Isaiah Chapter 43 – Fear Not, For I Have Redeemed Thee
Even when Israel failed, God’s mercy remained. Isaiah 43 shifts from judgment to divine reassurance. The Lord declares His people as redeemed, called by name, and precious. He promises His presence through fire and flood, and reminds them of His mighty acts in the past. Yet Israel’s problem remains: spiritual apathy. God wants hearts, not hollow offerings.
From Fear to Faith: A God Who Holds His Own
✔ God calls His people by name—they are His.
✔ Waters, rivers, and fires will not overwhelm them.
✔ He alone is Savior—none else can deliver.
✔ Past miracles remind of present protection.
✔ Israel is precious, honored, and loved.
✔ Yet spiritual neglect dishonors the Redeemer.
📖 Isaiah 43:1 – “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”
🔎 God’s love is not based on our performance—but on His covenant. Still, He desires our response.
Isaiah Chapter 43 - Overview
Isaiah 43:1–7 – You Are Mine
📖 Isaiah 43:1 – “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”
🔎 This isn’t just comfort—it’s covenant. God is declaring ownership, protection, and personal love over His people. The Creator calls us by name, not by number. His voice doesn’t generalize—it personalizes.
📖 Isaiah 43:2 – “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee…”
🔎 Notice the wording: “when,” not “if.” God never promises to remove every trial, but to walk with us through them. Like Israel crossing the Red Sea or the three Hebrews in the fire, His presence makes the difference—not the absence of danger.
📖 Isaiah 43:3–4 – “For I am the Lord thy God… since thou wast precious in my sight… I have loved thee…”
🔎 His love is not just a declaration—it’s sacrificial. God speaks of exchanging others for the sake of His chosen. Ultimately, this finds its highest expression in Christ, who was given in place of us.
📖 Isaiah 43:5–6 – “Fear not: for I am with thee… bring my sons from far…”
🔎 This is a promise of gathering. God’s children—scattered, broken, forgotten—will be brought home. There is no distance or exile beyond His reach. It’s not geography that separates, but disobedience—and even that is overcome by grace.
📖 Isaiah 43:7 – “Even every one that is called by my name… I have created him for my glory…”
🔎 Our value is rooted in our purpose: to glorify God. We were not made for fear, for wandering, or for empty success—but to reflect the image of our Redeemer.
➡️ He knows your name. He walks through fire with you. He created you for glory. You are His.
Isaiah 43:8–13 – Witnesses of the Only God
📖 Isaiah 43:8 – “Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.”
🔎 This verse speaks to spiritual blindness and deafness—not just among the nations, but also among God’s own people. It’s a call to open eyes and ears to truth. The invitation is to come and witness, not just with sight, but with understanding.
📖 Isaiah 43:9 – “Let all the nations be gathered together… let them bring forth their witnesses…”
🔎 God issues a courtroom challenge: If other gods can declare the future or explain the past, let them speak. But none can. The idols are silent. The false gods are empty. The witnesses of the world have no truth.
📖 Isaiah 43:10 – “Ye are my witnesses… and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”
🔎 God establishes exclusivity. There is no other God. No predecessor. No successor. Israel’s calling was not to be better than other nations—but to bear witness to the only true God. Today, the Church holds the same role.
📖 Isaiah 43:11 – “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.”
🔎 Salvation is God’s alone. No religion, no man, no idol—only the Lord can rescue. This points directly to Christ, the fulfillment of this truth. He is the only name under heaven given for salvation (Acts 4:12).
📖 Isaiah 43:12 – “I have declared, and have saved… therefore ye are my witnesses…”
🔎 God reminds them He has already proven Himself. Through deliverance from Egypt, victories in battle, provision in the wilderness—He has spoken and saved. Their witness is not hypothetical—it’s historical.
📖 Isaiah 43:13 – “Before the day was I am he… none can deliver out of my hand…”
🔎 God is eternal. He is sovereign before time, above time, and beyond time. When He acts, none can undo it. When He speaks, His word stands forever. No force can resist Him—not Assyria, not Babylon, not sin, not death.
Isaiah 43:14–21 – A New Thing Springs Forth
📖 Isaiah 43:14 – “Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel…”
🔎 God speaks not just as a deliverer, but as a Redeemer—a restorer of what was lost. He calls Himself the Holy One, reinforcing that this is not just rescue but righteous restoration.
📖 Isaiah 43:15 – “I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.”
🔎 He reminds Israel that their identity was never in earthly kings or alliances—but in their Creator. God is both origin and ruler, forming them for Himself.
📖 Isaiah 43:16–17 – “Which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters…”
🔎 This is a direct reference to the Exodus—how God parted the Red Sea to save His people and drown their enemies. But He’s not asking them to live in the past. He’s showing that His power is still present.
📖 Isaiah 43:18 – “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.”
🔎 This may seem contradictory—but God isn’t saying forget the past, but rather don’t limit your faith to it. He’s not finished. A greater redemption is coming—one that won’t just part waters but change hearts.
📖 Isaiah 43:19 – “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?”
🔎 The “new thing” points forward to the Messiah, and the new covenant of grace through Christ. Where religion grew dry and ritualistic, God would pour out rivers in the desert—life where there was once only survival.
📖 Isaiah 43:20 – “The beast of the field shall honour me…”
🔎 Even creation will respond to the transformation God brings. The rivers in the wilderness are both literal and symbolic—restoration for the land and the soul.
📖 Isaiah 43:21 – “This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.”
🔎 God’s people are not called just to be rescued—but to praise. This is their design. This is their destiny. Their life is a stage for God’s glory.
➡️ God is not done with you. The past is not your ceiling. In Christ, a new thing is springing forth—will you perceive it?
Isaiah 43:22–28 – Religion Without Relationship
📖 Isaiah 43:22 – “But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.”
🔎 Despite all God’s grace, the people grew distant. They had the forms of religion—but not the fellowship. They stopped calling on Him. Worship became wearisome. Relationship faded into routine.
📖 Isaiah 43:23–24 – “Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings… but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins…”
🔎 God isn’t lamenting a lack of sacrifices—He’s revealing that their worship was hollow. They gave offerings without giving hearts. Worse still, they burdened Him not with devotion, but with rebellion.
📖 Isaiah 43:25 – “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake…”
🔎 Here lies the beauty of mercy. God’s forgiveness is not earned—it is given freely, for His name’s sake. Even in Israel’s apathy, God reveals His desire to cleanse, restore, and redeem.
📖 Isaiah 43:26 – “Put me in remembrance: let us plead together…”
🔎 This is an invitation—not to argue, but to repent and be reconciled. God is asking them to remember who He is and return.
📖 Isaiah 43:27–28 – “Thy first father hath sinned… Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary…”
🔎 Israel’s leadership had failed them, from the beginning. But even in judgment, God’s purpose was not destruction—it was to purge false religion and restore true relationship.
➡️ God wants hearts, not hollow offerings. He doesn’t delight in ritual—He desires repentance.
Isaiah Chapter 43 - Deeper Study
Overview: From Fire to Fountain
🔹 Timeframe: During exile preparations; pointing ahead to Christ’s redeeming work.
🔹 Setting: Israel under pressure; a remnant chosen for God’s glory.
🔹 Theme: Redemption, identity, and God’s relentless love.
🔹 Connection to Christ: Christ is the Redeemer who blots out transgressions and makes all things new.
Isaiah 43 is not a call to return to rituals—but a summons back to relationship. God didn’t redeem Israel for burnt offerings, empty prayers, or hollow traditions. He redeemed them for glory, for fellowship, for love.
🔹 You are called by name—not treated as a number.
🔹 You are precious—not expendable.
🔹 You are chosen to witness—not wander in confusion.
🔹 You are formed for glory—not failure.
🔹 You are loved for real—not by ritual.
➡️ Let the Redeemer rewrite your story. Don’t go through the motions—go to Him.
Key Takeaways
🔑 God’s people are chosen, named, and deeply loved.
🔑 Trials are endured with His presence—not avoided.
🔑 Witnessing is a call, not a suggestion.
🔑 God does new things—beyond the past.
🔑 Forgiveness flows from mercy, not merit.
Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment
🔮 “I have redeemed thee” finds fulfillment in Christ’s atoning work (Titus 2:14).
🔮 “No saviour beside me” is echoed in Acts 4:12—salvation in no other name but Jesus.
🔮 The way in the wilderness connects with John the Baptist and the coming of Christ (Luke 3:4–6).
🔮 The blotting out of sins is promised again in Hebrews 8:12 and 1 John 1:9.
Historical & Cultural Context
📜 Exile loomed over Israel, but God gave comfort through prophecy.
📜 Naming indicated ownership and protection in Hebrew culture.
📜 Idolatry was rising, yet God declared His exclusive claim over His people.
📜 Ritual worship had become dry and disconnected from real devotion.
Present-Day Reflection: Have You Heard Your Name?
You were not called to drift through life unnamed and unseen. God called you by name, not by accident, not by merit—but by love. This chapter is a divine whisper to every soul: You are Mine.
🔹 Don’t fear—He is with you through every flood and fire.
🔹 Don’t wander—He has called you to a path of purpose.
🔹 Don’t dwell in the past—He’s doing a new thing in you.
🔹 Don’t settle for dry religion—return to the Redeemer.
🔹 Don’t just survive—shine for His glory.
➡️ The voice that formed the stars has also formed you. Will you answer?
💡 Final Reflection: Chosen. Loved. Sent.
Isaiah 43 isn’t merely a reminder that you are rescued—it’s a revelation of who did the rescuing. The One who created the heavens has declared: “You are Mine.” That truth redefines your identity and destiny.
📌 Are you living as one who belongs to Him?
📌 Have you traded relationship for ritual?
📌 Is the past holding you back—or is God pulling you forward?
📖 Isaiah 43:1 – “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee… thou art mine.”
🔥 You were not meant to drown in fear—but to rise in faith.
You are chosen.
You are loved.
You are sent.
Israel’s Only Savior
Isa 43:1 But 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.
Isa 43:2 When 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.
Isa 43:3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Isa 43:4 Since 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.
Isa 43:5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
Isa 43:6 I 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;
Isa 43:7 Even 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.
Isa 43:8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
Isa 43:9 Let 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.
Isa 43:10 Ye 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.
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
Isa 43:12 I 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.
Isa 43:13 Yea, 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?
Isa 43:14 Thus 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.
Isa 43:15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
Isa 43:16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
Isa 43:17 Which 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.
Isa 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Isa 43:19 Behold, 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.
Isa 43:20 The 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.
Isa 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
Isa 43:22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
Isa 43:23 Thou 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.
Isa 43:24 Thou 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.
Isa 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Isa 43:26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
Isa 43:27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
Isa 43:28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
Date Written
740–700 BC
Written By
The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz
Language
Hebrew
Verses
28