In the midst of the flames, you shall not be burned
1 But now, thus says Yahweh,
who created you, Jacob,
who formed you, Israel:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you.
When you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through fire,
you will not be burned;
neither will the flames consume you.
3 For I am your savior,
I, Yahweh, your God,
the Holy One of Israel.
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Since you are precious in my sight,
and important – for I have loved you,
I give people in exchange for you
and nations in return for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you:
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, “Give them up!”
and to the south, “Do not hold them!”
Bring back my sons from afar,
my daughters from the ends of the earth,
7 all those called by my name
all I have created for my glory.
8 Lead out my people –
who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
9 Let the nations gather together,
let the people assemble.
Who among them can foretell this
or declare to us the things to come?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right;
let others hear so that they may say, “It is true.”
10 You are my witnesses, says Yah weh,
you are my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am He.
Before me no God was formed,
neither will there be one after me.
11 I, I am Yahweh,
there is no savior but me.
12 It is I who have foretold;
I have spoken and made it known,
I, not any of your foreign gods.
Therefore you are my witnesses
– it is Yahweh who speaks,
I am God.
13 From ever I am God
there is no one who can deliver from my hand.
I act, and what I do no one undoes.
14 Thus says Yahweh,
your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I send an army to Baby lon
to bring down all their bars.
The Chaldeans’ shout of joy
will turn into lamentation.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says Yahweh,
who opened a way through the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brought down chariots and horses,
a whole army of them,
and there they lay, never to rise again,
snuffed out like a wick.
18 But do not dwell on the past,
or remember the things of old.
19 Look, I am doing a new thing:
now it springs forth.
Do you not see?
I am opening up a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20 The beasts of the land will honor me,
jackals and ostriches,
because I give water in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert
that my chosen people may drink.
21 I have formed this people for myself;
they will proclaim my praise.
22 You have not called upon me, O Jacob,
indeed you were tired of me, O Israel;
23 neither have you brought me sheep for burnt offerings,
nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
nor wearied you asking for incense.
24 You have not spent money on sweet frankincense for me,
neither have you satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
Instead you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your offenses.
25 I it is, I am He
who blots out your offenses for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.
26 Remind me about the past;
let us argue together.
Speak up and prove your innocence.
27 Your first father sinned, and your mediators have rebelled against me.
28 Therefore I have disgraced the dignitaries of your temple, I have consigned Jacob to destruction, Israel to scorn.
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Comments Isaiah, Chapter 43
• 43.10 The reliability of the triumphant God is affirmed even more than in previous poems: I, I am… Someone said that this “I” is detestable on human lips, but it does befit God: “I Am” was God’s revelation to Moses in the burning bush (Ex 3). And Jesus will also say ma ny times: “I Am” to reveal who he is (Jn 8:12).
Such is the God who lifts our spirits. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned. Every thing is possible, including living according to the Gospel in an environment of materialism.
In exchange for you, I will give many people (4). With this figurative expression, Yahweh’s unique love for his children is reaffirmed. He is ready to be reconciled at any cost with this people, whom he chose and who were lost through their own fault.
In the end, 43:16-21, we hear this once again: the new Exodus from Babylon will surpass that from Egypt: you have done enough looking at the past; now look to the future.
• 22. People are ungrateful by nature. They usually maneuver events so that serving God does not deprive them of time nor money. Many people only think about God to complain to him. Yet, the love of God will be stronger than their lack of gratitude: He will pour out his Spirit upon the human race.
Neither have you brought me sheep for burnt offerings. The exiled Jews had neither temple nor rituals in Babylon. On the basis of this, Yahweh tells them: “If I come to save, it is not because you have bought my favors with your sacrifices.” God saves them, though they have not sacrificed anything for him, and have not even called on him.
You have burdened me with your sins…I am He who blots out your offenses for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. After what he said through Jeremiah and Ezekiel, God continues declaring his love that is scorned by his people. In spite of their differences, all prophets use the language of passionate love. It allows them to express better what sin is: not just a fault against sacred laws, but rather a rejection of God’s love.