"I know you"

Hi! Good morning! I hope and pray that you are enjoying this beautiful sabbath. This day is a moment in which you and I can not only connect with our church family, our friends thru zoom or other social media but it is a precious moment for us to connect with Jesus.

Today, I want to tell you something important. Something that I believe many of us need to hear. But first, lets pray.

During a this time of pandemic, it is difficult for many to visit their families, friends or people they know. Friends are no longer gathering together as usual and probably the relationship is not the same. But also, this pandemic has brought a separation with the Lord. Many of us are probably not praying as always. Probably have not read the Bible as we used to. But today I want to tell you that the Lord is still here with us. He is still there with you. Regardless of your daily activities, Jesus is there.

How do I know that? Lets read in Isaiah 43:1-4 and while we read, I want us to study this passages and see what our Lord has for us this sabbath.

“But now thus, says the Lord, He who created you, oh Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not!, for I have redeem you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1)

For those of you who have children, do you remember the day when you decided what the name will be for your baby? Do you remember the struggle to find a middle name that matches with the first one? Do you remember when you found the gender of your baby? Girl? Boy? How did you felt at that moment?. Im so sure that once you knew the gender, you already had an idea of what the name will be and from that moment on, you could not stop thinking on how he or she would look like. Right?

Well, this passage tell us several things.

God wants a relationship with humanity.

He wants to be known. He want’s His creation to know that He is there. Despite of the errors and actions of the people of Israel, God speaks thru the prophet Isaiah and says I’m the Lord your God.

We can see it in Isaiah 42:6

“I, the Lord, have call you in righteousness, I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those sit in darkness” Isaiah 42:6-7

This was the people of God. The people who would bring righteousness and freedom to those who were captive by sin. But once we read the story, they continued to worship idols. Even when God wanted to have this relationship with them, the people of Israel decided not to have this relationship.

Ephesians 2:10 says

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” Ephesians 2:10

Even when your sins, my sins, our actions, our behavior is constantly desiring to go against the love of God, towards the other direction from God, He still wants to be with you. He still wants to save His people.

This brings us to our chapter 43. If you take a close attention to the title of that chapter, it is called

“Israel’s Only Savior”

When Israel was taken into captivity, God sent a message of Hope to the people of Israel. He tells them that even when they were disobedient, He will still be with them.

This brings us to our second point.

2. God knows us by name.

Dr. John Oswalt wrote in one of the his commentaries in Isaiah

“The bible tells us that there is a Person who inhabits the universe, a Person who has deep concern for his creatures and, as amazing as it seems, wants to be known by those creatures. “

This reminds me of one of the creatures that is the most timid and helpless: a sheep.

The book “Lift Him up” by Sister White describes how a shepherd protects, knows and calls every sheep.

“As the shepherd leads his flock over the rocky hills, through forest and wild ravines, to grassy nooks by the riverside; as he watches them on the mountains through the lonely night, shielding from robbers, caring tenderly for the sickly and feeble, his life becomes to be one with theirs. A strong and tender attachment unites him to the objects of his care. However large the flock, the shepherd knows every sheep. Every one has its name, and responds to the name at the shepherd’s call.” July 8

Jesus Christ is that Shepherd and you and I are His sheep. Jesus said in John 10:11, 14

“I’m the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

“I’m the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” John 10:14

You and I probably have memorized the famous Psalm 23.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” Psalms 23: 1-2

David describes in this Psalm that the Lord God is His shepherd. The one who protects Him from the enemies, the One who is there when we walk through the darkest valley.

Isaiah 43:1 , the Lord said “Do not fear!”

David also affirms

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me!” Psalms 23: 4

You do not have to be afraid. It is quite common to believe that our actions will bring consequences. It is normal to probably be afraid and say “God is punishing me” or “God is really mad at me for what I have done” but.. we have good news.

“My little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” 1 John 2:1

God knows you!

I probably do not know you completely, but He knows you. He knows who you are, He knows what you are going through. He knows the problems and concerns that you are facing. He knows that during last year and the first months of this year you were suffering because of the pandemic, because someone hurt you or mistreated you, because you lost your job and you are still looking for a way to provide to your family. He knows the desires of your heart. He knows that you are concerned of the future and probably you are stuck into the same addiction. He knows that you want to be free from the oppression of that person who is hurting you physically and emotionally.

He knows you!

3. God loves you

The bible continues in Isaiah 43:2-4

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelms you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you”

“For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you...” Isaiah 43:2-4

Dr. John Oswalt continued in His commentary in regards verses 3 and 4

The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40–66 (c) Israel’s Redemption (43:1–7)

The language is that which a bridegroom might use of his bride. Just as a groom finds his bride precious and worthy and lovable when others fail to see those qualities in her at all, God sees these things in us and is willing to pay any price to redeem his bride from her captors. But God’s grace is that he loves us without the self-delusion of some human grooms (and brides). He knows what his people really are (42:18–25), but that does not make them less precious to him. That is grace

God knows who you really are. He knows that probably your behavior has not been the best. He knows that probably you have not said or done things correctly. Yet, He tells you this beautiful Sabbath

I know you, and I love you ...

Ellen G White concludes in the Desire of Ages stating:

Lift Him Up July—Lift Him up as the Chief Shepherd

Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for whom the Saviour died. The distress of every one touches His heart. The cry for aid reaches His ear. He came to draw all men unto Himself. He bids them, “Follow me,” and His Spirit moves upon their hearts to draw them to come to Him. Many refuse to be drawn. Jesus knows who they are. He also knows who gladly hear His call, and are ready to come under His pastoral care. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” He cares for each one as if there were not another on the face of the earth (The Desire of Ages, 478–480)

Isaiah Contemporary Significance

We do not read the Bible; we do not pray; we do not consciously pay attention to his voice throughout the day. That is not the way God wants it to be. We are his special treasure, and if we are to become all we can be, we need to be living in that reality.

I want to invite you to have that relationship that you always desired to have with Jesus. Open your Bible, pray at moments other than those where you give thanks for the food. Jesus Christ is waiting to have a closer and more personal relationship with you.

Remember, He knows you .. and He still loves you ..

Let’s pray.