The Lord controls human events. Be silent and listen to the Lord. He was there at the beginning and He will be there at the end. Idol makers tell each other what a great job they did, but they have to nail the idol to the ground or it will fall over. God tells the people of Israel that He chose them from the family of His friend Abraham. He called them His servant and He told them He hadn't forgotten them. God told them not to be afraid because He would protect them. "I am the Lord your God. I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid. I am here to help you." (Isaiah 41:13 CEV) God won't forget the poor and needy. Everyone will see what God does and know that He has done it. Your idols are worthless. They can't save you or predict the future, yet you worship them.
This prophecy in chapter 42 is the first of the great prophecies concerning the great "Servant of the Lord". Scholars and interpreters have different views on what this could mean. Some believe the servant to be the people of Israel, some believe it is the faithful few of Israel and others believe it to be Jesus Christ. God tells the people all about the greatness of the servant. Tell everyone to praise the Lord. Tell everyone to celebrate and sing. The Lord will lead His people. Isaiah laments that the people are set in their sinful ways and refuse to obey God's commandments.
God tells the Israelites not to be afraid because He will rescue them wherever they are. God wants His people to know Him, trust Him and understand that He alone is God. The people are told to forget the past (this is a message I am receiveing very frequently lately.) God wipes away our sins and forgets the wrongs we have done.
God tells Israel (through Isaiah) not to be afraid because they belong to Him and He will take care of them. God reminded them that idols have no power and they will meet God in court to defend themselves and their choice of a homemade idol rather than God. A story is told about a woodcarver who uses a single tree to cook his dinner, which he eats and then he decides to take the rest of the wood and carve it into an idol. Then he bows down and worships this piece of wood and asks it to protect him. Isaiah wonders how anyone could be so stupid to trust something that could be burned to ashes? The Lord won't forget His people. We are to praise God and worship Him. The Lord created everything and everything will be done just as He has said it will.
Tomorrow read Isaiah 45-49
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