(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to
each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted.)
Dogs are often called man's best friend, largely because of the companionship they provide, but also because of the things they can do for us.
In 586 B.C., Babylon invaded Judah for the third time. Each previous incursion resulted in more destruction and more deportations. The third and final assault toppled the weakened Davidic monarchy, burned the sanctuary, and brought the Southern Kingdom to an end. This came as no surprise to those who had been attentive to the prophets' warnings. Jeremiah, still in Judah, and Ezekiel, already in exile, both anticipated the fall of the capital. That event was devastating to all involved, but it may have been especially so for the righteous. They had seen their number dwindle while the unrighteous seemed to flourish. The influence of paganism in the temple was growing at an alarming rate, and it was only a matter of time before the corrupt government collapsed, bringing to an ignoble end what was once a noble enterprise. More disturbing than the national consequence was the religious consequence of these events. To the faithful, it probably seemed as if God had forsaken Israel. That assumption probably grew stronger as the exile continued with no change in Israel's condition and with no relief in sight.
Several hundred years earlier, anticipating this very sequence of events, as well as the emotional toll they would have, God spoke to the exilic community through the prophet Isaiah, assuring His people that He had not abandoned them and that He would continue to be for them....
*VIII. The Foremost Companion1
...which is embodied in...
Please turn to...
Other books preserving God's revelation, notably from the prophets, were probably also largely ignored. Nevertheless, the faithful preserved them (which is why we have them), carrying them into exile, where they became especially important when God seemed to be silent, and many thought He had forsaken those He once claimed as His people.
One of those other books was the prophecy of Isaiah, who ministered two hundred years before the Babylonian captivity but who addressed the latter part of his message to those in the Babylonian captivity, a feature that has caused some critics (who dismiss the possibility of predictive prophecy) to say that Isaiah was not the author of that section. According to this view, there were two (or three) books, written by different authors hundreds of years apart that an even later scribe stitched together. I will only say there is no evidence to support the speculation that the book was originally two books.
Isa 43 illustrates an important principle about the way God works: He knows what His people will need before they need it, and He prepares to meet that need before it becomes evident.5 God's assertion here gives considerable insight to His nature and at a time when His people are uncertain if He still has any interest in them. Notice what the Lord says to the people about Himself and about His involvement with them. With each assertion, He reveals something about His character and about the confidence they can have in Him. It also accords with other statements in the context,6 some of which reiterate what He says here but all of which reassure those in exile that God did not abandon them. Look again at v. 1.
1. Your assurance should be in God's preparation for you in the past.
God's involvement with Israel did not begin with the monarchy of David 500 years before the exile, or with exodus from Egypt 500 years before the monarchy, or with the patriarch Abraham 1000 years before the exodus. God's plan for Israel began even, much earlier. The word Isaiah uses to describe the origin of the nation—He created you—is the same word Moses uses to describe the origin of the earth and of man in....
However unfamiliar people may be with the biblical text at this time, Isaiah draws on two events that at least might have been passed along as popular stories: the accounts of creation and redemption.14 He uses these to inform the exiles about God's continued involvement with them over hundreds of years and to bolster their confidence in Him. That is the message of v. 1 to the captives in Babylon. Your assurance should be in God's preparation for you in the past. He has had you in mind for a very long time.
While it may be nice to take a trip down memory lane, the present reality is hardly encouraging.
What does it matter that God did all this for Israel in the past? ...It illustrates God's continued commitment to His people in Isaiah's day and beyond. Moreover, it illustrates how God acts toward those who are part of His program, including you.
Those in exile thought the Babylonian invasion cut them off from their past and destroyed whatever future they might have. Not so, God says through the prophet. Even during this troublesome period, He will be for them The Foremost Companion. That is the promise of God for you as well.18
Having considered The Foremost Companion, we will look next at The Foremost Commission, which is the promotion of God, in Matt 28:19-20.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
A woman said to her husband one morning, "We've got such a clever dog. He brings in the newspaper every day." Her husband replied, "Lots of dogs can do that." "But," she responded., "our dog is special." "How so?" he asked. "Because," she said..."we don't subscribe to a newspaper!"Whatever dogs provide, whether companionship only or newspapers as well, they cannot match The Foremost Companion.
In 586 B.C., Babylon invaded Judah for the third time. Each previous incursion resulted in more destruction and more deportations. The third and final assault toppled the weakened Davidic monarchy, burned the sanctuary, and brought the Southern Kingdom to an end. This came as no surprise to those who had been attentive to the prophets' warnings. Jeremiah, still in Judah, and Ezekiel, already in exile, both anticipated the fall of the capital. That event was devastating to all involved, but it may have been especially so for the righteous. They had seen their number dwindle while the unrighteous seemed to flourish. The influence of paganism in the temple was growing at an alarming rate, and it was only a matter of time before the corrupt government collapsed, bringing to an ignoble end what was once a noble enterprise. More disturbing than the national consequence was the religious consequence of these events. To the faithful, it probably seemed as if God had forsaken Israel. That assumption probably grew stronger as the exile continued with no change in Israel's condition and with no relief in sight.
Several hundred years earlier, anticipating this very sequence of events, as well as the emotional toll they would have, God spoke to the exilic community through the prophet Isaiah, assuring His people that He had not abandoned them and that He would continue to be for them....
*VIII. The Foremost Companion1
...which is embodied in...
- The promise of God (Isa 43:1-2)
Please turn to...
Isa 43:1 ...this is what the LORD says — he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.One of the accompanying casualties of apostasy was probably education, especially religious education. This was a chief responsibility of the priesthood.2
Lev 10:8 [T]he LORD said to Aaron.... 11 "...you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses."During the reigns of Manasseh and Amon, which also saw a rise in apostasy, God's law was neglected, neither taught nor practiced. In fact, the primary copy of the biblical text was lost for several generations, until a priest discovered the scroll in some out-of-the-way temple archive.3 The situation during the reigns of Judah' s final kings, all of whom "did evil in the eyes of the Lord,"4 was similar. God's law was again neglected, neither taught nor practiced. Consequently, religious education was not something the government encouraged.
Other books preserving God's revelation, notably from the prophets, were probably also largely ignored. Nevertheless, the faithful preserved them (which is why we have them), carrying them into exile, where they became especially important when God seemed to be silent, and many thought He had forsaken those He once claimed as His people.
One of those other books was the prophecy of Isaiah, who ministered two hundred years before the Babylonian captivity but who addressed the latter part of his message to those in the Babylonian captivity, a feature that has caused some critics (who dismiss the possibility of predictive prophecy) to say that Isaiah was not the author of that section. According to this view, there were two (or three) books, written by different authors hundreds of years apart that an even later scribe stitched together. I will only say there is no evidence to support the speculation that the book was originally two books.
Isa 43 illustrates an important principle about the way God works: He knows what His people will need before they need it, and He prepares to meet that need before it becomes evident.5 God's assertion here gives considerable insight to His nature and at a time when His people are uncertain if He still has any interest in them. Notice what the Lord says to the people about Himself and about His involvement with them. With each assertion, He reveals something about His character and about the confidence they can have in Him. It also accords with other statements in the context,6 some of which reiterate what He says here but all of which reassure those in exile that God did not abandon them. Look again at v. 1.
Isa 43:1 ...this is what the LORD says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.Here Isaiah says to the exiles...
1. Your assurance should be in God's preparation for you in the past.
a. From the distant past, when He "created you [and] formed you,"
b. To the recent past, when He "redeemed you [and] summoned you."Isaiah reveals two elements about God's nature, something about His age and something about His understanding.
God's involvement with Israel did not begin with the monarchy of David 500 years before the exile, or with exodus from Egypt 500 years before the monarchy, or with the patriarch Abraham 1000 years before the exodus. God's plan for Israel began even, much earlier. The word Isaiah uses to describe the origin of the nation—He created you—is the same word Moses uses to describe the origin of the earth and of man in....
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.... 27a [and] God created man....This passage shows that God has been around for a very long time—longer than the Babylonians, longer than anyone.[7] In fact, elsewhere Isaiah says that...
- God is eternal: He has no beginning and no end (Isa 40:28b).8
Isa 40:28b The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.The Genesis passage also shows that God takes a very long view of events, which He can do because, as Isaiah also says...9
- God is omniscient: He knows everything completely and eternally, things possible and actual (Isa 46:10a).
Isa 46:10a I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.God's involvement with Israel did not end with His decision to create the nation. He took action when Pharaoh threatened to destroy the nation. Again, the word Isaiah uses to describe that event is the same one God, through Moses, use.10
Exod 6:6 ...I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.... I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.This shows God's disposition toward His people, an attribute Isaiah reinforces, that...
- God is good and loving: He treats His creatures with undeserved benevolence (Isa 63:7,9b).11
Isa 63:7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD... the many good things he has done for the house of Israel.... 9b In his love and mercy he redeemed them....Isaiah also wants his readers to note that God keeps to His plan, even when His people do not, that...
- God is faithful and true: He speaks and acts according to what is or will be (Isa 45:19).12
Isa 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob's descendants, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.God's long involvement with Israel has established a track record of consistency the people can use in their current situation.13
However unfamiliar people may be with the biblical text at this time, Isaiah draws on two events that at least might have been passed along as popular stories: the accounts of creation and redemption.14 He uses these to inform the exiles about God's continued involvement with them over hundreds of years and to bolster their confidence in Him. That is the message of v. 1 to the captives in Babylon. Your assurance should be in God's preparation for you in the past. He has had you in mind for a very long time.
While it may be nice to take a trip down memory lane, the present reality is hardly encouraging.
Regardless of how extensively God worked with and for the nation in years gone by, the situation now strongly suggests that He has forgotten, perhaps even forsaken His people. "We are in a foreign land under foreign rule, and there is no indication the government will ever let us go back."That is probably the general consensus: "God has abandoned us, and we are on our own to deal with whatever troubles we will yet face." Is that true? Look again at v. 2...
Isa 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3a For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.2. Your assurance should be in God's preservation of you in the future.
a. His presence with you, when you face difficult situations
b. His protection for you, when you face dangerous situationsIsaiah's mention of water probably alludes to Israel's experience soon after they left Egypt and had to cross the Red Sea.15
Exod 14:21c The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.Before they got very far, however, they would need help in another way when....
Exod 14:23 The Egyptians pursued them...into the sea.At that point...
Exod 14:24 ...the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.... 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen — the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.Forty years later, when Israel is about to enter the Promised Land, Moses reminds the people about what God did for them.
Deut 4:37b ...he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength,Moses then explains what they can still expect.
Deut 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.This is the message Isaiah wants to convey to those in Babylon, the message God speaks through the prophet in v. 5 of this chapter.16
Isa 43:5a Do not be afraid, for I am with you....Your assurance should be in God's preservation of you in the future. He has not abandoned you; you are not on your own to deal with whatever troubles you will yet face. He has and will continue to be with you.
What does it matter that God did all this for Israel in the past? ...It illustrates God's continued commitment to His people in Isaiah's day and beyond. Moreover, it illustrates how God acts toward those who are part of His program, including you.
- Like Israel, your assurance should be in God's preparation for you in the past (2 Thess 2:13b).17
2 Thess 2:13b ...from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
- Like Israel, your assurance should be in God's preservation of you in the future (Phil 1:6).
Phil 1:6 [Be] confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.Knowing what God did and will yet do for you can be especially encouraging in difficult times, as Isaiah's message would have been for the captives in Babylon.
Those in exile thought the Babylonian invasion cut them off from their past and destroyed whatever future they might have. Not so, God says through the prophet. Even during this troublesome period, He will be for them The Foremost Companion. That is the promise of God for you as well.18
Having considered The Foremost Companion, we will look next at The Foremost Commission, which is the promotion of God, in Matt 28:19-20.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted)
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Jim Skaggs