Isaiah: You Are Mine!

Isaiah 43:1-44:5

When God tells us not to be afraid, he provides the promises that dispel fear. God wants us to flee from fear and run to him. When we run to him, we’ll find everything we need. In today’s passage, God presents three reasons for living without fear and promises a gracious deliverance. Let’s see how these truths apply to Israel and to us today. 

Isaiah 40-66 is divided into three nine-chapter sections. We are currently in the first section (Isa. 40-48) where God reassures Israel that he will deliver them from their captivity in Babylon. Isaiah 43 begins with God reminding his people of their identity: they belong to him. He “created…Jacob” and “formed…Israel” (Isa. 43:1). The names “Jacob” and “Israel” are paired twelve times and are used synonymously for the twelve tribes of Israel.

God’s people were living in captivity; however, they were not to live in fear. God gave them three promises to know:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you (Isa. 43:1-2).

Isaiah 43:1b-2 [Our Anchor Point]
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 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”. 

In the original Hebrew language, “redeemed” means “to buy out of slavery.” God’s redemption is the basis for our identity; he has called us by name. We belong to him. “Waters,” “rivers,” and “fire” remind us that we will face trials in this life, but our heavenly Father will protect us as a shepherd protects his sheep. 

Fear not . . . I love you (Isa. 43:3-4). 

God reminds his people that he is “the Lord your God,” “the Holy One of Israel,” “your Savior.” God raised up Cyrus the Great to release Israel from captivity. In return, God allowed Cyrus to conquer Egypt, Cush, and Seba. God said, “I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life” (Isa. 43:4b). He demonstrated his love by giving these countries as a ransom, a payment for Israel’s freedom.

That is a picture of what Jesus did for us. Jesus became the payment for our sins when he died on the cross. He purchased us from the slavery of sin. Jesus said that he came to “give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). 

Fear not, for I am with you (Isa. 43:5-7).

God is always with us. He never leaves us, never abandons us. When we are fearful, he is there to calm our fears.

The northern kingdom (Israel) had been taken captive by the Assyrians and scattered throughout the empire. The Babylonians would do the same to the southern kingdom (Judah). However, God never left his chosen people. Neither did he abandon them. There was no need for God’s people to fear.

God reassures Judah that “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” (Isa. 43:7) will be gathered from the four corners of the earth. He had redeemed them, loved them, and was present with them even when they were scattered due to their disobedience.

Wait a second…let’s pause here. Even when we have rebelled, walked away, and are paying the consequences of our disobedience, God still reassures us, “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isa. 43:5).

Judah was restored to serve as a witness to the world that there is no God besides the Lord God (Isa. 43:8-13). “I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior . . . there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?” (Isa. 43:11-13). Many moving parts were involved in carrying out God’s divine plan, including Cyrus, the nations, and the people of Judah. Whatever ways God chooses to execute his plan, it will not be thwarted. He declares his sovereignty over all as he fulfills his promises. 

God promised Judah that he would deliver them from Babylon (Isa. 43:14-21). Let’s consider the reassurances God gave his people along the way.

• God reminded Israel who he was: “your Redeemer,” “the Holy One of Israel,” “the Lord, your Holy One,” “the Creator of Israel,” “your King” (Isa. 43:14-15). Don’t miss the power revealed in his many names. 
  
  
• God would undermine the Babylonians’ power, changing them from conquerors to the conquered. This shift would pave the way for Judah’s return to Jerusalem (Isa. 43:14-17). 
  
  
• God was doing a “new thing.” He asked Israel, “Don’t you feel it coming?” (Isa. 43:19). God would make a “way in the wilderness” for them to return (Isa. 43:16-21). 
  
  
• Judah had rebelled against God. God said, “You have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities” (Isa. 43:24b). But remember, with God, there is always forgiveness.

Isaiah 43:25
I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. 

Think of it! God erases our sins from the board. The all-knowing God chooses not to remember our sins. What an amazing statement of God’s forgiveness! What an amazing statement of God’s grace! What an amazing statement of God’s unfailing love!

Today’s passage ends with a return to God’s reminder, “Fear not….”

Isaiah 44:1-2
“But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.” 

The name “Jeshurun” means “Upright One” and is a poetic synonym for Israel (see Dt. 32:15; 33:5, 26). Remember, God is speaking to a people in captivity, reassuring them that he has not forgotten his promises. These verses summarize the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-14; 18:18-19; 22:15-18). Twice, God reminds his people that they are chosen. He chose Israel to be his people, his witnesses on earth. He “formed [them] from the womb,” that is, he brought them into existence.  God’s tender love is steadfast.

God declares, “I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isa. 43:1b). He will never let us go. He will always deliver on his promises. He sent Jesus to provide the way for us to have a personal relationship with him. The apostle Paul said, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in [Jesus]” (2 Cor. 1:20).

I encourage you to spend time with the Lord. Listen for the Creator God to say, “I have called you by name, you are mine.” Take in the moment. You belong to God and always will.  

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Isaiah 43:1-44:5. Focus on our Anchor Point—Isaiah 43:1-2. Let God speak his truth into your heart.

Talking to God: Too often in our prayer time, we do the talking. Stay quiet today and listen for God’s voice. Hear him say deep within your spirit, “I have called you by name, you are mine.”

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