Isaiah’s Call to the Faithful
Isaiah’s message was for those who were discouraged and displaced due to the destruction of Jerusalem and their exile to Babylon. Yet in chapter 51, Isaiah tells the ones willing to listen who are pursuing righteousness to look back so that they can see their way forward.
Looking back in order to move forward seems like an odd request. Wouldn’t it be better to simply forget about past mistakes and focus on building a new plan? The word of the Lord through his prophet was clear. In order to find hope for the future, you must remember who you are and where you came from. Isaiah told those living in exile, “Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you.”
This message would have struck a chord with the displaced citizens of Judah. They knew well the story of Abraham and Sarah. They knew that their ancestors had started in Ur, which was below Babylon, and that they had journeyed past or through Babylon on their way to Haran and from there to Canaan. They also knew that God had indeed fulfilled his promised to Abraham and Sarah and given them a child in their old age. They knew of the expansion of their people and how God had delivered them from Pharaoh and brought them into the promised land. And they knew of their mistakes of practicing idolatry and not trusting in the Lord to meet all their needs. And so, Isaiah’s instructions were to remember who they were and where they came from.
This beautiful chapter was also a reminder that the Hebrew exiles did not have to solve all the problems associated with their current situation or their future. What they could do and needed to do was simply to trust in the Lord and know that just as he had delivered in the past, he was fully capable of rescuing and restoring them once again. Their job was to seek the Lord, rely on his promises, allow God to handle matters of justice, and experience God’s comfort.
I will admit that in the middle of our struggles, it is very hard to not jump in to solve the problems we are facing, even when, if we were honest, we would admit we don’t actually know how to solve them! This is one reason why this passage and so many others call us to look back and remember.
David said this well in Psalm 77:11-12:
“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.”
And again in Psalm 103:2-5:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
If we want to have confidence that God will get us through this moment and be with us in the future, then it is imperative that we look back to all the ways he has kept his promises in the past. He is faithful!
Father, thank you for so many reminders of how you have delivered your children time and time again. Thank you for the promise that we are literally made in your image, “hewn from your rock,” as Isaiah said. You are good and faithful, and we trust you to bring us to the pastures where we may rest and be fed because you are our good shepherd. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Isaiah 51:1-16 ESV
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