Isaiah 43:14-28 – What a Relationship!

Read Isaiah 43:14-28

The same God who destroyed the Egyptians so his people could flee from their enslavement promises to cause the Babylonians to flee! This will allow a new generation to return home. It’s highly likely that even though the Israelites had been in captivity, the story of the exodus from Egypt would have been retold often. Just as likely the celebration of Passover would have continued in some fashion, probably in secret. When hearing these words then, the people would surely take note of Isaiah’s message from God!

And what does God say now? “But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.” I don’t think God meant for them to truly “forget.” His point was, “you haven’t seen anything yet!” We can all think of examples of where we have seen God at work in our lives. We simply need to think of Jesus. John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God came to earth as one of us!

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Isaiah 43:1-13 – We Belong to God

Read Isaiah 43:1-13

In one of the churches David served as pastor, all those who were baptized were given a banner that read, “I have called you by name, [name]; you are mine.” Wasn’t that an endearing memento to give families as a blessing and a reminder? Isaiah is reminding God’s people because they have likely forgotten. God said, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

We will likely experience many things in our lives that will cause us to be afraid. But we can cling to this promise. What deep waters are you treading right now? Perhaps you feel like you’re stuck in a fire that is consuming you. Let these words calm you and remind you who has your back. “For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

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Isaiah 42:18-25 – A Lesson to Be Learned

Read Isaiah 42:18-25

Are you as blind as Israel? Do you fail to see God or hear his voice? I think we can all be guilty. We can find just about any excuse. We can see but not always understand. It may even take years before we look back at our life and think, “that was definitely the hand of God at work in my life.”

Maybe this has happened to you. We know something is wrong, yet we do it any way. “You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.” This disobedience didn’t start with us. Whether that makes us “feel better” or just confirms the fallen nature of being human, it’s real.

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Isaiah 42:10-17 – Song of Praise

Read Isaiah 42:10-17

Have you ever felt so lost, hurt, or angry that you had a hard time praising God? When things go badly for us, we often lash out at God feeling resentment rather than turning to him in praise. I can imagine those people in exile were finding it difficult to praise God. They may have even blamed him for their situation. Others may have totally turned their back on God.

Our song of praise in this reading is the perfect infusion to give the people a gentle reminder that praise should happen regardless of circumstance. There are always reasons to give God the glory he deserves. There are always things to be grateful for if we look carefully enough. Everyone should be praising God. “Let the whole world glorify the Lord; let it sing his praise.”

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Isaiah 42:1-9 – The Lord’s Servant

Read Isaiah 42:1-9

Jesus is that servant. When we look at Jesus’ example, he gives us the perfect model of servant leadership to follow in our own circles. You may recognize this as the passage referred to in Matthew 12:18-21 as being prophecy fulfilled. It is one of the four “Servant Songs.” Do you see Jesus in these words?

What Isaiah 42:1 say about how God is “pleased with him” makes me remember the words proclaimed by God at Jesus’ baptism! (Matthew 3:17) “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Other translations would say, “with whom I am well pleased.” The Gospel of Mark also recounts Jesus’ baptism in similar fashion.

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