“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 ESV
Reflection: to whom do the promises, the covenants of the Lord belong to?
The focus verse today is such a beautiful promise, often quoted within the Christian communities. They are words that encourage, in the midst of life’s difficulties, of “storms” that eventually come to most people. And, for many, the current world events, can certainly be considered storms, just ask those who live in countries currently at war, who are about to be let go from their jobs due to downsizing or automation, are struggling to make ends meet due to rising costs, or who have received a serious health diagnoses. Perhaps most need to hear the words of the Lord, to “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 ESV. But let me ask you,
to whom were these promises made?
We read in the Bible history that God called and chose Abraham, and then later Jacob whom he renamed to Israel, to be the foundation of “His people”. But, why were they specifically chosen? Abraham because of His faith in God’s promises, and Jacob, because of his faithfulness, faithful service to God. They weren’t chosen randomly by God. We read from Isaiah the lead up to the focus verse today, to whom these beautiful promises of the Lord belong to “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”;” Isaiah 41:8-9 ESV.
I want you to notice carefully what it says here, when God is making His promises, His covenants to them. He says it is to Abraham “my friend”, and Israel (Jacob) “my servant”. It was because of their relationship with the Lord, their faith in and faithfulness to the Lord. We can also see throughout the Old and New Testaments, that the promises were not to the disobedient, to the idol worshippers, to those who loved themselves and the ways of the world more than God’s law and ways. John the Baptist said on this point “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Matthew 3:7-10 ESV
In fact, Jesus made it even more clear that the religious leaders at the time, were by no means children of the promise given to Abraham. He said “They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:39-40, 44 ESV
So what about lineage?
Jesus was asked this question. “But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”” Matthew 12:48-50 ESV. We have to always remember that there is only one way to the Father, as Jesus made this very clear. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 ESV. And, “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”” Acts 4:12b ESV
The Lord’s promises belong to those who have been called, who have received Jesus Christ and have faith in His name, and are faithfully doing the will of the Father. They are those whom He calls “my friend” and “my servant”, like Abraham and Jacob.
