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| 1 And now, thus said Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy name thou [art] Mine. |
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| 2 When thou passest into waters, I [am] with thee, And into floods, they do not overflow thee, When thou goest into fire, thou art not burnt, And a flame doth not burn against thee. |
Through the waters – Afflictions, disappointments, perplexity, trouble; the school of experience, discipline and testing. R4005:1, R1857:5
We are not to float with the current but endure hardness. R4005:1
He will pull us safely over to the other side. R4005:4
It is a mistake to claim these promises literally, as they were to fleshly Israel only. R1408:3
A covenant of blessing and protection to Israel as long as they were loyal and obedient. R1409:2
I will be with thee – In every trouble, sympathizing with us in all of our trials, adversities, afflictions, perplexities, etc. R4005:1
With consolation of heart and sustaining grace. R5758:4
Through the rivers – Illustrated by Israel's crossing Jordan into Canaan. R3084:2
Overflow thee – As Israel, in passing through the Red Sea and Jordan, had nothing to fear; so the Christian has nothing to fear so long as he realizes the divine presence and approval. R1408:3, R1857:2
Or, extinguish thee. R4005:4
Through the fire – Illustrated in the account of the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace. R1408:2
A furnace of affliction, but the New Creature in Christ shall not be hurt. R1857:5, R1409:5
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| 3 For I Jehovah thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour, I have appointed Egypt thine atonement, Cush and Seba in thy stead. |
I am the LORD – Jehovah, as in verse 11. R379:2
Thy Saviour – The Almighty himself is the Savior, the Author of the great plan of salvation, and the executor of it, through his willing agents and representatives. E33
Jesus is here called Savior for he shall "save from their sins" and from the penalty of sin all who shall become "his people." (Matt. 1:21) SM502:2
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| 4 Since thou wast precious in Mine eyes, Thou wast honoured, and I have loved thee, And I appoint men in thy stead, And peoples instead of thy life. |
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| 5 Be not afraid, for I [am] with thee, From the east I bring in thy seed, And from the west I gather thee. |
Gather thee – As certain as this prophecy has been fulfilled in the preservation of down-trodden Israel in all lands, so certain will it be fulfilled in their restoration to their own land. R232:5*
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| 6 I am saying to the north, 'Give up,' And to the south, 'Restrain not.' Bring in My sons from afar, And My daughters from the end of the earth. |
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| 7 Every one who is called by My name, Even for My honour I have created him, I have formed him, yea, I have made him. |
Called by my name – Israel means "People of God" and the name will ultimately apply to all who are his. D654
For my glory – "For thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. 4:11) Man's true peace can be found only in harmony with his Creator. R1840:3
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| 8 He brought out a blind people who have eyes, And deaf ones who have ears. |
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| 9 All the nations have been gathered together, And the peoples are assembled, Who among them declareth this, And former things causeth us to hear They give their witnesses, And they are declared righteous, And they hear and say, 'Truth.' |
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| 10 Ye [are] My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, And My servant whom I have chosen, So that ye know and give credence to Me, And understand that I [am] He, Before Me there was no God formed, And after Me there is none. |
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| 11 I I [am] Jehovah, And besides Me there is no saviour. |
Beside me...no saviour – Author of the divine plan. E33
From the larger standpoint, God is the originator of the entire plan of salvation--from start to finish he is thus the Savior. But he accomplished his salvation through his Son. R3172:3
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| 12 I I declared, and saved, and proclaimed, And there is no stranger with you, And ye [are] My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I [am] God. |
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| 13 Even from the day I [am] He, And there is no deliverer from My hand, I work, and who doth turn it back |
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| 14 Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: 'For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And caused bars to descend all of them, And the Chaldeans, whose song [is] in the ships. |
The LORD, your redeemer – Jehovah himself; Jesus carried out his plan. R4085:3
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| 15 I [am] Jehovah, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King.' |
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| 16 Thus said Jehovah, Who is giving in the sea a way, And in the strong waters a path. |
A path – God opened for Israel a path through the Red Sea. R1951:2
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| 17 Who is bringing forth chariot and horse, A force, even a strong one: 'Together they lie down they rise not, They have been extinguished, As flax they have been quenched.' |
Lie down together – In the time of trouble. R2462:5
They shall not rise – When once the armies of strife and giant trusts have been overthrown they shall never rise again; illustrated by the destruction of Pharoah and his army in the Red Sea. R2338:4, R1951:2
The giant trusts of our day, corresponding to the giants of Noah's day, falling in the great time of trouble impending, will never rise again. R2462:5
Does not refer to individuals. R2338:4
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| 18 Remember not former things, And ancient things consider not. |
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| 19 Lo, I am doing a new thing, now it springeth up, Do ye not know it Yea, I put in a wilderness a way, In a desolate place floods. |
Do a new thing – Verses 19 to 25 show that the deliverance from Egypt and the wilderness journey were foreshadowings of future blessings upon all who shall become true Israelites. R1951:4
The greater deliverer than Moses is The Christ; the greater overthrow than that of Pharoah will be that of sin and Satan; the greater leading and care will be those of the Millennium. R1951:4
Rivers In the desert – Just on time we see abundance of rain, with springs, lakes and wells bursting forth in the deserts where, for hundreds of years, none have been known. R1379:3*
While specially referring to Israel and the barren land of Palestine, the same restitution blessings are also due to the whole earth. R1380:1
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| 20 Honour me doth the beast of the field, Dragons and daughters of an ostrich, For I have given in a wilderness waters, Floods in a desolate place, To give drink to My people My chosen. |
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| 21 This people I have formed for Myself, My praise they recount. |
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| 22 And Me thou hast not called, O Jacob, For thou hast been wearied of me, O Israel, |
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| 23 Thou hast not brought in to Me, The lamb of thy burnt-offerings, And [with] thy sacrifices thou hast not honoured Me, I have not caused thee to serve with a present, Nor wearied thee with frankincense. |
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| 24 Thou hast not bought for Me with money sweet cane, And [with] the fat of thy sacrifices hast not filled Me, Only thou hast caused Me to serve with thy sins, Thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities. |
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| 25 I I [am] He who is blotting out Thy transgressions for Mine own sake, And thy sins I do not remember. |
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| 26 Cause me to remember we are judged together, Declare thou that thou mayest be justified. |
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| 27 Thy first father sinned, And thine interpreters transgressed against me, |
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| 28 And I pollute princes of the sanctuary, And I give Jacob to destruction, and Israel to revilings! |
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