Our Paragraph today is “filled” with Nuggets, Quotes … from Almighty God Himself! One scholar says that God is here “Self-Identifying!”

Let me show you what he means …

God to His people, to Israel … “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. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you:.” Most of Isaiah 43:10-12, beautiful Portion of Scripture! (Can you tell this Speech is set in the context of idol-hatred? A god who has been “formed?” That’s an idol! Our God was never formed. He is the Creator! He is eternal! “Strange gods” … those pesky wooden and stone and metal idols again!)

I LOVE it when God talks!

Even in the New Testament, those Bibles that place all Jesus’ Words in red print … so interesting!

Again, later in our chapter … “Therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 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?” Verses 12 and 13, where “let” means “to turn back.” God … before daylight! (“Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:4) God is so great He could never be thwarted!

There’s even more. “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.” God “brought down” (defeated) Babylon … for the “sake” of the Israelites! (An Action that was not yet accomplished when Isaiah penned these words. Thus, “Bible prophecy!”) Here God again acknowledges Himself as “Redeemer,” actually “Kinsman-Redeemer!”

This is thrilling!

Verse 15 still continues the Theme: “I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.” (There are a lot of “I AM” Statements in these verses!)

But them, suddenly, God seems “hurt, offended, grieved:” Read with me verses 21 and 22 … “This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.”

Oh that we would acknowledge and adore His Love and Grace and Mercy and Power and Attention!

And when we do that … it’s called WORSHIP! (In our Text here, “showing forth His praise!”)

And God is “hungry” (according to Jesus) for such true worship! John 4:23, spoken to a woman by a well side … “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father SEEKETH SUCH to worship him.”

Oh, let’s worship Him today!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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