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Isaiah 42: 21-25.
B | 42: 21-25. | a | The Lord is well pleased.
b | The law, magnified.
c | A people robbed and spoiled.
d | None saith RESTORE.
c | Jacob a spoil. Israel robbed.
b | The law, not obeyed.
a | The fury of His anger.
"But now" (Isa. 43: 1). Isaiah introduces the change from law to grace, as, years
afterward, Paul did. Israel is now viewed from the Divine standpoint. The purpose of the
ages must be considered quite as much as the exhibition of justice and retribution. Israel
has been "created" and "formed" for a specific purpose, and if law-keeping and the flesh
failed, God, out of the treasures of His grace, would provide redemption.
"I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name, thou art Mine."
The structure places the obdurate insensibility to "fire" and "burning" in Isa. 42: 25,
in correspondence with the blessed immunity to such devouring agencies under grace.
The punishment permitted against Israel in the ordinary course of events, would have
ended in the utter extinction of them as a people. But there were other factors at work.
Side by side with retributive justice went restoring and redeeming love, and it is the
triumph of redeeming love that Isaiah celebrates in his glorious prophecy. So it is that,
to the same people that are addressed in Isa. 42: 18-25, come the promises of
Isa. 43: 1-7. To save space we omit the structure of Isa. 43: 1-7 here, but it will be
found in "The Companion Bible". When we read the blessed words:--
"Fear not for I have redeemed thee" (Isa. 43: 1), or "I am the Lord thy God, the Holy
one of Israel, thy Saviour" (Isa. 43: 3);
it is very natural for us, in the light of the New Testament, to invest the words
"redeemed" and "Saviour" with their full evangelical meaning. While, at that time, this
could only be in purpose we have but to read on to the end of the third verse, to find the
precious word "ransom" (Heb. kopher, "atonement") used in connection with Israel's
deliverance from the Persian captivity.
"I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee" (Isa. 43: 3).
We have already learned, that in the eyes of the Lord
"The nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the
balance" (Isa. 40: 15).
Egypt, Ethiopia and Seba were not too big a ransom to compensate for the deliverance
of Israel, "since", as the Lord said to them,
"Thou was 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" (Isa. 43: 4).