By: Nina Bueno
At the beginning of this semester, I wrote about a portion of Isaiah 43 and how it calls us to be witnesses to what God has done in our lives. But now, I want to focus on the first four verses of this chapter.
Isaiah 43:1-4 NIV reads: “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.’”
This is a heavy passage, and it fits into an even heavier narrative, called the Book of Comfort. This literary section begins in Isaiah 40 and follows a specific path. God isn’t just offering comfort to Israel but also is showing them that He is working out a plan on their behalf.
What does God’s plan of redemption look like, both back then and today? Firstly, it looks like a complicated relationship. Israel was being accused of being deaf and blind to their role in their relationship with God. They were not following His covenant and didn’t care about the relationship as they should. However, God did something radical. He said, “But now, now after everything you’ve done, now I still will be faithful to my side of the covenant.” He reminded them that He’s not only their covenant partner, but their Creator.
Just as God was still faithful to His people, so He desires a relationship with each one of us.
Secondly, God’s redemption looks like protection. During the Assyrian and Babylonian takeovers, the people of Israel felt abandoned by God, even though they were the ones who had walked away from Him. However, here God reminds them that trials will come in this sinful world, no matter what.
We now also have daily trials that we go through. In fact, in John 16:33 NIV, Jesus gave us a promise, “In this world you will have trouble.” And when the trials do come, we can feel like as if we’re all alone. This is especially true if we’ve separated ourselves from God and thrown our relationship with Him to the wayside. Thirdly, God’s redemption looks like ransom. After having been exiled to Assyria and then Babylon, the people of Israel were in slavery and bondage to different nations. But God freed and delivered His people by ransoming them.
Today, we are in bondage to sin. We are slaves to this world and to our own sinful desires. Paul writes in Romans: “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (verse 18 NIV). “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (verse 24 NIV).
This is the cry of every human heart. This is the question we all ask ourselves deep down inside as we see life getting harder, as we see our relationships falling apart, as we see the world growing more evil, as we realize that the end is coming fast. Who will rescue us?
God’s redemption of His people—us—today looks like a beautiful plan of reinstated relationship, protection during trials and ransom from bondage. But Isaiah 43:1-4 is not just a plan or a course of action. It is a love letter.
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to receive a love letter from God? One of those old-fashioned, flowery love letters filled with sentiments of never-ending love and devotion. Well, we all have received one, because this is God’s love letter to lost humanity. Verse 4 says, “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”
God’s ransom of us was done through the death of Jesus, and John the Beloved ties this all perfectly together for us. He states in John 15:13 NIV, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” God’s redemption looks like love. You are precious and honored in His sight. And God says, I love you.
Today, I simply ask you to meditate on this passage, to read God’s love letter to you, and to awaken again that desire to be in a relationship with Him. He calls each one of you, “You have forsaken the love you had at first. … Repent and do the things you did at first.”
Will you return to your first love? God wrote and mailed this letter long ago. Maybe you’ve read it before, or perhaps this is your first time hearing it. God loves you and longs to redeem you to be His own, to protect and to ransom. God’s redemption looks like love. Will you open His letter? Will you accept His love and let it redeem you? Will you say I love you back?
