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The 5th Gospel

Isaiah 49:1–3 (ESV) Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. 3 And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

Isaiah 49 brings us to the second servant song in Isaiah. It's clear from the start, the servant has been sent to those who are far off for that is who he calls to listen. He was also appointed from before his birth to speak words that would cut. He was hidden for a time and now revealed in Jesus Christ. 

Peter had this in mind when he wrote:

1 Peter 1:20 (ESV) He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

Peter is a Jewish fisherman that learned the Lord had come for those of other nations. He came in the flesh to reach those in the flesh. 

Now you might think from verse three where Isaiah says, "you are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified" that God is referring to the nation. But just two verses later we see that this servant has been called to reach the people of Israel for God. 

Isaiah 49:5 (ESV) And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength—

We see the prophetic utterance detailing the work of Jesus Christ who does what the nation failed to do. He obeys completely and brings salvation to the world. Abraham's purpose is realized in Christ.

Genesis 12:3 (ESV) I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Isaiah speaks of something we will see fulfilled shortly in Acts and longitudinaly in world history - KINGS of the Earth who formerly despised Him will arise and worship Him!

Isaiah 49:7 (ESV) Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Isaiah even details the miraculous work of Christ in verses 8 and 9:

Isaiah 49:8–10 (ESV) Thus says the LORD: “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, 9 saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; 10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

Does not Jesus deliver the sinner from his sin, the lame from his physical powerlessness? Does he not also feed the 5000 and the 4000 bringing them food and offering them the Spirit if they should thirst? 

It is no wonder Isaiah is called the 5th Gospel by so many. 

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God Always Had The Plan To Bring You Home

In Isaiah 48, the Lord turns His attention back onto His people Israel. They are obstinate and stubborn. They have turned aside and worshipped idols. They have trusted the nations around them for protection and peace. But none of this caught God off-guard. And that is the first part of this great chapter. 

Isaiah 48:1 (ESV) Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.

God calls them out right away. They confess the Lord but they do not walk in His ways. 

Isaiah 48:4–5 (ESV) Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, 5 I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol did them, my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’

God reminds them that He knew they would rebel. If you go back to the days of Moses, the Lord said this exact thing before any of it took place. 

Deuteronomy 31:16–18 (ESV) And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. 17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.

Amazingly all the way back in Deuteronomy, the Lord declared that this nation would rebel and lose their favor before the Lord. The Lord was aware, but the Lord was also using their story to point to the greater need in the human heart than special privileges or laws from God. They would need a Savior. 

Back to Isaiah 48:

Isaiah 48:8b (ESV) For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and that from before birth you were called a rebel.

Then the Lord declares His purpose beyond the affliction they see:

Isaiah 48:10–11 (ESV) Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

And in verse 16 we hear the Gospel declared. 

Isaiah 48:16 (ESV) Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.

You may think it is Isaiah referring to himself at the end of this verse but it is Yahweh. The Lord will send Himself in the power of the Spirit to proclaim the salvation this rebellious people so desperately need. Notice that the Lord says this is no secret. The Biblical text points us forward to a true Moses, a true David, a true prophet like Isaiah who will teach God's people the true way of the Lord and lead them back to Himself. 

What does this mean for me? It means simply that even my rebellion is no surprise to God. He knew I could not keep the Law just as Israel failed to do though they had the prophets and covenants and promises along the way. And because God knew this, His plan was always to send Himself in the Person of Jesus to lead us home. 

Isaiah 48:17 (ESV) Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.

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The Judge of Judgment

Isaha 47 is a declaration of war against Babylon. The very agent God used to humble His people through exile in order to discipline them is now also the nation God will judge for their abominations. The Lord God is the judge of the judgment. 

Isaiah 47:1 (ESV) Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate.

God calls on Babylon to sit in the dust, off the throne it once resided. Though Babylon looked formidable, it was ultimately under the authority of the Lord. How does God judge this once proud nation? By exposing them to the world.

Isaiah 47:2–3 (ESV) Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers. 3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.

Then Isaiah declares who is God. 

Isaiah 47:4 (ESV) Our Redeemer—the LORD of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.

It's amazing to think of God as Redeemer here. For Israel had been judged and sent away. But God brings them back. Again and again, this action takes place from the Lord for His people. They stray but He comes and gets them. Even in earth-shattering events wherein they lose their land and rights and freedom, God is drawing them back to Himself. 

Isaiah 47:6–7 (ESV) I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy. 7 You said, “I shall be mistress forever,” so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end.

God lets them know they were a tool in His hand. What Babylon did, God allowed. But they went to far. And God takes special notice of their treatment of the aged. In spite of the glory of Babylon, they were simply a vessel of God's judgment. And the Lord is the judge of them. 

Notice the pomp of Babylon that generated because of their success which God allowed:

Isaiah 47:10 (ESV) You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.”

Babylon's judgment will be the judgment of the nations. The superpowers of our world can fall into the same trap as these ancient people - thinking their wickedness is hidden and their wisdom and knowledge will keep them. But God says (as Romans 1 concurs) that man's wisdom and knowledge become an idol that leads to pride and ultimately demise. 

The pride of Babylon's power led them to incantations and astrology. God condemns them for this.

Isaiah 47:12–13 (ESV) Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror. 13 You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you.

Amazing to see how history roadmaps the demise of a great civilization. This story has played out before. Just as ancient Babylon did so too history finds many nations that took the road to destruction. They despise the elderly, they hide their sins, and they boast of their knowledge as God tears them down. Then they turn to sorceries and drug use - finally deteriorating to a shell of their former glory. Do we not see these same realities in our world as America seems so proud of herself but teeters now on the brink of self-induced collapse? 

Have we forgotten the judge of the judgment?

I pray we will awake and return to Him. Lord, bring us back. 

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The Judge of Judgment

Isaha 47 is a declaration of war against Babylon. The very agent God used to humble His people through exile in order to discipline them is now also the nation God will judge for their abominations. The Lord God is the judge of the judgment. 

Isaiah 47:1 (ESV) Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate.

God calls on Babylon to sit in the dust, off the throne it once resided. Though Babylon looked formidable, it was ultimately under the authority of the Lord. How does God judge this once proud nation? By exposing them to the world.

Isaiah 47:2–3 (ESV) Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers. 3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.

Then Isaiah declares who is God. 

Isaiah 47:4 (ESV) Our Redeemer—the LORD of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.

It's amazing to think of God as Redeemer here. For Israel had been judged and sent away. But God brings them back. Again and again, this action takes place from the Lord for His people. They stray but He comes and gets them. Even in earth-shattering events wherein they lose their land and rights and freedom, God is drawing them back to Himself. 

Isaiah 47:6–7 (ESV) I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy. 7 You said, “I shall be mistress forever,” so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end.

God lets them know they were a tool in His hand. What Babylon did, God allowed. But they went to far. And God takes special notice of their treatment of the aged. In spite of the glory of Babylon, they were simply a vessel of God's judgment. And the Lord is the judge of them. 

Notice the pomp of Babylon that generated because of their success which God allowed:

Isaiah 47:10 (ESV) You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.”

Babylon's judgment will be the judgment of the nations. The superpowers of our world can fall into the same trap as these ancient people - thinking their wickedness is hidden and their wisdom and knowledge will keep them. But God says (as Romans 1 concurs) that man's wisdom and knowledge become an idol that leads to pride and ultimately demise. 

The pride of Babylon's power led them to incantations and astrology. God condemns them for this.

Isaiah 47:12–13 (ESV) Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror. 13 You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you.

Amazing to see how history roadmaps the demise of a great civilization. This story has played out before. Just as ancient Babylon did so too history finds many nations that took the road to destruction. They despise the elderly, they hide their sins, and they boast of their knowledge as God tears them down. Then they turn to sorceries and drug use - finally deteriorating to a shell of their former glory. Do we not see these same realities in our world as America seems so proud of herself but teeters now on the brink of self-induced collapse? 

Have we forgotten the judge of the judgment?

I pray we will awake and return to Him. Lord, bring us back. 

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God Uses Anyone To Remind Us He Can Save Anyone

If you were an ancient Israelite, you may have had problems with God using a pagan king named Cyrus as his instrument for restoring Israel back to her land and temple. After all, can't God use someone we approve of who follows His law? Shouldn't God do that? 

This is Isaiah's response on behalf of God to those questions:

Isaiah 45:11 (ESV) Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: “Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands?

Can we really expect to tell God how to use what He has created? Even those of unbelieving traditions? God is God and not subject to our specifics in technique and operation. 

Isaiah 45:12–13 (ESV) I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. 13 I have stirred him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways level; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward,” says the LORD of hosts.

God makes it clear - all things are from Him. He is the author of what we see and experience. Cyrus is stirred up in righteousness and God will make his way straight to bring Israel back. This is the Lord's choice. 

So many times we question the leaders in our world or country. How could God allow "them" to be in charge? Does He not know who they are and what they have done? But are we not also failed sinners whom God has chosen and saved? Were we not also dead in trespasses and sins? Failed men and women in leadership positions are used by God to do what He wants to remind us that no perfect people exist save one. And we are not Him. 

Isaiah 45:15–17 (ESV) Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. 16 All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. 17 But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity.

The New Living Translation says, "God works in mysterious ways". Then verse 16 talks about the failure of our idols. What we make acts in ways we expect. We know God is God when we don't comprehend all that He does. A "god" you totally understand is a "god" of your own making. 

Then God declares through Isaiah the words that no Israelite would have understood. 

Isaiah 45:20 (ESV) “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.

God calls the nations to himself! Talk about unexpected things from the mysterious God. Then Isaiah speaks of the guarantee that people from all nations will respond to God's offer!

Isaiah 45:22–23 (ESV) “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

Now you can start to understand why God chose to use Cyrus to save Israel from exile and restore them to their land. So they might know the Gentiles no longer as enemies but people God can save and use. 

As Christians, do we see the unbelievers around us like that? Do we realize that the great obstacle against us could be the next Saul of Tarsus and join us? Our God can save and desires all men to come to repentance. And even those who don't will be used for His saving purposes. Just ask Cyrus, Pharoah or any other former "kings" of the "world."

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God of Boundless Abilities

Isaiah 45:1–3 (ESV) Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: 2 “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.

Isaiah 45 speaks of Cyrus, the ancient king of Persia. Even that king was under the authority of Almighty God. God will make his way level. He will break doors that are closed. he will lead him forward where God wants him to go. 

Imagine the prophet for your nation considering the king of another pagan nation God's instrument whom God will lead! But this is the Holy Scripture that invites us to see the God of the Universe and not the "god" of our own imagination. He does as He wills, not as we wish. 

Notice the phrase, "Whose right hand I have grasped". God holds the power of Cyrus and does with Him what He wants. Cyrus will be the vessel through which God will open the way for the exiles to return. 

God tells Cyrus that nothing is required concerning Cyrus' knowledge of the Lord for the Lord to do this. 

Isaiah 45:4 (ESV) For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.

It is earth-shattering for some of God's people to hear passages like this. We think world leaders need to repent before God can use them. Nonsense! God is not bound by our will or desires. God is not bound by our conversions! He can do what He wants with His clay at any time and in any way. 

Isaiah 45:5–6 (ESV) I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

God also says to Cyrus, "I equip you, though you do not know me." Consider the leaders and world-changing thinkers through history. Is it not also possible that God gave them those thoughts and abilities without their repentance to accomplish His divine purpose throughout history? YES! Ultimately all of this is so that people may know the Lord even through the tools and gifts of people who do not know the Lord. 

I think in this case of Elon Musk. A world-changing thinker and creator. God has certainly gifted him beyond normal human ability. His actions are shaping society's travel and speech. He is not a confessing Christian but God is using him to transform culture so that censorship might be eradicated on social media. God does not need repentance or belief to use people. And that reminds us that He alone is God! Our hopes are never dashed because our God is never restricted. 

A troubling text follows: 

Isaiah 45:7 (ESV) I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.

God is going to use the wars and calamities of the nations to accomplish this. Sadly, and we cannot understand it, the troubles in our world are also used by God to bring people to Himself. But remember, God is working with a fallen creation. Sometimes the means seem dark. 

Isaiah 45:8 (ESV) “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it.

This could be the verse from which Jesus tells us the Father causes the rain to fall on the righteous and unrighteous. All good comes from Him. But only He can open the Earth and bring our righteousness out of death through His Son. 

Isaiah 45:9 (ESV) 9 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?

We fail to grasp these things when we are busy trying to figure God out according to our own understanding. In fact, Isaiah declares doom for those who fight it. He is the potter and we are the clay. Do not ask "Why this and not that?" Rather ask, "What is God saying to me and asking of my life?"

Amen. 

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God of Boundless Abilities

Isaiah 45:1–3 (ESV) Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: 2 “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.

Isaiah 45 speaks of Cyrus, the ancient king of Persia. Even that king was under the authority of Almighty God. God will make his way level. He will break doors that are closed. he will lead him forward where God wants him to go. 

Imagine the prophet for your nation considering the king of another pagan nation God's instrument whom God will lead! But this is the Holy Scripture that invites us to see the God of the Universe and not the "god" of our own imagination. He does as He wills, not as we wish. 

Notice the phrase, "Whose right hand I have grasped". God holds the power of Cyrus and does with Him what He wants. Cyrus will be the vessel through which God will open the way for the exiles to return. 

God tells Cyrus that nothing is required concerning Cyrus' knowledge of the Lord for the Lord to do this. 

Isaiah 45:4 (ESV) For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.

It is earth-shattering for some of God's people to hear passages like this. We think world leaders need to repent before God can use them. Nonsense! God is not bound by our will or desires. God is not bound by our conversions! He can do what He wants with His clay at any time and in any way. 

Isaiah 45:5–6 (ESV) I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

God also says to Cyrus, "I equip you, though you do not know me." Consider the leaders and world-changing thinkers through history. Is it not also possible that God gave them those thoughts and abilities without their repentance to accomplish His divine purpose throughout history? YES! Ultimately all of this is so that people may know the Lord even through the tools and gifts of people who do not know the Lord. 

I think in this case of Elon Musk. A world-changing thinker and creator. God has certainly gifted him beyond normal human ability. His actions are shaping society's travel and speech. He is not a confessing Christian but God is using him to transform culture so that censorship might be eradicated on social media. God does not need repentance or belief to use people. And that reminds us that He alone is God! Our hopes are never dashed because our God is never restricted. 

A troubling text follows: 

Isaiah 45:7 (ESV) I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.

God is going to use the wars and calamities of the nations to accomplish this. Sadly, and we cannot understand it, the troubles in our world are also used by God to bring people to Himself. But remember, God is working with a fallen creation. Sometimes the means seem dark. 

Isaiah 45:8 (ESV) “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it.

This could be the verse from which Jesus tells us the Father causes the rain to fall on the righteous and unrighteous. All good comes from Him. But only He can open the Earth and bring our righteousness out of death through His Son. 

Isaiah 45:9 (ESV) 9 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?

We fail to grasp these things when we are busy trying to figure God out according to our own understanding. In fact, Isaiah declares doom for those who fight it. He is the potter and we are the clay. Do not ask "Why this and not that?" Rather ask, "What is God saying to me and asking of my life?"

Amen. 

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The Failure of Idols the Faithfulness of God

Isaiah 44:1–2 (ESV) “But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! 2 Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

The Lord is both creator and helper. We must remember that. Everything we experience in Him is for our help. Even the Holy Spirit is described as our "Helper" in Jesus' discourse with the disciples in John 14 and 16. 

Isaiah goes further to describe the help God intends on providing:

Isaiah 44:3–5 (ESV) For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. 4 They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. 5 This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’s,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.”

All of these wonderful promises will be beneficial to the original hearer in Israel as God's judgment will soon come upon the nation and no doubt they will be wondering if there is anything good to come from this. But as the Gospel itself bears witness, God brings good out of evil. 

Isaiah 44:8 (ESV) Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”

We are to also remember that no other god exists. He alone is the One who rules and reigns. He alone is our source and foundation. Then Isaiah goes back to exposing the idol makers for what they are. 

Isaiah 44:10–11 (ESV) Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human.

Isaiah 44:12 (ESV) The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.

Ironically, the one who makes an object of worship tires and has to drink the water that God provides. What is the point? We may place our hope in something but even that something only exists by the hand of God. Therefore we should cut out the middle man and worship the Lord! Hope alone in Him.

But most damning of all is the spiritual blindness that results from idolatry. Isaiah describes a man taking a log of wood and dividing it into three uses. One portion to heat his home with fire, one portion to cook his food over a fire, and then one portion being shaped into an idol. That is why the great theologian says our hearts are perpetual idol-making factories. We will worship anything and in doing so we will become blind and callous to the voice of the Lord.

Isaiah 44:18–20 (ESV) They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

Do not miss the effect of sin. It blinds us. We first seek the idol and like the sun if we stare to long we lose sight of all other things. Isaiah enumerates the harsh reality - we cannot save ourselves. If we cannot save ourselves and our own idolatry has blinded us, then where is our hope? Our hope is in Him who forever sees, remembers, and saves. 

Isaiah 44:21–22 (ESV) Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. 22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Graciously, God speaks a word of redemption. We forget God but He does not forget us. He wipes out our sins and calls us to Himself. 

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Promises for Exiles

How do we live faithfully in a foreign land? That is the question Israel was faced with. The impending exile is hanging over the faithful's head as the nation refuses to repent and Babylon gains momentum on the world's stage. Isaiah offers comforting words for exiles who know the next few generations may be very difficult. 

Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

Isaiah 42 pronounced the following judgment and reminder that the judgment was from God:

Isaiah 42:24 (ESV) Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey?

Isaiah now offers the consolation that even though judgment may come, God's nearness would be with those who trust Him through it. This is our only hope in difficulty - God draws closer. We are reminded that He made us, He purchased us back to Himself. We are His even when we are disciplined for our sins. 

Isaiah 43:2 (ESV) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Then:

Isaiah 43:3–4 (ESV) For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.

The promises above are powerful. They ask Israel to both look back to the time He already passed through the waters with them at the Red Sea and Jordan River. But they look forward to the trial by fire in Babylon. Interestingly, you have to think this passage was on Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-Nego's minds when faced with the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar. They knew God's promise and they stood on it at the time of testing. 

Then God promises a glorious reunion. 

Isaiah 43:5–7 (ESV) Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. 6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

God scatters but will regather. He knows we need community in Him. Sometimes the way God brings people back to Himself is through the estrangement of spiritual or cultural exile. We see the world and how foreign it is to our faith and long for the courts of God to be among the throng who go up to worship Him. 

Isaiah 43:10–12 (ESV) “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. 11 I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. 12 I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and I am God.

Here Isaiah reminds us once again that all of our experiences with God are aimed at teaching us who He is. Yes, we know Him as our Father who disciplines, but we also know Him as the only Savior and ultimate Lord of the cosmos! There is no other God!

Isaiah 43:18–19 (ESV) “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

We also understand that God is not interested in our obsession over the past. He wants to lead us forward. Hold fast to what He's up to today and do no let your life fall prey to the anxieties of what happened before. 

This is how we faithfully live as exiles in our age. We know He has us, He is with us and He is leading us forward. 

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[timhatchlive]

Promises for Exiles

How do we live faithfully in a foreign land? That is the question Israel was faced with. The impending exile is hanging over the faithful's head as the nation refuses to repent and Babylon gains momentum on the world's stage. Isaiah offers comforting words for exiles who know the next few generations may be very difficult. 

Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

Isaiah 42 pronounced the following judgment and reminder that the judgment was from God:

Isaiah 42:24 (ESV) Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey?

Isaiah now offers the consolation that even though judgment may come, God's nearness would be with those who trust Him through it. This is our only hope in difficulty - God draws closer. We are reminded that He made us, He purchased us back to Himself. We are His even when we are disciplined for our sins. 

Isaiah 43:2 (ESV) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Then:

Isaiah 43:3–4 (ESV) For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.

The promises above are powerful. They ask Israel to both look back to the time He already passed through the waters with them at the Red Sea and Jordan River. But they look forward to the trial by fire in Babylon. Interestingly, you have to think this passage was on Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-Nego's minds when faced with the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar. They knew God's promise and they stood on it at the time of testing. 

Then God promises a glorious reunion. 

Isaiah 43:5–7 (ESV) Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. 6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

God scatters but will regather. He knows we need community in Him. Sometimes the way God brings people back to Himself is through the estrangement of spiritual or cultural exile. We see the world and how foreign it is to our faith and long for the courts of God to be among the throng who go up to worship Him. 

Isaiah 43:10–12 (ESV) “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. 11 I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. 12 I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and I am God.

Here Isaiah reminds us once again that all of our experiences with God are aimed at teaching us who He is. Yes, we know Him as our Father who disciplines, but we also know Him as the only Savior and ultimate Lord of the cosmos! There is no other God!

Isaiah 43:18–19 (ESV) “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

We also understand that God is not interested in our obsession over the past. He wants to lead us forward. Hold fast to what He's up to today and do no let your life fall prey to the anxieties of what happened before. 

This is how we faithfully live as exiles in our age. We know He has us, He is with us and He is leading us forward. 

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[timhatchlive]

We Must Worship Through Our Pains

We have to learn to sing into the difficulty, not just after the victory. 

Isaiah 42:10 (ESV) Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.

Isaiah 42 is a call to worship as Israel considers the hand of God's judgment. They will be disciplined but they will return. The Lord will come for them and do a "new thing" as was mentioned already in this incredible chapter. 

The call to worship in this chapter seems out of place. How do we sing when we know destruction is coming? Because we know it is only temporary, that God is using it and we will recover from it into a better kind of life. For Israel, it will be the kingdom of heaven inaugurated by Jesus Himself, the Lord's servant. 

How often do we fail to worship God when we need to do so most? In the dark times, in the confusing times, in the times of waiting and hoping - worship God. Do not wait for worship to be felt, worship will create the feelings of hope we are meant to enjoy. 

Isaiah 42:13 (ESV) The LORD goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.

I love the description of the Lord here. He goes out like a mighty man. He is a man of war with passion and shouting Himself. This is the picture of Christ the world needs to remember. We do not serve a faint-hearted Savior. We serve a warrior who is accomplishing great things in the Earth. That is what worship precipitates, the battle of the Lord - the waging of His warfare on our enemies and in our situation. 

Isaiah 42:14–16 (ESV) For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant. 15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. 16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.

Here in verses 14-16 God speaks after a long period of silence. What time does this silence refer to? Perhaps the time Israel would spend in exile in Babylon. We cannot be sure. But we do know this - that even when it seems like God is silent toward us He is building up passion in His heart toward us. He will lead His people though they are blind and ignorant. He is a God of passionate love for His people. 

Consider this passage the next time you think God has forsaken you. He longs to save you. He hands you over to the failure of your idols so that you can learn to see how good and wonderful He is toward you. 

Isaiah 42:18–19 (ESV) 18 Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! 19 Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the LORD?

Isaiah describes the nation here as deaf and blind. They have heard God's Words for so long they have grown immune to its importance. 

Isaiah 42:20 (ESV) He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.

Therefore God reminds them through discipline that all they really need is His Word. 

Isaiah 42:23–24 (ESV) Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? 24 Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey?

We worship in times of hardship because we know ultimately all of our struggles are leading to a glorious future in God. He will not let us stay blind and deaf. He will speak to us and teach us in order to bring us back to Himself. 

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[timhatchlive]

We Must Worship Through Our Pains

We have to learn to sing into the difficulty, not just after the victory. 

Isaiah 42:10 (ESV) Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.

Isaiah 42 is a call to worship as Israel considers the hand of God's judgment. They will be disciplined but they will return. The Lord will come for them and do a "new thing" as was mentioned already in this incredible chapter. 

The call to worship in this chapter seems out of place. How do we sing when we know destruction is coming? Because we know it is only temporary, that God is using it and we will recover from it into a better kind of life. For Israel, it will be the kingdom of heaven inaugurated by Jesus Himself, the Lord's servant. 

How often do we fail to worship God when we need to do so most? In the dark times, in the confusing times, in the times of waiting and hoping - worship God. Do not wait for worship to be felt, worship will create the feelings of hope we are meant to enjoy. 

Isaiah 42:13 (ESV) The LORD goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.

I love the description of the Lord here. He goes out like a mighty man. He is a man of war with passion and shouting Himself. This is the picture of Christ the world needs to remember. We do not serve a faint-hearted Savior. We serve a warrior who is accomplishing great things in the Earth. That is what worship precipitates, the battle of the Lord - the waging of His warfare on our enemies and in our situation. 

Isaiah 42:14–16 (ESV) For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant. 15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. 16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.

Here in verses 14-16 God speaks after a long period of silence. What time does this silence refer to? Perhaps the time Israel would spend in exile in Babylon. We cannot be sure. But we do know this - that even when it seems like God is silent toward us He is building up passion in His heart toward us. He will lead His people though they are blind and ignorant. He is a God of passionate love for His people. 

Consider this passage the next time you think God has forsaken you. He longs to save you. He hands you over to the failure of your idols so that you can learn to see how good and wonderful He is toward you. 

Isaiah 42:18–19 (ESV) 18 Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! 19 Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the LORD?

Isaiah describes the nation here as deaf and blind. They have heard God's Words for so long they have grown immune to its importance. 

Isaiah 42:20 (ESV) He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.

Therefore God reminds them through discipline that all they really need is His Word. 

Isaiah 42:23–24 (ESV) Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? 24 Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey?

We worship in times of hardship because we know ultimately all of our struggles are leading to a glorious future in God. He will not let us stay blind and deaf. He will speak to us and teach us in order to bring us back to Himself. 

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[timhatchlive]

The Lord's Servant

Isaiah 41 ends with Isaiah asking (for the Lord) that the idols if Israel show themselves true by declaring what is to come. 

Isaiah 41:22–23 (ESV) Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. 23 Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified.

Idols fail us. That is the great lesson of the Bible. We make something created into something it cannot do. And when they fail, we suffer. So it should be no wonder that God has determined for Himself who will be the representation of His voice in the land. His chosen servant.

Isaiah 42:1 (ESV) Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Then the text describes the servant God has chosen. 

Isaiah 42:2 (ESV) He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;

Verse 2 is an interesting reminder. Jesus did not in fact, cry aloud or lift his voice in the streets. He was meek and unassuming. He kept His miracles a secret when He could. He did not push His way into prominence and His first sign in John 2 was instigated by His mother. 

Unlike the fanatical street preachers we see today who are mostly ignored by the population, Jesus quietly worked as a carpenter for 30 years and then began His ministry by drawing disciples from the untouched places of culture - fishermen and tax collectors. Jesus illustrates a diminutive nature in service to God and provides a wonderful example so often ignored by those who claim to speak for Him. 

Isaiah 42:3 (ESV) a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

Verse 3 tells us that this servant of God will not discard the weak and broken. He will have compassion on those who cannot keep their lives together. 

Isaiah 42:4 (ESV) He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Jesus does indeed not rest until the work is accomplished on the cross. He was tired at times, but always ready to serve. He was discouraged in His humanity but diligent to bring about the justifying work of the Cross so that we who are weighed down with sin might find rest. 

Now how does this happen? Because of what God said in verse 1. He will put His Spirit on Him. 

How did Jesus do what He did? Because He was God the Son? No. He set aside His prerogatives as God to become a man (See Philippians 2). Jesus did the work of God because He had the Spirit of God upon Him. 

At His Baptism, the Spirit descends and begins to lead Him where He was to go. 

Matthew 4:1 (ESV) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Acts tells us this:

Acts 10:38 (ESV) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Guess what. You might feel weak and useless in yourself. But God has made a way through Jesus to give you the same power Jesus had as He did the work of God. The Cross has wiped out your sin so that the Spirit can come within. And if you're serving God only in your power, watch out, you'll pass out. But in the power of the limitless Holy Spirit, you'll never quit until the job is done. 

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[timhatchlive]

The Lord's Servant

Isaiah 41 ends with Isaiah asking (for the Lord) that the idols if Israel show themselves true by declaring what is to come. 

Isaiah 41:22–23 (ESV) Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. 23 Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified.

Idols fail us. That is the great lesson of the Bible. We make something created into something it cannot do. And when they fail, we suffer. So it should be no wonder that God has determined for Himself who will be the representation of His voice in the land. His chosen servant.

Isaiah 42:1 (ESV) Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Then the text describes the servant God has chosen. 

Isaiah 42:2 (ESV) He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;

Verse 2 is an interesting reminder. Jesus did not in fact, cry aloud or lift his voice in the streets. He was meek and unassuming. He kept His miracles a secret when He could. He did not push His way into prominence and His first sign in John 2 was instigated by His mother. 

Unlike the fanatical street preachers we see today who are mostly ignored by the population, Jesus quietly worked as a carpenter for 30 years and then began His ministry by drawing disciples from the untouched places of culture - fishermen and tax collectors. Jesus illustrates a diminutive nature in service to God and provides a wonderful example so often ignored by those who claim to speak for Him. 

Isaiah 42:3 (ESV) a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

Verse 3 tells us that this servant of God will not discard the weak and broken. He will have compassion on those who cannot keep their lives together. 

Isaiah 42:4 (ESV) He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Jesus does indeed not rest until the work is accomplished on the cross. He was tired at times, but always ready to serve. He was discouraged in His humanity but diligent to bring about the justifying work of the Cross so that we who are weighed down with sin might find rest. 

Now how does this happen? Because of what God said in verse 1. He will put His Spirit on Him. 

How did Jesus do what He did? Because He was God the Son? No. He set aside His prerogatives as God to become a man (See Philippians 2). Jesus did the work of God because He had the Spirit of God upon Him. 

At His Baptism, the Spirit descends and begins to lead Him where He was to go. 

Matthew 4:1 (ESV) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Acts tells us this:

Acts 10:38 (ESV) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Guess what. You might feel weak and useless in yourself. But God has made a way through Jesus to give you the same power Jesus had as He did the work of God. The Cross has wiped out your sin so that the Spirit can come within. And if you're serving God only in your power, watch out, you'll pass out. But in the power of the limitless Holy Spirit, you'll never quit until the job is done. 

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[timhatchlive]

Be a Worm

Isaiah 41 is a chapter of grace. It reminds God's people that their God is in charge of the chaos around them. But there's an interesting word in verse 14 that Isaiah uses to refer to God's chosen people. See for yourself. 

Isaiah 41:14 (ESV) Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

God calls them a worm. Now that's funny to me because this is not exactly one of the commonly used descriptors of God's people and yet it shows up elsewhere in scripture. 

David in the Messianic Psalm says, 

Psalm 22:6 (ESV) But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

What benefit do we gain by identifying ourselves as such lowly creatures? We get a true understanding of our powerlessness and our need for the all-powerful One. 

Notice the NIV's second title given to the people of God in this verse:

Isaiah 41:14 (NIV) Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Ever felt small? That's good. You have a chance to look to God. It is when we feel big in ourselves that we miss the glory of God. That's what Israel would experience as Isaiah stipulates in the next verse.

Isaiah 41:15–16 (ESV) Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; 16 you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

God alone can make worms into warriors. And He does this so the world can see Him and not us. The challenges you face are overwhelming to you. But God can raise up power in you and through you to overcome them all. It is when we see ourselves as almost nothing that God gives us all things necessary to overcome anything. 

Isaiah 41:17 (ESV) 17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

God now enunciates several promises in the next 4 verses of what He plans to do for those who see nothing in themselves. He will answer the poor seeking water. Verse 18 says He will make the wilderness full of water. Verse 19 says He will grow flourishing trees in the wilderness and all of this to make a very important point:

Isaiah 41:20 (ESV) that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

All of this happens not so Israel can boast in who she is but so they may glory in who their God is. 

It's good to be a worm. For then we see the wonders of God. 

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[timhatchlive]

Be a Worm

Isaiah 41 is a chapter of grace. It reminds God's people that their God is in charge of the chaos around them. But there's an interesting word in verse 14 that Isaiah uses to refer to God's chosen people. See for yourself. 

Isaiah 41:14 (ESV) Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

God calls them a worm. Now that's funny to me because this is not exactly one of the commonly used descriptors of God's people and yet it shows up elsewhere in scripture. 

David in the Messianic Psalm says, 

Psalm 22:6 (ESV) But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

What benefit do we gain by identifying ourselves as such lowly creatures? We get a true understanding of our powerlessness and our need for the all-powerful One. 

Notice the NIV's second title given to the people of God in this verse:

Isaiah 41:14 (NIV) Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Ever felt small? That's good. You have a chance to look to God. It is when we feel big in ourselves that we miss the glory of God. That's what Israel would experience as Isaiah stipulates in the next verse.

Isaiah 41:15–16 (ESV) Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; 16 you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

God alone can make worms into warriors. And He does this so the world can see Him and not us. The challenges you face are overwhelming to you. But God can raise up power in you and through you to overcome them all. It is when we see ourselves as almost nothing that God gives us all things necessary to overcome anything. 

Isaiah 41:17 (ESV) 17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

God now enunciates several promises in the next 4 verses of what He plans to do for those who see nothing in themselves. He will answer the poor seeking water. Verse 18 says He will make the wilderness full of water. Verse 19 says He will grow flourishing trees in the wilderness and all of this to make a very important point:

Isaiah 41:20 (ESV) that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

All of this happens not so Israel can boast in who she is but so they may glory in who their God is. 

It's good to be a worm. For then we see the wonders of God. 

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[timhatchlive]

We Need Constant Reminders - God is in Charge

Isaiah 41:1–4 (ESV) Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment. 2 Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step?  He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow. 3 He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod. 4 Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he. 

God is speaking and we need to listen in silence. What does He say here? He reminds Israel that everything that has happened on the international stage - even the things that have threatened them - have been orchestrated by Him all along. 

You consider the Old Testament narrative of Israel in comparison to the legend stories of other cultures. Israel is portrayed in a most unflattering picture. Chosen yet constantly corrected by their God. Blessed but then greatly disciplined for decades at times. Their story illustrates an history that only could be true because no nation would make this up about themselves. 

Israel was taught and believed - their God was behind the antipathy of their enemies. Assyria was God’s tool and rod of discipline to awaken a sleeping nation. 

So often we can be Israel in Isaiah’s day. We can be asleep to the true reality of our spiritual condition. And like Israel we may need a new enemy or at least one raised up and in our face in order to seek God once again. Perhaps that is what is happening in America as secularism is not only rising, it seems to be winning in the culture battle AGAINST God’s people. 

God asks repeatedly in this text: “Who has done all this?” And the refrain in verse 4, “I, the LORD”… and then the descriptor: ‘The first and the last.” Wow. Not only was Israel told to understand God was behind all the international intrigue of their day, but He was the beginning and end of all things!

No matter what you’re experiencing personally, remember that if you are in Christ, God is behind it not to destroy you but to discipline and develop you. Maybe He’s doing it to silence you or to stir you awake. The good news, He is at work for you!

What stops you from believing that? Perhaps the evil you’re facing? Or the evil you’re struggling to control within you? Perhaps the record in your past or the fear in your future. But Israel had all those very things to contend with and YET God was reminding them He was still in charge. 

There’s another option to trusting God and many in Isaiah’s day were taking it. That is idolatry. Isaiah records that some grew more firm in their idolatrous commitment. 

Isaiah 41:7 (ESV) The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved. 

But God reassured those who looked to Him even when things seemed so overwhelming. 

Isaiah 41:8–10 (ESV) But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; 9  you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; 10  fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

There are a few key things to understand here in terms of what it means to look to God when all around you seems to be bad news. God calls Israel, “my servant”. We must know that is what we are in order to seek God. The question is not, “What are you doing God?” The question is, “What are you asking me to do?” We must also see ourselves as chosen people - that is - people brought into fellowship by His doing and not our own. We must know that those God chooses are never without Him. He is our help and He holds us up. 

In other words, to be transformed through the trials around us we must embrace God’s plan and calling upon us. He is in charge of our end and He stays with us through it.

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