Isaiah 41 (v8-10)

The faithfulness of God is not dependent on the greatness of those who receive His promises.  Previously God has spoken of the “nothingness” of the nations that are around Israel.  They cannot stand in His way.  But in saying this God is not saying that the nations are so weak that Israel will be able to stand.  Rather He is saying that He will be Israel’s help.

In fact God uses the term “worm” (v14) to describe the men of Israel.  They are as incapable of fulfilling God’s word as the nations are in hindering God’s word.  But there is something special about Israel: they are God’s chosen servant (v8).  They have a relationship with God based on the covenant He made with their ancestor Abraham.  That covenant graciously established by God 1300 years earlier (Gen. 15) was still “binding”.  Remember: “the word of our God stands forever” (Isa. 40:8).  Clearly Israel had not been a particularly faithful servant of the LORD, but God had not and would not cast them away (v9; Rom. 11:1, 11).

Note 2 descriptions God makes about Himself:

·        v4: “I, the LORD, am the first; and with the last I am He.”  There is no time limit for the words of the eternal God.

·        v14: “’I will help you,’ says the LORD and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”  As “Redeemer” He is the near kinsman who purchases the impoverished relative who has sold himself into slavery to pay a debt.  (The book of Ruth illustrates this work of God.)

These truths about God set Him apart from the lifeless gods that were the trust of the nations and the constant temptation for Israel.  These idols were of no help.  But the LORD, who had brought one from the east (v2, the Assyrians) would in the future bring one from the north (v25) to deliver Israel.  This is a prediction of Cyrus the Persian who would later be specified by name in Isaiah 44:24-28.  He will be God’s chosen deliverer from the future enemy Babylon.

Israel needed to face up to the emptiness of any other gods.  So do we.  Often people speak of trusting God for the important unseen blessings such as forgiveness of sin and the hope of eternal life.  But in fact their day-to-day lives reveal the fact that they are trusting in “idols”.  One false god, perhaps the most common, is wealth (Eph. 5:5; Matt. 6:24).  If we don’t have enough money we may put our trust in the government or “luck” (the lottery).  We may see friends or education or our own abilities as keys to having money.  We may even see a relationship with God as a means to wealth which is a false idea (1 Tim. 6:3-10).

God will not share loyalties with any other God.  Jesus made this clear. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.” (Matt. 6:24).  Now is a good time to consider your “God”.  It’s not only what you think or say.  How do you live?  What do your choices reveal?