Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Do not fear, for I am with you
Do not feel broken, for I am your God.
I will give you strength and help you in all that you do.
I will hold you high with my rind hand standing you out of the crowd of others so that you are noticed in me.
“I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”: God promises to uphold us. More than that, He promises to uphold us with His righteous right hand. That means, when you lose your footing, He’s going to be there to hold you up, if you’ll trust in Him. … Regardless of your circumstances, God is righteous.Aug 15, 2016
MONDAY ENCOURAGEMENT: ISAIAH 41:10
Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Encouragement
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
Isaiah 41:10 is a great example of the encouragement found within the book of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah is filled with so many countless encouraging verses, which all reflect on the power and love and providence of our Lord God.
In verse 10, there are several layers and parts that stand out to me, and that provide reassurance, hope, strength, and peace:
“Fear not, for I am with you”: God is always with us. He is with you, day and night, no matter what you’re going through. That’s a promise! I love in the first part of verse 10 how we are commanded to “Fear not,” because God is with us. What a promise! What an encouragement! We have no reason to fear, because God is with us.
“Be not dismayed, for I am your God”: Dismay is another word for distress, usually instigated by something unexpected. In Isaiah 41:10, we are encouraged to be not dismayed. Why? “for I am your God”. We serve the Living Christ, Who conquered death for us, so there is no reason to be dismayed. This is something I need to constantly remind myself of, especially when life throws curve balls my way.
“I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you”: God promises to provide us with strength, and with help. When you’re feeling like you can’t go on or you just don’t know how you’re going to get through the day, God will be right with you to provide you with the strength and help you need, to get through whatever you’re facing.
“I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”: God promises to uphold us. More than that, He promises to uphold us with His righteous right hand. That means, when you lose your footing, He’s going to be there to hold you up, if you’ll trust in Him. What I love about this verse, is that we are told God will uphold us with His righteous right hand. Righteous: Pure, virtuous, upstanding, ethical, honest. Regardless of your circumstances, God is righteous. And He will uphold you with His right hand. His right hand! Throughout scripture, God’s right hand is mentioned several times. Historically, to be put on someone’s right hand is to be held in equal honour. God’s right hand also symbolizes His power and His greatness.
Whatever you’re facing this week, remember Isaiah 41:10 and claim it for yourself!
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
What Does Isaiah 41:10 Mean? ►
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Isaiah 41:10(NASB)
Verse Thoughts
It has been said that the comforting words, Fear Not, appear in the bible 366 times, one for each day of the year, plus one for leap year. But no matter how many times these words of encouragement appear, let us always remember that they are spoken by the Creator of the Universe. He is the one Who tells His children not to fear, nor to be discouraged, because He is our God and that should be sufficient. We should simply take Him at His word.
Faith in His Word is what God desires of us all and are warned that unless we trust His word we can’t please Him. But the Lord is gracious to us for He knows that we are but dust. He knows that doubts and discouragement can be triggered by so many things that mar our lives, and so He often expands His words of comfort with a beautiful post-script, underlining and emphasizing His loving-kindness. There are three such extensions in this beautiful verse that was first given to Israel.
Firstly, we are not to fear for He has promised to strengthen all that are His and the Jesus amplifies this truth to Paul, when He tells him that Christ’s strength is sufficient for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Secondly, the Lord continues, that as well as having His strength for all we need, He will be an ever-present help in trouble. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Himself promised, Lo I am with You always, even to the end of the age and furthermore He even sent His indwelling holy Spirit to be our present Helper and our resident Comforter at all times and in all places.
Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/isaiah-41-10
What Does Isaiah 41:10 Mean? ►
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Isaiah 41:10(NASB)
Verse Thoughts
It has been said that the comforting words, Fear Not, appear in the bible 366 times, one for each day of the year, plus one for leap year. But no matter how many times these words of encouragement appear, let us always remember that they are spoken by the Creator of the Universe. He is the one Who tells His children not to fear, nor to be discouraged, because He is our God and that should be sufficient. We should simply take Him at His word.
Faith in His Word is what God desires of us all and are warned that unless we trust His word we can’t please Him. But the Lord is gracious to us for He knows that we are but dust. He knows that doubts and discouragement can be triggered by so many things that mar our lives, and so He often expands His words of comfort with a beautiful post-script, underlining and emphasizing His loving-kindness. There are three such extensions in this beautiful verse that was first given to Israel.
Firstly, we are not to fear for He has promised to strengthen all that are His and the Jesus amplifies this truth to Paul, when He tells him that Christ’s strength is sufficient for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Secondly, the Lord continues, that as well as having His strength for all we need, He will be an ever-present help in trouble. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Himself promised, Lo I am with You always, even to the end of the age and furthermore He even sent His indwelling holy Spirit to be our present Helper and our resident Comforter at all times and in all places.
Thirdly, His reassurance stretches out His arms of love still wider, with the pledge to uphold us with His righteous right hand and to prevent our steps from slipping by enfolding up in His arms of righteousness.
YES – Christ is our righteousness, and Christ is our ever-present help in time of trouble, and it is Christ Whose grace is always sufficient for all our needs for Christ is our covering – how then can we fear, if God be for us who is there to fear? Whether the comforting words, Fear Not, appear in the bible 366 times of simply once, we should hearken to His word and trust His promises for His word is trustworthy and true.
Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/isaiah-41-10
Fear Not for I am With You” – True Bible Meaning of Isaiah 41:10
Anne Peterson
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
I reached out to my Facebook community and asked, “What is your biggest fear?” But I did not expect the abundance of responses I received. Fear is universal. All of us deal with things that scare us. So how should we respond to God’s Word, ‘Fear not for I am with you?’ Can we honestly take to heart Isaiah 41:10 today and experience freedom because of God’s presence? What does this Bible verse really mean?
First of all, we can’t deal with anything we don’t acknowledge. We need to be honest with ourselves and face those fears.
You may be worrying about your children (young or grown), or worrying about a loved one who is sick. Maybe you’re wondering how you’re going to live when a family member has died. All of us can be fearful about our health, or our finances. We can worry about all sorts of things, big and small. And yet, our God knew we would struggle with fear.
So he made sure he wrote about it often in his love letter to us.
So do not fear, for I am with you
God is aware of our tendency to fear. And He cares about every fear we face. In the Bible we find commands and encouragements to not feel fear, take courage, fear not, and more – over 300 times. God doesn’t want us to be consumed by fear. And yet, our fears do not surprise him in the least.
We need to realize God is not disappointed in us when we have fears. No more than you are disappointed when one of your children is afraid.
When my daughter was a few years old she must have had a bad dream about the bathtub drain. One night, as I got everything ready for her bath, a look of terror spread across her little face. Even as I helped her into the tub, she began panicking and started crying. She was certain she was going to go down the drain.
Eventually she outgrew that fear, but how would she have felt if I had minimized it? I knew how patient God has been with me when I’ve been afraid and that helped me as I listened to my daughter’s fears. What she needed even more was the assurance I would be right there with her. My presence spoke volumes.
God encourages us to not fear, so that we will trust in His presence; and know He is listening and working on our behalf.
What the Bible says about fear:
The Bible tells us God is not the originator of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). The enemy of our souls loves it when we are afraid. Satan will do anything to get our eyes off of the Savior.
Remember when Peter saw Jesus on the water and wanted to get out of the boat and join him? The weather was not great when Peter made his decision. But looking at Jesus, he decided to do it. Peter felt the water beneath his feet. One step, two steps.
But then he took his eyes off of Jesus and immediately went down. Just like we do when we start letting the wind and waves that scare us eclipse our faith.
You can read that account in Matthew 14:22-33. It’s important to note when Peter called out to the Lord, Jesus did not reprimand him, nor did he shame Peter.
Instead, Jesus immediately reached down, lifting him out of his predicament. Just like God does for us.
God’s promise in Isaiah 41:10 tells us “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for i am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
What does it mean to ‘fear not?’ Isaiah 41:10 Explained
God knows us thoroughly. He knows when we get worried or become anxious. He knows we’re human. And yet, God gives us many reminders to fear not. To fear not means to trust God instead of believing our present situation is bigger than God is. God wants us to trust him. To trust that he will be enough, no matter what.
Matthew Henry’s Commentary gives a wonderful, hope-filled explaination of Isaiah 41:10; “The scope of these verses is to silence the fears, and encourage the faith, of the servants of God in their distresses. Perhaps it is intended, in the first place, for the support of God’s Israel, in captivity; but all that faithfully serve God through patience and comfort of this scripture may have hope… That is a word of caution, counsel, and comfort, which is so often repeated, Fear thou not; and again (v. 13), Fear not; and (v. 14), “Fear not, thou worm Jacob; fear not the threatenings of the enemy, doubt not the promise of thy God; fear not that thou shalt perish in thy affliction or that the promise of thy deliverance shall fail.’’ It is against the mind of God that his people should be a timorous people. For the suppressing of fear he assures them, I am. That they may depend upon his presence with them as their God, and a God all-sufficient for them in the worst of times. Observe with what tenderness God speaks, and how willing he is to let the heirs of promise know the immutability of his counsel, and how desirous to make them easy: “Fear thou not, for I am with thee, not only within call, but present with thee; be not dismayed at the power of those that are against thee, for I am thy God, and engaged for thee. Art thou weak? I will strengthen thee. Art thou destitute of friends? I will help thee in the time of need. Art thou ready to sink, ready to fall? I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness…he will take us by the hand as our guide, to lead us in our way, will help us up when we are fallen or prevent our falls; when we are weak he will hold us up-wavering, he will fix us-trembling, he will encourage us, and so hold us by the right hand, Ps. 73:23. That he will silence their fears: Saying unto thee, Fear not. He has said it again and again in his word, and has there provided sovereign antidotes against fear: but he will go further; he will by his Spirit say it to their hearts, and make them to hear it, and so will help them.”
Peter believed he would never let Jesus down. He saw himself as brave and totally sold out for the Lord. When Jesus told Peter in Matthew 26:34 that Peter would deny Him, Peter did not believe Jesus. Maybe someone else would fail, but surely not Peter.
Sadly, Peter found out Jesus was right. And when Peter heard the rooster crow, he wept bitterly. But did God leave Peter in his fear? No, he was everpresent. While Peter faced his fears and frailties, God ultimately equipped Peter to become a mighty witness.
What is the difference between faith and fear?
Faith believes without seeing the desired result (Hebrews 11:1)
Fear worries about how things will turn out, looking at the circumstances.
It is possible to have faith in God and still be fearful. You don’t doubt that God is able to work; but, you’re not certain what God will choose to do. We think about our circumstances and come up with an idea of how God could make things better. The problem is, we’re often wrong.
God’s ways are much higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). And if we could figure him out, then we’d be God.
When our granddaughter, Livie was born with Trisomy 18, I was very scared. All of us were. We knew if God chose, Livie would continue to live. After all, there were children with Trisomy 18 who did live a number of years. But we didn’t know what God had in mind.
Doctors told us Trisomy 18 was terminal, but they also told us she would probably die before her birth. Yet Livie smiled, laughed, did raspberries with her Daddy, and even moved her head to music, which her siblings told me was “head dancing.” I’ll never forget the day Livie learned to drink from a sippie cup. She gave us so much joy in the 14 months she lived. And those memories still make me smile.
It’s important to understand why God tells us to not be afraid. It’s not because what we are facing is easy. God tells us in the world we will have trials. It’s a certainty (John 16:33).
God tells us to fear not because he goes through the trials with us. He is there no matter what we’re facing (Psalm 46:1-3). But we need to dwell on God’s truths and his character.
How to “fear not” – 7 ways to defeat fear with daily faith choices
1. Remember God has promised he will never leave you(Deuteronomy 31:6). Satan wants us to feel as if God has left us all alone. But that’s not true. No matter what you will face, God is right there.
2. Remember God is never surprised by our circumstances. He is sovereign and knows everything. He even knows our future (Jeremiah 29:11).
3. Remember God can work your circumstances out for good, no matter how bleak they appear (Romans 8:28). Satan will try to convince you that your situation is the exception. But Satan is a liar. God said all things.
4. Stop asking, “Why did this happen?” When you are afraid, facing something that frightens. Instead, ask God, “What can I learn from this?”
5. Remind yourself of all God has done for you. Be like David, who reminded himself of all God had done for him. Remember all the times God has been with you as you faced your giants.
6. Remind yourself God is bigger than whatever you fear. We are talking about almighty God. The creator of all things seen and unseen.
7. Visualize yourself placing whatever scares you into God’s hands. His large capable hands. Then take a deep breath and picture yourself walking away because He’s got this.
God loves us. He’s always looking out for our good. Our Father wants what’s best for his children. He tells us to fear not because no matter how hard things get, they are not too difficult for him. Impossible situations are God’s specialty.
Accept the fact that we will go through difficult times. Read Isaiah 43:2, and take courage that we will walk through waters as we bury loved ones, and when the rivers of our finances seem to wash over us, or our fiery trials threaten to burn us, God’s promise is firm. He will be with us. In times of loneliness, or when we suffer physically, God will be with us.
Real-Life Example of Isaiah 41:10
A policeman escorted me to an empty room to wait till it was my time to testify.
When it was my turn, I was to point to my sister’s husband, the one who had admitted he beat her. The last one to see her alive.
I also had to identify the people in the photos my sister had sent me over 30 years ago. My hands shook, my heart was racing. My mouth was as dry as cotton.
But as I waited for my turn, God reminded me of all the other times in my life when I was scared. And I remembered his promise, that He would be with me.
I sat there quietly praying and before I knew it, I started softly singing. Instead of picturing myself in that courtroom at 26th and California, in Chicago, I saw myself in God’s throne room, sitting on his lap, singing in his ear. When the officer returned to get me.
I went into that courtroom, but I wasn’t alone. God went with me.
Isaiah 41:10 Meaning of Do Not Fear
Apr 30, 2020 by Editor in Chief
Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Explanation and Commentary of Isaiah 41:10
Other nations fear disaster and their response is to band together to produce idols to worship with their own hands (Is 41:5-7). But God has personally called the Israelites out of the world to himself, to be his very own possession and to bless them over all the earth. They are chosen, called, and not rejected (v.8-9). So they do not need to fear the same things as the other nations. They do not need to fashion other gods to bow down and give bribes to.
God is the one who called them, and God is the one who will take care of them. If that was true for his people in the Old Testament, how much more true is it for those of us to live under a greater revelation, and a better covenant? Our hope in Christ means that we can be assured of the promises of God. Because we too are chosen, called, and will not be rejected, we have nothing to fear, we have no reason to be dismayed for we have a God in heaven who is with us. He strengthens us by his Holy Spirit and his Word. He helps us by setting his love and favor on us, and by answering when we call to him. He upholds us with his righteous right hand, Jesus Christ, who is all righteousness, who sits at the right hand of the Father (Eph 1:20) and intercedes on our behalf.
Breaking Down the Key Parts of Isaiah 41:10
#1 “So…”
This verse is a response to the preceding verses. Other nations live in a fear that drives them to the deception of thinking that idols which they build with their own hands will save them. But God’s people have God’s help and his favor.
#2 “…do not fear, for I am with you;”
There are a number of things that people of the world must fear: sickness, disaster, evil, betrayal, “chance” happenings. God’s people who truly live by faith need fear nothing. Those things can still happen to you, but nothing can happen that a good, loving, and sovereign God, who created and sustains the universe, does not have control over. His plan is to use all of it for your good and your blessing.
#3 “do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”
Dismay is slightly different than fear. It is to be distressed and worried. Dismay goes hand-in-hand with unbelief. When a Christian becomes dismayed, the remedy is to remember that God in heaven is our Father, his Son is our Savior, his Spirit is our Comforter. When a lapse in belief causes fear and dismay, we go to God for help.
#4 “I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
The result of going to the God who invites us is that he will strengthen and help us. We will literally feel stronger as he helps. As he upholds us with his righteous right hand, Jesus Christ. The truth is that he does this for us every minute of every day. It is only when we forget that we fear or become dismayed. Rehearsal of the truth will cause our feelings to line back up with reality.
The Most Shared Verses In Their Context (Isaiah 41:10)
Posted by Mike Leake
At the end of last year, YouVersion highlighted the top 10 Bible verses that were shared the most. I found the list interesting and thought that it could be helpful to understand them in their original context. Today we are looking at Isaiah 41:10—which according to YouVersion was the third-most shared verse in 2013.
The Verse:
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 ESV)
The Context:
In Isaiah 41 the Lord is contending with the nations and expressing his sovereignty over all human events. It is the LORD that is behind the rise of Cyrus the Great—who will come from the east and conquer the wicked Babylonians.
“The coastlands have seen and are afraid” at what is happening in history. They can see the writing on the wall and they know that difficult times are coming. Their response is to make idols to rescue them from the invasion of this mighty army. Their fear has them scrambling for any solution.
In the middle of Isaiah 41 the Lord contrasts the fate of Israel with that of the nations. In verses 8-10 the Lord assures Israel, the offspring of Abraham, that his movement in history is to benefit them. Therefore, they should not fear—the Lord will uphold them in these tumultuous times.
The Meaning:
Isaiah 41:10 is a specific promise to a specific people during a specific time. So is it write for contemporary Christians to apply this promise? I imagine that this is one of the most popular verses in Scripture because we live in times that are similar to the day in which Isaiah wrote. There are things all around us that can cause us to dismay and to depend upon the strength of the Lord.
There are actual historical ways in which the Lord fulfilled his promise to Israel. In that sense, this is not a promise for us today. Yet, in another very real sense we can claim this verse as our own. Because just as the Lord upheld Israel in the time of Cyrus the Great so also the Lord upholds his people today.
The Lord is with his people. The Lord is our God. The Lord will strengthen us and help us and uphold us with his righteous right hand. So, while we cannot claim the specifics of this verse the general principle and character of the Lord shown in this passage still stands.
Conclusion:
In some ways the truths in this verse are even more true in the life of the Christian. When God says, “for I am with you” we have a much greater experience of the presence of God. Indeed, the Spirit of God, indwells believers. The major emphasis in this verse is on the Lord’s character. The call is for us to not fear and not be dismayed—but that call is grounded in the very certain and unchanging character of our powerful God. This verse is a timeless truth.
Isaiah Chapter 41
Isaiah 41 – Fear Not
A. The glory of God over the coastlands.
1. (1) A command and an invitation to the coastlands.
Keep silence before Me, O coastlands,
And let the people renew their strength!
Let them come near, then let them speak;
Let us come near together for judgment.
a. Keep silence before Me, O coastlands: The Hebrew word translated coastlands is also translated islands or isles in other passages, such as Isaiah 11:11 and 40:15. It is also translated with broader words like territory in passages like Isaiah 20:6. The idea is probably best expressed as “distant lands.” Here, God is calling to all nations – even the “distant lands” – to keep silence before Him. Why? Because they are coming to God’s courtroom: Let us come near together for judgment.
i. Bultema on coastlands: “a poetic name for the idolatrous distant nations.” Motyer: “Isaiah uses the word [coastlands] as shorthand for the far reaches of the earth.”
b. And let the people renew their strength: Isaiah 40:31 has just promised that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. But here, God advises the people – those in the distant lands, who do not know Him – to renew their strength as they come into His courtroom. If you are going to contest with God, you had better be prepared.
i. The problem is that while those who wait upon the Lord have the Lord’s limitless strength, those from distant lands have no god of strength to help them. “The repetition of the phrase ‘renew their strength’ (cf. 40:31) may well be ironic. Perhaps as the exiles renew their strength in the true God, so the nations are ironically exhorted to do the same – but in their man-made deities!” (Grogan)
c. Let them come near, then let them speak: God will allow the idol worshippers of all the world to come before Him and justify their idolatry. They will have the opportunity to speak, though they must enter His courtroom in silence, out of respect for His majesty.
i. There are many different reasons for silence. There is the silence of shame, the silence of attention, the silence of submission. Any one of these is a good reason to initially be silent in the Lord’s presence.
2. (2-4) God reasons with the coastlands.
Who raised up one from the east?
Who in righteousness called him to His feet?
Who gave the nations before him,
And made him rule over kings?
Who gave them as the dust to his sword,
As driven stubble to his bow?
Who pursued them, and passed safely
By the way that he had not gone with his feet?
Who has performed and done it,
Calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am the first;
and with the last I am He.
a. Who raised up the one from the east? God questions the idolaters from the distant lands, and asks them who authored this important event in human history – who raised up the one from the east?
i. Commentators warmly debate the identity of this one from the east. Most believe him to be either Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people and the father of the faithful, or Cyrus, the king who joined the Medes and the Persians into a fighting force which conquered Babylon – which, prophetically, is the broad time context Isaiah speaks to.
ii. Wolf speaks for those who believe Cyrus is spoken of: “Born east of Babylon in what is now Iran, Cyrus would move through country after country, conquering every king in his path. Shortly after 550 b.c., Cyrus was able to unify the Medes and the Persians and to defeat the powerful kingdom of Lydia in Asia Minor. Then he turned south to conquer Babylon (539 b.c.).” Bultema adds regarding Cyrus: “Both secular and sacred documents present him as righteous and good, and he can be called righteous or, as the text actually has it, justice, especially since he carried out the righteous acts of vengeance on Babylon and that of the deliverance of Israel.”
iii. Clarke speaks for those who believe Abraham is the one from the east: “Some explain it of Abraham, others of Cyrus. I rather think that the former is meant; because of the character of the righteous man, or righteousness, agrees better with Abraham than with Cyrus.”
iv. Who is it? It is a difficult decision, and either answer can be correct according to the context. On balance, it is best to see the one from the east as Abraham, because of the word of the Lord later in the chapter, in Isaiah 41:22: Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; let them show the former things, what they were. God appeals to idols and their worshippers and asks them to tell both the future and the past. Since Cyrus is mentioned in Isaiah 41:25 (I have raised up one from the north… from the rising of the sun), he is the figure that shows God’s knowledge of the future. Abraham is the figure that shows God’s knowledge of the past. Past and future – with the present sandwiched in-between – all belong to the Lord our God.
b. Who…. Who…. Who: As God invites those in distant lands to come and reason with Him, He shows them His greatness over all creation, and over all history. They must ask themselves, “Who is in control of the course of human events?” Who has performed and done it, calling the generations from the beginning?
i. This is always a relevant question. Is there a point, a direction to human history? Is it just a random, meaningless combination of undirected events? Is it a cycle, fated to repeat itself endlessly? Or, is there a God in heaven who directs human events, always moving to a final resolution and fulfillment? Our answer to this question influences almost everything in our lives.
c. I, the Lord, am the first; and with the last I am He: Here, the Lord God of Israel declares that Hehas performed and done it, calling the generations from the beginning. He lifts up and puts down kings and nations. He is the first and He is the last; He is the “bookend” both before and after the saga of human history, starting the story, ending the story, and keeping the whole story together.
i. If God is both the first and the last, then He also has authority over everything in-between. This means that there absolutely is a plan of God for human history, and He directs the path of human events toward His designed fulfillment. Our lives are not given over to blind fate, to random meaninglessness, or to endless cycles with no resolution. Instead, the Lord God who is the first and the last directs all of human history and even our individual lives.
ii. Jesus takes the same title of the First and the Last in Revelation 1:17 and 22:13. If the Lord is the first and the last according to Isaiah 41:4, and if Jesus is the First and the Last according to Revelation 1:17 and 22:13, since there cannot be two firsts or two lasts, Jesus must be the Lord God.
3. (5-7) The reaction of the coastlands.
The coastlands saw it and feared,
The ends of the earth were afraid;
They drew near and came.
Everyone helped his neighbor,
And said to his brother,
“Be of good courage!”
So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith;
He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil,
Saying, “It is ready for the soldering”;
Then he fastened it with pegs,
That it might not totter.
a. The coastlands saw it and feared: When they met this God of all authority and power, they feared. They were brought so low by this encounter with God that they had to encourage one another to go on! (Everyone helped his neighbor, and said to his brother, “Be of good courage!”)
i. This is a logical reaction. It is the same kind of reaction Peter had when he saw the great power of Jesus (Luke 5:8).
b. So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith: What did they do with the fear they felt after their encounter with God? They let the fear drive them away from the true God. Instead of surrendering to this God of glory and majesty and power, they turned from God, and made for themselves gods, idols of gold.
i. Isaiah pours on the irony. It took a lot of work to make a good god. It took skilled workers (the craftsman…the goldsmith…he who smooths with the hammer…him who strikes the anvil). It took organization and teamwork (“It is ready for the soldering”). If you don’t do it right, your god might not be able to stand up (That it might not totter).
ii. People still see something of God’s power and glory, reject it, and then make their own god. This is Paul’s whole message in Romans 1:18-25.
B. God encourages Israel.
1. (8-9) Israel is different from those in the distant lands.
But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
“You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”
a. But you, Israel, are My servant: In contrast to the God-rejecting and idol-making people in distant lands, Israel – remember the name means, “Governed by God” – Israel is the servant of the Lord.
i. A servant of God would never make God into his own image, his own idea of what God should be. Servants don’t tell their masters what to do, or what to be. Servants know who the master is and who the servant is.
ii. “Israel is twice addressed as servant (literally ‘slave’), that is to say a person without position or rights – but this servant belongs to a great master.” (Motyer)
b. Jacob, whom I have chosen: Lest Israel become proud, God pops their swelling quickly. If they are Israel – “Governed by God” – then they are also Jacob – “Conniving, untrustworthy con-man.” They are only the servant of God because He has chosen them.
c. The descendants of Abraham My friend: Israel stood in this place because of their family relationship to Abraham. Since Abraham was the friend of God, so his descendants had a special place before God also.
i. Jehoshaphat knew that Abraham was the friend of God (2 Chronicles 20:7). James knew that Abraham was the friend of God (James 2:23). We are also the friends of God, not because of our relation to Abraham, but because of our relation to the Son of God, Jesus. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:14-15)
d. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth…And said to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away”: Again, Israel’s special place before God is because of God’s initiative, not because of Israel’s achievement. Israel is different from the idol-makers in distant lands because of God’s work in them, not because of their own greatness.
2. (10-13) Fear not, for God’s help is present.
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
“Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish.
You shall seek them and not find them—
Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing,
As a nonexistent thing.
For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
a. Fear not, for I am with you: This is both a command and a promise. Israel is commanded to fear not. Fear, worry, and anxiety are often sin. When the God who rules over the nations as described in Isaiah 41:2-4, the God who chose us and loves us as described in Isaiah 41:8-9, when that God tells us fear not, we must take it seriously! But there is also a promise. We fear not, because the Lord has told us, I am with you. What more do we need? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
i. How much more prone to fear and discouragement we are when we are alone. But we are never alone because God has declared, fear not, for I am with you.
b. Be not dismayed, for I am your God: It was as if God said to His people, “Remember Me? The God of all power and glory? I’m that One. I am your God.” Years ago, J.B. Phillips wrote a wonderful book titled, Your God is Too Small. In it, he showed how when people forget the greatness of God, they easily become dismayed. But God says, be not dismayed, for I am your God.
c. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand: God’s strength and glory make Him able to help us. But it is His love that makes Him say, “I will help you.”
i. Idols must be fastened…with pegs, so they might not totter (Isaiah 41:7). You have to hold them up. But God holds us up; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. You should never have a God that you have to hold up.
ii. Knowing this, do we see the terrible nature of our fear and unbelief? They say to God, “You are not with me. You are not the God of glory and might. You do not really love me.”
iii. “Every truthful man feels that he has a right to be believed. He speaks upon the honour of an honest man, and if you say, ‘I cannot believe you,’ and even begin to lament that you have no faith in him, the reflection is not upon yourself, but on the person whom you cannot believe. And shall it ever come to this, that God’s own children shall say that they cannot believe their God? Oh, sin of sins! It takes away the very Godhead from God, for if God be not true, he is not a God; and if he be not fit to be believed, neither is he fit to be adored, for a God whom you cannot trust you cannot worship.” (Spurgeon)
d. Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced: God will deal with our enemies if we keep our trust in Him. He knows how to make our adversaries – whether they be men or devils – ashamed and disgraced.
i. Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced is, in part, an outworking of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3: I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. God has always crushed anti-Semitic nations and movements, and in the reign of the Messiah, He will crush them completely.
e. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you”: In Isaiah 41:10, God promised to uphold you with My righteous right hand. That was God’s hand holding us up. Now, we see God’s hand holding our right hand, and giving us strength over fear, doubt, and our adversaries.
3. (14-16) Fear not, with God’s help, no obstacle is too great.
“Fear not, you worm Jacob,
You men of Israel!
I will help you,” says the Lord
And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
“Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth;
You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small,
And make the hills like chaff.
You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away,
And the whirlwind shall scatter them;
You shall rejoice in the Lord,
And glory in the Holy One of Israel.”
a. Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel: The idea of a worm is connected to the name Jacob, but the idea of men is connected with the name Israel.
i. “In the rabbinical commentary on the five books of Moses, Yelamedenu is asked, Why are the Israelites called a worm? To signify, that as the worm does not smite, that is, gnaw the cedars, but with its mouth, which is very tender, yet it nevertheless destroys the hard wood; so all the strength of the Israelites is in prayer, by which they smite the wicked of this world, though strong like cedars, to which they are compared.” (Clarke)
ii. “The name Jacob, as applied to Israel here, always points back to Israel’s lowly and deceitful past, so that it is by no means an honor.” (Bultema)
iii. And your Redeemer: “Redeemer is goel, see Isaiah 35:9, the Next-of-Kin who takes upon himself his people’s needs as if they were his own.” (Motyer)
b. Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and beat them small: God will so help Israel and so empower them, that they will be able to cut down mountains as if they were a great threshing machine, removing mountains and seeing their dust blown away. The point is clear: nothing, not even a mountain, will stand in their way when God helps them.
i. “I don’t know of any other than the Creator Himself who can take a weak worm and make it sharp with teeth! God can do that.” (Redpath)
ii. Jesus expressed the same idea in Matthew 17:20: If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
c. You shall rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the Holy One of Israel: When we overcome great obstacles with the help of the Lord, we know it is His work. We rejoice in the Lord, not in ourselves. We glory in the Holy One of Israel, not in ourselves.
4. (17-20) Fear not, God has abundant resources.
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.
I, the Lord, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,
The myrtle and the oil tree;
I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine
And the box tree together,
That they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
a. I will open rivers in desolate heights: In response to the cry of the poor and needy, those whose tongues fail for thirst, God sends miraculous supplies of water to them. God has resources and supplies we know nothing about, and He loves to supply us from His hidden resources.
b. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree: God will also make barren places fruitful, and full of beautiful forests. God can take the most barren wilderness and make it a forest.
i. “Water and shade are the two great needs of the desert traveller…. None of the trees mentioned are fruit trees: the point is shelter, not sustenance.” (Motyer)
c. That the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it: When it all takes place, everyone will know this. Miraculous supplies of water and forests in the wilderness are impossible without God, so He gets the glory when the work is done.
C. Idolatry on trial.
1. (21) God calls idols and their worshippers to trial.
“Present your case,” says the Lord.
“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.
a. Present your case: God is fair. He will not condemn idols, the false gods of the nations, and those who worship them, without a fair trial. So He invited these idols and their worshippers to come and present your case. “Let’s hear your side of the story.” Bring forth your strong reasons. “Let’s hear your best arguments.”
b. Says the King of Jacob: This is the only place in the Bible where God uses this title. King of Jacob is used only here, but the title king of Israel is used 138 times in the Bible, mostly of men, but of the Lord God in Isaiah 44:6 and Zephaniah 3:15, and of Jesus in John 1:49 and 12:13.
2. (22-24) God examines the defendants – idols and their worshippers – at the trial.
Let them bring forth and show us what will happen;
Let them show the former things, what they were,
That we may consider them,
And know the latter end of them;
Or declare to us things to come.
Show the things that are to come hereafter,
That we may know that you are gods;
Yes, do good or do evil,
That we may be dismayed and see it together.
Indeed you are nothing,
And your work is nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination.
a. Let them bring forth: God invited idols to present your case in Isaiah 41:21. But none is presented; the next words are God’s questioning of the idols. Why don’t the idols present their case and defend themselves? Because they are dumb statues that can’t speak! So, the questioning moves on, and God examines the defendants.
b. Let them bring forth and show us what will happen: If these idols really are gods, then they certainly know the future and the past. Then let them speak up. Show us what will happen. Then, let them show the former things, what they were. Gods know these things, don’t they? Do it that we may know that you are gods.
c. Yes, do good or do evil: It is as if God stands in a courtroom, questioning a thousand idols of different sizes and designs, and finally cries out, “Do something!Do good or do evil! Can’t you do anything?”
d. Indeed you are nothing: But they cannot do anything. So, the accusation is made based upon the evidence: your work is nothing; he who chooses you is an abomination.
i. Today, idolatry is still an abomination. Though few bow down to statues, many still fashion a god of their own opinion and decide that is the god they will respect. Even many churchgoers do this today. “The spiritual conflict experienced today is exactly of the same nature and of the same character as you find depicted here. The issue is still unsettled in the minds of men, though it is settled eternally in the mind of God. The world is still making every effort to put the best possible show upon its worship of the creature rather than the Creator. Its worship is more the patronizing of the shell of religion than bowing in submission before an empty cross, and occupied throne, and the King of kings in glory.” (Redpath)
e. Indeed, you are nothing, and your work is nothing: Paul quoted this idea in 1 Corinthians 8:4, when he wrote, Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
3. (25-29) The Lord’s summation: Idols are worthless, and man is so limited.
I have raised up one from the north,
And he shall come;
From the rising of the sun he shall call on My name;
And he shall come against princes as though mortar,
As the potter treads clay.
Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know?
And former times, that we may say, “He is righteous”?
Surely there is no one who shows,
Surely there is no one who declares,
Surely there is no one who hears your words.
The first time I said to Zion,
“Look, there they are!”
And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.
For I looked, and there was no man;
I looked among them, but there was no counselor,
Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
Indeed they are all worthless;
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion.
a. I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: In contrast to the idols who can tell nothing of the future, the Lord knows. He knows that He will bring Cyrus from the north to conquer the Babylonians, who conquered Judah and Jerusalem and took them captive. God would use Cyrus to allow the Jews in exile to return (Ezra 1).
i. “Cyrus had the greatest respect for Jehovah, as we can read in his proclamation concerning the freeing of Israel in Ezra one. In it he states correctly that Jehovah had given him all the kingdoms of the earth.” (Bultema)
ii. “The ‘north’ is included because the Persians conquered the lands north of Babylon before invading her borders.” (Wolf)
b. Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? Not the idols; they know nothing. Not man, for I looked, and there was no man…Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
c. Indeed they are all worthless; their works are nothing: Finally, the verdict is read at the trial. Apart from God, in the grand scheme of things, all of the greatness of man is worthless, and all the great works are nothing. And what of the idols? Their molded images are wind and confusion.
i. “This chapter is the great I WILL chapter of the Bible. No fewer than fourteen times in the scope of these verses does God reinforce His authority with the promise, ‘I will.’” (Redpath) Look at them all:
· I will strengthen you. (Isaiah 41:10)
· I will help you. (Isaiah 41:10, 13, and 14)
· I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
· I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth. (Isaiah 41:15)
· I will open rivers in desolate heights. (Isaiah 41:18)
· I will make the wilderness a pool of water. (Isaiah 41:18)
· I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree. (Isaiah 41:19)
· I will set in the desert the cypress tree. (Isaiah 41:19)
· I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings. (Isaiah 41:27)
ii. This is a remarkable contrast with Isaiah 14 – the “I will” chapter of Satan. Here are the “I will” statements of Satan:
· I will ascend into heaven. (Isaiah 14:13)
· I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. (Isaiah 14:13)
· I will also sit on the mount of the congregation. (Isaiah 14:13)
· I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. (Isaiah 14:14)
· I will be like the Most High. (Isaiah 14:14)
iii. The “I will” statements of Satan were all proud and self-directed. Every “I will” of the Lord in Isaiah 41 is for the benefit and blessing of His people. Though Satan was lifted up in pride, and proclaimed “I will,” none of them came to pass. But each and every one of God’s “I will” statements will be fulfilled.
iv. “When God says, ‘I will,’ He says it with all the authority of omnipotence. He has foreseen every difficulty. He has studied every obstacle which may come in His way. He has anticipated every possible contingency. He knows the weakness of the one to whom He makes His promise, and yet He says, ‘I will!’” (Redpath)
(c) 2021 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com
Isaiah Chapter 41
Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for Isaiah 41:10
“THE ANSWER TO FEAR”
I. GOD COMMANDS US, “FEAR THOU NOT.”
A. As Christians we will face frightening situations.
1. We are not immune to trouble.
2. The disciples while walking with Jesus faced fearful problems.
a. Facing tax collectors with no money.
b. Crossing the lake in the storm.
c. Being in a wilderness area with a multitude of people and inadequate food.
d. In each case their human resources were insufficient.
e. Christ was the only resource they needed.
3. Fear strikes when our resources are depleted.
a. Have exhausted my strength.
b. Have exhausted my bank account.
c. I have exhausted my schemes.
4. Christ is the only resource I need.
B. The answer to fear is the realization of His presence.
1. “Ye though I walk through the valley…”
2. “Hast thou not known…” Vs. 28.
II. “BE NOT DISMAYED.”
A. As Christians we will face confusing situations.
1. We don’t always understand our situations.
2. Things will happen for no apparent reason.
a. You may get fired from your job.
b. You may suddenly get sick.
c. You may get in an accident where you are to blame.
d. Your loved one may die.
3. The more we try to reason some of these things out, the more confused we get.
4. Yet the Lord says, “be not dismayed.”
B. Quit trying to figure it out.
1. It isn’t necessary to understand God’s ways.
2. “All things work together for good…”
a. “Yea, but I don’t see what good could come from this.”
b. That’s none of your business, it’s His.
3. We find it so hard to rest in faith.
a. We seek to understand why.
b. If you really knew what God was doing, you’d probably panic.
c. God is working by a completely different set of values. Eternal.
4. Yet faith is the only place where you will ever find true rest.
C. “I am your God.”
1. He doesn’t give us the answer, He gives us Himself.
a. “I will strengthen thee.”
1. Do you feel your strength slipping, you can’t hold on much longer?
2. Don’t be afraid, He is there.
b. “I will help thee.”
1. Have your friends let you down just when you were needing them?
2. Is the load too heavy for you?
3. Don’t be dismayed, He is there.
c. “I will uphold thee.”
1. There’s absolutely no way you can sink, He’s holding you up.
2. Kay learning to water ski don’t panic and flail around stand up.
3. “With the right hand.”
The Universe is the work of His fingers. He measures it with the span of His hand. And with that same hand He takes hold of you.
Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for Isaiah 41:10
Intro: Fear can be a very debilitating force. Fear of failure has canceled many worthwhile projects. “The fear of man is a trap.”
I. GOD SAID, “FEAR THOU NOT.”
A. Life is full of frightening situations.
1. Being a Christian does not grant me an immunity from problems.
a. The disciples were confronted by the tax collector when they had no funds.
b. They were on a sinking ship in a storm.
c. They were with a crowd in the wilderness with inadequate food supply.
2. In each case, their resources were inadequate.
a. This is the time that fear usually strikes.
1. When I have exhausted my bank account.
2. My schemes.
3. My strength.
b. In each case, Jesus solved the problem.
1. Told Peter to catch a fish.
2. Told the wind to stop.
3. Took 5 loaves and 2 fish.
3. Jesus was the only resource they needed.
B. “For I am with thee.”
1. The consciousness of God’s presence is the great dispeller of fear.
2. He is always with me, I am not always conscious of that fact.
3. He is always more than I need.
II. “BE NOT DISMAYED.”
A. We often face confusing issues, and we don’t know what to do, where to turn.
1. We may lose our job.
2. Our business may be going under.
3. Your husband or wife may leave you.
4. You get in an accident and you’re to blame.
5. You get sued.
6. Your loved one dies.
B. The more we try to figure things out, the more confusing they become.
1. Yet, God has said, “Be not dismayed.”
2. If I love Him and seek to follow His purposes. “All things are working together for good.”
3. I must learn to rest in Him.
a. I cannot figure out God’s ways.
b. I often try even though He said I couldn’t.
C. “Be not dismayed, I am thy God.”
1. He doesn’t always explain the solution. He just says, “trust Me.”
2. He offers for our dismay, Himself.
a. “I will strengthen thee.”
1. So you are not strong enough to hang on to Me, I will hold you.
2. You feel so weak and helpless.
b. “I will help thee.”
1. If God be for us, who can be against us.”
c. “I will hold you up.”
1. Sometimes we feel we are sinking.
2. It’s impossible for you to sink.
3. Kay learning to water ski.
4. With the right hand of My righteousness.
a. The heavens are the work of His fingers.
b. He measures them with His span.
c. He puts His hand under me and holds me up.
Living Water Ministries 