My God is Protector

Reminders

Isaiah 40 begins a new major section in Isaiah

It is mostly prophetic and future.

Chapters 40-48 deal with things that will happen 170 plus years in the future when Judah is in captivity in Babylon.

God gives Isaiah words of comfort for His people that even though they are in captivity and times are hard, He has not forgotten them.

Last week we saw words of comfort that God is AWESOME. He’s able to do great things.

Today we will see God as PROTECTOR.

God’s Power over Nations

Isaiah 41:1–4 HCSB

1 “Be silent before Me, islands! And let peoples renew their strength. Let them approach, then let them testify; let us come together for the trial. 2 Who has stirred him up from the east? He calls righteousness to his feet. The Lord hands nations over to him, and he subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, like wind-driven stubble with his bow. 3 He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet. 4 Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, am the first, and with the last —I am He.”

God invites the people to look at the evidence. We walk by faith, but not blind faith.

Isaiah speaks of the islands many times (14 of the 15 times in the OT). Seems to reference people groups of the world.

Verses 2 and 3, the King of Persia, Cyrus, (Isaiah calls him by name in chapter 44… 170 years before Cyrus came on the scene) who was come quickly on the scene, and conquer everything he came across. He would eventually be instrumental in Judah returning home.

God takes credit for orchestrating all the affairs of the Nations… their rising.. their progress.. and their falling. ALL from the beginning.

God is orchestrating all the things that go on with you. Are you walking in step with Him? Or are you fighting His will for your life? Do you believe that He will take care of all the things going on around you?

God’s Insult to Idol Worship

Isaiah 41:5–7 HCSB

5 The islands see and are afraid, the whole earth trembles. They approach and arrive. 6 Each one helps the other, and says to another, “Take courage!” 7 The craftsman encourages the metalworker; the one who flattens with the hammer supports the one who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good.” He fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over.

Verse 5 shows the arrival of Cyrus’ armies and the negative reaction of the peoples

Verse 6 shows the futility of godless people when they try to hold one another up… It’s gonna be ok! You’ve got this! They have no real relationship with God who can provide protection and comfort, so they try to give to each other what can only come from God.

Verses 7 amplifies the futility of idol worship. Each person that had a hand in making the idol congratulates the other person. The last line “Fastens with nails so it won’t fall over.”

It is hard work to make your maker. What idol are you working on ?

Isaiah is teaching that when these people got in a panic, they ramped up their devotion to, and creation of, their gods.

This is pure looking for comfort.. looking for answers. looking for protection. in all wrong places.

God’s Protection of His People

Isaiah 41:8–20 HCSB

8 But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, My friend — 9 I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said to you: You are My servant; I have chosen you and not rejected you. 10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. 11 Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. 12 You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. 13 For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you. 14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel: I will help you— this is the Lord’s declaration. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 15 See, I will make you into a sharp threshing board, new, with many teeth. You will thresh mountains and pulverize them and make hills into chaff. 16 You will winnow them and a wind will carry them away, a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the Lord; you will boast in the Holy One of Israel. 17 The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 18 I will open rivers on the barren heights, and springs in the middle of the plains. I will turn the desert into a pool of water and dry land into springs of water. 19 I will plant cedars in the desert, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees. I will put juniper trees in the desert, elms and cypress trees together, 20 so that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Chosen- verses 8 and 9 remind Israel that God chose them. There are lots of passages in the NT that remind believers that God chose us.

Basis for choosing; Abraham, Friend of God… Jesus, Son of God.

Do not be afraid… verse 10, verse 13, verse 14

REASONS TO NOT BE AFRAID

God is with them verse 10

God is their God verse 10

God is their strength verse 10

God is their stability (hold on with right hand )10

God will deal with their adversaries 11-12

God is their help 13-14. Even though they are as a WORM

God is their redeemer 14

God is their promoter 15-16 (Psalm 75.6-7 says exaltation does not come from the east, west, or the desert, for God is the Judge: He brings down one and exalts the other.) Promotion comes from the Lord.

God is their provider 17-19

God is GOD! 20