Series: Isaiah

Title: You Are My Witnesses
Text: Isaiah 43: 8-13

Date: October 23, 2011

Place: SGBC, New Jersey

God declares that he is THE God, THE Holy One, THE Savior, OF A PARTICULARPEOPLE.

Isaiah 43: 3: For I am the LORD THY GOD, the Holy One OF ISRAEL, THY SAVIOR.

  • A particular people God himself has redeemed
  • A particular people God himself has called by name
  • A particular people God has purchased for himself—thou art mine.
  • A particular people God will protect and deliver himself—FOR HIMSELF.

God declares he gave people for his particular people and will give up men and people for their life.

Isaiah 43: 3:…I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4: Since thou wast precious inmy sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

By declaring that he gives up men and people for the life of his people, God declares that it is his glory to save whom he will by his grace!

Romans 9: 15: For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16: So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

God raised up mighty Pharaoh, and mighty Egypt--and God made Israel slaves under Pharaoh’s taskmasters. God left Pharaoh to himself. Though Pharaoh saw and heard all that God did before him, Pharaoh hardened his heart and God put Pharaoh down. God destroyed the firstborn in Egypt. God destroyed the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. God did it for this reason:

Romans 9: 17: For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth…v22:…to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

That is one reason—to make his power known, his wrath known. Here is the other reason:

Romans 9: 23: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

What does God declare to us whom he has called?

Romans 9: 16: So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Next, God declares to you and I whom he has called that God will bring from the four corners of the earth all his sons and daughters.

Isaiah 43: 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 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;

God declares he will save each child—and not one will be lost—because God created him for his glory.

Isaiah 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.

Now, God issues a challenge toall people on this earth—he says for all to assemble together.

Isaiah 43: 8: Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. 9: Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled:

God challenges all men and women, all people of this earth, all religions, every background, every race, all people—God issues this one question:

Isaiah 43: 9:…who among them can declare this, and shew us former things?God challenges all men and women to do one of two things: 9:…let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: God says to every person here today who rejects this very word of God, “Bring forth your witnesses that you may be justified!”

There is not one thing that makes even one idol of man’s imagination worthy to even be called God!

  • He is not Sovereign! He can not choose any unless they choose him
  • He is not Immutable! He changes based on the sinner.
  • He is not Omnipotent! His power can be resisted by man
  • He is not Omniscent! He knows not what tomorrow holds, much less does he hold tomorrow.
  • He is not even Just! Punishes sin twice!

Bring forth your witnesses that ye may be just!

Isaiah 43: 9:…OR let them hear, and say, It is truth.

  • “Truth”--this is the true and living God
  • “Truth”--God who saves by his electing grace
  • “Truth”—God who has obtained eternal redemption for his people by the blood of his Son
  • “Truth”--God who calls his own by name
  • “Truth”--God who has given and shall give people and nations for his people
  • “Truth”--God who shall not lose one

What so-called god among all the idols of man’s imagination can declare this? Who is a God liken unto the true and living God?

Can you say, “Truth!” The Canaanite woman came to the Lord

Matthew 15: 24: But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25: Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26: But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27: And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith:

Listen to what God says about those who say, “Truth, Lord”

I. Isaiah 43: 10: Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD,

A. What does a witness do?

  • A witness has seen firsthand, knows by personal, firsthand experience the facts of a matter.
  • You who are born of God have personal, first hand experience of his grace and are eyewitnesses of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Ye are MY WITNESSES saith the LORD.

II. v10:…and my servant whom I have chosen

This is the description he gave of Christ(Read Is 42: 1; He says the same of those chosen in Christ)

By God’s electing grace he has made us elect servants in Christ Jesus his elect servant. We have been made one in Christ for a purpose

III. That we may know Christ is God my Savior

Isaiah 43: 10:…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. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

Were it not for God’s eternal election no one would ever v10:

  • Know Christ—that ye may know
  • Believe Christ—and believe me
  • And understand that Christ is God—that I am he, before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11: I, even I am the Lord; and beside me there is no Savior.
  • Jesus Christ is God—before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me
  • Jesus Christ is the Lord—I, even I am the Lord
  • Jesus Christ our God is the only Savior—beside me there is no Savior.

Colossians: 1: 12: Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

IV. WHAT HAS OUR SAVIOR DONE

Isaiah 43: 12: I have declared,--he declared what he would do in the eternal covenant of grace

Isaiah 43: 12:…and have saved,---Christ came forth and accomplished the redemption of his elect, he reconcilied, made propitiation through his blood

Isaiah 43: 12:…and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you:-- Before there was a sinner—even a wicked imagination to begin trying to make himself a god. God declared, and saved, and showed, when there was no strange god among you. Then he came and revealed his great salvation in our hearts by the gospel

2 Timothy 1: 9: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel

Therefore—because of what God has done for us…

  • Chose us in Christ
  • Sent forth Christ who redeemed us from all iniquity
  • Given life through the Holy Spirit
  • Given faith to see and know and believe

Therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

Isaiah 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?

Before there was a day

  • Before even the first day of the creation
  • Before time was

I am he

  • He that purposed to save his people from their sins in this way
  • I am he that spoke by all the prophets from the beginning

and there is none that can deliver out of my hand:

  • Such whom the Lord determines to punish—none can deliver out his hand
  • And those whom God has resolved to save for his glory—none can snatch them out of his hand

I will work, and who shall let it

  • When he worked creation—no one turned his hand back
  • Through all his working in providence God has done what pleases him
  • Though all hell fought against him, he finished the work of redemption and none turned back his hand
  • When he works in the heart of a dead sinner—nothing stops him from creating life and faith and repentance and so on
  • As he works to preserve his people, no one stops him or snatches one of his children from his hand
  • Every work the Lord has performed in establishing his churches and removing his churches has ever been hindered by any

Therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

Amen!