desert. I do this to give my chosen people something to drink.' The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
21 'These are the people I shaped for myself, and they will tell everyone how great I am.' This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
Israel's Failure and God's Forgiveness
Study note
Despite all God has done, Israel has not called on him or honored him with their offerings. Instead, they have burdened God with their sins and worn him out with their wrongdoing. Yet God makes an astonishing declaration: 'I, yes I alone, am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake. I will not remember your sins.' God invites them to make their case, but reminds them that from their very first ancestor, their leaders have sinned against him. Still, his grace is greater than their failure.
22 'But you did not bother to call on me, O Jacob. You got tired of me, O Israel.' But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
23 'You did not bring me your sheep for burnt offerings, and you did not honor me with your sacrifices. I never weighed you down by demanding grain offerings or wore you out by insisting on incense.' Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
24 'You did not spend your money to buy me sweet-smelling reeds, and you did not satisfy me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead, you loaded me down with your sins and exhausted me with your wrongdoing.' Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 'I — yes, I — am the one who erases your sins, and I do it for my own sake. I will not bring up your sins ever again.' I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
26 'Go ahead and remind me of your side of the story. Let us talk it out together. Make your argument, and let us see if you can prove yourself right.' Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
27 'Your very first ancestor sinned, and your leaders have been rebelling against me ever since.' Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28 'So I shamed the leaders of your temple. I gave Jacob over to be wiped out and Israel over to be mocked.' Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.