NOTES for Isa 43:25

²⁵I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

When reading the Bible, you understand that God's long-suffering is really unlimited. But all the same: for what? In the end, it is not only about the mercy alone, which is really unlimited for Him. It is about the covenant, about the union, which imposes obligations on both parties, and not only on one. And what, if one of the parties neglects the union, neglects very often openly and in a provocative way, by violating all its obligations, of which it cannot not know because the corresponding promises were publicly given, and cannot not remember, because the messengers of God very often reminded it of them? According to our earthly logic such union would be broken for a long time, and would be applied to the party which violated the corresponding penalties.

God however made more and more new attempts to reach out to those, for whom it seems for a long time that nothing is needed. For what reason? Why? Probably, because it doesn’t work out differently with fallen people. Of course, one can start all over again, including the history of the people of God. But where is the guarantee that the next time that will work better? In their fallen state in all the times, all men are more or less identical, in any case as regards to their spiritual and moral life. But the problem maybe is not only in that.

After all, God indeed has His plan, an exceptionally important plan, concerning not only the humanity and its salvation, but, it is possible, for something even greater, with regard to which, our salvation is only a part of the intention (although, probably, a part important enough). Is it possible to put the execution of this plan in the dependence of the disruptions of the human will and the perversity of the human nature?

And if not, then remains only to realize the indicated plan, in spite of all which can prevent its realization, including the imperfections of the people of God. And God really realizes His plan, in spite of the failures in the history of His people, which, would seem, had to put on its realization a fat point. Of course, the price is high: the Messiah, sent by Him dies on the cross. But the Kingdom enters all the same into the world. And the hope of salvation too.

Other notes

For Isa 43:24-25

²⁴Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

²⁵I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

So, the Lord says that His people have forgotten everything He did for them, forgotten all His wonders. And once again He performs wonders for His people. Why? After all, the people did not cry out to Him, did not offer sacrifices, did not ask for help... All the people did was hinder God from acting in their lives: burdening Him with sins and weighing Him down with iniquities, as the prophet Isaiah says. Why, then, does the Lord blot out all iniquities and agree not to remember sins?

And the answer He gives here is universal. He says: "For My own sake." He is ready to forget sins not because the people have corrected themselves or politely asked. He forgives because He is good and merciful, because He loves.

For Isa 43:1-28

¹But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

²When 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.

³For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

⁴Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

⁵Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

⁶I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

⁷Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

⁸Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

⁹Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

¹⁰Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

¹¹I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

¹²I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

¹³Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

¹⁴Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.

¹⁵I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

¹⁶Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

¹⁷Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

¹⁸Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

¹⁹Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

²⁰The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

²¹This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

²²But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

²³Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.

²⁵I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

²⁶Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.

²⁷Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.

²⁸Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

The Lord has redeemed us and called each of us by name. Redemption, that is, buying back, does not mean taking possession as... Read more

The Lord has redeemed us and called each of us by name. Redemption, that is, buying back, does not mean taking possession as property. If we continue to use the comparison from the realm of buying and selling, redemption is like buying birds in order to set them free. Nor does the fact that He calls each person by name speak of subjugation: this is not the name a master gives a slave, but the name that helps distinguish each one of us from all other people. This means that we are all dear to Him; each person is singled out without harm to those around him.

We are called witnesses, and here we encounter a new degree of His trust in us. In fact, the Lord does not need anyone's witness; His essence is above everything that can be said. Yet it turns out that we are important to Him not simply as creatures, but as those to whom great trust can be shown. All our sins and weaknesses are before His gaze, but they do not cancel the fact that we remain precious in His eyes.

Jacob, that is, the people of Israel who had fallen into sins and apostasy, is rebuked for not calling on the Lord. Nevertheless, He Himself, on His own initiative, blots out the people's sins. A question immediately comes to mind: why is there no mention here of repentance? Can one really do without it? No, of course repentance is necessary, but now the Lord lets us see that His forgiveness and mercy are higher than everything with which we are used to connecting them, and even higher than what we are able to imagine.

Readings for 25 September 2023

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Isaiah 43:25

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Ephesians 1:22-2:3

Mark 10:46-52

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NOTES for Isa 43:25

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Readings for 25 September 2023

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