Isaiah 43:1-3a
KJV: But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.
NCV: Now this is what the Lord says. He created you, people of Jacob; he formed you, people of Israel. He says, “Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. This is because I, the Lord, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Dorothy:
In those verses, the Lord had spoken, ‘I have redeemed thee.’ What does that really means? Redeem means to set free; rescue or save. This verse reminds me of a song called, Redeemed. The song can be used for worship and to remember that Christ has redeemed us. [It also means ‘to buy back’. Jesus bought us back with His blood at the Cross from Satan who once ‘owned’ us].
In this part of the chapter 43, God expresses His love for Israel and God had been good and kind to them. God has created and redeemed us. We belong to Him and He knows each of us by name. God even knows how many hairs are on your head. Can you count your hairs on your head? That takes a lot of time if we tried to count our hairs, but God does take the time to count the number of your hairs. That is a personal thing for God to care that much for us. It is a wonderful thought to know that God will be with us in time of troubles. We are precious and honored in His sight. We are people of His great love. We can express ourselves to the Lord through the song, ‘Redeemed.’
Song: Redeemed
Redeemed how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed thro’ His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am.
Chorus:
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.
[Lyrics: Fanny J. Crosby;
Music: William J. Kirkpatrick]
