Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20040222.htm

ISAIAH: GOD'S DIRECTIVES TO THOSE TROUBLED AT GOVERNMENTAL APOSTASY
Part XXXI: God's Salvation From His People's OWN Spiritual Failures
(Isaiah 43:1-44:5)
  1. Introduction
    1. A few years ago, I heard a political talk show host speak of a morally deficient man who had been elected to office when he said, "We got what we deserve! Just look at the pool of humanity from which we have had to select him for office, and look at the pool of people that voted him in!"
    2. Sin in ourselves is a discouraging enemy, but Isaiah 43:1-44:5 gives us God's salvation from it:
  2. God's Salvation From His People's OWN Spiritual Failures, Isaiah 43:1-44:5.
    1. Looking forward to the people of God who would be captives in Babylon, God gave the prophet, Isaiah the encouraging message to give to these captives that they were not to be afraid, Isaiah 43:1b.
    2. The reason God gave such a prophetic message is revealed in His goodness to undeserving Judah (and the whole nation of Israel): God would save Israel from her sin that had led to her captivity, Isaiah 43:1-44:5:
      1. Based upon God's own commitments to Israel, He would restore the nation to her land, Isaiah 43:1-2:
        1. God would act in behalf of His people due to His positional relationship to them, Isa. 43:1-2: (a) God reminded His people He was their Creator, Isaiah 43:1a. (b) God reminded His people He had also rescued them out of captivity before when they were bondsmen to the Egyptians in the days of Moses, Isaiah 43:1c ("redeemed" = "buy out of slavery," Bible Knowledge Com., O.T., p. 1096. (c) God reminded His people He had brought them into a covenant relationship with Himself, 43:1d.
        2. Based on His relationship to Israel as her Creator, past Deliverer from Egypt and Covenant Lord, God loved Israel and would thus deliver up Egypt, Ethiopia and Sheba as ransom to Babylon so Israel could leave captivity and return to God's Promised Land of Canaan, Isa iah 43:3-4, 5-7.
      2. God's people would then testify and witness of His glory in this restoration, Isaiah 43:8-10, 11-21:
        1. Israel would witness to the world of God's attributes in restoring her to Canaan, Isaiah 43:8-10, 21.
        2. Israel would testify of God's glory, Isaiah 43:11-20: (a) Israel would testify to other nations that her God was the only true God, Isaiah 43:11-12. (b) She would say God was all-powerful, 43:13-20.
      3. Yet, regardless of God's future salvation for Israel, she was currently wayward from God, 43:22-24.
      4. Thus, God claimed He would salvage Israel from the Babylonian Captivity not because of any upright quality in her, but because of His own gracious, unconditional commitments to Israel, Isaiah 43:25.
      5. Having considered the grace of God, Isaiah urged the people of Israel in his era to turn to the Lord and repent so they might be blessed instead of disciplined by the Lord, Isaiah 43:26-28.
      6. Nevertheless, knowing that Israel would not then repent, God had Isaiah predict His future gracious salvation of the nation that would come after Israel's Babylonian Captivity, Isa iah 44:1-5:
        1. As in Isaiah 43:1, God focused on His identity as Israel's Creator, He Who had chosen her to be in close ("Jesurun" a term of endearment) relation with Him, 44:1-2; Ryrie St. Bib., KJV , ftn. to 44:2.
        2. Based on this gracious position that Israel possessed with God, the Lord promised her His great blessing when she would repent after her coming judgment for sin, Isaiah 44:3-5: (a) God would cause the desert to flourish with water, a picture of causing the spiritually destitute to flourish as He poured out His Holy Spirit on a repentant Israel, Isaiah 44:3-4. (b) God focused on the day when Israel would be happy to identify with God and His blessed, chosen nation, Isaiah 44:5.
Lesson: God anticipated DELIVERING and BLESSING Israel AFTER she repented following her judgment EVEN THOUGH Israel was CURRENTLY GODLESS, and that due to God's GRACIOUS, UNCONDITIONAL commitments to the nation as her Creator, past Deliverer and Covenant Lord.

Application: If we are dismayed at our sin, let us hope in the UNCONDITIONAL relationship we can have with an UNFAILING GOD (Col. 2:10): then, (1) trust in Christ for salvation to become a child of God (John 1:11-13). (2) As a believer who is dismayed at his sin, (a) hope in God's GRACIOUS and UNCONDITIONAL commitment TO US in Christ (Phil. 1:4-6); (b) then, confess our sin in prayer to God for cleansing (1 John 1:9) and (c) live uprightly (+) by leaning on God's indwelling Holy Spirit ( Gal. 5:16-23) to (+) obey Scripture, 1 John 2:2-6. (c) God's richest blessing will then flow toward us!