Isa 43:21

Isa 43:21  This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.                                                                                                                                     Isaiah 43 is God’s assurance to Israel: “O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine” (v.1). God assures Israel that in spite of what has happened to them, He still loves them (v.4). He has called them and created them for His glory (v.7). God declares to this ungrateful people that He is the only LORD they have and beside Him there is no Saviour (v.11); there is none that can deliver them (v.13). He calls on them to recall the former things, the things of old how He had loved them and took care of them (v.18). God says even the wild beasts will honour Him because He gives drink to His chosen people (v.20). The “wild beasts” is a figure of speech and refers to the Gentiles. God is saying even the Gentiles will acknowledge Him when they see the works He has done for Israel. But, Israel, God’s chosen people, have grown weary (tired) of serving God (v.22). They have become ungrateful and have not offered to God any sacrifice and service (v.23). It is a sad picture of the relationship between God and Israel. It was a one sided love affair. God loved Israel and did all He could to take care and protect them. But Israel took God for granted. Israel was ungrateful and did not reciprocate God’s love for them. God said: “This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise” (v.21). That statement was not said just to the children of Israel; it was said to all whom God has chosen, that is, to us Christians. God said to Israel: “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him” (v.7). If you think God is referring only to the Israel nation, you have missed the point of God’s message. Isaiah 43 verse 7 and 21 are saying the same thing. Who are the people that God has formed for Himself? Who are the people that should show forth God’s glory? Who are the people who should show forth the praises of God? The answers to those questions are found in 1 Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” Christians are the people that God has formed (chosen) that should proclaim the excellencies of Him. God has chosen Christians to tell the world about the wonderful things He has done, especially, the salvation He has given to them: “Ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”     Our lives must be such that we are praising God; that others will desire to know the God we serve. God wants us to be a people that is “zealous of good works”, that is, always eager to do good works (Titus 2:14). It is by good works that the world will see God and glorify Him (Matthew 5:16). What 1 Peter 2:9 is saying is, that as believers, we should be different from the world (holy nation) in order to declare the truths of the Almighty to an unbelieving world. We are chosen to be different, be a holy nation, and it is through this holiness that we magnify God: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12, ESV). We are to take the gospel to the world (Mark 16:15). We can only do this work of saving souls effectively when our lives are the kind that others can see God through us. That is how we praise God! Is your life one that is praising God; one that will cause others to turn to Him, trust Him, accept His offer of salvation and live for eternity? Think about it!