Isaiah 43:1-2 (NIV); But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, He who
formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are
Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will
not set you ablaze.
Isaiah was a prophet to Judah during the reigns of four kings, two who were evil in the sight of the
Lord and two who sought to follow Him. By mixing pagan gods into their holy lifestyle, the people
had traded God’s glory and His promises for the deception and corruption of idolatry and paganism.
They had so prostituted themselves under the reign of king Ahaz that they had been made subject
to powerful pagan nations. Under the heavy hand of the Assyrians, Judah fell into deeper sins
calling out to her false gods and even sacrificing her children to the fires of the demon-god Molech.
This was the tumultuous background of much of Isaiah’s prophesies. His message was clear: God
hates idolatry and will judge His people for their sins, reducing them to a remnant through whom
He will carry out His promise of the Redeemer who will save the peoples of the earth from their
iniquities. Isaiah 43 speaks of God’s promise to redeem the people – to pay the ransom for their
salvation because they are precious in His eyes and because He loves them (v 4). Isaiah spoke a
message of judgement and also of promise, and though spoken to the kings and people of Judah,
it is a message for us as well. We too live in an increasingly godless culture and we often have
prostituted ourselves and sacrificed God’s desires in order to fulfill our own. Isaiah’s message of
repentance is for us today as well.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask God to point out areas of compromise in your life, things that you have allowed to replace
God. Spend some time in repentance.
2. Use Isaiah 43 to help you pray, thanking God for His love and mercy. He points out areas of
sin and compromise because He loves us and longs to redeem us from the things that are
harming us.
3. Ask God how He wants to respond to your repentance. Ask God if there are any changes of
habit or lifestyle you need to make.
