God’s AMAZING PROMISE of PROTECTION
July 30 Bible Reading: Isaiah Chapters 43-45
God’s AMAZING PROMISE of PROTECTION
But now, thus says the Lord, who created
you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have
redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass
through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not
overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor
shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy
One of Israel, your Savior..." (Isaiah 43:1-3)
This above passage is a declaration of God to protect His
people Israel on the basis that He has created them from the dust of the earth
(Gen. 2:7) for good works (Eph. 2:10); redeemed them from Egypt; set them apart
for Himself and has entered into an everlasting covenant with them. God claims
Israel as His own on the basis of four factors: (1) creation, (2) formation,
(3) redemption, and (4) naming, which according to the oriental custom signified
ownership.
In spite of Israel’s deliberate rejection of God to rule as
her rightful king, God reassures them, "Fear
not, for I have redeemed you". The theme of redemption appears twenty-two times in the Servant passages of the
Book of Isaiah, and indicates redemption from physical and spiritual bondage as
well as the eschatological redemption that is yet to come (Isaiah 43:5–7;
44:22; 49:16, 17). In tones of tender
love, Jehovah assures His people that they need not fear, because He who
created, formed, redeemed, and called them will
be with them when they pass through the waters and walk through the fire. Passing through the waters is an
allusion to the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21, 22) and the Jordan River
(Josh. 3:14–17). Walking through the fire
is a metaphor for protection in danger (Ps. 66:12) as we consider God’s
protection of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Dan.
3:25–27).
In our case, there
is no reason to be afraid when we
understand God’s amazing promise of protection and realize what God has done
for us. He has formed us (Isaiah 43:1) making us for Himself (v. 21) and
for His glory (v. 7). When we have trusted Jesus Christ, God has redeemed us
(v. 1) and blotted out all our sins (v. 25). He loves us (v. 4) and knows our
names (v. 1). Even more, God promises to be with us (v. 5) and take us through
the waters and the fire (v. 2). The waters can make us wet or bring us
discomfort, but they will not overwhelm us or overflow over us. God’s presence
and protection will be there when we walk through the furnace of affliction. We
will not be burned nor shall the fire scorch us as we have God’s protection
over us. Since we are called to holiness (set apart for God), we need to be
separated from anything that is unclean or impure. So, when we walk through fire, we will realize that God’s purpose for us is to purify us and not
to destroy us!
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:28-31)
