Living Understanding Pt 15: Fear not

Isaiah 41:8-13                        8“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, 9I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 10So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11“All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

I called you

It is always comforting to know that someone significant loves us.  Especially so when we consider that the Creator of the universe, everything seen and unseen, is our friend.  When Christians use the phrase ‘I have been called…’ they usually refer to some activity:  I have been called to teach; I have been called to lead worship; I have been called to missions.  There is some flavor of that in God’s calling of us to be sure, but the picture has a wider focus.  God is reminding us that he is our friend.  He called Abraham from the far reaches of the then known world.  God called Abraham to leave Ur (near the Persian Gulf in modern day Iraq) to travel to Canaan.  He and his extended family walked a minimum of 1500 miles and probably much, much more because of circuitous routes.

In any case, God called the people of Israel, Abraham descendants, into relationship with him.  Similarly we who have accepted Christ as Savior are also called into relationship with our Creator God.  This may indeed involve some way of expressing that love such as teaching, worshiping, or mission activity, but it is first into relationship with him.  This relationship is permanent; it cannot be ended.  God will not abandon us or forsake us or reject us.

I am with you

God is also offering a word of encouraging comfort to his people.  They were then in exile in Babylon having been sent there as discipline for their rejection of God and their embracing of idols.  Their hope of ever returning was growing dim.  The righteous remnant didn’t return from exile until almost 150 years after Isaiah, but in the meantime he was promising support for them.

God calls his people servants, which to our modern ear carries connotations of slavery.  But in ancient times a servant was one who voluntarily offered to help another; it wasn’t slavery at all, but willing ministry.  Often times a person in heavy financial difficulty would go to a wealthy individual and offer to work for that person for some period of time if the wealthy person would settle his debts.  Negotiations were made, time and work arrangements settled, and after the term the servant was released from servitude, free of debt, and able to start over.  Also the master protected the servant (protected his investment), so anyone messing with the servant had to face the ire of the master.  If the master was God himself, that ire was something to be reckoned with indeed.

So a servant in God’s eyes was one willing to do His will.  Abraham willingly traveled a great distance to follow God to a new land.  The tribes of Jacob and Israel were God’s representatives on earth and although they ebbed and flowed in their obedience, they still effectively demonstrated God’s love and power to the rest of the world.

I will help you

But nonetheless, Israel was in deep trouble while in exile in Babylon.  They had been forcibly removed from their land and Temple and this was in essence a destruction of their identity.  But although they were in the land of their enemy God was promising protection and safety to them.  All their opposition was going to come to nothing;  as Master God would ensure the survival of his servant.  Thus His presence was expressed in very real ways—his right hand indicates personal active involvement in their lives to ensure that his plans and purposes do not fail.

What about me?

So far, all of this has been historical and one might hear a remark coming along the lines of, “What difference does this make to me?”  “Fear not,” God says in response, “I am with you!”  A young woman I know in her mid-40’s is in need of hip replacement surgery.  The doctor has required her to lose significant weight so she had gastric bypass surgery.  She has lost 65 pounds of the required 200, but the hip damage is severe enough to require her to use a walker to get around.  In addition, her son has become involved with the wrong crowd and is creating significant stress in her life.  This woman is experiencing great difficulty, mostly on her own, but has drawn very close to God.  Jesus is helping her to manage these difficult times.

I offer this story to help you know that God is involved in our everyday lives even today.  We don’t have to suffer the stresses of life alone.  You may be going through significant difficulty and it might be very unpleasant, but you don’t have to do it alone.  God will indeed help.

1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)

27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)