20150731 Friday, July 31 2015
Isaiah 43: The Miraculous Births That Created Israel

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel ... I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King ... I am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Saviour"

Abraham (see The LORD's Seed Covenants With The Two Men Of Iraq and A Biography Of Abraham: The Genealogy Of Abram), Isaac and Jacob were key ancestors of the Messianic line of humanity. But as we will read, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not become who and what they are by chance or human choice. The LORD was directly involved in His appointment of His human ancestors.

"1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

1:2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren" (Matthew 1:1-2 KJV)

First, Abraham and Sarah (see A Biography Of Abraham: Sarah) were able to become the parents of Isaac only because the LORD miraculously made it possible: "Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women."

The prophetic promise:

"18:10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.

And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 18:12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

18:13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 18:14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son." (Genesis 18:10-14 KJV)

Then, the fulfillment of the miraculous promise, exactly when and as the LORD declared that it was going to be accomplished.

"21:1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 21:2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 21:3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 21:4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 21:5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

21:6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 21:7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age." (Genesis 21:1-7 KJV)

Isaac (see A Biography Of Abraham: Isaac) and his wife Rebekah (see The Syrian Connection) were unable to have children, so "Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived." Once again, a miraculously-enabled birth - of Jacob and his fraternal-twin brother Esau (see The Birth of Jacob and Esau and The Nations Of Esau).

"25:19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:

25:20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

25:21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 25:22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.

25:23 And the LORD said unto her,

Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25:25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 25:26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

At about age 20, Jacob fled to his mother's home town in Syria to escape the deadly wrath of his brother Esau (see Jacob's Stairway To Heaven and Jacob In Syria). During the further 20 years that he remained there, Jacob had no difficulty in becoming the father of many children (see A Biography Of Jacob: The Jacobites Of Syria), but the LORD had one more special Messianic-line "birth" to bring about - the renaming of Jacob as "Israel" (the photograph shows the region, just east of the Jordan River, where the LORD changed Jacob's name to Israel; see also A Biography Of Jacob: When Jacob Became Israel).

"32:22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. 32:23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh.

And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

32:27 And he said unto him, What is thy name?

And he said, Jacob.

32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 32:29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." (Genesis 32:22-30 KJV)

The LORD's prophets were generally not liked because the LORD sent them to warn people to stop doing what they were doing and repent before it was too late (see Iniquity In History And Prophecy and Decadence In History And Prophecy).

The other reason is that the prophets saw the "bigger picture." They saw the world as a planet, not as a country. They regarded what was right in the eyes of the LORD as being right, rather than just the narcissistic and self-righteous "rights" that people declare for themselves - as they are slowly killing themselves and destroying their nation. The only "opinion" that the LORD's true prophets were interested in is what the LORD commanded in His eternal Law.

"Israel" was miraculously created from people of many nations as a direct prophecy of the coming Kingdom of God (see The Patriotism Prophecy). When the LORD declared His Law to them, He was declaring a prophecy of His eternal Kingdom on Earth, when it comes. He was not merely making an end of itself of a nation that was the means of giving humanity the Saviour that is needed to make it all be done (see The LORD God Our Saviour).

"43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 43:3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 43:4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 43:5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 43:6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; 43:7 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.

43:8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. 43:9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. 43:12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 43:13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

43:14 Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. 43:15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

43:16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 43:17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 43:20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

43:22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. 43:23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. 43:24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. 43:26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. 43:27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me. 43:28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches." (Isaiah 43:1-28 KJV)

Fact Finder: The two greatest prophets of all time were both miraculously conceived - one from a virgin, the other from elderly parents (similar to what happened with Abraham and Sarah). Who were they?
See The Ministries Of The Two Greatest Prophets and Jesus And John: Similarities And Differences