Fear Not

Intro

Context - North Fallen, Judah threatened.

Looking forward to what God will do in the future for his people.

Poetic language, uses metaphore and similie.

The passage has 4 main parts, but the 3rd part is longer and has sections of it’s own.

It’s a longer chapter, so let me hit the main things, and then as usual, follow up questions are welcomed!

1) The LORD comes for Judgement (v1-4)

Isaiah 41:1 ESV

Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.

Coastlands - the furtherest away places. Not saying that other places didn’t exist, but speaking to the mind of the ancient Israelite.

An invitation to gather to converse, to discuss, to hold counsel.

The the LORD (remember that “LORD” means YHWH) reflects on some of his authority and power:

Isaiah 41:2–4 ESV

...He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow. ... Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.

The LORD sets forth his credentials.

God comes to judge the World!

What will the people do in response?

2) The Idols are Prepared (5-7)

The people of far nations come in response to God’s call, but they are afraid and they help each other on the way.

How will we face God?

Isaiah 41:5–6 ESV

The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come. Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

They rightly tremble, all creatures should fear the LORD.

They’re trying to give affirmations to one another - c’mon you can do it!

This sounds nice right? Untill you read the next verse. They have a plan for meeting with God:

Isaiah 41:7 ESV

The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved.

Incase you didn’t catch it, their plan is to make idols. The plan to face the living God is to work really hard on their idols, crafting, hammering, making it real nice.

Idolatry was common in the ANE - worship spiritual beings through physical icons. A superstition we laugh at now, but only because you’re the product of thousands of years of Biblical throught shaping our culture.

This passage juxtaposes the LORD, who makes nations rise and fall, who bends bations to his will, against guys working really hard on their idols.

How ridiculous!

The futility of schemes against God

This highlights how ridiculous it is to come to face God withour own schemes and plans and efforts.

3) Fear Not, Fear Not, Fear Not!

We now move into a section characterised by the refrain “fear not”

God is encouraging and reassuring his people, saying “i’m here to hold Judgment over the nations” and “they’re ridicolous” and “I’ve got your back, I’m looking out for you”

This is especially comforting to people who look around them and it all feels like it’s falling apart. There is delicne and defeat and disapointment, and yet this word comes with the repeated refrain - fear not!

The LORD comforts his people in several ways, let me show you from the text.

a) Fear not, for you are chosen (v8-10)

Firstly they should not fear because God has chosen them:

Isaiah 41:8–9 ESV

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 41:10 ESV

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.

God does not nglect or abandon his people - he choses them!

in Christ you are the chosen people of God

Child of Abraham - Romans 9:8

Grafted in with Israel’s - Romans 11:13–32

Jews because of inward circumscision - Romans 2:28–29

The New Jerusalem is the Church

The promises are applied to the Church.

Some people erroneously call this replacement theology

This is “grafting theology”

God’s covenant people have had different shape down through the ages - Noah & family, Abraham’s offspring, Israel’s 12 tribes, the Jews, then the Church.

Rom 11 indicates that ancestral Jews still have a role on God’s plans, he plans to make many true Jews again, but while they reject Christ they are cut off.

This brings us (breifly) to the question of election

God chose his people of old, and he choses his people today.

Many people get wound up about this, especially because it removes your own will from the equasion.

Some people also struggle with election because they despair “am I chosen by God or not?”

The doctrine of Election is given by God to give you comfort and the comfort is this - in Christ you are chosen.

I love to get into the weeds of God’s gracious Election through Jesus Christ, but the point here is this:

Fear not, for God is with his people! In Christ you are chosen, loved, strengthened, upheld and helped!

b) Fear not, for the LORD is your Helper (v11-13)

Isaiah 41:12 ESV

You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.

The Lord is a helper to his people

The enemies of God’s people will be removed one way or another. Who is afraid of Assyria today? Who is afraid of Babylon today? Where are the Persians today? The Greeks? Where are the Romans? The Spanish? The ottomans? The Brittish? China and the USA will not always dominate the earth.

God

Isaiah 41:13 ESV

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Jesus has sent the Helper - God himself - the HS.

c) Fear not, for God will equip you (v14-16)

Isaiah 41:15–16 ESV

Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

d) Fear Not, for the LORD provides (v17-20)

Isaiah 41:17 ESV

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

4) The Idols are Exposed (v21-29)

Let’s hash it out, expose the reality. Prove your argument:

Isaiah 41:23–24 ESV

Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified. Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you.

If their idols are gods where is their power?

They can’t predict the future, they can’t influence world afairs.

But God is the one who does, and he exposes the prtenders:

Isaiah 41:28–29 ESV

But when I look, there is no one; among these there is no counselor who, when I ask, gives an answer. Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind.

Proper use of mockery

So What?