Isaiah 43

The LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, the Chaldeans in the ships they boast of. Wesley: Sent—I have sent Cyrus against Babylon, to this very end, that he might deliver you out of captivity. Chaldeans—the common people of Chaldea, who make fearful outcries as they flee away from the Persians in ships.

Cyrus is sent for Israel’s sake; the Chaldeans flee in ships with outcries. No dispute here: Persian conquest of Babylon; the Redeemer acts for his people. He has sent Cyrus to this very end—he is not discovering the outcome as the ships put out.

The LORD speaks. Calvin: Cyrus will be but a hired soldier to render his services to the Lord for delivering his people. The prophet does not name Cyrus here but speaks of the army under his command for subduing the Babylonians; accomplished by Cyrus and Darius under God’s direction. Addresses captives who appeared beyond hope. For your sake I have sent to Babylon: while Cyrus was instigated by ambition, nothing was generally believed than that the Jews would return. Easy victories granted so they subdue the East because God reconciled to his Church. They are all fugitives. Cry of the Babylonians in the ships: the Euphrates dried up, they could not escape by land.

Cyrus is hired for the Lord’s purpose; the army, not the name, is in this verse; fugitives in ships when the Euphrates is dry. Shared with Wesley: Cyrus against Babylon for Israel’s sake.

I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. The God who in v. 14 sends to Babylon for their sake now seals the word as their Holy One, the Creator of Israel, their King; the titles of v. 14 still govern.

Redeemer, Holy One, Creator, King name the one who sent Cyrus. Neither side disputes this: he is Israel’s Holy One and King. The King who sends already is their Redeemer.

I Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Calvin: seal of the promise. Holy because he has chosen and separated a people. Creator not universal creation but new creation (Ephesians 2:10). King: even when no semblance of a kingdom was visible; hope for restoration of the kingdom.

The titles seal v. 14; Creator is new creation, King is hoped restoration when no kingdom is seen. Shared with Wesley’s titles: Holy One, Creator, King. Both still rest the seal on the LORD himself.

The LORD speaks as the one who makes a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters. From v. 17: the way in the sea is the Exodus path; the LORD who will quench Pharaoh’s chariot and horse in v. 17 is the one who made a path in the mighty waters.

Red Sea memory grounds the new word. A way in the sea is the former deliverance.

Who maketh a way in the sea. Calvin: reminds of former benefits (Red Sea, Jordan) so they believe he will be no less gracious. Same God who opened a way through the sea.

Former path through the waters is the ground of present hope. Shared with Wesley’s Exodus reading of v. 17: Red Sea, not a new sea.

Who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick). Wesley: The chariot—Pharaoh and his chariots and horses and army. Lay down—in the bottom of the sea. They never rose again to molest the Israelites. Quenched—as the wick of a candle when it is put into the water is extinguished.

Pharaoh’s host at the bottom of the sea; never rose to molest Israel again. Exodus memory; quenched like a wick.

When he bringeth out chariot and horse. Calvin: no power hinders. Pharaoh drowned. Continual victory; enemies quenched like flax, immediately consumed.

No power hinders; the drowning is immediate consumption. Wesley agrees: Pharaoh; quenched like a wick or flax.

Remember the former things, and don’t consider the things of old. Wesley: Remember not—though your former deliverance out of Egypt was glorious: yet in comparison of that inestimable mercy of sending the Messiah, all your former deliverances are scarce worthy of your remembrance and consideration.

Egypt was glorious, yet scarce worthy beside sending the Messiah. The former thing is Egypt; they are not told to despise it as false, but not to rest there. The fork on how far the new thing reaches waits at v. 19. He tells them what not to remember because he already knows the greater mercy.

Remember not former things. Calvin: all miracles of the first redemption of little importance compared with the more remarkable miracle soon to be wrought. Not that they should forget Egypt (Exodus 20:2) but by comparison (Jeremiah 23:7–8). Latter redemption far more illustrious. Do not limit this prediction to a small number of years; he does not separate commencement and progress but extends the blessed consequences of their return till Christ.

Do not forget Egypt, but by comparison the latter is far more illustrious; the return’s blessed consequences run till Christ. Wesley agrees: Egypt is the former thing; a greater mercy outstrips it.

Behold, I will do a new thing. I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Wesley: A new thing—such a work as was never yet done in the world. Now—the scripture often speaks of things at a great distance of time as if they were now at hand; to make us sensible of the inconsiderableness of time and all temporal things in comparison of God and eternal things; upon which account it is said that a thousand years are in God’s sight but as one day. Hear with his v. 18: the inestimable mercy of sending the Messiah makes former Egypt scarce worthy of remembrance.

The new thing is a work never yet done; “now” may be a great distance because a thousand years are as one day. God does a new thing; a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The new thing springs because he declared it; “now” is God’s timing, not ignorance of when it will rise.

Behold I do a new thing. Calvin: unheard of, uncommon; the sun making stars disappear. Now it shall arise: time shall not be long; seventy years of captivity versus God. Almost all Christian commentators interpret this as referring absolutely to the coming of Christ—they are undoubtedly mistaken; the Jews are also wrong when they limit it to the redemption from Babylon. Include the whole period which followed the redemption from Babylon down to the coming of Christ. The two are one redemption. Second redemption leaves the first far behind. Haggai 2:6–9: glory of the latter house greater because of the Desire of nations.

Not Christ-only, not Babylon-only; Babylon-to-Christ is one redemption; seventy years are short beside God. Wesley reads it the same way: unheard-of new thing; way in the wilderness. Time shall not be long because he said so.

The animals of the field, the jackals and the ostriches, shall honor me, because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen people. Wesley: The beast—shall have cause, if they had abilities, to praise me for their share in this mercy. Dragons—which live in dry and barren deserts.

Even desert beasts would praise if they could; the water is for his chosen people. Water in the wilderness; chosen people drink. He gives the water he announced.

The beast of the field shall honor me. Calvin: power so visible brute animals acknowledge God. My people, my chosen: reminds them of adoption; he who once chose them does not change his purpose.

Visible power even beasts acknowledge; chosen is adoption that does not change purpose. Wesley concurs: beasts honor; the drink is for his people. Both still give the honor to God for water in the desert.

The people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise. Formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise—the same people created for his glory in 43:7, now given rivers in the desert so that they declare that praise.

Forming is for his praise; the new thing of v. 19 serves that end. Formed for himself; they declare his praise. He formed them for this end and will have the praise he formed them to declare.

This people have I created for myself: they shall declare my praise. Calvin: he will necessarily do what he said because it concerns his glory to preserve the people he has chosen. End of our election: that we may shew forth the glory of God (Ephesians 1:4–6; 1 Peter 2:9).

Preservation is necessary because his glory is bound to the people he chose; election’s end is to shew forth his glory. Common ground with Wesley: formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.