1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:02,760 Would invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to the 2 00:00:02,760 --> 00:00:08,320 Old Testament book of Isaiah. We're going to be looking today 3 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:15,480 at chapter 43 of Isaiah. You're using the red Bibles and 4 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,040 the chairs around you. You can find the page that you 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,920 will find Isaiah 43 on, printed for you in the bulletin. 6 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:30,000 Isaiah 43, perhaps one of the most beloved chapters in the 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,400 entirety of Isaiah's book. Listen as I read to you Isaiah 8 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:36,560 chapter 43, beginning in verse one. 9 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,680 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who 10 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:49,160 formed you, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you. 11 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,480 I have called you by name. You are mine. 12 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:56,080 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and 13 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,240 through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you. 14 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,720 When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the 15 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,480 flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the 16 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:09,640 Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, 17 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,880 Cush and Seba in exchange for you, because you are precious in 18 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,680 my eyes and honored, and I love you. 19 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,000 I give men in return for you, peoples, in exchange for your 20 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,640 life. Fear not, for I am with you. 21 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,760 I will bring your offspring from the east and from the West I 22 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,480 will gather you. I will say to the north give up, 23 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,640 and to the South do not withhold. 24 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,920 Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the 25 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,040 earth. Everyone who is called by My 26 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,840 name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made, 27 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,600 bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are 28 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,080 deaf yet have ears. All the nations gather together 29 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,480 in the people's assemble. Who among them can declare this 30 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,600 and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses 31 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,120 to prove them right, and let them hear and say it is true. 32 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,680 You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I 33 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,880 have chosen, that you may know and believe me, and understand 34 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:09,080 that I am he before me no God was formed, nor shall there be 35 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,240 any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me 36 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,320 there is no Savior. I declared and saved and 37 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,360 proclaimed when there was no strange God among you. 38 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:24,160 And you are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and I am God 39 00:02:24,920 --> 00:02:26,600 also. Henceforth I am He. 40 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:30,040 There is none who can deliver from my hand, but I work, and 41 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:34,000 who can turn it back. Thus says the Lord your, your 42 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,840 Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 43 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,840 For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as 44 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,920 fugitives, even the Chaldeans and the ships in which they 45 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:46,320 rejoice. I am the Lord, your Holy One, 46 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,360 the Creator of Israel, your King. 47 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,680 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the 48 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:56,560 mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and 49 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,400 warrior. They lie down, they cannot rise. 50 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,000 They are extinguished, quenched like a Wick. 51 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,800 Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 52 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,840 Behold, I am doing a new thing now it springs forth. 53 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,880 Do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the 54 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:14,760 wilderness and rivers in the desert. 55 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,400 The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches. 56 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:21,000 For I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the 57 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,800 desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I 58 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,640 formed for myself, that they might declare my praise. 59 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,640 Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, but you have been weary 60 00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:36,920 of me, O Israel. You have not brought me your 61 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,320 sheep for burnt offerings or honored me with your sacrifices. 62 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,120 I have not burdened you with offerings or wearied you with 63 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,560 frankincense. You have not bought me sweet 64 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:50,040 cane with money or satisfied me with the fact of your 65 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,840 sacrifices, But you have burdened me with your sins. 66 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,160 You have wearied me with your iniquities. 67 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:01,160 I I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, 68 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,520 and I will not remember your sins. 69 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,600 Put me in remembrance. Let us argue together. 70 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,600 Set forth your case, that you may be proved right. 71 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,720 Your first Father sinned, and your mediators transgressed 72 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,399 against me. Therefore, I will profane the 73 00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:20,160 Princess of the sanctuary and deliver Jacob to utter 74 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,520 destruction and Israel to reviling. 75 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:30,640 Let's pray together. Father, we come to this portion 76 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,560 of Your word, and for so many of us there are such precious 77 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,360 treasures in this chapter. We pray that as we seek to 78 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,360 understand it and to unpack your word, that you would be at work 79 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:45,040 through Your Spirit to open our eyes, open our hearts and our 80 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,720 minds, that we would see what You want us to see, that we 81 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:49,120 would learn what we need to learn. 82 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,840 And above all, we would see our Lord Jesus. 83 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,840 For it's in His name we pray. Amen. 84 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,400 The prophet Isaiah lived and ministered about 150 to 200 85 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,440 years before the prophet Daniel lived and ministered. 86 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,200 But the people that Isaiah was speaking to here in this last 87 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,680 section of the book of Isaiah, they are the people who were 88 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,960 living when the events of Daniel's life took place. 89 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:23,520 People living in exile in Babylon in the mid to late 6th 90 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,080 century. As they would read Isaiah 43, no 91 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,440 doubt they would make a connection with Daniel. 92 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,720 It's one of the best known, one of the most loved stories in the 93 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,440 Old Testament. Daniel's three friends, 94 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:42,800 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they refused to bow down to the 95 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,560 golden idol that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had 96 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,600 created. They they refused to bow before 97 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,160 it and to worship it because they were followers of the true 98 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:56,640 God Yahweh. Nebuchadnezzar threatened to 99 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,920 throw them into a fiery furnace if they would not bow and 100 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:03,440 worship the idol. They answered Nebuchadnezzar 101 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,840 saying this. Oh, Nebuchadnezzar, we have no 102 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:08,960 need to answer you in this matter. 103 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:13,800 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from 104 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,320 the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your 105 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,080 hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, 106 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,000 O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden 107 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,600 image that you have set up. Nebuchadnezzar was furious. 108 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,920 We're told that he heated up the furnace 7 times hotter. 109 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:38,400 He had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bound and then thrown 110 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,080 into the furnace. It was so hot that the men who 111 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,160 threw them into the furnace were killed. 112 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:53,480 But then Nebuchadnezzar looked, he looked into the furnace and 113 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,880 he said this. Did we not cast three men bound 114 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:02,680 into the fire? But I see four men unbound 115 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:06,600 walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt, and 116 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:11,080 the appearance of the 4th is like a son of the gods. 117 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:14,840 Nebuchadnezzar had the men taken out of the furnace. 118 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,920 He looked and saw that the hair on their heads had not been 119 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,600 singed, and the the cloaks that they were wearing had not been 120 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,720 harmed, and there was no smell of fire on them. 121 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:30,000 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, all of God's pure people who 122 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:34,680 experienced this, had to think of Isaiah 43. 123 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:39,040 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who 124 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:43,320 formed you, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you. 125 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,080 I have called you by name. You are mine. 126 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:49,240 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and 127 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,680 through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you. 128 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:56,600 When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the 129 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:03,320 flame shall not consume you. What hope and encouragement and 130 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:07,200 strength these words must have given God's people as they were 131 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,960 waiting in exile for someone to come and rescue them? 132 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,320 And what hope and encouragement and strength these words must 133 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:18,040 give God's people living today as we wait for King Jesus to 134 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:22,880 return the second time to redeem and to rescue his people and to 135 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,160 bring the new heavens and the new earth. 136 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:30,120 Let's look at Isaiah chapter 43 and let's see several things. 137 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,039 First of all, the problem that Isaiah describes. 138 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:37,200 Secondly, the provider that will solve the problem. 139 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,320 Thirdly, the proof that he will do it. 140 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:44,400 Fourthly, the plan for how He will do it. 141 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:47,400 And then we'll finish by asking, So what? 142 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,920 What difference does this make for us today? 143 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:52,760 Well, first of all, the problem. Now, if you were here last week 144 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:57,640 as we looked at chapter 42, you will remember that chapter 42 145 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:02,560 ended by telling us that God poured out the heat of His anger 146 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,560 and the might of His battle on His people because of their 147 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:10,560 rebellion against Him. And as we get to the end of 148 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:14,440 chapter 43, we see the problem being stated again. 149 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:17,760 It's diagnosed in verses 22 through 24. 150 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:22,280 There God says, Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, you have 151 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:26,960 been weary of me, O Israel, You've not brought me your sheep 152 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:29,640 for burnt offerings or honored me with your sacrifices. 153 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,320 I've not burdened you with offerings or wearied you with 154 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,240 frankincense. You've not bought me sweet cane 155 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,880 with money or satisfied me with the fat of the of your 156 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:41,560 sacrifices, but you have burdened me with your sins. 157 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:45,240 You have wearied me with your iniquities. 158 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,880 The the language here, it sounds very similar to the language 159 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,440 that we read earlier in the service from chapter 1 of 160 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,120 Isaiah. It's the diagnosis. 161 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,720 Diagnosis of the problem of the people. 162 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:59,160 They have failed to call on the Lord. 163 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:01,040 They have become weary of the Lord. 164 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,280 They have failed to worship Him in the ways that He commands and 165 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:09,400 that He desires. Their worship of the Lord had 166 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:13,320 become cold and lifeless and heartless, going through the 167 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:18,640 motions of the rituals, and they were burdening the Lord with 168 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:22,040 their sins, wearying the Lord with their iniquities. 169 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:27,200 And then as we come to verses 26 to 28, as the chapter comes to a 170 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,600 close, we see what looks like a courtroom scene, verse 26. 171 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:34,520 The accused are given opportunity to establish their 172 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:36,560 innocence. Verse 27. 173 00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:40,640 The prosecution's case is laid out in verse 28. 174 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:47,080 Severe judgment was pronounced just like we saw last week in 175 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,320 chapter 42. God's people had a problem. 176 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:51,840 They were sinning against the Lord. 177 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,120 They were rebelling against the Lord in His word. 178 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:58,680 And in chapter 42, they are described as blind and 179 00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:02,400 inattentive and falling short and defeated and sinfully 180 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,160 disobedient and spiritually uncomprehending. 181 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,080 And here is the problem unfolds more in chapter 43, we see that 182 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,600 their worship was meaningless and they didn't have a 183 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:15,720 meaningful relationship with the Lord, right? 184 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,600 This is the problem that God's people had then and the problem 185 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:24,560 that God's people have today. We sin and rebel against the 186 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:26,320 Lord. The question is how would the 187 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:29,680 Lord respond? How does the Lord respond? 188 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:35,680 He responds by being a provider for his people. 189 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:38,480 There were provider that they needed. 190 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:43,080 You can see this provider described for us several ways in 191 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,080 verses one through 7. The one who comes who'll be a 192 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,600 provider for his people, The God himself who would come as the 193 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:52,600 provider. He is the creator God. 194 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,800 You can see that in verse one. He's the one who created his 195 00:11:55,800 --> 00:12:00,240 people who who formed them. He created Adam out of the dust 196 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,600 of the earth and breathed life into him and then created Eve 197 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:08,760 out of Adam and gave her life. He is the creator God, but he's 198 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,480 not just the creator God, He's also the redeeming God. 199 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:13,240 You can see that at the end of verse 1. 200 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,440 He says, fear not, for I have redeemed you. 201 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,040 God's people in the Old Testament had experienced God 202 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:25,200 redeeming them in many different ways, especially as he redeemed 203 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,640 them out of Egypt during the Exodus. 204 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,720 And God's people in the New Testament days got to experience 205 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:35,160 God's redemption in an even greater and ultimate way with 206 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:40,080 the arrival of the promised Messiah, the ultimate Redeemer, 207 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,720 Jesus himself. Through his death, through his 208 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,480 life and death and resurrection, he redeemed his people in all 209 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,680 ages from their sins. He is the redeeming God. 210 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,160 Not only is He the creator God and redeeming God, but we're 211 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,360 also told this is a personal God. 212 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,080 At the end of verse 1, he, he says he calls his people by 213 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,240 name. He knows them by name. 214 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:07,440 He calls them mine. The beginning of verse 3, we're 215 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,520 told that He is the Lord our God. 216 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:13,040 Lord, all capitals there. That's the word Yahweh, that 217 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:17,200 special, close, personal name that God gave to his people by 218 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,760 which they would call on Him. He's the personal Savior of his 219 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,680 people. The beginning of verse four. 220 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:29,480 He considers His people as precious to Him, honoured, and 221 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:32,880 he says the most personal thing you can say I love you. 222 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:37,440 He says to his people, He is the personal God, but he's not just 223 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,920 the creator God and redeeming God and personal God. 224 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:45,080 He is also the protecting God. These wonderful words that are 225 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:49,120 much loved in verse 2. When we go through the waters 226 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:53,160 and the rivers, He will be with us and will not allow them to 227 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,240 overwhelm us. When we walk through fire, we 228 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,040 won't be burned and the flame will not consume us. 229 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,680 He shows us our protection again in verses 5 through 7. 230 00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:06,840 He says fear not, for I am with you. 231 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:11,200 He will be the one who will call His people from the ends of the 232 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,560 earth and gather them to Himself, protecting them because 233 00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:18,920 He is the protecting God. What incredible and wonderful 234 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,920 and encouraging news. God's people have a problem. 235 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:24,600 They sin and rebel against the Lord. 236 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,160 But the Lord responds by providing a solution to the 237 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,400 problem. The creator God, the redeeming 238 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:33,560 God, the personal God, the protecting God. 239 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,640 He will provide and care for His people. 240 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,160 He creates them, He redeems them, He enters into 241 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:46,560 relationship with them, and He protects them, and He proves 242 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:48,960 that he's going to do it too. You can see that in verses 8 243 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,760 through 13. The language here is language of 244 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:57,800 another courtroom, verse 8. In the beginning of verse 9, 245 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:01,200 that the court assembles, witnesses are gathered. 246 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,960 The proof that is coming will be so obvious that even the blind 247 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:07,920 and the deaf can be witnesses to it. 248 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,360 The end of verse 9 The issue is stated. 249 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,720 The beginning of verse 10, the witnesses for the Lord are 250 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,360 presented. The end of verse 10 and into 251 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,800 verse 11 the Lord's claim is affirmed. 252 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,640 Before God there is no God formed, nor shall there be any. 253 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,960 After. Besides Him there is no Savior. 254 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:36,200 Verse 12 the issue is settled. God alone is declared and saved 255 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,360 and proclaimed, and there is only one who is the true God. 256 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,560 And then the verdict is given in verse 13. 257 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:46,360 Israel's God is the only true God. 258 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,560 There is no one who can deliver from His hand. 259 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:53,720 When God works, He accomplishes His great and gracious purposes, 260 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,160 and no one else can do what He does. 261 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:02,600 All of this is proof that God the provider will accomplish all 262 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,920 of His promises to His people. It's proof that He is the 263 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:10,880 creator God, that He is the one who can and will redeem His 264 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:14,040 people. He is the personal God who draws 265 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,160 people into relationship with himself, who considers His 266 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,280 people precious and honored, whom He loves. 267 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,880 He will protect them. He will be with them through the 268 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:29,760 roaring rivers and fiery furnaces of life, right? 269 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:33,680 This proof that He gives, that He, the great provider, will 270 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,200 accomplish His purposes. The proof of that is 271 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,880 unchallengeable. It is undeniable, and it is 272 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,400 above any scrutiny in the highest court of the universe, 273 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:46,320 with even the blind and the deaf being witnesses. 274 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:48,480 The evidence is so clear and obvious. 275 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:53,480 The case is so well made. The only verdict possible is God 276 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,320 is who He says He is. There is none other. 277 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:01,760 He alone is truth. He accomplishes His purposes and 278 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,200 is faithful to His promises, and He will do what He says. 279 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:11,280 So what's His plan? Well, He gives His plan in 280 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:15,079 verses 14 through 21. He tells them what He's going to 281 00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:18,040 do, what He's going to accomplish for them several 282 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,000 times. You may have noticed earlier in 283 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:24,400 the chapter the Lord alluded to the the great event in the Old 284 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,800 Testament that's called the Exodus when God rescued His 285 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,760 people out of Egypt. Did you notice verse 2, he talks 286 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:31,880 about passing through the waters, passing through the 287 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,880 rivers, and verse three, he actually mentions Egypt being 288 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:39,520 given to his people. Verse 9, there's a reference to 289 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:42,880 the nation's people assembling in the the former things, the 290 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:47,000 things of old. Verse 11, the Lord is the Savior 291 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,560 of his people. He rescues them, He redeems 292 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:53,560 them, He saves them. But as we come to verses 14 293 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,080 through 21, the Lord is even more specifically using that 294 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:01,400 former event of the Exodus to explain his future plan for His 295 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,840 people. Verse 14, he says the Lord is 296 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:09,040 going to bring Babylon down. That's the nation that had, that 297 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,800 had invaded and conquered Judah and now held the people of God 298 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:17,160 in exile. Verse 16, just like the old days 299 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,680 of the Exodus, the Lord is going to make a way through the sea, a 300 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:25,760 path through the mighty waters. Verse 17 just like how Egypt's 301 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:29,640 great Chariots and horses and army perished in the Red Sea, so 302 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:34,320 the Lord would extinguish all of those who oppose Him, quench 303 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,160 them like a Wick. Verse 18 he tells them not to 304 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,640 focus on the old former things, what God did before in the 305 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:46,520 Exodus from Egypt. Rather, verse 19, he says, know 306 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,600 that there is a new plan. I'm going to do a new thing. 307 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:54,240 Something new will spring forth. And what was that plan? 308 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,840 I will make a way in the wilderness for His people to 309 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,240 leave exile and return to the promised land. 310 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:04,720 Verse 20, The Lord will provide for His people. 311 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:06,280 He will protect them along the way. 312 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,640 He will give them the provisions that they need. 313 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:13,200 And verse 21, these are the people that the Lord created and 314 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:17,600 formed and they will give Him the praise that He deserves, 315 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:19,920 right. This is this was the Lord's new 316 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:22,920 and great plan for his people living in exile in Babylon. 317 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,680 His plan was for a greater exodus to take place when he 318 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:30,160 would once again redeem and rescue his people and be their 319 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:34,040 Saviour and restore the relationship between him and 320 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:38,440 them. So that makes us then consider 321 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,560 that makes us reflect on what how does this apply to us today 322 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:47,960 then? Well, first, is this God's 323 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:53,200 grace? In Isaiah chapter 43, God was 324 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,720 speaking to his people who were in exile in the 8th and the 7th 325 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,320 and the 6th centuries BC. And He was reminding them again 326 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:03,960 and again and again of His grace and His mercy and His love for 327 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,880 His people, of how He would rescue them and redeem them and 328 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:12,680 save them and care for them. But His words for His people, 329 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:16,120 then, are also His words for God's people today. 330 00:20:17,360 --> 00:20:20,600 What he did for his people back then, redeeming them out of 331 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:24,000 exile and restoring the relationship between him and 332 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,920 them, that points forward to a greater redeeming that he would 333 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,400 do for his people. Through the person and the work 334 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:35,400 of Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer, God would redeem his people who 335 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,200 are in exile because of their sin. 336 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:42,360 Brothers and sisters in Christ, these personal, these precious 337 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:46,800 words that we have in Isaiah 43, they are not just what God says 338 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:50,920 to His people back then. They are what God says to His 339 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,200 people today, to people, God's people in this room. 340 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:59,360 And what did He tell them? He is the one who has created us 341 00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:04,600 and formed us. We have no need to fear because 342 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:08,520 He has redeemed us. He knows us by name. 343 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:12,280 He calls us by name. We are His and we belong to Him. 344 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:16,080 And when we pass through the trials and the difficulties of 345 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:19,480 life, when we walk through the fires of this fallen and broken 346 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:24,440 world, He is with us. He will not let them overcome 347 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:28,960 and consume us. He is the Lord our God, the 348 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:32,160 covenant keeping faithful God. He is our Saviour. 349 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,200 He looks at us and He considers us precious in his sight, 350 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:41,080 honored in His sight. He tells us that He loves us. 351 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:46,200 He hasn't just given men and peoples in exchange for us, He 352 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,000 has given his own Son in exchange for us. 353 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:53,160 And He promises that one day he will gather us together with all 354 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:54,880 of his people from around the world. 355 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,760 He is our Lord. He is the Holy 1, He is our 356 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:03,680 Creator, He is our King. He has formed us for Himself and 357 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,920 gives us the privilege of declaring His praise. 358 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:14,720 Our God is truly a God of grace. As His people, we sin against 359 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,920 Him and we rebel against Him, and He responds by being our 360 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:24,240 provider, providing us salvation and His love and His grace. 361 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:30,040 Are you prone? Are you, Are you tempted to 362 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:35,320 doubt God's grace for you? Don't doubt it. 363 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:41,480 Instead, come back to Isaiah 43 and remind yourself of what is 364 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,240 more true than how you might feel in any particular moment. 365 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:49,560 Or maybe that you're here today and you don't know God's grace. 366 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:51,440 You haven't experienced it yourself. 367 00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:55,800 You have to understand what the Lord says here. 368 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,200 He says that apart from a relationship with Him, a 369 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,120 relationship with Jesus, no worship is acceptable to Him. 370 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:09,560 For those who are apart from a relationship with Jesus, He says 371 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:13,360 that you burden the Lord with your sins, that you weary the 372 00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:15,960 Lord with your sin and rebellion against Him. 373 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:20,640 In His Word He says that apart from embracing God's grace and 374 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:24,080 putting faith in the Lord Jesus, there is only utter destruction 375 00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:29,600 in reviling. So experience the grace of the 376 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:35,680 Lord by trusting in Christ, believing in who He is, trusting 377 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:37,640 what He has accomplished on the cross. 378 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,520 We see something about God's grace here in Isaiah 43. 379 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:44,520 We also see something about God's presence. 380 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:51,440 His presence is personal. It it is so clear here in Isaiah 381 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:55,760 43 throughout the Old Testament, the in the New Testament that 382 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,000 the Lord desires and intends to have a relationship with his 383 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,640 people. God is not cold and distant and 384 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:06,480 uninvolved and aloof. God as described in Isaiah 43 as 385 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,480 a God who desires a living, a personal relationship with us. 386 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,800 As we see here in Isaiah 43, the the Lord doesn't want just bare, 387 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:19,440 outward rituals from us. He doesn't want us just to go 388 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:21,800 through the motions of worshipping and living for Him. 389 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:26,400 He wants our heart. He wants a living, active, 390 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:30,880 personal relationship between Him and us. 391 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:37,160 Is that what you have? Do you know the Lord in this 392 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,680 way? If not, I would encourage you to 393 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:43,760 make use of the means that He's given us to grow in our 394 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,120 relationship with Him, the depth and the breadth of our 395 00:24:47,120 --> 00:24:50,560 relationship with Him. Get to know the Lord better by 396 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:55,360 reading His Word. Spend time talking to Him 397 00:24:55,360 --> 00:24:57,680 through the gift of prayer that He's given to us. 398 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:01,640 You can even use the Word of God to pray to Him, using His own 399 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:04,760 word to pray back to Him, especially in the Psalms. 400 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,400 Seek out the fellowship with God's people, fellowshipping 401 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,960 with God's people, building greater bonds of unity and love 402 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,600 and service that can actually help us to deepen our 403 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,360 relationship not only with each other, but also with the Lord 404 00:25:18,360 --> 00:25:21,720 himself. We see something here about the 405 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,600 personal presence of God and His desire for a personal 406 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:28,440 relationship with these people. But we also see something as we 407 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,480 think about God's presence, we also see something about Him 408 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:36,040 protecting us. Our God is a protecting God. 409 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:40,640 This wonderful language that we have here in chapter 43 about 410 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:44,920 how the Lord protects and watches over His people, that 411 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:48,080 should bring us an incredible amount of encouragement and 412 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:52,840 peace and hope. Now notice the Lord doesn't say 413 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:55,240 that there won't be any roaring waters. 414 00:25:56,040 --> 00:26:00,640 He doesn't say that there won't be any rivers in this life that 415 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,080 we have to live. He doesn't say that there won't 416 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:06,320 be any fires that we might have to walk through in life. 417 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:10,880 The Lord doesn't promise us that we won't have trials and 418 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,440 difficulties and burdens and hard things in this life. 419 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:17,040 In fact, he says that if you are a Christian, if you are one of 420 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,480 God's people, that might actually be worse for us. 421 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:27,680 But what He does promise is to be with us, to protect us and 422 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:31,200 preserve us, to bring us through the trials and the hardships, 423 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:34,280 whether that means removing those things for us in this 424 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,400 life, or whether it means preserving us as we have to 425 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:41,600 endure those hard things for the rest of our lives, knowing that 426 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:43,560 we'll be free from them in the life to come. 427 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:49,800 Do you trust the Lord's protection and provision and 428 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:54,240 care for you? If you are prone or tempted to 429 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:57,760 doubt the Lord's care and protection and provision for 430 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:02,920 you, come back to Isaiah 43. Be reminded of what is more true 431 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:06,600 than how you might be feeling in any particular moment. 432 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,000 Lastly, we not only see God's grace and God's presence here, 433 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:16,240 we see God's intention. It's obvious even just from 434 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,280 Isaiah 43, but all throughout the Scriptures, God's intention 435 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:23,880 in giving us His grace is to lead us to more holiness. 436 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:29,520 The indicative is meant to lead to the imperative. 437 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:35,400 What is true of us because of the gospel is meant us, is meant 438 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:39,920 to lead us to follow the Lord in the ways that He calls us to do 439 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,480 so. God's grace proclaimed in Isaiah 440 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:47,680 chapter 43 and ultimately accomplished on the cross when 441 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,640 Jesus died and in the resurrection where Jesus 442 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:54,080 conquered sin and death. His grace to us is meant to lead 443 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:57,800 us to growing and holiness and becoming more and more like our 444 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:02,320 Savior. Our sin should make us weary. 445 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:07,360 It should burden us. Those who have experienced the 446 00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:11,200 grace of God should be motivated and empowered to lean and fight 447 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,760 against their sin and to root it out of their lives. 448 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,880 Those who have experienced God's grace should make a stand in the 449 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:21,840 moment of temptation. They should choose to love and 450 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,760 obey the Lord more than what is tempting them in that moment. 451 00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:32,760 Do you know the the length, the breadth, the depth, the height 452 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:38,040 of God's grace? Does it lead you into greater 453 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:41,000 obedience, greater following of God's Word? 454 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:45,160 If not, I would suggest to you that your knowledge and 455 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:48,360 understanding and experience of God's grace is probably not as 456 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:53,120 great as you think it is. Come back to Isaiah 43, come 457 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,000 back to all of the scriptures and meditate and reflect on 458 00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:01,160 God's grace to you what it actually means, and let that 459 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:05,000 drive you away from your sin and drive you to greater Christ 460 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,480 likeness. Let's pray together. 461 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:22,640 So many precious promises and words here in this chapter of 462 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,240 your, of your word. We pray, Father, that as we 463 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:29,640 meditate on them today, You would drive them deep into our 464 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:33,720 hearts and our minds. There's so many things within 465 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:40,880 our own hearts, in our lives, and even out in the world that 466 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:44,760 argue against all of these precious promises and words that 467 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:48,240 you've given us in this chapter. We pray, Father, that we would 468 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:51,280 come back to it again and again, remind ourselves of what is 469 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:58,800 true, what you have said about us as we meditate on that, as we 470 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:03,720 believe it, that we would live out of it, Father, in a way that 471 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:07,960 truly causes us to become more and more conformed to what Your 472 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:10,200 Word says. We should be like that. 473 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:15,280 We would more and more be lights to this world, demonstration of 474 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:18,440 Your gospel of grace to sinners like us. 475 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:22,680 This we ask because we ask it in Jesus name, Amen.