Isaiah 41:8-10

This section stood out to me, because more than anything else, I need encouragement and a sense of acceptance. Sleep deprivation, and being a new mom have caused the insecurities and doubts about myself which I can usually hold in check to run rampant in my life. The confusion over not knowing what to do in various situations with my baby also exacerbates the doubt that I am acceptable, enough, and doing well in this task. There isn’t a huge amount of affirmation for moms out there sometimes, so this passage stuck to me.

⁸ “But you, Israel, my servant,
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
    you descendants of Abraham my friend,
⁹ I took you from the ends of the earth,
    from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This passage comes in the midst of a large section that deals with the exiles and whether or not they will truly be freed and able to return to their homeland as God has promised. God has just been set apart from all other beings in chapter 40, and now He speaks tenderly to his people in exile. The term “Israel” refers to God’s people as a whole, rather than to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. God is speaking to “you descendants of Abraham” regardless of what kingdom they became a part of in their history.

Verse 9 echoes God’s call of Abraham in Genesis 12. There was nothing particularly special about Abraham when God chose him to receive His blessing. He was a descendant of Shem (see Genesis 11:10-26), but nothing is noted about his religious background or preferences and whether he was a God-worshiper. Abraham was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger to God.

Now, at this point in their history, so is Israel, “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you.” The descendants of Jacob were not the big fish in the pond, rather they were the little ones, which hide in the shallows among the reeds where it’s safe. Yet, God still chose them. In another sense, at the time of this message, the descendants of Jacob felt like they were at the ends of the earth because they were so far from home both physically and culturally. But God still notices them and says, “You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.”

Israel had messed up, badly. They were so bad that God kicked them out of the Promised Land. They were completely unable to meet His demands because they couldn’t even interpret them correctly because there was a distinct lack of relationship with God. It’s not just about serving Him in all we do, it’s about knowing Him. But God, with His infinite mercy and grace, still looks upon them and favors them. He still accepts them and calls them His own.

They feared being conquered by others, and tried to make their own plans; God allows them to be conquered and sends them away, but He goes with them and doesn’t abandon them. The Exile led them to believe they were worthless, and to doubt their worth to God and anyone else; but God reminds them that He is still their God, and they are still His people. Their status as a conquered people made them weak and undesirable; but God strengthens them to bear the humiliation with grace and to thrive while in captivity. God makes sure that, instead of disappearing into the folds of history, their identity as His people remains intact and their holiness is preserved.

So when I am doing everything I can and still feel like I am failing, weak, and unable, I hear these words: “Do not fear, Megan, for I am with you. I have chosen you to be this child’s mother, and have not rejected your desire to be a parent and have a family. Do not doubt or be dismayed for I am your great God. I will strengthen you for the task of raising a child, and will help you. I will uphold you, your identity, and your holiness with my righteous right hand.”

Amen and Amen.