There are times when we do well to remember that chapters and verses (section headings) were not part of the original Scriptures. Often they are helpful, but at other time they put a false division between sections. This is one of them. Chapter 43 comes right after chapter 42. God has just told the Israelites about their sin, and the judgement they had suffered because of it.
This sin had got them in a mess, and they had experienced the Lord's judgement upon themselves. It is a to a sinful people, a people under judgment, that God brings His message of salvation. Exactly the same applies today. The Good News is good news for sinners, and it is only when we acknowledge our sin that we can appreciate the good news.
Even though Israel had sinned, God had redeemed her and called her by name. She still belonged to the Lord. They would be rescued from their plight. This might seem impossible. We may seem to have to go through impossible situations in order to reach safety, but even though we will have to pass through the waters and the fire, they will not overwhelm us and will not consume us.
The Lord will do amazing things in order to save us. The words about "giving people in exchange for you" were literally true. God set Cyrus to set the people free. God will act on our behalf.
The words on bringing them from all points of the compass indicate that God is looking beyond the immediate rescue from Babylon. We were created for His glory, this is our purpose and our destiny in life.
Once again, we need to get a true perspective on life. We need to realise that we are at the centre of God's plans.
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