Isaiah 43

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22

Wearying of God's worship. This is quite a customary prophetical complaint. The idea seems to be that God noticed his people making a toil rather than a joy of his service. They kept it up, but it was evidently an irksome burden. We can understand that, during the Captivity, when removed from all the solemn associations of the temple-worship, it would be very burdensome to keep up family or public religion. Micah pleads thus, in God's name: "O my people, what have I done unto thee? and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22-25

Righteousness, guilt, mercy. We notice here— I. THE REASONABLENESS OF GOD 'S SERVICE . "I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense." God's service is not a servitude, a slavery; nor is it a burdensome task, hard and heavy to be borne. Under the Mosaic Law, special provision was made for the poor, so that the sacrifices asked of them should be within their reach (Le Isaiah 5:7 ; Isaiah 12:1-6 :8; Isaiah 14:21 ). Women and children were... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22-28

A REPROACH ADDRESSED TO CAPTIVE ISRAEL FOR ITS PAST OMISSIONS AND SINS . The thought of Israel in the future, redeemed, restored, and "telling out God's praise" ( Isaiah 43:21 ), raises naturally the con-trusted thought of Israel in the present and the past, disobedient, full of shortcomings ( Isaiah 43:22-24 ), too often guilty of overt acts of sin ( Isaiah 43:24-28 ). While reproaching his people, and reminding them that the exile is the wellmented punishment of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22-28

The folly of self-justification before God. Self-justification, addressed by man to God, is doubly foolish— I. AS HAVING NO BASIS IN TRUTH , AND THEREFORE EASILY CONFUTED . There is no fact more certain, whether we accept the statements of Scripture as authoritative, or pin our faith on our own observation and experience, than that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" ( Romans 3:23 ). Each man is conscious to himself of sin, and no one claims... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22-28

Memories of exile. I. THE FAITHLESSNESS OF THE PEOPLE . They have forgotten the covenant of their God. They have neglected one of its first duties—prayer, which marks dependence; or they had prayed to other gods; or their prayers had been merely ritual and formal. And this was the less excusable as the burden of sacrifices had not laid upon them during the exile. II. THE MINDFUL MERCY OF JEHOVAH . He promises to blot out their sins; and this simply for his own sake. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:23

Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings . If this reproach is regarded as addressed to captive Israel, who could not offer sacrifices, we must explain it by the analogy of the expression, "the calves of your lips" ( Hosea 14:2 ). All prayer may be regarded as a sort of offering, and withholding it as withholding sacrifice. But it is possible that the prophet is not addressing captive Israel only, but carrying his thoughts back to the period preceding the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:24

Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money . "Sweet cane" is mentioned in the Law only in connection with the "holy anointing oil" ( Exodus 30:23 ). But the present passage raises a suspicion that it was practically used in the burnt offerings of private persons (see the next clause). That it was anciently used in Babylonia in sacrifice, appears from the Deluge Tablets. But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins . "The sins of Israel," as Delitzsch observes, "pressed upon Jehovah, as... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:25

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions (comp. Psalms 51:1 , Psalms 51:9 ). The idea is based on that of sins being "noted in a book" ( Psalms 56:8 ; Revelation 20:12 ). For mine own sake ; i.e. purely from the love that I bare thee. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:25

Forgiveness for God's own sake. "For mine own sake." Human action is seldom taken on the persuasion of only one motive. We can hardly ask—What was your motive? We should ask—What were your motives ? One, indeed, may seem to be bigger than the rest, and to have decided the course of conduct; but we are very imperfect readers of human nature if we rest satisfied with the easy statement that every act has a single reason, a supreme motive. We may venture to apply this to God. We cannot... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:26

Put me in remembrance . Either, ironically, "Remind me of thy good deeds; plead thy cause with me on that ground; show the merits that justify thee;" or else seriously, "Remind me of my promises; plead them before me; declare them, that by my free grace I may justify thee." The latter is the more probable interpretation. read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22-25

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22-28

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22-28

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:22-28

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:23

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:24

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:25

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:25

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 43:26

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