The word “self-disclosure” is an important technical word that we don’t usually use, but we should get used to. The idea behind self-disclosure is that God takes the initiative and provides the means by which we know Him. God is the object that disclose the subject — Himself — to us.
In Isaiah 43, God is directly speaking to His people. But before we look at the content, remember that God is disclosing Himself by His direct speech. For Christians, self-disclosure is the key mechanism by which we know God. If God did not reveal Himself, we do not know Him.
What is the kind of God being revealed? How do we know? As we read Isaiah 43, let us compare what we know of God with how God has revealed Himself to us through the pages of Scripture. Here, God’s self-disclosure has something to do with His work in salvation (c.f Isa 43:3).
(A) Learn from former things: salvation is of the Lord (Isa 43:8-15)
In Isaiah 43:8, God has in mind Israel, the people who are spiritually unresponsive (Isa 43:8, c.f. Isa 42:19-24). He also wants the nations to gather and for the peoples to assemble (Isa 43:9). Here, Israel is on trial, and this trial is between God and Israel.
God, in His self-disclosure here, presents Himself as the plaintiff. He is the one with issue with Israel. He is basically taking Israel to court and is seeking justice. This God has expectations of His relationship with Israel. When this relationship doesn’t work out, He seeks juice and wants things to be righted. He is not afraid to confront because He loves them.
Many of us think of God as one who is distant. But His word shows us that because He has a covenant, God can take offense with us. He calls the nations to be His witnesses because He wants vindication, justice and clarity.
What does God want to prove or confirm at this point? God is eager to vindicate Himself as Israel’s only God and Saviour (c.f. Isa 43:10-14). But, we might ask, doesn’t that seem a bit petty? It is not petty if it’s true and in their interest for them to be single-minded.
God does so because He desires that His people are not confused. What kind of God is He if He doesn’t care about our choices? What kind of a God is He want He doesn’t want us to suffer non-clarity and confusion, and harbour a divided heart? Instead, He desires for us to know Him as Saviour.
In Isaiah 43:14, Hebrew parallelism is shown here to say one thing in two ways. We read of how God says that it is their sake that He brings down and allow the capture of the Babylonians/Chaldeans. Their military will fail them and the might that they are so proud of will not last. God will do to Babylon what they did to Israel, and this is for Israel’s sake. Their strength will be revealed to be nothing and in contrast, Israel’s God will be revealed to be their Saviour.
The God of the Bible does not arbitrarily afflict people. He acts in poetic justice. What the evildoer does will be done back to them. God lets us have the consequences of our sins. The God of the Bible who brings justice also brings mercy (“for your sake”). He shows His compassion for Israel, a fulfilment of the exchange mentioned in Isaiah 43:3.
The events being mentioned in Isaiah was also previous prophesied in Daniel 5:13-51. As we read the book of Daniel, we see in Daniel similarities with another Old Testament figure — Joseph. Like Joseph, Daniel was in a foreign land and encountered a foreign king with a dream that cannot be interpreted. Not coincidentally, an Israelite is able to. Daniel interprets the dream in Daniel 5:26-31, and a transition of world history is foretold here — the might of Babylon will be brought to nothing and the kingdom will be given away. In fact the great king Belshazzar doesn’t make it through the night the interpretation was given (Dan 5:30). Daniel 6 picks up with Daniel under the Persian king when he started out under the Babylonian king
Daniel shows us what we read about in Isaiah: how God works out His plans when His people are in exile. Even though they lost their land and were away from their temple, God had not completely abandon His people. Through the story of Daniel, we see how God has not left His people and continues to work for their good even though they’re in spiritual exile.
Thus, what did God want them to know without a shadow of doubt? That He is their Saviour. He will save them from the Babylonians and Persians. It will not be a false God that saves them. It will always be Him. Salvation belongs to the Lord.
We are not that different. We are not home and not yet in our Father’s home. Promises have been made and we have tasted the goodness of God. But like Daniel, we are exiles in the foreign land. It can be tiring as we wait to be saved. Yet God wants us to know that our salvation will not come from any false saviours we appoint for ourselves. We have one God and He wants us to now that we have no other salvation apart from Him. Psalm 3 should be our regular prayer. This is one of the best thing we can pray in this life.
What is your relationship to your Saviour? Has your heart wandered? Does your life reflect that you know this one Saviour? What do you take delight in and what does it reveal? What are you worried about.
(B) Look to new things: God works a new exodus (Isa 43:16-21)
How does the Lord introduce Himself in Isaiah 43:16? God’s might and power is shown as He points to His work in parting the Red Sea in the Exodus account (c.f. Exo 15:2). Isaiah 43:16 refers to this event. This is the Old Testament picture of the God who saves!
Why is God saying this now? They are now in Babylon, far away from the Promised Land and feeling cut off. It is in this time that God says that He will make a way for them to get through and get home. All the opposition will not stand against Him. Belshazzar will see God’s writing on the wall and then die (c.f. Dan 5). God will save them and do so in a way that they never imagine.
What is God doing that He wants His people to perceive? God tells them not to remember the former things (Isa 43:18). He is telling them that the Exodus was indeed in the past, but that’s not the end of His works. Yes, they are to see what He did before but not stop there. He will do something new.
He wants them to perceive that this new thing looks like a way in the wilderness (Isa 43:19). Even in the desert, the desert animals will drink because God will provide so richly and abundantly for His people just as He did so in the past (Isa 43:20). They will be provided for even as they journey home.
What kind of a God is this who wants Hie people to understand the work He is doing for them? God uses the pictures of the Old Testament to explain how He is working a new Exodus! God saves us out of captivity and He makes a way through the wilderness even though there is no way.
How did you come to Christ? Most of us might give a sociological telling, recounting the people we met in a certain place at a certain time. But how does the Bible speak about our salvation? He tells us that He devised the plan before the world began. We did not look for salvation and were enemies of God in our sin. At the right time, He took the initiative and broke our captivity. He redeemed us from a life of futility, brought us to Himself and made us His own. Now, we are waiting for HIm to bring us Home.
This is all our story by faith! We have a new Exodus by the cross of Christ. Through the cross, we have left our life of captivity. This is who we are. This is why we sing, “Amazing Grace”:
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see
(C) Examine the present things: Saved from the inside out (Isa 43:22-28)
In Isaiah 43:22-24, we read of God’s description of Israel’s relationship with Him presently, when these words were given. God people did not offer any worship while in exile. He does not require us to give our offerings with a burdened heart (Isa 43:23). In fact, the offerings are not meant to be a transaction but were under a covenantal arrangement. These were acts of worship and were not to earn His blessings. Yet, they have departed from this covenantal argument.
They also seemed to have abandoned all worship (Isa 43:24). In fact, they’ve burdened God when they stopped worshiping Him according to the old covenant arrangement. This burdened God.
What do we think about when we give our tithes and offerings? Friends, it’s not that we are supposed to go to church to sing. But when we do so, why do we do it? Are you disengaged when you’re in church with God’s people? If so, you’ve not brought a contrite heart as your act of worship! What’s the difference between that and what’s written about here? Consider your heart’s posture as you go before God in worship.
In Isaiah 43:25-28, God says that He will act. God says that He is the God who blots out transgressions for His own sake (Isa 43:25). He will pardon and have mercy on them. He calls them to argue it out (Isa 43:26) and the verses here refer to the exile. God forgives His people though their hearts are far from Him, but He also goes to court with them.
These verses show us the basic problem of the Old Testament. When God goes to court with His people, He finds that they have not been faithful. They can leave Egypt but Egypt remains in them. Yes, God can bring them out of exile, but their hearts remain just as sinful as their forefathers.
The Old Testament hints at salvation being something more than just changing the physical location and earthly ruler. This text alludes to but does not close with the true salvation that is needed. In Isaiah 44, we will read of the salvation that comes from the inside out. This is the true change that Jesus also spoke about in John 7:37-39.
But here in Isaiah 43, we read about a God who saves us. This is something we need to hold on to every day. We need to remember that we are saved on in Christ and there is no saving apart from Christ. If you have doubts, there is one answer: come to Jesus. You will find in Him, and only in Him, a salvation you can never work out for yourself.
Today, what false saviours have you tried to seek out for yourself? What have you learnt about God from Isaiah 43? How will you respond?