May I walk this day
in the realm of grace,
walking with You
my feet firmly on your earth-path,
my heart loving all as kindred,
my words and deeds alive with justice.
May I walk as blessing,
meeting blessing at every turn
in every challenge, blessing,
in all opposition, blessing,
in harm’s way, blessing.
May I walk each step in this moment of grace,
alert to hear You
and awake enough to say
a simple Yes.
Robert Corin Morris
God knew that a remnant of faithful believers would remain true to the Covenant He made with Abraham. He already planned that His only begotten Son, Jesus, would come to redeem the world. Through the blood of Christ, mankind is offered the gift of redemption.
Isaiah 43:1-4 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life.
God, the sovereign and righteous Lord, reigns over His creation. He provided redemption through His birth, death, and resurrection. Those who believe in Him will find eternal life. God purchased us with the blood of Christ, driven by His love for His creation.
He is the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior. Rejecting God diminishes His power in our lives, but He is never farther away than our repentance, turning back to Him in love. We possess free will and choose who we will serve. Without our Creator, we are deaf and blind to the love He offers through the redemption of the blood of Christ. Like Job, we must acknowledge that in ourselves we can do nothing, but in Him, nothing is impossible. The knowledge of God was revealed to the Israelites, and they were chosen to be a testimony to the world, proclaiming the truth that there is no Redeemer King except Jesus, the all-man, all-God. His overwhelming purpose is to bring those He loves back to Himself.
Romans 11:2-6 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
God will never abandon His chosen people. He will preserve those who faithfully followed His commands, a remnant of those who rejected idols. Even in this day and age, there are individuals who believe in the salvation bestowed upon them by faith in Jesus Christ. We are the Body of Christ. Carla
Yahweh is responsible for both Israel’s creation as living beings and their formation as a nation. Isaiah uses creation language to emphasize God’s power as Creator and His special attention to His chosen people. God already identified Himself as their Redeemer in 41:14. Now, He reminds them of the relationship between Redeemer and redeemed. The exiles have no reason to fear, because salvation is assured. In Exodus 6:6–7 Yahweh similarly promises to redeem Israel and take them as His people. Isaiah’s speeches throughout this section emphasize Yahweh’s special choice of Israel. Continuing the poet’s emphasis on the return as a second exodus, this is likely an allusion to Israel’s passing through the Red Sea. God redeems His chosen people even at the cost of the other nations. This is a metaphorical ransom invoking the idea that redemption required payment. It does not reflect a historical or eschatological giving over of the nations to save Israel. Redemption in the Old Testament often required payment. The use of the Hebrew term for “ransom” (kopher) alluded to the price paid in exchange for a life. The census tax required a ransom from each person. A murderer was not allowed to pay a ransom to avoid punishment (Numbers 35:31). However, according to Psalm 49:7, only God could ordain a valid ransom of life. Faithlife Study Bible
Thus says the Lord emphasizes the Author of the prophecy and the certainty that it will be fulfilled. The words created and formed allude to the creation of the human race in Genesis 1; 2. The Hebrew verb translated created means “to fashion anew”—a divine activity, and is the same key word used in Genesis 1:1. The second verb formed means “to shape,” to fashion as a potter, and is used in Genesis 2:7 of God fashioning the body of the man from the dust of the earth. The use of these verbs here suggests that the Lord’s creation of Israel as a people was as decisive an act as His creation of human beings at the beginning.
In the same way, the New Testament describes Christians as new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephephesians 2:10) The Lord’s use of name demonstrates His intimate relationship with the Israelites. He had revealed His name to the people (Exodus 6:2–8) and declared their name to Pharaoh (Exodus 4:22). Pass through the waters is an allusion to the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River.
Walk through the fire is a metaphor for protection in danger (Psalm 66:12); consider the Lord’s protection of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:25–27).
The God of all creation declares Himself to be the God of the Israelites; He had every right to be their God and to call them His people, because He had saved them from the Egyptians. The Hebrew word for Savior comes from the verb meaning “to save,” the word from which the name Jesus is derived (Matthew 1:21). 43:4 Israel is considered precious because of God’s sovereign grace (Deuteronomy 7:6–8). The NKJV Study Bible
Psalm 66:12
You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
Daniel 3:25–27 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire…
Isaiah 43:7
Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes,
I have made him.”
Isaiah 45:3–4
I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places,
That you may know that I, the LORD,
Who call you by your name,
Am the God of Israel.
For Jacob My servant’s sake
And Israel My elect,
I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.
Isaiah 43:21
This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise
2 Timothy 2:10 (ESV) "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." First5
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