Scripture text: Isaiah 43:1-21
Lesson Background: Isaiah, whose name means Salvation of the Lord was the greatest of the writing prophets. According to Isaiah 1:1, Isaiah carried on his ministry among four kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Isaiah served as God’s messenger for Judah for about sixty years. Isaiah’s calling was to serve as God’s messenger to Judah before the people of Judah and to proclaim their sinful behavior. The people’s sin was demonstrated by their disregard for God’s law. In chapter 39, more than 150 years before it happened, Isaiah predicted that Ju- dah would be invaded and taken into captivity by Babylon.
THE LORD ACTS (ISAIAH 43:1-4):
God Creates (v. 1). “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Judah, and he that formed thee; O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name: thou art mine.” In the previous section, Isaiah 42:13-25, speaking through Isaiah, God condemned the sinful behavior of the people of Israel and said that He was the One who had brought judgment upon them in the form of the Assyrian invasion. With the words “But now” God transitions from condemning them to comforting them. Isaiah made it plain that the message that he was about to give was not his but God’s. Being related to God does not guarantee that we will be exempt from trials and suffering as the experiences of many past and present believers demonstrate. But it does mean that God will be with us through difficult times in ways that no earthly parents could be with their children (Hebrews 13:5).
God Protects (vv. 2-4). “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire; thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” The Lord continued to tell His people that belonging to Him included their protection. This promise proves to be the key for not only for Israel’s deliverance but also to our own. Immanuel, meaning “God is with us” (Isaiah 7:14), has come to save us from every sin that ensnares, reconcile us to our Lord, and give us life eternal (2