The Book Of Isaiah. Day 198, Redeeming Israel

The first two parts of Chapter 44 were about the foolishness of idolatry. We know that a large number of the descendants of Jacob fell into idolatry, which is why the Lord allowed the northern kingdom to be conquered by Assyria and the southern kingdom to be conquered by Babylon. But that won't be the end of these people. The Lord reminds them that He made them a promise that He is going to keep.

"Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are My servant; Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." (Isaiah 44:21-22) The correction sent to the people by the Lord will cause them to turn away from idolatry. When they return to the land we don't hear about them doing the pagan things we've seen them doing in the Old Testament. When they repent of their idolatry, the Lord will sweep their offenses away. 

"Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, He displays His glory in Israel." (Isaiah 44:23) The entire creation rejoices in the redemption of human souls. The hosts of heaven and the things on earth witness the Lord's awesome mercy and the glory of His work in redeeming souls.

"This is what the Lord says---your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by Myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, who carries out the words of His servants and fulfills the predictions of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,' of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be rebuilt,' and of their ruins, 'I will restore them,' who says to the watery deep, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your streams.'" (Isaiah 44:24-27)

This is not the end of the passage but we must stop here because the next segment of it involves a prophecy that was made many years before it came true and because it specifically names a person who will fulfill the prophecy in 200 years. So we will need to go into more detail about that.

But for today let us remember that we (like the descendants of Jacob) who have placed our trust in the Lord are also redeemed, are also His servants, have also had our sins swept away like a mere mist. To us the Lord also says, "I will not forget you." He sees us and He hears us and even when it may not feel like it, He is working on something on our behalf.