Isaiah 43

Isaiah 43:1

I have called thee by thy name: thou art mine.

I have taken special notice of thee, above all other nations; and have entered into terms of more near and dear respects unto thee.

Isaiah 43:3

I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

When Sennacherib did so furiously besiege thee, I fetched him off, and diverted his wars to Egypt and Ethiopia, and so made them to be thy ransom and rescue. So also verse 4.

Isaiah 43:5

Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

I will bring all the true seed of Israel out of their spiritual captivity, from all the corners of the world, even from the east and west.

Isaiah 43:6

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.

As also from the north and south; so as all, that belong to mine election, shall in Christ be gathered unto me. So also verse 7.

Isaiah 43:8

Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

Bring forth those people, that were once blind, but now I have given them eyes; and those, who were once deaf, but now I have given them ears.

Isaiah 43:14

For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have

brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. It is for your sakes, to contrive the return of you my people from your captivity, that I will send Cyrus against Babylon, where you are detained; and will give him victory against those princes and nobles of the Chaldeans, whom ye are subject unto, who shall be glad to make use of their ships for their flight and escape.

Isaiah 43:19

I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

As I will address and accommodate all things for the return of my people from their captivity, so as no convenience shall be wanting thereunto; so also, will I give all gracious helps to all my chosen ones from the utmost coasts of heaven, for their conversion to my true Church.

Isaiah 43:20

The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls; because I gave waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Those that are the most bestial and savage among all the people of the world, shall wonder at the great favours which I shew to my people, and shall give glory unto me, both of power and mercy.

Isaiah 43:23

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.

Those oblations, which thou hast formally made unto me, have not been such, as I cared to receive from thee: I have not been beholden to thee, for a true devout consecration of thyself and thy services unto me: all these have been only outward and fashionable. So also verse 24.

Isaiah 43:24

For thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

Thou hast cast heavy and intolerable burdens upon me by thy sins; as if my mercy served for nothing but to humour thy wickedness: yea thou hast pressed me so far, as that I am now weary of enduring thy provocations.

Isaiah 43:26

Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.

If thou hast any thing to say for thyself, speak it out freely: I give thee full scope to plead thy own cause with me; and, if thou canst, do thou either justify or excuse thyself.

Isaiah 43:28

Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

Therefore I have determined to disregard and expose to contempt the chief priests and rulers of my sanctuary, and to give up Jacob to destruction, and Israel to the reproach of all nations. ISALAH, CHAP. XLIII.—XLV.