"Emmanuel: Glimpses of God Incarnate," December 20

Monday, December 20

Isaiah 43:1-7

“God the Redeemer”

THIS TEXT IS ROOTED IN THE BABYLONIAN EXILE, when the Hebrew people were captive in the capitol, Babylon, for sixty years. This passage was written at the end of that time, and it describes God as “redeeming” Israel (v.3). God is about to do something new. Perhaps there are survivors who remember what it felt like to be free in the land of Judah and who expect things to go back to the way they were. God offers something else.

God is true to God’s promises, remembering and delighting in God’s people. This implies that, by forming them long ago and redeeming them, God is faithful to the covenant made (vs. 1). Also, if people are concerned that some will be forgotten, the prophet reassures them, saying God will reach out to everyone and include them in the new changes taking place (v.5-7).

Finally, and most importantly, God accompanies Israel in an intimate way as they change. When they return, they do not go to the same Southern Kingdom, but rather resettle in the north.

How does God redeem Israel? Most important, God promises to be with Israel, passing through rivers and walking through fire with them (v.2). Although these challenges will still be present, they will not take over in the same way. God redeems Israel by intimately walking into a new, seemingly insurmountable situation with them and helping them face it.

This past year, many have lost loved ones and precious institutions have changed. God’s promise to redeem Israel suggests that God is present to us, traveling with us as we go through change. When we go through changes, we often expect things to return to the same, but God promises to be with us as we meet new challenges. We still may travel through rivers and fire, we still may face an uncertain future, but God accompanies us, even as we feel unprepared for an unpredictable future.

– Rev. Dr. Phil Helsel, Associate Professor in the Nancy Taylor Williamson Distinguished Chair of Pastoral Care