sermons by IVOR POWELL

ISAIAH'S CLUSTER OF STARS

"But now thus saith the .... .I have redeemed thee, I have called

thee by thy name"'; thou art mine. When thou passest through the

waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not

overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be

burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isa. 43:1-2).

If baseball terminology were used to describe this text, then it

touched all bases! It was one of the most majestic utterances ever

made by the prophet. His collection of verses suggests a cluster of

brilliant stars shining against the dark sky of human failure. It hardly

needs an expositor. If Isaiah's writings were likened to a mountain

range, this would be one of its highest peaks. Three glorious

plateaus invite investigation.

Love Abounding... How Undeserved

"I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art

mine." This was truth in triplicate! It was all the more remarkable

because earlier chapters of the book described a decadent nation.

The Jews had forgotten and forsaken the Lord and ignored the

appeal with which the prophet commenced his message. God said,

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your

sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red

like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa 1:18). Unfortunately, the

Lord's entreaty had been ignored; Israel continued to displease God.

Their defiance of God's commandments and the continuing idolatry

ruined their happiness. Their bondage in Babylon was thoroughly

deserved. That the Lord could love such wayward people was hard

to understand and impossible to explain. The poet expressed similar

thoughts in his lines:

How Thou canst think so well of us;

And be the God Thou art:

Is darkness to my intellect,

But sunshine to my heart.

The Lord had redeemed Israel from Egypt and identified Himself

with the nation which became His prized possession. The Jews

enjoyed a special place among the nations. Christians can also claim

the same privilege, for through the death of Christ redemption has

been made possible. Believers may now address the Lord as "Heavenly

 Father." Their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Redeemed sinners are the Lord's treasures. He bought us, He values

us, and He protects us (see Mal. 3:17).

Love Assuring... How Unlimited

"When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and

through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee." God never promised

immunity from troubled waters. He said when rivers of difficulty

were reached, sufficient strength would be provided to enable

Israel to cross safely to the other side. God realized that ahead of

His people were all kinds of problems which might threaten to

sweep them away. Disaster would always be averted because He

would hold back the waters "they shall not overflow thee."

If the children of Israel never encountered "floods of difficulty,"

they would not have graduated from the school of experience. God

often taught greater lessons in the river bed than He ever did on its

banks! If the disciples of Jesus had not sailed through the storm on

the Sea of Galilee, they would not have known the extent of Christ's

ability to help them. That truth is demonstrated throughout the Scriptures.

"When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;

neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." The Hebrew boys who

were thrown into Nebuchadnezzar's fire would have appreciated

this wonderful text (see Dan. 3:22-25).

Love Abiding... How Unsurpassed

"Fear not for I am with thee:... Behold I will do a new thing...

I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink

to my people, my chosen" (Isa. 43:5, 19-20). There was a definite

sense in which these promises applied to the Hebrews, but since the

promises of God are "Yea and Amen" in Christ, every Christian

may discover continuing comfort in these announcements. The

change from the tone of earlier statements was truly astonishing.

Delitzsch, the German commentator, correctly said, "The sudden

change from reproach to consolation was very significant It gave

them to understand that no meritorious work of their own would

come in between what Israel was, and what it was to be... It was

God's free grace which came to meet the need" (Commentary on

the Old Testament, Vol. 7, page 2). The grace of God is an unfathomable

ocean; without it, life would be impossible and the world a

desert.