There are three threads running through Isaiah.
- What Israel was meant to be.
- What Israel actually was.
- How God was going to deal with the problem
Chapter 43 has just ended with a reminder of Israel's failure. However, this reminder of her failure is not a cause for despair, but a call to listen more closely to God. It is the same for all men. The conviction that we are sinners is not the end of the matter, rather it is a wake-up call that we need to go to God for the solution.
God reminds them that He has chosen them, and He is the One who made them in the womb. So they should not be afraid.
This is followed by the promise to pour out water on thirsty land, and to pour out His Spirit on their offspring. The NT refers to the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 2:23, Eph 1:23). There are two key elements to God's work of salvation. There is the forgiving of sins, accomplished by the work of Jesus on the cross, and then the transformation of our lives by the Holy Spirit.
Many descendants will rise up. At the time being an Israelite was a mark of shame because of all that had happened, but in the days to come they would be glad to be called God's people. There will be a mark on their hand saying that they belong to the Lord. Verses like this should be borne in mind when considering verses in Revelation about people having the mark of the beast on their foreheads and hands. There is a lot of talk about it being implanted chips and the like. I am not so sure about this, I think it is much more about an attitude of heart, about a commitment, whether we are committed to the Lord or to the world.
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