Introduction: God is speaking directly to the people whom He had promised to Abraham, Isaac and to Jacob/Israel. The nation was brought into being, led out of slavery in Egypt in the 13th Century before Christ!
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.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; – It may often be a struggle but you’ll arrive at the other side!
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you. – and sometimes you won’t even smell of smoke! (Daniel’s friends for example)
3 For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you. – But don’t think that you are better than them, I haven’t chosen you because you are brilliant! Deut 7: 7-9: It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life. – Please don’t let this make you proud but rather be humbly obedient!
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth, –
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
Questions to end today! The first prayerfully asked of God.
But Lord, the Jews are still scattered and hated! When will You bring this to be? Thank You that now they do have a land called theirs!
His Name is YHWH! “I AM WHO I AM“ Does this mean that we must call Him who He says that He is? Does this Name help us to know Who He is or do we have to find out by searching? Do we define who god is or does God reveal who He is? (Exodus 3; 14)
Does v7 give the reason as to why God called this people?
God, does this mean that there are people from other nations whom You have called or will call?
Isaiah 2 2-3 – It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
Prayer: Please give me wisdom beyond myself to know where to seek answers for the great questions of Life.