Isa 43:6-10
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Old Testament > Isaiah > Chapter 43
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Questions
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Lexical notes
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Exegesis
Verse 10
In this, and the surrounding chapters, Isaiah reminds Israel that Jehovah is God and his supremacy over other idol gods is complete. Throughout their history, ancient Israel struggled to remember the Lord their God, during some periods they almost entirely forsook the worship of Jehovah. In verse 10 Isaiah teaches ancient Israel, and individuals today, that there is no God comparable to Jehovah and that the children of Israel, both ancient and modern, are to be his witnesses. Israel is to witness that Jehovah is God and beside Him there is no savior (Verse 11). In verse 12 Israel is reminded that they have witnessed that declarations made by their God have come to pass, that He has delivered them time and again, and he has shown his superiority over idols and other gods (One prominent example was the challenge between Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18). Jehovah was telling the people that he has always been their God and always will be the God of Israel. Jehovah has never lost His position as God or Redeemer of Israel, and there is no other God would rule over Israel or in whom Israel could put their trust.
Modern readers should be careful with these verses. Many people understand these verses to say that there is only one God; however, Isaiah's audience understood there to be multiple gods. Ancient Israel, along with other Semitic nations believed in the divine council of God. This divine council consisted of God Almighty (El Elyon, or Elohim), and his 70 sons. According with the division of the nations in Genesis 10, each of these sons was given a nation to be ruler over. Jehovah/YHWH was made king of Israel.
Some of the people had in Isaiah's day believed that another one of sons of God--Baal--should be worshiped as the supreme god. Here, Jehovah tells the people through Isaiah that he has always been their God and always will be the God of Israel. Baal is the "strange god" in verse 12, who some people were beginning to worship. Jehovah has never lost His position as God or Redeemer of Israel, and no other God would rule over Israel, is the way then to understand this verse.
Related links
Verse 10
- For information on El Elyon and the divine council of 70 sons (LDS readers should be interested in this Council of 70), see a summary here and a good article here. For an introduction to the relationship between El, Baal, and Jehovah/Yahweh see Robert Price's review of Margaret Barker's Book The Great Angel here. For an LDS take on Margaret Barker's work, including how it might help us better understand both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon, see Kevin Christensen's review here.
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