Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Today’s passage begins with the prophet Isaiah offering praise to the Lord. Just a few verses before our selection for today, Isaiah is given a vision of God triumphing over His enemies. God’s enemies were Judah’s enemies. Judah was the name of the Southern half of the divided kingdom of Israel and the group of people to which Isaiah was called to be a prophet. God’s enemies weren’t just folks that mildly disagreed with the ways of the Lord; rather, they were people groups that were strongly given over to evil and what the Bible sometimes calls “detestable” ways (including human sacrifices to their manmade gods). Naturally, God’s enemies opposed His people and oftentimes led them astray. There’s a long history of this happening over and over again, which you can read about in other Old Testament books (For Isaiah’s time period specifically, see 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles).  It also helps to look at a timeline of Biblical history.   

We’re picking up in verse 7 where Isaiah’s response to the vision he has seen is adoration, rejoicing, and testifying to the Lord’s unfailing love. Isaiah recounts God’s history of providing for His people. He has shown His goodness to them over and over. In grace and compassion, God redeemed them.  He was so near to them that He knew their suffering as if it were His own. Isaiah calls Him their “Savior.” Yet, God’s people rebelled, grieving the Holy Spirit, and they became like the people God had redeemed them from - taking up idolatry instead of the worship of their Redeemer. It’s important to note that in all of Israel’s rebellion, God was offering them another way that was better than what they were choosing. Yet, they chose sinful ways over and over again.  

Verse 11 can be confusing because it says, “He remembered.” The footnote in your Bible likely says this “he” is also “they,” meaning God’s people remembered all He had done for them in the past: all the mighty things the Lord did to bring His people out of slavery and bring them to their land, which at Isaiah’s time was in division and desolation.  Isaiah cries out to God on behalf of them, asking Him to “look down from heaven and see us” (NLT). He later asks for mercy and compassion and begs the Lord to “return and help us” (NLT). I imagine that Isaiah was broken as he asked the Lord “where” and “why” questions concerning the state of God’s people, yet he trusted the Lord to act as both Father and Redeemer of His people.   

His prayer appealed to the unchanging nature of God, meaning God would never cease to be Father and Redeemer to His children. Isaiah’s book of prophecy contains more prophecies about the coming of Christ than any other Old Testament book.  Isaiah was one of God’s mouthpieces that He used to remind His people of His unfailing love and of His plan to bring true, everlasting salvation.  Ultimately, God saw His people and helped them as Isaiah asked Him to do.   

We are many thousands of years removed from Isaiah’s time, yet we can look at this passage and gain insight from it. Like Isaiah, we can remember what the Lord has done and testify to His goodness in our lives. We can pray for His grace in our lives and in the lives of people around us. We can ask Him to see us and help us, trusting that He does, and knowing that if we belong to Him, He will never quit being our Father.   

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection: 

• What does it mean to you to know God as your Father?  How does it change the way you live today? 
  
• Is there a situation in which you need God to hear you and see you?  Write out a prayer, asking Him to be near you in this situation.   
  
• Like Isaiah, can you look back over your past and see God’s goodness and care toward you?  Make a list of what comes to mind and save it somewhere so that you can refer back to it on days when you need encouragement.