Isaiah 43 -- Viewing It From Both Sides

This chapter is a stunning declaration by God of just how much He loves His people, the Israelites, and how He will renew the land and gather them together someday.

Back when I’d let myself get away from God after college, I happened upon this chapter and I didn’t like what I was reading.  I was looking at it from an us-versus-them viewpoint (with us being the Gentiles, since we weren’t Jewish) and I didn’t like it at all that God said He’d given other Gentiles as a ransom for His Jewish people.  In fact, I let that build animosity within my soul towards God, thinking “What if I’d been among those He’d chosen to ransom for Israel?  How is that fair?”  For years that feeling kept screaming “Unfair!” to my soul.

But at some point, God broke through my resistance, showing me that those who love Him are His people, that at this point the Jewish people were more like Gentiles than godly, and that Gentiles didn’t so much as mean non-Jews as it meant those who didn’t worship and honor God.

When God finally opened my eyes to that, this chapter took on incredible new meaning for me personally.  Here’s what I saw:

“He created you … He formed you … I have saved you.  I have called you by name, and you are Mine.  I will be with You through every hurt.  I, the Lord, am your God … your Savior.  I gave much to pay for you, to make you Mine, because you are precious to Me.  I give you honor and love you.  Don’t be afraid, because I am with you.”

Then it gets highly personal for me:

“I will bring your children from the east (Ukraine) and gather you from the west (He had me, in the West, go get them)… Bring My sons from far away … Bring to me all who are Mine, whom I made for My glory, whom I formed and made … You are My witnesses and the servant I chose (telling how He put us together as a family).  I chose you (both my boys and me) so you would know and believe Me, so you would understand that I am the true God …I Myself AM the Lord; I am the only Savior.  I Myself have spoken to you, saved you, and tell you these things … You are My witnesses, and I am God … I have always been God (even when I doubted Him) … I will knock down all the locked gates (exactly what He did in Ukraine).  I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King… Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past.  Look at the new thing I am going to do.  It is already happening.  Don’t you see it? …. I, I am the One who forgives ALL your sins.  But you should remind Me.  Let’s meet…”

What an incredibly wonderful and personal God You are to me, Father.  Even when I was far from You, You had already planned to draw me near again to bless me.  Thank You for loving me more than I can ever love You, but please allow me to try!