The Fifth Sunday of Easter (OT)

Isaiah 43:14-28

¹⁴ Thus says the Lord,

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“For your sake I send to Babylon

and bring them all down as fugitives,

even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.

¹⁵ I am the Lord, your Holy One,

the Creator of Israel, your King.”

¹⁶ Thus says the Lord,

who makes a way in the sea,

a path in the mighty waters,

¹⁷ who brings forth chariot and horse,

army and warrior;

they lie down, they cannot rise,

they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

¹⁸ “Remember not the former things,

nor consider the things of old.

¹⁹ Behold, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.

²⁰ The wild beasts will honor me,

the jackals and the ostriches,

for I give water in the wilderness,

rivers in the desert,

to give drink to my chosen people,

²¹ the people whom I formed for myself

that they might declare my praise.

²² “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;

but you have been weary of me, O Israel!

²³ You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,

or honored me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with offerings,

or wearied you with frankincense.

²⁴ You have not bought me sweet cane with money,

or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.

But you have burdened me with your sins;

you have wearied me with your iniquities.

²⁵ “I, I am he

who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,

and I will not remember your sins.

²⁶ Put me in remembrance; let us argue together;

set forth your case, that you may be proved right.

²⁷ Your first father sinned,

and your mediators transgressed against me.

²⁸ Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,

and deliver Jacob to utter destruction

and Israel to reviling.

God sent his people into exile. He delivered these people into the hands of the Babylonians. God then did something extremely new. God delivered his people from the wasteland. God provided streams of water for his people in the desert.

God desires sacrifices of his people. God desires them to call upon him, in praise and give thanks. God enjoys it when his people look to him for salvation. But the people do not bring him sacrifices. The people do not turn to the Lord in their times of pain.

The most disturbing thing I have ever heard, was when I was told how often people stop coming to church when they are dealing with struggles in their life. Where do you turn for your salvation? This is truly a classic question for me. Because I often wonder how often we truly put our complete trust in the Lord.

But listen to what the Old Testament Lord of Sabbaoth and God of Israel actually says, "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." God has always had the perfect sacrifice in his sights. God has always desired to remove the sins from the people of Israel. God proclaims this same good news through Isaiah.

God provides for his people. God desires his people to listen to his voice. God does continue to call gather and enlighten his holy people. Jesus Christ takes on flesh to become the perfect sacrifice. God himself alone removes your sins. God remembers those sins no more and makes you into something new.