"You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he (Isa 43:10).

Vv. 10-13 are in a chiastic form (A-B-C-D-C-B-A) so that v. 10 corresponds to v. 12.

I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "that I am God (v. 12).”

Note that there are three verbs (to “know,” to “believe,” and to “understand”) with “you (the Lord’s chosen people)” as their subject in v. 10, and there are also three verbs (to “reveal,” to “save,” and to “proclaim”) in v. 12 with “I (the Lord)” as their subject. First, the Lord “reveals” his plan by speaking to the people so that they will “know” his plan. When they know his plan, they will come to “believe” that what he has revealed will be fulfilled, and as a result, the Lord will “save” them. But that is not the end. After the Lord saves, he will “proclaim (lit. let them hear)” that he is the one who has saved them so that they will “understand” that he is the Lord (Yahweh) who fulfills his word. And the Lord’s chosen people are the “witnesses” of that—he is Yahweh, the one who fulfills his word.

These words were spoken originally to those who received God’s judgment and were taken to Babylon in captivity at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. But the same words can be applied to those who are in Christ today.

Your first father sinned; your spokesmen rebelled against me. So I will disgrace the dignitaries of your temple, and I will consign Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn (vv. 27-28).

Note the expression, “your first father sinned.” The anger he poured out unto the people, his children, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem had been, in fact, kept and piled up ever since the time of “the fist father” who had sinned, whoever that first father was. And once his anger was released upon them, he is no longer angry. He says:

I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more (v. 25).

The same thing happened through Christ, his only Son, who gave himself as a pleasing aroma to ease God’s wrath.

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement (a propitiation), through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished (Rom 3:25)—

The Greek word hilasterion, translated as “a sacrifice of atonement,” is a kind of sacrifice given to gain God’s favor for the pacification of his wrath.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18).

God’s wrath has been removed completely. He is no longer angry with us. We used to be enemies to God, but we have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Now is the time of God’s favor—the day of salvation!

As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation (6:1-2).