For centuries, the people of God have found comfort in the Bible’s promises. They have been strengthened, encouraged, revived, taught, guided, and transformed by the Word.
Meanwhile, other Christians are getting small comfort from the same passages. How is a promise a great benefit to those who believe, yet seem to affect others so little? We’re going to go behind the scenes of a popular promise to help you examine other Bible promises with a more critical eye so you’ll get the message the Lord meant to the original people the message was addressed to.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (NKJV)
This verse has been a source of tremendous comfort and strength to many in need. These words were spoken to God’s people in southern Israel (Judah), through the prophet Isaiah. Why did the Lord see the need to remind them of these qualities at that time?
Over the next several chapters, the book of Isaiah will cover the topic of idolatry. The Israelites have left the Lord and were trusting in the idols of wood, clay, and stone. The God who delivered them out of bondage to Egypt is making His case that He is superior to idols in every way.
They have to transport their idols in carts, but God is able to carry them. The idols have mouths that can’t speak, but God can strengthen His people with promises backed by His integrity. No idol has ever protected their owners, but the true God has delivered them from their enemies countless times.
This promise fell on deaf ears as the people continued in their idolatry. Eventually, the Lord had enough, and so in 586 BC, Babylon broke through Jerusalem and carried away the people captive to Babylon, leaving behind the poorest of the land.
Many of God’s people suffer addiction to the idols of their times. Drugs of all kinds, alcohol, the need to dominate others, the need for speed, social media, gambling, video gaming, over-eating, sexual bondages and more trap people in sin. Today, this promise is God persuading them to believe that through Jesus they can overcome. God promises something their addictions cannot give.
There is an alternative to their idol that promises much, much more. Their idols are destroying their identity, minds, health, self-respect, and relationships. Through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, the Lord can set His people free.
People turn to these things, troubled and worried, wanting to self-medicate from the fears of their times. “Fear not, for I am with you,” the Savior God says. Their strength to address these alarming issues is feeble. “I will strengthen you,” says the Mighty God.
They are distrustful of the very things they turn to, and their own institutions of government, science, education, military, and business have been less than helpful. “Yes, I will help you,” says the Creator of heaven and earth who cannot lie. Their lack of security because of climate change, nations at war, rising costs, and more has left them on unsteady ground. “I will uphold you with My righteous right hand,” says the Sovereign Lord who manages the universe.
This promise hinged on the people of Israel choosing the better of two masters. Jesus faced the fears of the cross, loss of strength from the scourging, and no help from the religious leaders who sentenced Him to death. He who upholds all things released His own spirit to pay the penalty of death for the world’s idolatrous choices.
The idols had mouths yet could not speak, but the cross of Christ tells God’s love for the sinner. The idols could not deliver, but the Son’s bodily resurrection displays power over death. The idols had ears yet could not hear, but God hears the groaning of your heart.
If you are being held captive, there is a personal God who has an excellent track record of deliverance. He makes promises that He can fulfill through His Son. And they are fulfilled in those who turn from their modern-day idolatry to Jesus the Christ–who forgives sins, accompanies them on a life-changing journey, and appoints for them an eternity of joy in His forever kingdom.
