God’s Faithfulness to an Unfaithful People – Part I • 02.02.25
God’s Faithfulness to an Unfaithful People
Isaiah 43:1-28
Grasping the depth of God’s faithfulness to an idolatrous people
- Consider how God chooses to identify himself
- Hear the promises God gives to his people
- Behold God’s redemptive work, despite his people’s sin
Manuscript:
Good morning church family! (Introduce self + welcome guests)
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Isaiah 43; page 716)
We’re diving back into our study of Isaiah: The Lord Saves this morning. Last week we covered chapter 42 and learned about The Servant: God’s Plan for Redemption. In that chapter, God’s idealized Servant was held up as the answer for humanity’s sin problem. If you’ve been with us for the last few weeks, you may recall, that turning aside from God to worship impotent idols has been a real struggle for the people of Israel/Judah. In fact, as we’ve evaluated our own lives and culture in light of these passages, we’ve found that the same is still true in our day! Worshiping someone or something other than the One, True God is still a common struggle and practice. But God KNEW that this would be the case, and he PROVIDED a solution in his idealized Servant!
Isaiah 42:1–4 (ESV)
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
The appropriate response to such a wonderful promise is singing/praise/worship! That is what Isaiah invited the whole earth to do in 42:10-17 – give God his due glory. He has not kept himself hidden or secret. He has revealed himself throughout world history as a God who is mighty to save, who moves kings and kingdoms to accomplish his holy will. He is unlike the dumb/deaf/blind idols who cannot do anything or help anyone!
Unfortunately, as God has laid out through Isaiah, his first servant, the nation of Israel/Judah was unwilling to see/hear/believe. They had the opportunity to function as God’s representatives on the earth, but they squandered that to pursue their own selfish desires/idols. Rather than standing out for God as his righteous representatives on the earth, they became just like the other nations in idol worship. The way the chapter ended last week was on a sour note. God reminding them that their nation’s destruction and exile was due to their own hardened hearts and unwillingness to worship/obey Him.
Isaiah 42:24–25 (ESV)
24 Who gave up Jacob to the looter,
and Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
in whose ways they would not walk,
and whose law they would not obey?
25 So he poured on him the heat of his anger
and the might of battle;
it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand;
it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.
This was hard to hear, yet it was also a reminder to modern readers that God had a plan that considered the inadequacy of his first servant. This failure on Israel/Judah’s part did not back God into a corner! He wasn’t left thinking, “Shoot! Now what am I going to do?! Plan A didn’t work out, so on to Plan B…” Not at all. God’s plan and character are unchanging – and he would continue to carry out his grand redemption plan, despite his people’s sin.
And that is exactly what we’re going to see today in Isaiah 43. God’s Faithfulness to an Unfaithful People is the title for our sermon. These chapters have beautifully laid out and will continue to reveal God’s unchanging faithfulness to an idolatrous people. And as we study today, our aim is…
Grasping the depth of God’s faithfulness to an idolatrous people
With that in mind, let’s turn our attention to God’s Word. I’m going to read the whole chapter at once. As we get started, consider that this comes right after the hard words that we just heard at the end of chapter 42…
Isaiah 43:1–28 (ESV)
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8 Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 All the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, It is true.
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
13 Also henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and bring them all down as fugitives,
even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild beasts will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.
22 “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am he
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; let us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 Your first father sinned,
and your mediators transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
and deliver Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.
I hope you were able to follow the ups and downs of the passage. It starts with a wonderful interjection in verses 1-2 after some very hard words in the prior chapter. God gives them promises of protection. In 42:25 they were exposed to the fire and burnt up, but now they shall walk through fire and not be burned, the flame shall not consume them… Why the change? V3 reveals the answer… for he is the LORD their God, the Holy One of Israel, their Savior. God had not given up on them. Pay close attention throughout these chapters on how God chooses to identify himself. The language he uses is always intentional.
God gives the nation of Judah many reasons to have hope throughout chapter 43. He makes promises that should cause their souls to rejoice. He continues to show his superiority over the idols. He reminds them of his redemptive work in the Exodus and calls them to behold the new work he is doing, despite their sin!
As we study this passage today, I hope your own hearts will soar as we grasp the depth of God’s faithfulness to an idolatrous people. These verses make it very clear that salvation comes from the Lord. He is the source of protection, provision, and blessing. And these precious promises and truths, while directed at Judah, ought to give us great hope today. Are you ready to dig in?
Our first call to action as we grasp the depth of God’s faithfulness to an idolatrous people is to…
- Consider how God chooses to identify himself
Throughout this chapter, God has rooted his actions in his character. The people can have great hope because of who God is!
Let’s walkthrough the ways that God reveals his identity to the people in this text:
- V1 – He who created you, he who formed you
God has not forgotten that they are his people whom he created/formed. Their existence as a nation was due to God’s sovereign plan to call the pagan nomad Abram to follow him. God had covenanted with Abram to produce a great nation out of his descendants. These people had a special place in God’s grand plan.
Then in verse 3, we hear God identify himself as…
- V3 – I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior
These titles are directed to this people! He is THEIR God. The Holy One of… Israel! THEIR Savior. That is why he protects and provides for them. His names’ sake is tied up in their nation. He has a special relationship with them that the nations around them do not enjoy.
Can you imagine hearing these declarations from your Creator? How jaw-droppingly amazing would it be to have God say such things to you? But it doesn’t stop there. Look down at verse 11, where God intensifies these identity statements…
- V11 – I am the LORD, besides me there is no savior
Not only is he THEIR Savior, but he is the ONLY savior. There are no others. He is the only way of salvation! And he is their God! He has created/formed them. He has chosen to be in relationship with them. What an incredible reality to be in relationship with the only Savior!
Because of this relationship, he says in verse 12, “I declared/saved/proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you…” Long before they turned aside to idols, Israel/Judah had experienced the tender mercies and loving-kindness of God. He had demonstrated that he alone was God throughout their long and storied existence, even if they were currently unwilling to admit it. In fact, I don’t know if you caught it or not, but in verses 16-17 God alludes back to the victory he provided at the Red Sea during the Exodus…
Isaiah 43:16–17 (ESV)
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
God is reminding them of his past deliverance from the Egyptians! This is proof of his statement in verse 13:
- V13 – There is none who can deliver from my hand…
God is repeatedly reminding them that he is greater than anyone or anything that they are tempted to turn to for help/hope! Why would they bother putting their trust in idols?! Idols cannot rescue or redeem them, but God can and has! As he says in verse 14, he is…
- V14 – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel
This is not the first time God has identified himself as their Redeemer, nor will it be the last. There was no one else who could or would bring them out of captivity but the One, True God. The promise he makes to bring them out of captivity is directly tied to his identity statements before and after…
- V15 – I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King
Because of who he is, he is able and willing to save. *pause*
Now, why did I take this time to go back through the passage and draw our attention to these identity statements from God? Because for the Israelites and for us, it is far too easy to overlook or forget who God is… To take him for granted… And that lands us in even greater trouble… when we forget how great God is, we are tempted to turn to idols… We start looking for substitutes to satisfy us and give us purpose…
This struggle was not unique to ancient Israel. Modern man struggles with it to this day. Each one of us is regularly tempted to turn to the creation rather than the Creator for comfort/hope/purpose/satisfaction. Which is why we must regularly stop and consider who he is and what He has revealed about himself!
And we’re not done quite yet… We have one more in verse 25:
- V25 – I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake
As if the previous identity statements weren’t awesome enough, now we have the reminder that God is the one who blots out sin and he does it for his own sake. If you just stop and consider all of these that we have laid out before us today, what a powerful reminder of who God is! (Read the list off the screen)
The beauty of these identity statements is that God is unchanging! These things are not only true back then… they are still true today. These identity statements about God are still significant for us. He created/formed you. He is the Holy One and he is your Savior, if you have faith in him. Besides him there is no savior! He is the only One who can deliver you from your sin and suffering and no one can successfully oppose him in his deliverance. If you are one of his people, then he will redeem you and no one will stop him! And he blots out your transgressions for his own sake. We have an awesome God!
And as we seek to grasp the depth of his faithfulness to an idolatrous people, we also need to…
- Hear the promises God gives to his people
Not only are there incredible identity statements in this passage, but they are linked to powerful promises from God to his people.
They are told in verse 1…
- V1 – I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine
This is elaborated upon in verse 2, which states:
Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
The faithless, idolatrous people who previously were told that God’s anger would burn them up are now being protected from fire! Though God disciplines his people, he does not forsake them forever. In fact, he communicates just how much he values them in verses 3-4:
- V3-4 – I gave Egypt as your ransom, Cush/Seba in exchange for you
God is unabashedly favoring the people of Israel/Judah as his people. They are the recipients of his fierce and faithful covenantal love. Which means he’s willing to exchange these pagan nations for them so that he can keep refining them. This is not due to anything they have done. They are not inherently more worthy of God’s love than anyone else. It is simply that he chose them and made a covenant with them, and he is faithful to his promises! God’s grace had been lavished on them, and he will continue to carry out his plan. Or how about his promises in verses 5-7:
- V5-7 – I am with you; I will bring… I will gather…
In these verses, God calls his people to fear not, because he is with them! He has not forsaken them, despite their sin. He has a plan for their future and intends to gather up all his people from around the earth. There is no one who can prevent God from doing this great rescue work! He will accomplish it! *pause*
If God promises his presence and plan to rescue and redeem, then you should put your hopes/trust in that promise! There is no reason to fear when God has promised what he will do. What he promises, he brings to pass! These truths about his promises are just as trustworthy today as they were back then. God has not only promised his presence and redemption to Judah, he has also promised it to the church. Consider just one passage where Jesus speaks of this:
Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Notice how that passage ends – “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus is with his people! And he is with them as they spread the message of redemption through faith in him to the nations! God is still gathering his sons and daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by his name, just as he promised in Isaiah 43:6-7.
John 1:12–13 (ESV)
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
God wills that men and women in our day and age believe in Jesus and be called by his name. If your faith is in Jesus Christ, then you should rejoice that you have personally experienced God’s presence and redemption! He is faithful to keep his promises! *pause*
Returning back to Isaiah… God made more promises to the Judeans in verses 14 and 19:
- V14 – I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives…
- V19 – I will make a way in the wilderness…
These are the present promises that God was soon to carry out! They did not just need to look back at God’s past redemptive work in Egypt, but could now look and see his present work in overthrowing Babylon for their sake. God is ultimately the One who brought about Babylon’s demise through Cyrus of Persia. And he did it to rescue his people from exile! He is their LORD, Creator, and King – the Holy One of Israel. He would make a way for them to return to the Promised Land and provide for them along the way!
If you’d like to read about the fulfillment of this promise, write down Ezra 1:1-11 and go look it up later. In that chapter, it is recorded how God led Cyrus to make a royal proclamation providing support for the Judeans to return home with finances, provisions for the road, and even beasts of burden to help them get there. What God promises, he fulfills!
These chapters we have been studying of late are a reminder that it is not so much about who you are as WHOSE you are. God’s faithfulness to his promises and to his people drive the events of world history! How often do you stop to consider that? How great is God’s faithfulness? Great enough to bring about the demise of the Babylonian empire!
Yet it is even greater than that… For as God promises in verse 25:
- V25 – I am he who blots out your transgressions… I will not remember your sins
As great as physical rescue from the Babylonians would be, spiritual rescue and the salvation of their souls was an even greater promise! Though these people had forsaken God time and again, He would not forsake them. Though they burdened him with their sins and wearied him with their iniquities, he would not write them off forever. Because he is a FAITHFUL God, even to an unfaithful, idolatrous people!
And so, we come to the culmination of grasping God’s faithfulness to an idolatrous people as we…
- Behold God’s redemptive work, despite his people’s sin
What we are witnessing in the text today is the miracle of God’s grace lavished on an undeserving people. He chooses to move towards them and rescue and redeem them, even though they are not seeking him! Their sin and rebellion invite his discipline, yet God also purposes to bear with them.
In verse 10, he tells them:
- V10 – You are my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me…
Their position as his witnesses and servant is entirely of God’s doing. He intended for them to serve as evidence to the rest of the earth of his character and holiness. Though they have been repeatedly rebuked for being blind/deaf/dumb, God is continuing to give them opportunities to see/hear/learn! This redemption that he is working to bring them out of Babylon was yet another opportunity to respond in faith. They were intended to learn their lesson and take their place as God’s witness to the nations.
We also heard of God’s redemptive work in their past as well as their present, even though they were actively weighing him down with their sin…
- V16-21 – God reminds them of his past redemption from Egypt and points to the new work he is doing
- V22-24 – The people have wearied/burdened God with their sin
About this, Commentator Alec Motyer helpfully says:
There was much religious fervour, no religious reality; where they assumed they were pleasing God, they were trying his patience; where they were most confident they were right with God, they were proving only that they were still in their sin. In this searching way Isaiah establishes Israel’s sin and need for divine forgiveness. (Tyndale Old Testament Commentary: Isaiah)
The nation had made a mockery of the sacrificial system. They assumed since they were going through the motions of religion that they were good with God. But God ripped that façade away. Their religiosity was not a blessing but a burden to him! *pause*
However, God tells them that he will blot out their sins and remember them no more. This is not something they’ve earned or deserved; it is an act of grace! This is driven home by the fact that God gives no explanation for his grace in verse 25.
In fact, in verses 26-28, God tells them:
- V26-28 – If they try to argue their own righteousness, it will end poorly for them… Their leadership has been corrupt and deserving of utter destruction!
Unfortunately, the people were very stubborn. They liked to argue with God about their righteousness. They believed they had kept the laws and were in the right. Such arguing with God reveals a proud heart and it invites his rebuke. The word for destruction is the word herem which means utter separation from the earth. It is quite the reminder that there is no answer for sin outside of God’s gracious redemption! The nations of Israel/Judah needed a Divine Redeemer just as we do today. There is no room for pride; we are wholly dependent on God! *pause*
These chapters are quite the roller-coaster, aren’t they? One moment we’re hearing some incredible promises from God, the next we’re being reminded of the people’s obstinance that invites his discipline. The repetition drives home the nature of God’s relationship with his people. God’s people sin, he faithfully disciplines and provides mercy and grace. These chapters serve to drive home the reality that God is incredibly faithful, even when we are not.
Let’s take some time to consider how we might be impacted by what we’ve heard and learned…
If you slow down and take time to meditate on God’s faithfulness… what might that do for you this week? *pause*
How would grasping the depth of God’s faithfulness towards idolatrous people help you to trust him? *pause*
How would it help you see the futility of your idols and help you turn from them back to him? *pause*
There is great value in meditating on God’s faithfulness to an unfaithful people. I want to encourage you to take some time this week to worship the Lord by dwelling on/meditating on these concepts.
If you are stuck in sin, allow the faithfulness of God to lead you to faith and repentance. He is the only Savior, and he delights to forgive and restore. Make a break with the folly of idolatry and make peace with your Creator! Confess your sin, ask him for forgiveness, and receive the mercy that he stands ready to give.
For all of us, allow the faithfulness of God to lead you to find rest and comfort in Him. He is a refuge for the weary and fainthearted. He stands ready to provide mercy and grace in your time of need. As we’ve seen repeatedly throughout Isaiah, God is faithful to pursue his people and is eager to show mercy and do good to them.
And, of course, I would be remiss if I did not point out that the greatest evidence of God’s faithfulness is found in the sending of His Son to rescue and redeem us from our sins.
As we heard earlier:
John 1:12–13 (ESV)
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Or as Paul puts it:
Romans 5:6–8 (ESV)
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
While we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. What a powerful reality. Christ died for me, why would I not believe in and follow him? *pause*
For God’s people, his identity and promises find their fulfillment in redemption, despite our sins. He is faithful to an unfaithful people… and for that we eternally rejoice!
Let’s pray.
Pray | Only a Holy God
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