Isaiah 51

Scripture  Isaiah 51:2-3  look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.  When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many.  The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.  Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. Observation-What does it say?  Isaiah continues to call the nation of Israel out of captivity.  “This chapter is designed for the comfort and encouragement of those that fear God and keep his commandments, even when they walk in darkness and have no light. Whether it was intended primarily for the support of the captives in Babylon is not certain, probably it was; but comforts thus generally expressed ought not to be so confined”(Matthew Henry Commentary).  At the end of the chapter, God reminds Israel he has removed his wrath and it has been passed on to their tormentors.  However, it must not be forgotten that Israel had walked away from God and they suffered His disappointment because of that. Understanding-What does it mean?  Sometimes raising three boys can be a challenge and sometimes requires much coaxing.  Teaching them to swim and jumping into the water, for example, was an interesting experience.  Jen or I would be standing in the pool telling one of them to jump into our arms, while they would be standing on the side of the pool telling us how afraid they were.  Waiting for what felt like an eternity, we would argue our point, “Have I ever intentionally let you get hurt before?”   Of course the answer is no.  But in their mind, the fear outweighed the danger.  And we, just like Israel, often act this same way.  We pull away from God out of fear, even though God’s security is greater than the danger we face. In our world today, we hear a lot of fear being preached to us.  Fear of a virus, fear of a subversive takeover of the government, fear that food is going to run out.  But, God is still calling to us, saying, “Trust me, I will catch you.”  And it can be tempting to pull away, especially since we are experiencing something “new.”  However, God already told us there is “nothing new under the sun”(Ecclesiastes 1:9).  He has been there before, and taken others through this.   It can also be tempting to spread this message of fear, especially when we feel we are right about a subject.  But, we are reminded that our message is to be one of hope.  In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul charges the church to preach only Christ crucified, which is in contrast to the knowledge the world looked for.
Life Application  Jesus, in this time of uncertainty help me to be a beacon of hope and song of comfort to those around me.  Help me to be focused on You and dispel fear.  For you are the one who made the foundations of the earth.  Who am I to question you?   

 

-Tyler Galloway