Israel’s Only Savior
1 But now thus says the Lord,
ch. 44:2,21,24he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
ch. 41:14"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
ch. 45:3,4;[Gen. 32:28]I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 Ps. 66:12When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
Ps. 66:12when you walk through fire ch. 42:25;[Dan. 3:25,27]you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For See Ex. 20:2I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
[ch. 45:14;52:3,4] I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Ps. 72:10Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 ch. 41:10,13,14;44:2;Jer. 30:10,11Fear not, for I am with you;
ch. 49:12;[ch. 60:8,9;Ps. 107:3]I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring [2 Cor. 6:18]my sons from afar
and [2 Cor. 6:18]my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."
8 Bring out ch. 42:19the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 ch. 41:1,21,22All the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, It is true.
10 ver. 12;ch. 44:8"You are my witnesses," declares the Lord,
"and ch. 42:1my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
See ch. 41:4Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 ch. 45:21;Hos. 13:4I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and [See ver. 10above]you are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and I am God.
13 Also ch. 41:4;Ps. 90:2;[John 8:58]henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?"
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
[ver. 4] "For your sake I send to Babylon
and [ch. 47:1] bring them all down as fugitives,
ch. 23:13even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King."
16 Thus says the Lord,
ch. 51:10;Ex. 14:21,22;Ps. 77:19who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who See Ex. 14:4-9brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
[Ps. 76:5,6] they are extinguished, ch. 1:31;[Ps. 118:12]quenched like a wick:
18 [Jer. 16:14;23:7]"Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 [ch. 42:9;2 Cor. 5:17;Rev. 21:5] Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
ch. 35:8I will make a way in the wilderness
ch. 41:18;48:21and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild beasts will honor me,
See ch. 13:22the jackals and the ostriches,
[ch. 49:10]for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
Ps. 79:13;[Ps. 22:3;105:1;Luke 1:74,75;1 Pet. 2:9]that they might declare my praise.
22 "Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but Mic. 6:3you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 [Amos 5:25] You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
[See ver. 22above]or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 "I, I am he
ch. 44:22;[Ezek. 36:25,26] who blots out [ch. 46:8]your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; ch. 1:18let us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 [Ezek. 16:3] Your first father sinned,
and [Jer. 5:31]your mediators transgressed against me.
28 Therefore Lam. 2:2I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
and [Jer. 24:9;29:22]deliver Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.