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Commentary on Isaiah 43 verses 22–28
This charge (and a high charge it is which is here exhibited against Jacob and Israel, God's professing people) comes in here, 1. To clear God's justice in bringing them into captivity, and to vindicate that. Were they not in covenant with him? Had they not his sanctuary among them? Why then did the Lord deal thus with his land? Deu 29:24. Here is a good reason given: they had neglected God and had cast him off, and therefore he justly rejected them and gave them to the curse (Isa 43:28); and they must be brought to own this before they are prepared for deliverance; and they did so, Dan 9:5; Neh 9:33. 2. To advance God's mercy in their deliverance and to make that appear more glorious. Many things are before observed to magnify the power of God in it; but this magnifies his goodness, that he should do such great and kind things for a people that had been so very provoking to him and were now suffering the just punishment of their iniquity. The pardoning of their sin was as great an instance of God's power (for so Moses reckons it, Num 14:17, etc.) as the breaking of the yoke of their captivity. Now observe here,
I. What the sins are which they are here charged with.
1.Omissions of the good which God had commanded; and this part of the charge is here much insisted upon. Observe how it comes in with a but; compare Isa 43:21, where God tells them what favours he had bestowed upon them and what his just expectations were from them. He had formed them for himself, intending they should show forth his praise. But they had not done so; they had frustrated God's expectations from them, and made very ill returns to him for his favours. For, (1.) They had cast off prayer: Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob! Jacob was a man famous for prayer (Hos 12:4); his seed bore his name, but did not tread in his steps, and therefore are justly upbraided with it. God takes it ill when children degenerate from the virtue and devotion of their pious ancestors. To boast of the name of Jacob, and yet live without prayer, is to mock God and deceive ourselves. If Jacob does not call upon God, who will? (2.) They had grown weary of their religion: "Thou art Israel, the seed not only of a praying but of a prevailing father, that was a prince with God; and yet, not valuing his experiences any more than his example, thou hast been weary of me." They had been in relation to God, employed in his service and in communion with him; but they began to snuff at it, and to say, Behold, what a weariness is it! Note, Those who neglect to call upon God do in effect tell him they are weary of him and have a mind to change their Master. (3.) They grudged the expense of their devotion, and were niggardly and penurious in it. They were for a cheap religion; and in those acts of devotion that were costly they desired to be excused. They had not brought, no, not their small cattle, the lambs and kids, which God required for burnt-offerings (Isa 43:23), much less did they bring their greater cattle, pretending they could not spare them, they must have them for the maintenance of their families. So little sense had they of the greatness of God and their obligations to him that they could not find in their hearts to part with a lamb out of their flock for his honour, though he called for it and would graciously have accepted it. Sweet cane, or calamus, was used for the holy oil, incense, and perfume; but they were not willing to be at the charge of that, Isa 43:24. What they had must serve, though it was old and good for nothing; they would not buy fresh. Perhaps it was usual for devout pious persons to bring free-will incense as well as other free-will offerings; but they were not so generous, nor did they fill the altar of God, nor moisten it abundantly, as they should have done, with the fat of their sacrifices; what sacrifices they did bring were of the lean and refuse of their cattle, that had no fat in them to regale the altar with. (4.) What sacrifices they did offer they did not honour God with them, and so they were, in effect, as no sacrifices (Isa 43:23): Neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. Some of them offered their sacrifices to false gods; others, who offered them to the true God, were either careless in the manner of offering them or hypocritical in their intentions, so that they might be truly said not to honour God with them, but rather to dishonour him. (5.) That which aggravated their neglect of sacrificing was that, as God had appointed it, it was no burdensome thing; it was not a service that they had any reason at all to complain of: "I have not caused thee to serve with an offering; I have not made it a task and drudgery to you, whatever you, through the corruption of your natures, have made it yourselves. I have not wearied thee with incense." None of God's commandments are grievous, no, not those concerning sacrifice and incense. They were not more costly than might be afforded by those that lived in such a plentiful country, nor did their attendance on them require any more time than they could well spare. But that which especially forbade them to call it a wearisome service was that they were required to be cheerful and pleasant, and to rejoice before God in all their approaches to him, Deu 12:12. They had many feasts and good days, but only one day in all the year in which they were to afflict their souls. The ordinances of the ceremonial law, though, in comparison with Christ's easy yoke, they are spoken of as heavy (Act 15:10), yet, in comparison with the service that idolaters did to their false gods, they were light, and not to be called services nor found fault with as wearisome. God did not require them to sacrifice their children, as Moloch did.
2.Commissions of the evil which God had forbidden; and omissions commonly make way for commissions: Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins. When we make God's gifts the food and fuel for our lusts, and his providence the patron of our wicked projects, especially when we encourage ourselves to continue in sin because grace has abounded, then we make God to serve with our sins. Or it may denote what a grief and burden sin is to God; it not only wearies men and makes the creation groan, but it wearies my God also (Isa 7:13) and makes the Creator complain that he is grieved (Psa 95:10), that he is broken (Eze 6:9), that he is pressed with sinners as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves (Amo 2:13), and to cry out, Ah! I will ease me of my adversaries, Isa 1:24. The antithesis is observable: God had not made them to serve with their sacrifices, but they had made him to serve with their sins. The master had not tired the servants with his commands, but they had tired him with their disobedience. Those are wicked servants indeed that behave so ill to so good a Master. God is tender of our comfort, but we are careless of his honour. Let this engage us to keep close to our duty, that it is easy and reasonable, and no disparagement to us, nor too hard for us.
II. What were the aggravations of their sin, Isa 43:27. 1. That they were children of disobedience; for their first father (that is, their forefathers) had sinned; and they had not only sinned in their loins, but sinned like them. Ezra confesses this: Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass, Ezr 9:7. But their forefathers are called their first father to put us in mind of the apostasy and rebellion of our first father Adam, to which corrupt fountain we must trace up the streams of all our transgressions. 2. That they were scholars of disobedience too: for their teachers had transgressed against God, were guilty of gross scandalous sins, and the people, no doubt, would learn to do as they did. It is ill with a people when their leaders cause them to err, and their teachers, who should reform them, corrupt them.
III. What were the tokens of God's displeasure against them for their sins, Isa 43:23. He brought ruin both upon church and state. 1. The honour of their church was laid in the dust and trampled on: I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, that is, the priests and Levites who presided with great dignity and power in the temple-service; they profaned themselves, and made themselves vile, by their enormities, and then God profaned them and made them vile, by their calamities and the contempt they fell into, Mal 2:9. 2. The honour of their state was ruined likewise: "I have given Jacob to the curse, that is, to be cursed, and hated, and abused by all their neighbours, and Israel to reproach, to be insulted, ridiculed, and triumphed over by their enemies." They reproached them perhaps for that in them that was good; they mocked at their sabbaths (Lam 1:7); but God gave them up to reproach, to correct them for what was amiss. Note, The dishonour which men at any time do us should humble us for the dishonour we have done to God; and we must bear it patiently because we suffer it justly, and must acknowledge that to us belongs confusion.
IV. What were the riches of God's mercy towards them notwithstanding (Isa 43:25): I even I, am he who notwithstanding all this blotteth out thy transgressions.
1.This gracious declaration of God's readiness to pardon sin comes in very strangely. The charge ran very high: Thou hast wearied me with thy iniquities, Isa 43:24. Now one would think it would follow: "I, even I, am he that will destroy thee, and burden myself no longer with care about thee." No, I, even I, am he that will forgive thee; as if the great God would teach us that forgiving injuries is the best way to make ourselves easy and to keep ourselves from being wearied with them. This comes in here to encourage them to repent, because there is forgiveness with God, and to show the freeness of divine mercy; where sin has been exceedingly sinful grace appears exceedingly gracious. Apply this, (1.) To the forgiving of the sins of Israel as a people, in their national capacity. When God stopped the course of threatening judgments, and saved them from utter ruin, even then when he had them under severe rebukes, then he might be said to blot out their transgressions. Though he corrected them, he was reconciled to them again, and did not cut them off from being a people. This he did many a time, till they rejected Christ and his gospel, which was a sin against the remedy, and then he would forgive them no more as a nation, but utterly destroyed them. (2.) To the forgiving of the sins of every particular believing penitent - transgressions and sins, infirmities though ever so numerous, backslidings though ever so heinous. Observe here, [1.] How the pardon is expressed; he will blot them out, as a cloud is blotted out by the beams of the sun (Isa 44:22), as a debt is blotted out not to appear against the debtor (the book is crossed as if the debt were paid, because it is pardoned upon the payment which the surety has made), or as a sentence is blotted out when it is reversed, as the curse was blotted out with the waters of jealousy, which made it of no effect to the innocent, Num 5:23. He will not remember the sin, which intimates not only that he will remit the punishment of what is past, but that it shall be no diminution to his love for the future. When God forgives he forgets. [2.] What is the ground and reason of the pardon. It is not for the sake of any thing in us, but for his own sake, for his mercies'-sake, his promise-sake, and especially for his Son's sake, and that he may himself be glorified in it. [3.] How God glories in it: I, even I, am he. He glories in it as his prerogative. None can forgive sin but God only, and he will do it; it is his settled resolution. He will do it willingly and with delight; it is his pleasure; it is his honour; so he is pleased to reckon it.
2.Those words (Isa 43:26), Put me in remembrance, may be understood either (1.) As a rebuke to a proud Pharisee, that stands upon his own justification before God, and expects to find favour for his merits and not to be beholden to free grace: "If you have any thing to say in your own justification, any thing to offer for the sake of which you should be pardoned, and not for my sake, put me in remembrance of it. I will give you leave to plead your own cause with me; declare what your merits are, that you may be justified by them:" but those who are thus challenged will be speechless. Or, (2.) As a publican. Is God thus ready to pardon sin, and, when he pardons it, will he remember it no more? Let us then put him in remembrance, mention before him those sins which he has forgiven; for they must be ever before us, to humble us, though they are pardoned, Psa 51:3. Put him in remembrance of the promises he has made to penitents, and the satisfaction his Son has made for them. Plead these with him in wrestling for pardon, and declare these things, in order that thou mayest be justified freely by his grace. This is the only way, and it is a sure way, to peace. Only acknowledge thy transgression.
“Your princes profaned the sanctuary.” Those who were from the house of Manasseh profaned the sanctuary with the four-faced idol, which they placed inside the sanctuary. Because of those crimes, and in particular because of Manasseh’s crime, “I have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reviling.”
(Verse 25, 26 and following) I am, I am myself, who blots out your iniquities for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Bring me to remembrance, let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right. Your first ancestor sinned, and your interpreters transgressed against me. And I profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and delivered Jacob to destruction and Israel to reviling. LXX: I am, I am he who blots out your iniquities, and I will not remember. But remember, and let us argue together. Declare your iniquities first, that you may be justified. Your fathers have sinned, and your princes have dealt unjustly with me, and they have defiled my holy ones. And I gave up Jacob to destruction and Israel to reviling. You, Jacob and Israel, you have caused me to labor in your sins, and I could barely bear the burden of your iniquities. I do not call you my servants or slaves, but I address you simply by the names Jacob and Israel, so that I may show and prove your sins. But I, because I am kind and patient, and have many mercies, will wipe away all your iniquities in the sprinkling of the blood of the new Testament: I will wipe away the old handwriting, which was written against you; and I will no longer remember your sins, which I am willing to forgive you, if you believe, in baptism. Therefore, bring me to remembrance: if you have any just thing to answer to me, I will gladly accept it, so that we may be judged together, and you may accuse me of not doing what I should have done for you. Whom we find fuller in understanding than in Micha, saying: My people, what have I done to you, and how have I harmed you? Answer me: for I brought you out of the land of Egypt and freed you from the house of slavery, and I sent Moses and Aaron and Miriam before your face. And in the fiftieth Psalm David speaks to God: That you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged (Ps. 50:5). Therefore, tell me if you have anything, so that you may be justified. And the meaning is: I will not speak against you first, lest you claim to be overwhelmed by the multiplication of words; but if you have anything just to say, speak for yourself; so that you may seem to endure the things you suffer unworthily. And so that you may know that I have mercy on you, not because of your merit, but because of my compassion, I will repeat it from your fathers and ancestors, so that you may understand that you were born from sinners: Your father first sinned in solitude: namely, the entire people of Israel. Whether Abraham, the founder of your race, is shown to have sinned when, in response to the Lord's promise to give the land of promise to his descendants, he asked, 'How shall I know that I am to possess it?' And of your interpreters, he says, 'they have acted unfaithfully toward me' (Gen. XV, 8). Aaron and Moses at the waters of contradiction, when they were speaking between me and the Israelites (Exod. XVII). And so that we may understand this is not a forced interpretation, it is followed by the statement, 'And I have defiled the holy princes,' concerning whom it is said in the psalm, 'Their rulers were swallowed up by the rock' (Ps. CXL, 6). He says that they contaminated themselves on purpose because they did not enter the promised land. He devoted Jacob and Israel to destruction and blasphemy, so that no one except two of those who had come out of Egypt would enter into Judah, but their bodies would lie in the wilderness. According to the Septuagint, who added from their own: You speak first of your own iniquities, so that you may be justified. God calls them to repentance, so that they may understand their crimes and sins, and obtain forgiveness. For it is written in another place: 'He who pleads his own cause in the beginning of his speech is just' (Prov. XVIII, 17). And their leaders and fathers are said to have violated the holy things of the Lord, not obeying the Law of God, but seeking the traditions and commandments of men. Because of them Jacob perished, and Israel was given into reproach, expelled from his own province, and became an exile and wanderer throughout the whole world.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 43:28 serves as a profound declaration of Yahweh's righteous judgment against the nation of Israel for its pervasive sin and spiritual rebellion, particularly highlighting the culpability of its religious and political leadership. God unequivocally states that He has stripped the "princes of the sanctuary" of their sacred dignity and protective status, exposing them to shame and rendering them common. Consequently, the entire covenant community, identified as "Jacob" and "Israel," is delivered over to a divine curse and subjected to public reproach among the nations, underscoring the severe consequences of chronic disobedience and the profound implications of leadership failure that leads to national humiliation and the withdrawal of divine favor.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 43:28 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of divine judgment. Parallelism is prominently featured in the symmetrical structure of the latter two clauses: "given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches." The pairing of "Jacob" and "Israel" (synonymous terms for the nation) with "curse" and "reproaches" (synonymous consequences) reinforces the totality and certainty of the judgment. This specific form of Synonymous Parallelism serves to intensify the message, emphasizing that the entire nation, in all its aspects, will experience the full weight of divine displeasure. The phrase "princes of the sanctuary" utilizes Metonymy, where "sanctuary" stands for the holy institutions, practices, and the very presence of God within Israel, while "princes" represents those who lead and serve within this sacred sphere. The act of God "profaning" what was sacred is a powerful Anthropomorphism, attributing a human-like action (to defile or make common) to God, thereby underscoring His direct, intentional, and active involvement in the judgment. This verse also highlights a dramatic Reversal of Status: what was holy becomes common, what was blessed becomes cursed, and what was honored becomes reproached. This stark reversal serves to shock the audience and emphasize the profound and devastating consequences of their unfaithfulness and the failure of their leadership.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 43:28 profoundly articulates God's unwavering commitment to His own justice and holiness, even when it necessitates severe judgment upon His chosen people. It reveals that a covenant relationship does not negate accountability for sin; rather, it heightens it, especially for those in positions of spiritual leadership. The profaning of the "princes of the sanctuary" demonstrates God's absolute intolerance for hypocrisy, spiritual apathy, and unfaithfulness within His own house, signaling that privilege and sacred office do not exempt one from divine judgment. This verse serves as a sober reminder that persistent rebellion against God's commands inevitably leads to severe consequences, including divine abandonment and public disgrace, all of which are designed by God to bring about a deep sense of conviction, humility, and ultimately, a call to repentance and a renewed relationship with Him.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 43:28 stands as a powerful testament to the seriousness of sin and the unyielding justice of God. It compels us to consider the profound implications of our actions, both individually and collectively, especially for those in positions of spiritual authority within the church and community. For believers today, this verse serves as a sobering call to personal and corporate holiness, reminding us that God's standards are immutable and His judgments, though painful, are ultimately righteous and often designed to lead to repentance and restoration. It challenges us to examine whether our lives, and the institutions we are part of, truly honor God or if we are, like ancient Israel, wearying Him with our unconfessed sins and spiritual apathy. It underscores the critical need for integrity, faithfulness, and genuine worship in leadership, recognizing that the spiritual health and integrity of leaders profoundly impact the community they serve. Ultimately, it invites humility, self-examination, and a renewed commitment to walk in faithful obedience to the Lord, trusting in His ultimate redemptive purposes even through discipline.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does it mean that God "profaned the princes of the sanctuary"?
Answer: To "profane" (Hebrew: châlal) means to make common, desecrate, or strip something of its sacredness and special status. In this context, the "princes of the sanctuary" refer to the religious and political leaders of Israel—priests, kings, or other authorities—who were meant to be set apart for God's service and to uphold His holiness and covenant. By declaring that He "profaned" them, God is stating that He Himself removed their special, sacred status and divine protection. He exposed them to shame, judgment, and the common consequences of sin, essentially treating them as ordinary or even defiled. This was a direct act of divine judgment for their unfaithfulness, their failure to lead the nation in righteousness, and their own rebellion against God's commands, demonstrating that even those in positions of religious privilege are not exempt from God's righteous wrath when they persistently disobey Him.
How does this verse relate to the broader message of hope and restoration in Isaiah?
Answer: While Isaiah 43:28 is a declaration of severe judgment, it is crucial to understand its strategic placement within the "Book of Comfort" (Isaiah 40-55). This judgment, though harsh and painful, is not God's final word; rather, it serves as a necessary prelude to the profound promises of restoration that immediately follow. God's judgment here is a purifying act, a direct consequence of Israel's persistent sin that led to their exile and humiliation. However, this very suffering is intended to bring about a deep sense of conviction, leading to repentance and a renewed dependence on God. Immediately following this verse, Isaiah 44 begins with God's renewed promises of blotting out transgressions and remembering Israel no more (Isaiah 44:22), and promises of pouring out His Spirit upon Jacob's offspring (Isaiah 44:3). Thus, the judgment in Isaiah 43:28 highlights the depth of Israel's sin, but it also magnifies the incredible grace and faithfulness of God who, despite such rebellion, still purposes to redeem and restore His people. It underscores that true restoration often follows a period of painful, yet righteous, divine discipline, intended to bring about spiritual renewal.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 43:28, with its stark declaration of divine judgment against unfaithful leadership and a rebellious nation, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment not in a similar condemnation of God's new covenant people, but in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfills the law and bears the curse. The "princes of the sanctuary" in ancient Israel failed to uphold God's holiness, leading to national reproach and judgment. In striking contrast, Jesus is the true and faithful High Priest who perfectly mediates between God and humanity, and the King of kings who perfectly embodies righteousness and justice. He did not profane the sanctuary but rather cleansed it, driving out those who defiled God's house (John 2:13-17), and ultimately became the perfect and final sacrifice, the true Temple Himself (John 2:19-21). Furthermore, the curse and reproaches that fell upon Jacob/Israel due to their sin were ultimately absorbed and overcome by Christ on the cross. The New Testament teaches that Christ "became a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13), taking upon Himself the full weight of God's righteous judgment and the shame of sin, so that those who believe in Him might be redeemed from the curse of the law and inherit the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14). Through His perfect obedience and sacrificial death, Jesus fulfilled the demands of God's justice, turning the ultimate reproach into ultimate redemption, thereby securing a new covenant where believers are no longer given to a curse but are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Him (Ephesians 1:3). He bore our shame and became the object of divine wrath so that we might receive divine favor and eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:21).