[0:00] 43, I'm just looking again at the first verse, Isaiah 43, and at verse 1. But now, thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you, by name you are mine.
[0:23] Amen. We get many great blessings in God's Word, but one of the great blessings that we get is the fact that God assures us over and over again just how much He cares for us. And we need to have that assurance because in and of ourselves we would often find it hard to be able to work that out because as we look at ourselves and our own failures and what we are as people, I'm sure there are many times we say to ourselves, well, does the Lord really love you? Can the Lord really love someone like me? How can He keep going with someone like me? But when we come to the Word, we find that it's one of the great, great things as you go through book after book in the Bible, we find that God is reiterating and reaffirming His love, His care, His interest, and His unchanging faithfulness to His church. And it's a wonderful thing when we come to God's Word.
[1:35] Now, of course, when this Word was originally given, it was given to Israel. But now, thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you. Now, I want to say one thing before we come to look at this with regard to God's promises. And I have to be very careful in what I say here because God alone knows who are ultimately His. But there is a level at which some of God's promises in the Bible can only be taken and accepted and lived upon by God's people. Because some of the promises are not for everybody. They are for those who are united to the Lord by faith, those who have come to accept Him. See, this promise which was given to Israel long ago, there would be some in Israel, and this promise wouldn't really mean anything to them. They lived within the covenant community.
[2:43] They experienced many of the blessings within the covenant community. They engaged in many of the things within the covenant community. And yet, a lot of what God was saying sort of passed them by.
[2:58] They didn't really take it to heart. And in a similar way, our church, what we would term the visible church, is a covenant community. And again, there are people who come to church, and that's one of the great things, and I'll say something when we come to the end, how important it is to come under the Word.
[3:21] Because in here today, there are many, many people, and there was a day when they sat under the Word, and the Word passed them by. They came to church, they came into this visible community, as it were, and they sat, and they believed to a certain extent. And yet, the words kind of passed them by.
[3:48] But that changed. Because there came a day when they came to believe. And you today, as a believer, you are here because you've come to accept and to lay hold. And all these promises are today, they're yours.
[4:03] As if God had just spoken them for the first time, they are yours. If you can take them by faith, you believe in them, you trust your life in them, you know that they are true. And I would hope that if there's anybody here today who doesn't know the Lord as Savior, that you will ask the Lord to be your Lord, so that these promises will become yours as well.
[4:26] Because when you go through the Word of God and see the promises, the riches, the mine, the deep mine of riches that is found in God's Word, is greater than all the riches of the world put together.
[4:40] Because these riches not only affect this world, but they affect our future forever and ever and ever. So you make sure that you lay hold upon Jesus so that all these beautiful promises will be for you as well.
[4:58] Now this promise, of course, was given to the church. A time of trouble, a time of distress, a time of fear. That's why we find the Lord saying at the beginning here, fear not, for I have redeemed you.
[5:12] But we find in the next verse that God's people, they are often brought through the waters. They are often to pass through the fire. But you know, the wonderful thing is for God's people that the waters ultimately do not destroy them.
[5:28] The fires do not consume them. And as elsewhere in Isaiah, it says that no weapon that is formed against you will prosper. That's a wonderful verse there.
[5:42] There are many weapons formed against the Christian. Many arrows that are fired against them. There are many weapons that are out and many darts that will come that will injure and will hurt.
[5:54] but it will never prosper. It will never be ultimately successful. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper. That's what it says. That's another of the great promises.
[6:07] You, as I say, you know, be worthy of while going through, just say for instance, and you can go through the whole of Isaiah, but go through from chapter 40. You can go through, as I say, there are beautiful promises dotted all the way through the prophecy of Isaiah.
[6:22] But if you just went from chapter 40 to the end and worked out just how many promises are given to the church and look at them and see them and you say to Israel, all these belong to me.
[6:35] It's wonderful. Well, this is what the Lord is saying here. And the Lord addresses his people by the two names. He who, but now says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel.
[6:50] The two names. And Isaiah often uses these two names, the names of Jacob and of Israel. And, of course, you remember that Jacob was the supplanter and Israel was prince with God.
[7:06] But the thing is this, that the Lord was with Jacob when he was still the grabber, when he was still the cheat. We often tend to think of the Lord as being with Jacob when his name was changed to Israel.
[7:21] but he was with him when he was Jacob. When he was the trickster. When he was into the deception. When he was into the cheating. The Lord was with him.
[7:33] And even when Jacob had to run away from home and lie at night with the stars as his blanket. He was a home-loving boy. He was on the run.
[7:45] Little did he realize he had many companions around him. Angels were around him. He didn't know until he went to sleep. And the Lord opened his eyes in the sleep where he was able to have this awesome dream where he was seeing what was actually happening.
[8:01] And not only was he surrounded by angels but he had God speaking to him. The Lord was speaking to him. While he was still Jacob. And you know that's what a comfort that is to God's people.
[8:14] And let me say to you if you're in here today without the Lord Jesus Christ you might and this is my prayer that you are a chosen one of the Lords.
[8:26] And that even although you've not come to faith you know over the years the Lord has watched out for you. And he's been keeping you. And he's kept you to this point.
[8:37] Others who have gone along the journey with you they've gone. But you're still here. Because the Lord has been watching over you. Even although you've maybe pushed him away and forgotten about him the Lord is still watching you.
[8:54] And just as he was with Jacob on the run the Lord is still watching over you. Isn't that wonderful? It's about time that you said Lord please come into my heart reveal yourself to me just as you revealed yourself to Jacob.
[9:12] Lord today open my eyes to see and to hear the voice of the living God. Well as we say the Lord was with Jacob but he was also with him as Israel.
[9:28] Remember the night when the angel wrestled all night long and where Jacob's name was changed to Israel because he was now a prince with God.
[9:39] And it was through Israel that the true destiny of God's people was to be. This is where the true destiny was. And the Lord shows us here that he is Lord of all because it says here he created you O Jacob he who formed you O Israel.
[9:59] That's what the Lord does he's a creator. He makes out of nothing. And we know the Lord is the creator of this world there are so many people and they're baffled by the world.
[10:12] You know people are baffled by the sea. And they look at this world which is so made up of sea and they say where did the sea come from? How? Well this is a great thing you go to Genesis and here is the Lord God and he speaks the word and he brings into being.
[10:30] He forms out of what isn't there and his word commands and brings into being. It's quite extraordinary. Awesome. But this is what the Lord does.
[10:42] And that's what the Lord did with Israel with this great nation. He created them. He brought them out and the Bible shows us how.
[10:53] There was this man Abram. Remember Abram? He was living in Arad the Chaldees. God spoke to Abram and he said to Abram I want you to get out of your country. I want you to leave your people.
[11:05] I want you to leave everything behind and I want you to go. To a land that I'll show you. And Abram went out and he didn't even know where he was going. God was showing him along the way.
[11:17] And God said to Abram I'm going to make of you a great nation. That was a wonderful thing. But more than that he said in fact I am going to make your nation such a nation that through you and your people all the nations of the world will be blessed.
[11:38] You see here was God making this promise with regard to his son Jesus Christ. Because it was through the seed as if you follow a direct line down through Abraham all the way down to David right through the Davidic line all the way and you can trace from the human point of view the human aspect the line to where Jesus is born.
[12:04] And of course it is through Jesus the fulfillment of that promise is made where all the nations of this world are going to be blessed. So you see God created, God formed this nation for himself and he began with this one man Abraham and here's his grandson Jacob and God has reiterated the promises to Abraham son Isaac and again to Jacob and he's saying you know it's through you I am going to bless the world and his name of course was changed to Israel and God formed.
[12:43] Now the word form here is the idea of intricate care of really deliberately making you know it's not quite the same word but it's similar you know I would say it's how God made man from the dust to the earth and the actual word then when he took the rib and made a woman that it's built it was like it's the idea of like special care in the forming in the making of the woman well in a sense you've got something of the same idea here where God is forming Israel he's putting lavishing as it were special love and care this nation is his these are his people they we read in here further on we read this the people whom verse 21 whom I formed for myself isn't that amazing God made these people for himself why that they might declare my praise and what was true in the formation of Israel is true with regard to you and to me these promises and this destiny is still being fulfilled in our lives and every person who comes into the common world of
[14:14] Israel as it were into the sphere of all the covenant riches and blessing and that's what made Israel sin over the years all the greater because God says you're a nation different to all the other nations you're mine the Lord you know what it says in the Bible the Lord's portion is his people here's this world that the Lord made but in this world there's one portion that especially the Lord's and it's his people you're mine you belong to me the Lord has said his love and that is when you read the history of Israel and they're turning to idolatry that's what made their sin so heinous and grievous because God had lavished so much upon them he had opened the door of opportunity to them all the time and yet to turn away and say no we're going to follow our own God we're going to make our own gods we're going to go our own way and my friend if we bring or allow idolatry to rise up within our own heart we are guilty of great sin before the
[15:28] Lord and so each one of us just like Israel of old each one of us is cared for and loved for and there's the meticulous care has gone into your life as well don't think that your life is random your parents your grandparents the home you were brought up in the environment in which you've been placed the friends that you've had the workplace the providences that have all been part of your life all these things in God's hand have been worked in your life to make you where you are and who you are your life is not random you may think it is it isn't God is working meticulously and forming you for himself and the Lord loves you far more than ever you realize and he wants the best for you and let us remember that his best and our understanding of best might be different his best for you and for me is the best as far as it affects your soul and our eternal good but the
[16:47] Lord wants the best for you and so here we see that the Lord is saying to Israel and to Jacob fear not fear not and so often we find that these fear not and that's important because when you look at the history when you look at the history of Israel of Judah when you look at the history of God's people they actually they deserve judgment and yet he's saying to them fear not and when we look at our own life and we see our lack of faithfulness we need to hear God's fear not as well because we are fearful there are so many things within our lives that cause anxiety and fear and distress I'm sure in here today there are people who are filled with fear maybe for some of you and if you're not that's a great thing if you're here today and you're as calm as calm can be that there's not a cloud of worry on your horizon thank the
[17:55] Lord for it but maybe for others that's not the case there might be great clouds that are causing anxieties and fears and distresses and worries and concerns and so often we're saying what if what if such and such a thing were to happen and I don't think there's anybody here who never thinks like that if you're a parent you're bound to worry if you're a it doesn't matter what age you're at it doesn't matter who you are in here there are always things that are going to cause worries and concerns but the Lord is saying to us fear not my friend hear that fear not fear not it doesn't matter where you are or what you're going through whether you're young and at school and there are fears or whether you're old and you're approaching death the Lord is saying to you my believing friend fear not and he gives this reason why not for I have redeemed you see when the Lord says we've said this before when the
[19:10] Lord says fear not he always gives a reason he doesn't just say to us ah don't be afraid and then nothing when the Lord says to us don't be afraid he gives a reason why and he says for I have redeemed you one of the most beautiful words in the Bible Jesus is called the redeemer the redeemer of his people this word redeem has the idea of rescuing of delivering of protecting and in some cases it has the idea of paying a ransom or being a substitute for and that is how Jesus of course he has done all these things through his death he has paid the ransom he has paid the price he is a substitute he has rescued us he has delivered us that is why he is the redeemer now here in this particular part where it is the focus is it is a twofold focus one on
[20:14] God rescuing and delivering his people but also preparing the conditions where his people will flourish and grow this is all caught up in this word redeemer in this particular way that it is spoken of here there is twofold purpose of rescuing and delivering but also of preparing the conditions so that you as a believer will flourish and prosper and grow and that's God's purpose for you and you know we often look at grace and we want grace to be almost I don't mean this in an irreverent way but almost like a magic wand where all of a sudden we become super Christians and we say oh Lord and we just want overnight to become burning like the apostle Paul that's not the way it works it's gradual bit by bit by bit by bit but you know my friend as you look back you have made progress some days you may feel you're not making progress but you are and there's a depth to who you are that wasn't there before you're being grounded and there's a maybe when you're you see when you're a young
[21:51] Christian and often older Christians look back and they say oh oh if only I was what I was like when I was a young believer but you see when you're a young believer there's a newness there's a thrill there's an energy but you know as you get older there's a growing maturity there's a strengthening and the Lord is seeing to it and you are becoming stronger there might be days when you aren't but the overall picture the overall direction is this because the Lord in that redemption has not only delivered you and saved you but he is feeding you and he is strengthening you and he's developing you and he's bringing you on day by day and year by year and it says I have redeemed you it's not something that he's going to do he's done it and the great thing is you cannot be unredeemed you can't be redeemed today and not redeemed tomorrow once you're redeemed you're redeemed forever that's a great and a wonderful thing for I have redeemed you
[23:02] I have called you by name and it's here we see the intimate knowledge that the Lord has of his people I've called you by name remember what it says in John's gospel the sheep hear his voice and he calleth his own sheep by name and he leads them out isn't that beautiful and that's how the Lord does it you today who are a believer you have chosen to follow the Lord why why today do you love him because he's loved you that's where it began his love has reached out to you and you couldn't resist it and because of that love you today are loving him and my friend if you're today still without the Lord Jesus ask here and now
[24:03] Lord may may that love reach out and touch my heart today I want that love and you know this if you sincerely and truly and genuinely ask for that to happen the Lord will answer it the Lord will never turn away any person who comes to him and speaks in this way if it's your heart's desire to know that love in your own life if it is who you want to have in your own heart truly seeking him he will answer he loves for you to come and ask him that is a prayer he will not turn away from Bible tells us that if you ask you will receive and that is in connection particularly with receiving the Holy Spirit and that is with regard to coming to know Jesus Christ as Savior because it is through the Holy Spirit brings
[25:04] Christ applies the work of Christ into our heart if you then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him will you ask today Lord may your Spirit come into my heart opening my heart in order that I may receive Jesus I want to know there is love in my own heart he will not refuse you that prayer the answering of that prayer if you really pray that and that's what we see here who are called I have called you by name you are mine isn't that beautiful this is a language of intimate love it's a language of marriage and that's how we are when you go through the Bible we find all the way through there's a beautiful pattern there's first the engagement the espousals and then there is the wedding then there's the marriage feast the marriage supper and then there is as it were the consummation of the marriage you work right through all the way through to the end of Revelation and that's how it is it's beautiful the way the Lord is developing with his church the bond it's firm it's fixed but it's going to get even better it's going to become more intimate it's going to become more wonderful this is the way it's going they're mine forever mine well my friend if today you do not know the Lord as your own you ask him come in
[26:48] Lord I want you and as I said he will not refuse you an answer to that prayer let us pray Lord we pray to bless us we pray that we might know the enriching that we might know the greatness of God's precious love in our heart and we give thanks for these wonderful promises that are dotted throughout the word of God assuring us and reassuring us of God's care and love to us oh Lord bless us and keep us shine thy face upon us and do us good cleanse us we pray from our every sin in Jesus name we ask it Amen