Isaiah 44:6-23.  This is the third in a group of mini messages that we started three days ago.  All of them have the message to “fear not”.  This message starts out with God telling us he is uniquie, he is the only real God.  He challenges other gods to explain history and foretell the future.  Then the readers are told to not be afraid.  Remember the people of Judah were being invaded by Assyria at the time.  In the last message they were reminded that Babylon was going to eventually be destroyed, a hint to not make an alliance with them.  So where could they turn for protection?  The answer was, to God, Yahweh.  He had been telling them what was going to happen and that they could trust him to protect them, so they needed to not be afraid, he is the solid safe place for them, the rock.

Verses 9-20 are kind of a satire, God is making fun of the people who make idols.  One scholar pointed out fifteen contrasts between God and idols in these verses:  Men form idols (v.9) but God forms the world and his people.  Idols do not help us (v.9) but God gives strength and help.  The witness for the idols don’t really understand (v.9)  but God’s witness see and understand.  The makers of the idols have fear (v. 11) but God’s people do not need to fear.  Idols makers will be put to shame (v. 11) but god’s people will not be ashamed.  Idol makers get tired (v. 12) but God gives strength.  Idol makers measure out the wood (v. 13) but god measures out the heavens with his hand.  Idols are made in man’s image (v. 13) but God made us in his image.  Idols are made of wood and metal (v. 14) but God made the wood and metal. People worship their own creation (v. 15) but we are supposed to worship the Creator.  People are looking for the idols to save them (v. 17) but only God can save us.  Idols give us no understanding (v. 19) but God gives both wisdom and understanding.  Believing in idols is believing in a lie (v. 20) but God tells us the truth.  Idols lead us the wrong way (v. 20) but God asks us to come back to the truth (Smith, Gary V., The New American Commentary, Isaiah 40-66, Nashville, 2009.  P. 239).  Although the author does not give references for the contrasts he tells us that all of the pictures of God in the contrast can be found in the parts of Isaiah we have already read.  Certainly they can be found in the Bible.

Like the first mini message this group of mini messages ends with a song of praise to God.  Verses 21-22 remind the people of Judah (really using the term Jacob and Israel (see “What’s in a Name”) extend this promise beyond just the people hiding in Jerusalem) to remember that God chose them and they will not be forgotten.  God also tells them that their disobedience and rebellion, their sin, will be wiped away.  God has paid the price to deal with their sins (redeemed them).  They should respond by coming back to God.  Verse 23 is the song.  Every one should be honoring God because he has been faithful and merciful to the Israelites.  God’s mercy does not stop with the Israelites though.  In several places Isaiah has let us see that God is interesting in saving people from all the nations, not just Israelites.  In today’s reading verse 6 is particularly interesting.  The LORD (Yahweh) identifies himself as the King of Israel, the Redeemer, the LORD of heavens army, and the First and the Last.  He then declares there is no other God.  Can it be more clear?  One God named Yahweh.  In Revelation 22:13-16 Jesus is talking to John and refers to himself as the “First and the Last”.  The book of Revelation starts out with the “Almighty God”, the “Lord God” identifying himself as the Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet (Revelation 1:8).  Later in the chapter John had a vision, he heard a voice and when he turned to see who was talking to him he saw one like “a son of man”.  “Son of Man” was a term used repeatedly by the writers of the gospels (first four books of the New Testament) to describe Jesus, it became almost a title for him.  John’s reactions to who he saw was to fall down at his feet a sign of fear, respect and worship.  (Interestingly in Revelation 22 he also fell at the feet of an angel who was talking to him and the angel told him to stop since God alone should be worshipped).  In Revelation 1:17 the “son of man” tells John to ‘fear not” (sound familiar?).  Then the “son of man” identifies himself as the “first and last”, the living one who was dead and is now alive forever.  It is very clear that this person is Jesus.  But he is also the LORD (Yahweh) God.  Interestingly in the nest two chapters of Revelation the description of the “son of man” from chapter one is used in several personal notes to seven churches.  At the end of each note those who have ears are told to hear what the “Spirit” says to the churches.  So the LORD God, the almighty is the first and the last, the “son of man” is the first and the last, and the Spirit is the first and the last (Revelation 2:8).  And according to Isaiah “the first and the last” is Yahweh.  So all three are one God (check out “Three or One?”).  In Revelation 22:17 the Holy Spirit and the church callout to anyone who is spiritually thirsty.  If you want a relationship with God you can come to him.  The promises to the people of Jacob in Isaiah 44:21-22  really extend beyond them to all who will come back to God.  Our response should be to shout for joy, God has done it.  THANK YOU LORD FOR SAVING ME.  THANK YOU FOR PAING THE PRICE I NEVER COULD PAY.  THANK YOU THAT YOUR OFFER EXTENDS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.  THANK YOU FOR USING YOUR POWER FOR MY BENEFIT.  THANK YOU!

Isaiah 43:16-44:5.  This is the rest of another mini message which we started yesterday.  Like the mini message from two days ago it has the message to “fear not”.  But there is a lot you could fear in this message.  Yesterday we saw that Babylon was going to be over run by the Assyrians.  Yesterday’s part of the message encouraged the Israelite (and any one who would follow God) by telling them that he was “their” God.  Today’s part of the message continues that though by reminding them of past victories, times when God cared for them.  Verses 16-17 probably refer to the time when God brought the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and destroyed Pharaoh’s army (Exodus 14:21-31).  But then they are told not to just look at the past but to think of the future.  God is not a one hit wonder, “but wait there’s more”, verses 19-21 tell us that theses people who failed to be God’s witnesses in the past would one day fulfill their destiny and bring honor to God.

This is a “good news bad news” story though.  God has done good things in the past.   God is going to do good things in the future, but the bad news is that the Israelites have not honored God with their lives.  They have continued to be rebellious and disobedient toward God.  Not a very good way to treat your best friend.  Verses 25-28 tell us that being a bad friend to God has consequences.  There is trouble and destruction on the horizon.

The good news is God still loves us and wants to help, and help he will.  We just can’t do it on our own we need a guide.  So God has a plan, He will fill his people with his spirit, the ultimate guide.  Jesus told his followers that he would send the Holy Spirit (see “Three or One?”) to help us live for him (John 14:16-17, 25-26).

Although this prophecy in Isaiah deals specifically with the Israelites and how they will fulfill God’s plan for them we see in the verses in John that the promise of the Holy Spirit also came to the followers of Jesus.  The original followers were mostly Jewish but in the book of Acts (Acts 15:6-11) we see that many, many non-Jews (Gentiles) followed Jesus and also were filled with the Holy Spirit.  Which of course brings God’s plan for the Israelites full circle because they were supposed to help the nations of the world see and come to God.  In the end it all winds up bringing honor to God (one of the two main themes of Isaiah, remember).  The Israelites were to “fear not” (Isaiah 44:2) because God’s plans will eventually be fulfilled.  God is not a “one hit wonder” and for us it’s not “one strike and you’re out” or even three.  If we will turn back to God there is no limit to his forgiveness.  Once Jesus was asked how often we needed to forgive someone, “Seven times?”  Jesus’ answer was seventy times seven.  If you want to be totally literal that’s more than once every two months for a persons entire life.  The idea is, a lot.  God is more forgiving that we cold ever be.  That doesn’t mean that there are not consequences for our disobedience and that doesn’t mean every one gets to be in heaven.  It just means that “as many as receive Jesus” get to be a part of God’s family.  It takes humility though, if we proudly try to get to God on our own we will fall short (Romans 3:23).  That’s the other main message in Isaiah.  We keep seeing these two ideas.  We need to stop being proud and we need to give God all the honor, honor him for the loving forgiving redeeming God he is.  We will see just what it cost him to pay for our sins in future reading in Isaiah.  But for now we need to give him credit for what he has done.  Lord thank you for making a plan.  Thank you for being faithful even when we are not.  Thank you for paying what ever price it cost to deal with our sins.  Thank you for the Holy Spirit, the ultimate helper in our relationship.  Help me hear and listen.  Help me see and give you the honor.