Isaiah 43:8-13 – We are God’s witnesses today

In Isaiah 43:8-9, God is seen here calling for an assembly of both His servant and the people of Israel, and all the nations to come together to ascertain His supremacy. They were called to gather to authenticate Him as the real and superior God. He wanted the people to know with all certainty the difference between Him and the dumb idols made by the craftsmen of the nations. Notice the unbelieving Jews were here once again referred to as the blind and the deaf. In Isaiah 42:18-25, God had urged them to pause and evaluate from the wonder He did among them, and the history of His dealing with them, to realize how far they had departed from Him. God was confident that, having paused and evaluated, they would come to realize that He, their God, was the real and authentic God despite their earlier blindness.

 

In verses 10-11, God referred to the Jews as His witnesses and chosen servant now, those whom He had previously referred to as blind and deaf. In changing these references of them, we detect an indication of His confidence in them now. God was sure that once they had time to reflect and evaluate, they would be able to see the truth and authenticate that He, their God, was truly supreme. Once again God pointed to the one key that would prove His supremacy. He alone could predict the future and foretell events before they would happen. He was sure that none of the man-made idols would be able to tell the future.

 

The people of Israel were His witnesses on two accounts. Firstly He told them events that would happen to them before they took place. Secondly, He was their deliverer. No one could have done what He had done for them. His deeds for them they could tell who He was to them. He had been the God from the beginning. There had not been one before Him and there would be none apart from Him. For His throne could never be usurped. In verse 11 He emphatically asserted that He alone was there from the beginning. that there was none that could deliver them like He did. God insisted that His foreknowledge of future events affirmed and authenticated His divinity. He had delivered His people from the nations and would continue to protect them. All these things were done long before there were any idols in the land, and they as a nation knew it. Hence, they were His witnesses. God then in verse 13 made certain His claim to divinity. Firstly, He had been there from eternity past, even as yet when there was not a single idol. Secondly, none could deliver them like He had done. And finally, no one could impede Him from doing what He would do.  

Reading this passage brings us back to what John 1: 10-11 said: “He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him.” How pathetic to think that God’s place could be usurped by idols in the minds of the people He had formed for Himself. But we also get to feel how privileged we Christians are! He has chosen and rescued us and made us His witnesses. Therefore, we must proclaim His reality and existence to a fallen world. Let us testify of Him daily in our life. It is an honor to do so!