Isaiah 43:13

I will work, and who shall let it?

Salvation through judgment

The words (Isaiah 43:13) intimate that the salvation foretold comes in the way of judgment. Jehovah will effectually intervene; and when He does this, who can turn it back, so that it shall not be done? (F. Delitzsch, D. D.)

A great work

I. THE WORKER AND THE WORK TO BE DONE. The worker is God Himself. He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” And the work which He hath purposed with regard to the salvation of His people is to gather together in one the children of God which are scattered abroad. There are, however, subordinate workers whom God employs for this purpose--ministers of the Gospel, whose chief work lies in the endeavour to win souls to Christ, who are called labourers together with God--workers together with Him; and it is theirs to preach the Word, the substance of which Word is Christ--to invite sinners to Christ by showing His excellency and dignity as the Son of God, His tenderness and sympathy as the Son of man--by showing to sinners the perfection of His redeeming work. But as ministers are fellow-workers together with God by virtue of their office, so may private Christians be.

II. THE FIELD OF WORK. God’s field of labour is everywhere. His object is to gather His people together who are still lying in darkness and sin. For this glorious end He employs various means. His means are directed particularly to individuals.

III. THE CENTRE IN WHOM THE WORK IS COMPLETE. This, in one word, is Christ. It is the simple knowledge of a dependence upon Christ’s person by which God works out His purpose of salvation. But I should not be preaching to you the whole counsel of God if I omitted to put before you also the side of your responsibility. (J. W. Reeve, M. A.)