Isaiah 43: Fear Not

0:02 Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast, making Theology Central Today. Are you overwhelmed with a sense of dread, a sense of worry, a sense of anxiety. Are there things in your life right now that just seem too big for you to handle and you're filled with a sense of fear, a sense of worry, and you don't know what to do. Well, brothers and sisters, let me tell you that when you open up the Bible, the Bible gives you a fear not for every single day of the year. So you can take courage. You can take it to heart that God tells you every single day of the year fear not.

0:51 You can take your worry, you can take your anxiety and hand it to him, because the creator, the God of the universe, tells you, every single day of the year, in the Word of God, fear not. Have you ever heard anything like that? Have you ever heard anything like that preached from the pulpit of the church you attend? Have you heard other preachers online tell you that there is a fear not for every day of the year in the Word of God. Did it make you feel better? Did it give you a sense of peace, a sense of hope. And are you grateful that they told you that there is a fear not for every single day of the year, or did it bother you? Did you want to just scream? What in the name of bubblegum are you talking about? Did you hear that and was more frustrated, more bothered or did you find great comfort in it? Well, we're going to talk about fear not, and we're going to do that right after I tell you this. It is Tuesday, October the twenty second, twenty twenty four. It is currently eleven thirteen am Central time, and I am coming to you live from the Theology Central Studio located right here in Abilene, Texas. Fear not,

2:22 Fear not. That is something that is said frequently within Christianity. If you know someone, if maybe sometimes you've been overwhelmed or you're just going through a very difficult time, and you'll have well meaning Christians come alongside of you and say, fear not, brother, fear not, sister, because the Word of God gives us a fear not for every single day of the year. And they they're well meaning, their heart is in the right place. But just because they're well meaning just because their heart is in the right place. Is that even accurate? Is that even true? And is it possible that time and time again Christians run to the Bible find a fear not passage, slap the person in the face that it was originally written, to rip it out of its context, and say this is my fear not. As we talked about yesterday, I think the reality is Christians are narcissistic, textual hijackers or narcissistic because we think every verse in the Bible is about us.

3:24 We take the Bible, the text, and we hijack it to use it for our own purpose or in this case, to try to give us or others comfort. Now, our motives may be right. We may be trying to take the text to bring comfort to people, but in some cases are we actually bringing comfort? Are we are we simply going to actually increase harm? How you use the Bible is important. Well. This claim that there is a fear not or some similar phrase for every day of the year in the Bible three hundred and sixty five times. It's a popular assertion. It is heard in many sermons and in devotionals, in devotional talks, small group Bible study. However, the statement is not entirely accurate when examined closely. Is there a fear not for every day? While the phrase fear not or do not be afraid appears many times throughout the Bible, three hundred and sixty five occurrences is not a precise figure. Depending on the translations, scholars typically find around one hundred to one hundred and fifty occurrences of phrases like fear not or do not be afraid, or do not fear, or similar expressions. For example, the kjav the phrase fear not specifically appears around one hundred and three times in the King James version. In the New International version, the count can differ slightly due to translation choices, with similar phrases appearing just over one hundred times.

4:56 While the idea of fear not for every day of the year is inspiring, it is comforting, it is more of a thiological metaphor and motivational statement rather than a precise biblical fact. Now I'm gonna I'm gonna argue with this. It's not a theological metaphor. It's a flat out lie, that's what it is. It's a misrepresentation of the Word of God, it is a lie. It is trash, and I've heard it over and over and over and over and over again, to the point I want to drive my car into an oncoming semi He said, well, that's a little bit of hyperbole. Well why not, okay, because I mean, I grow so tired of this. Now, why does this claim persist even though we have all the ability to look it up and say, wait a minute, this is not accurate. Well why why is this the idea of having a fear not for every day of the year. Why does it Why does it work? Why does it seem to resonate so much? Well, because fear is a universal experience. Many Christians are comforted by the idea that God offers daily reassurance to not be afraid. So, because fear is a universal experience, many Christians are going through difficult times, it gives them some sense of assurance.

6:13 But here's the question. Do you want assurance that's based on fact or do you want assurance that's just simply made up? Which what kind of assurance do you want? Do you want to an assurance based on reality or do you want an assurance that just made up? Do you want the doctor to say hey, you know, well, hey, you know, the doctor's meeting in a back room, like, hey, guys, we just got the results. This person's got six months at maximum to live. I mean they got terminal cancer. It has spread throughout the entire body. I mean, this thing is horrible. Well give them assurance. Go in there and tell them the cancer is gone. I mean, what you what would you want to know the reality or to know some fraudulent assurance. I think many Christians don't really care about truth. They just like comfort. They're just like they're like easy answers. They like comfort. They don't really care to deal with reality. So it's a universal experience and many Christians want assurance. It serves as a powerful rhetorical tool. It makes for an easy to remember encouragement in sermons, providing a sense of ongoing divine protection.

7:30 So it gives you this idea, it's a rhetorical tool. Hey, there's three hundred and sixty five days a year. There's a fear not for every day of the year. Oh please God, Amen, thank you pastor. That was so comforting. And then because it's a good rhetorical tool, I guess that makes it a good thing. It's not a good rhetorical tool if it's not true, So I would argue it's a bad thing. But here's the real issue. Even if now listen, are you ready for this? This is gonna, this is gonna, This is gonna become the crux of where we're going. All right, this is the big transition where I'm about to put forth really the hypotheses right here we go? You ready, Even if there were a fear not for every single day of the year in the Bible, even if there was do not be afraid, fear not one for every single day of the year, even if that was a true statement, it still may not be true. In this way. There's a high probability, in fact, a great likelihood that many of those fear nots that you're reading and claiming for yourself really isn't for you. And that's the issue. When is it about you?

8:49 When is it not about you? How do we handle the Word of God in a correct, responsible way? Because over the last week or so we have seen some crazy things in a way pastors and preachers handle the Word of God. We have an floating accent that literally can represent basically anything you wanted to represent. We have seen that. We found out that in Proverbs thirty they're eating the people, they're eating the poor. Okay, yeah, I'm making okay, you get it all right? Then I'm like, wait, what is happening? And then next thing you know, we have a discussion about cutting off their heads drinking the blood, and You're like, what is going on here? All from the word of God? Well, guess what if that can happen?

9:38 People can take fear nots and promises of do not fear and just make them about them, even if it's not about them. And then yesterday we had a little contest. I told everyone to get a timer, a stopwatch. We started listening to a sermon on Isaiah forty five three, and I challenged everyone to time it. How long will it take before the pastor preaching on Isaiah forty three will immediately make it about us? He will insert us into the text. How long will it take? Well, depending on who has emailed me, I think I've got everything from thirty nine seconds to twenty five seconds to twenty six seconds Somewhere. I got a number of different times, So I don't know where people started the timer, but we can. I think everyone can agree on this that it took less than forty seconds. It took less than forty seconds for a pastor preaching on Isaiah forty three to all of a sudden, sudden start using terms like us, we, you, I me. It's all of a sudden we were inserted into Isaiah forty three. There was no explanation. It's just ladies and gentlemen, we are here now. Once again, he made a reference to Matthew Henry, which we already saw another sermon make a reference to Matthew Henry which did very similar things. Okay, we don't even get me started there.

11:07 But I was like, what just happened? So I obviously was very frustrated by the entire thing. I basically started referencing Christians as narcissistic textual hijackers. We just hijack the Bible and we just fly it to wherever we want it to go, and we landed, and we just do whatever we want with it, and we think it's always about us. So I was very frustrated by the entire thing. But I'm like, you know what. One of the things I constantly try to say on this podcast is wow, First, I'll try to get you to listen to as many sermons as possible, right, I do that. I try my best to promote and get people listen to sermons. But I always try to tell you that no matter how bad the sermon goes, no matter how bad it goes, always do everything in your power to try to make it positive in some way, shape or form, to do something positive with I always say that now, to be honest, I wasn't able to do much with the Proverbs thirty thing because that guy's just lost, that lost. I don't even know how that what happened there, and the floating Axehead just became almost a It almost just became a parody.

12:17 I mean it almost became a joke. It almost became like it was a skit for a comedy show because it was like the floating axe head, it will not leave me alone, right, And it's like, so we weren't really able to do anything very positive with either of those, and that's on me. I could have tried to find a way to do something positive with it, but it just became so frustrated. I guess I did. If you consider Sunday two plus hours trying to go through hermeneutical principles and common hermonutical errors. I think there that's trying to turn it into something positive. Right, That's not just me. I mean, I'm complaining about it, but I'm trying to offer something positive. But the Isaiah forty three thing really bothered me yesterday. So I woke up this morning and I have spend I don't know, over an hour plus on Isaiah forty three. So we're going to do a little work on Isaiah forty three. I don't know how how we may just end up spending a while on Isaiah forty three. We may do multiple parts, but we're going to start in Isaiah forty three, verse one. And my entire introduction was on fear not. Right, Well, now you know why Isaiah forty three, verse one. But now thus Saith the Lord that created the oh Jacob and he that formed the o Israel, fear not. Fear not.

13:43 We are going to focus on this idea of fear not. We're going to try to put it in its proper context. And one of the things we're gonna do is we can't just run in and immediately grab this fear not and apply it as it is given to us, because that will be very that will have very negative consequences, and we will talk about that. So we are going to look at the phrase fear not all right, because this is very important. So let's just we're gonna just work through this kind of an exegetical almost like a discussion way. We're going to do it, more like just kind of working through it, talking through it. I don't think I'll give you too many I don't think i'll give you any sum Maybe who knows, I may come up with an assignment. But we're just gonna start working through Isaiah forty three. So let me read that again.

14:28 I'm gonna read the entire verse, all right, But now but now that's that's interesting, right, But now, because this means that this comes right after something, right, which I think is maybe even more important than I even considered earlier this morning. Now I'm thinking I probably should have done more work on that. But but now, right but now, now, if you, if you, if you, if you want to mark in your Bible that butt, now just draw a line and an arrow back to chapter forty two. But now this is a contrast Isaiah forty two. Now but now, but now, thus Saith the lord that created Thee. This is the word of God, God specifically speaking, oh Jacob and he that formed the o Israel. Fear not, for I have redeemed THEE. I have called thee by Thy name, Thou art mine. So whatever was going on in Isaiah forty two, whatever may be going on, historically, God feels the need to step in and say fear not. Now Almost immediately in the sermon we reviewed yesterday, this became about you, This became about I, it became about us, It became about we. But if it did not become about them, them was kicked out of the text. So when we see fear not, we need to immediately remember that this is directed specifically to Israel. I don't. No

16:01 one can debate me on that. But now thus saith the Lord that created the oh Jacob and He that formed the oh ray L. This is specifically given to Israel. It's directed specifically to them. This is this verse Isaiah forty three to one, as part of God's reassurance to his people. I'm gonna even I'm gonna. I don't we can use that phrase. But see the minute I say his people, someone will come along. Go Well, we're part of his people. So this is no this is about Israel specifically. This addresses this verse the fears of Israel within a very specific historical Now, this is very now.

16:57 I want to make sure you write this down right. This is addressing fear with a very specific historical and covenantal context. This fear not fits into a historical context and a covenantal context. You cannot forget the covenantal context of the Old Testament. Too many Christians forget the covenantal context. What do I mean by that? God made specific covenant promises to Israel. So a lot of times the fear not or God's going to do this, or God's going to provide this, or they're praying for this. That all fits within the covenantal context. You cannot insert yourself into a covenantal context when the Covenant wasn't mad with you.

17:48 If you walk by and someone is promising someone certain things, you can't then go claim that promise for yourself. You cannot do that. So who is being told not to be afraid? Here? Well, we've already identified it, but I'm just gonna I'm gonna double down on this. Israel is explicitly named in Isaiah forty three to one as the recipient of this message. The verse begins, But now thus says the Lord your creator, oh Jacob, and he who formed you, Oh Israel. Jacob and Israel refer to the collective nation, emphasizing that the message is for the entire nation of Israel, north and south. Fear not. Now, why would the north and south have something to fear? That was the obvious question, right What might Israel be fearing?

18:52 This is not about you, This is not about me. It's about them. What could they possibly be fearing? That's the question when you read this fear not? What should be a good Bible stindent. What are they fearing? I need to understand what they are fearing so that I can understand why God would be telling them to fear not. So let's break down what might they be fearing. Let's break it down first into the historical context. At this point in the Book of Isaiah, Israel, more specifically, at this point Judah is facing or anticipating the consequences of exile and captivity, particularly by the Babylonians. The Northern Kingdom Israel has already fallen to the Assyrians and the Southern Kingdom.

19:48 Judah is facing threat of babylons. So the immediate context of the immedia historical context, this is about exile. This is about being taken captive. This is about going into captivity. That's the immediate fear here. That's the immediate fear. Not about you. This is not like, hey, God says in Isaiah forty three, fear not well, okay, what am I feary? I'm fearing the election. I'm fearing losing my job. I'm fearing that my kid has this disease. I'm fearing stop it. This is not about that. The prospects or the prospect of exile, the destruction of Jerusalem and the loss of their homeland would naturally invoke fear among the people. Additionally, Israel had experienced divine judgment for their disobedience to God's Covenant, which led to their national crisis. The fear could stem from their sense of guilt, feeling that they had been abandoned by God, as well as the very real danger of being destroyed or assimilated into foreign empires. So they could be fearing judgment, Hey, we've ticked off God. We we could be with the fear of the loss of their homeland. The fear of the destruction of Jerusalem, the fear of exile, fear of being assimilated into these other nations, the fear, all the fear would would be surrounding these very real historical situations. Exile, judgment, destruction, pain, suffering, death,

21:25 real situations. That's the historical context. This is real. This is not about you fearing home. I'm gonna have this bad meeting with with my boss. Well, fear not stop quoting Isaiah forty three to one. That's the historical context, right, Exile, judgment, destruction, pain, death, captivity, slavery. Now what's the textual context. The earlier chapters of Isaiah, especially from chapter forty onward, addresses Israel's fear of being forsaken by God due to their sins and the impending exile.

22:19 Isaiah's prophecy calls for trust in God's ultimate redemption, even though Israel's currently facing judgment. In this context, the fear would be primarily about exile and the uncertainty of the future, fear of destruction as a people, their national identity being completely lost, and a fear that God had abandoned them due to their disobedients. So they are facing circumstances. They're facing real situations that would say that would tell you fear, run, scream, panic, all hope is lost. It's over. You have felled God. You have disobeyed him, You've let him down. He's mad at you. These nations are going to destroy you. Everything would say fear, and God says fear not. I think that's very important. There's the textual there's a historical and textual context. Now see your your your desire maybe, but but but but just don't don't just right now, just focus on what Israel was facing. God was mad at them.

23:37 They have to know that they failed, they have to know they had disobeyed. They're fear fearful of God's wrath, God's judgment. They're fearful of these nations coming to take them away. If you're the South, you already know the North has been taken away by the Assyrians. You've got to be scared to death. So now God comes along and says, fear not. Now we know now the reason why why they're afraid. We know now a reason why God is telling them to fear not. They have very real fears, very real grounded in reality. Now God's gonna say fear not. Now, any good Bible student then would be like, hmm, why are we not to fear? What? God?

24:27 Give me a reason why I shouldn't be afraid, Because I can give you all the reasons why I should be afraid. The historical and textual context outlines why they should be afraid. Well, why should they not be afraid? Well? In this verse Isaiah forty three to one, God provides reasons for Israel not to fear. He provides Israel reasons not to fear number one. You can see number one. But now, thus saith the Lord that created the Oh Jacob, and he that formed the Oh Israel, because of God's creative because God's creation, God created them. I have created you, Oh Jacob, I have formed Joe Israel. God reminds Israel that He is the one who made them, both in terms of creation and their identity as His chosen people.

25:21 This is a reference to their history beginning with the patriarch Jacob and the formation of the nation. I have redeemed you or so, so let's just go with that part right there. I think that's that's key. Look at it. It starts with but now, thus saith the Lord that created the Oh Jacob, and have formed the Oh Israel. This is going that God I created you from the very beginning. Look at that. I just note the way he states that God reminds Israel that he is the one who made them, both in terms of creation and their identity as his chosen people. That this is a reference to the history beginning with the patriarch Jacob and the formation of the nation. I have redeemed or I have created you. I have created you. I want you to see that this is this is a reference all the way from your very beginning, when when you become Israel, your creation, to your identity. I've been there. So fear not because I'm the one who created you. I'm the one who made you. I'm the one who identified you.

26:33 It's all I'm in other words, i am your creator. Fear not. Trust in me. Now, don't look to your circumstances. Trust in me. I'm the one who formed THEE. Immediately you're going to try to apply it to you, No, apply it to Israel. But then look what he goes on to say, I I have I have see. But now let's say it's the Lord that created THEE and have formed thee fear not, for I have redeemed thee right now when he says I have redeemed thee. So so if we want to look at some reasons they're told not to fear His number one. God reminds them that I am your creator, and second, I am your redeemer.

27:16 I have created you, and I've redeemed you. I'm gonna break those down into two parts the way I had it in my notes, I kind of grouped those together. But then when I started getting into the especially that Jacob to Israel part, I really want to separate that God. I created you, I formed you, You're everything about you is because of me. But I have redeemed THEE now yesterday and Discermon, we were listening to the pastor immediately took this redemption and turned it into some spiritual redemption, made it salvific. But is that the redeeming that God is talking about here? The redemption here refers to God's past acts of deliverance, such as freeing them from Egypt in the Exodus. By reminding them of his role as their redeem God is reassuring Israel that he will act again to deliver them from their current predictament Babylonian exile.

28:06 He is saying, I have redeemed you in the past, when you were in captivity, when you were in slavery, when you were in bondage. In the past, I have redeemed you. I have redeemed you from this situation and this situation. So now when you look to this situation, you're like, we're in a bad situation. God has obviously mad at us, but he created us and he has redeemed us in the past, so we're going to trust that He will redeem us in the future. Now that redemption, the redemption in the past. Make sure you understand it's a material, physical redemption, has nothing that this has nothing to do with salvation. At this point, God will redeem Israel from their captivity. This could refer to the Babylonian exile, even the Assyrian one. They don't come back from it.

28:51 But I think this can have future implications that there will come a day that God is going to redeem all of Israel, regather them, transfer form them, and then they will be in the land that God had promised them. So God gives them two reasons. I have created you and I have redeemed you. But the redemption here is not a reference to a Salvafic one. It's about a physical redemption, a physical being redeemed from and being delivered. So number one, God created them. Number two, God had redeemed them, delivered them in the past. I think number three, Well, look at what he says in verse one. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed the O Israel. Fear enough, for I have redeemed THEE. I have called thee by Thy name.

29:47 I think this now refers to the next number three, their covenant relationship. This is an intimate affirmation of Israel's covenant relationship with God. Despite their current fears of exile and judge. They belong to God and He has not forgotten nor forsaken them. Being called by name indicates God's personal knowledge and care for his people. Hey, I think of it this way. I have created you, I have redeemed you, and I have a relationship, a covenant relationship with you. I've entered into a covenant relationship with you because of my creation, because of my redemption, and because of my covenant relationship with you. You do not need to fear, but if we expanded, we can add another. So he created, he redeemed. He has a covenant relationship. He's called them by name. He also makes a promise of protection, his presence and protection. Look at verse two. When you, thou Israel, pass through the waters, I will be there with thee.

30:54 And through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. When thou walk us through the fire, there shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Now I think this is referencing, and you could argue this is using some form of metaphorical language, may be somewhat rooted in some real experiences. But the point is whether it's uh, whether it's the water, whether it's the fire. Right, in other words, no matter what, no matter what difficulties you're about to encounter, They're about to encounter some very serious difficulties. Right the North is in Assyrian captivity, the South is about to go into Babylonian captivity. There's gonna be pain, there's gonna be suffering, there's gonna be destruction. But he promises that you're not gonna be completely overwhelmed, You're not gonna be completely destroyed, and I will be with you.

31:45 I'm gonna be with you and through this, but I'm gonna preserve you through this. God promises that even when Israel passes through water is a fire, he will be with them and they will not be overwhelmed or consumed. These metaphors of water and fire, some trials and dangers Israel my face. The promise is that God's presence will sustain them through these difficulties, whether it be exile, oppression, or hardship. The historical context breaks it makes this very clear. God comes to Israel because they are fearful. Why are they fearful? They are fearful about coming exile, coming judgment, God being upset with them, their own guilt, the destruction of their homeland, them being assimilated by the enemy. They're losing their identity, losing the land, losing everything. They have real reasons to fear. And then God steps in and say, hey, guys, do not fear Why I made Israel from Jacob to you being called I created the I'm in control of this, but I have redeemed you. Remember the times that you were in bad situations and I pulled you out. I redeemed you from those situations, and I have called you by the name Thou art Mine. Why because I entered into a covenant relationship with you, and I'm going to remain faithful to that covenant. So those are the reasons you should not fear. But not only that, I'm gonna

33:19 be with you. I'm gonna be with you when you go through the fire, when you go through the water, when you go through the because because God is not denying, they're not going to go through some very difficult times. Israel's about to go through some very serious difficult times. And that's just the beginning of all the things that we're going to go through with a nation, right, I mean, think about it. Assyrian, Babylonian come back. Then they are under the Hill of Rome. Oh, then they're wiped off the face of the earth. Oh, then they go through the Holocaust. Oh, then then they become a nation. But they've been surrounded by their enemies ever since. But fear not, because God created you, God has redeemed you. God is into a covenant relationship with you, and God's going to be with you. Because there's coming a time Israel. All those promises to Israel that we have talked about so historically, this would have given hope to Israel as they faced the dangers of exile. They might fear destruction, are being lost as a people, but God promises preservation through it all.

34:39 Isaiah forty three is directed towards Israel, who, in the face of impending exile and judgment, would naturally fear destruction and abandonment by God. This entire promise, this entire message, is rooted in Israel's go covenant relationship with God and their historical situation, a fear surrounding the Babylonian exile. Now, that's how we understand Isaiah forty three. This is God saying, hey, hey, guys, I know this is not looking good, and I know you're worried, and I know your friend, but look, I created you, I've redeemed you, I made you mine, I call you by name because of our covenant relationship, I will protect you. And clearly we can understand the water and the fire there. We can see it as being very representative of what they were about to go through in the exile. We can clearly see it. Now I want to double down here, just briefly. I want to go back to I have redeemed thee right just because pastors love to run here and just make this somehow SALVIVII.

35:51 This is I want to make sure. This is primarily referring to God's delivering Israel from specific physical circumstances not to be a not to be seen, a spiritual redemption, and the New Testament sins. In this context, God references redeeming Israel relates to his historical acts of deliverance, such as the exodus from Egypt. This is often seen as the foundational act of God's redemption for Israel, where he physically delivered them from slavery and oppression under Pharaoh, deliverance from exile. More immediately, in Isaiah forty three, the reference to redemption is tied to Israel's future deliverance from Babylonian exile. God is promising to redeem, rescue them from the captivity, and bring them back to their homeland. This is about physical redemption, God saving his people from national destruction, exile, and foreign oppression. The Babylonian captivity and the anticipated return from it are central to Isaiah's message in these chapters.

36:46 The concept of spiritual redemption and the sense of being freed from sin and death through the work of Jesus Christ, as seen in the New Testament, is not the focus in Isaiah forty three. I cannot stress that enough. I just want to double down on that, so we break the text apart. Israel has reasons. Judah and Israel have great reasons to fear of, not only what is happening what is about to happen. They have great reasons to fear because of their own sin and their own guilt. And God steps in and says, hey, hey, hey, do not fear, And they say, well, why should we not fear?

37:29 Because I made thee I created you from Jacob to you being named Israel. I have been right there. I have redeemed you, and I have called you by name and your mine because of a covenant I have made with you, And I promise to be with you and protect you when you go through all of this, so that you will not be allultimately destroyed. Israel will be preserved. Israel will last even when it doesn't look like they shouldn't be, even when it looked like they no longer existed, Even in seventy a d. When in some ways they're wiped off the face of the earth, God never forgot them.

38:13 God has kept them. God has preserved them, and they are a nation today, and we believe that God will bring them all back together and then they'll be saved and they'll be in the land as promised in Ezekiel and in Jeremiah. That's what this is about. Now, there's a danger here if we run in and grab this fear not, and if we run in and grab other promises God made specifically to Israel and we start claiming them for ourselves, or we start preaching these fear nots and giving them to other people sitting in the congregation or to Christian friends, you know, going through difficult things.

38:59 This can be very very very very very very dangerous. There is a danger in taking Old Testament fear not passages, particularly those promising protection from physical harm, material loss, and other temporal damages and dangers, and claiming them directly for Christians today. Why because there's key differences. Let me consider some of these. First. I talked about this a minute ago. The covenantal context. Old Testament Israel was under the Mosaic Covenant, which included promises of physical blessing and protection, and you can read about this in Deuteronomy twenty eight verses one through fourteen, God says, I will do this, and I will do this, I will do this now. Yes, this is a very works base situation going on in that particular covenant. We understand that. But the point is there's clear promises of provision of protection. This deals with ysical protection, material blessing that. This is very specific, it's very materialistic, it's very earthly, it's very fleshly. We understand this. This covenant outline rewards for Israel as a nation, including protection from enemies, fertility of the land, and freedom from disease.

40:19 These physical promises were tied to Israel's national identity and their obedience. While Israel's physical prosperity and safety were part of the Covenant, the new Covenant that Christians are under through Christ does not guarantee the same material or physical benefits. We cannot run to the promises and the fear nots of the Old Testament and then just knock them in the face and say I'm gonna take it for me. And now here's my Christian friend who's having a little difficulty. Here, here's a fear nod, here's these promises in the Old Testament. How dare you do that. How dare you do that? You're just gonna lead to pain. You're gonna lead to disillusion them being disillusioned, and you may lead them to just utterly deconstruc and leaving the faith because you're promising some trash that's not real, and they're going to go this garbage doesn't work. Well, you know why it doesn't work because Christians lied to you. They sold you a fraudulent thing. For For us, as Christians, we're under a New Testament context and contrast, the New Testament makes it clear that Christians are not promised immunity from physical suffering, sickness, persecution, or material loss. In fact, Jesus and the Apostles often worn of the reality of suffering for those who follow Christ.

41:43 In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world. That's John sixteen thirty three. In this life you're going to suffer, but hey, take heart, there's coming a time. Hey, Now, this is where you can find some parallel. Hey, Israel, you're suffering, but fear not because this this this this Hey Christians, we're going to suffer now, but fear not. Why there's coming a day just as Israel. There's coming a day that they will ultimately be restored and ultimately be put in the land. There's coming a day when we, in a sense, will be taken. We'll be where we've been left in exile. Here, we're in our Babylonian captivity. We're in this world. We're not of this world. We're just passing through. We're strangers here, we're pilgrims here. This is not our home. There's coming a time that we will then be gathered together in our new where our rightful home is, where our citizenship is.

42:39 We're in exile right now. There's the parallel. But we're gonna suffer right now. Christians are not guaranteed physical safety or material prosperity. Instead, the premises are focused on spiritual blessings and eternal security. I cannot stress that enough. We can't go to these promises and think that we want the promises that was given to Israel, and we want those promises to be ours. But those promises aren't for us, they were for Israel. We can't do that now. We are similar to Israel in this says as they were in exile, we are in exile. We're in this world that's not our home. And guess what happens in this world.

43:38 There's pain, there's suffering, there's death. That's what happens in this world. There's pain, there's suffering, there's death. That's what happens here. But guess what we have promises? In a sense, we can be told fear not not fear not because things are going to get better here, but fear not because of what is coming, what's going to be when we finally are brought into our true land. There is the parallel. Now, what are the dangers of missupplying these Old Testament fear or notes? Well, it gives unrealistic expectations. Claiming promises of physical protection from Old Testament passages like Isaiah forty three for Christians today can lead to unrealistic expectations.

44:24 When a believer expects protection from physical harm, sickness, and material loss based on these verses and then encounters hardship or suffering, it can lead to disillusionment or even a loss of faith. Many Christians may wonder why God is allowing them to sufferer face trials when they're claiming a promise of physical safety from the Old Testament. Stop claiming promises from the Old Testament, they're not for you. And almost every single situation, other than some exceptions where clearly we are that's applicable to us. These many of these are covenantal promises, not for you. Stop claiming them and stop telling other people to claim them, because then they're going to be left. Well, wait a minute, I'm suffering. This is this is not I said. Or you start thinking, well, I'm not doing good enough and I'm not doing good enough, and you just destroy everything Christianity is supposed to be us.

45:17 This misunderstanding can cause serious spiritual crises when reality does not match their expectations, and it will. It will destroy you. So number one, it's going to give you unrealistic expectations. Number two, it's going to give you a misunderstanding of God's promises in Christ. Focusing on physical protection and material blessings may distract from the greater promises in Christ, such as the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and spiritual security. Christians are promised that nothing can separate us from the love of God and Christ Jesus, but this does not mean that they will be avoid they will avoid suffering in this life. It is crucial to recognize that spiritual protection and ultimate victory over death and judgment are the true promises of the Christian rather than temporal earthly guarantees.

46:00 We don't have any temporal earthly guarantees. We have guarantees that in Christ Jesus I am saved, I am born again. Nothing is gonna separate me from that. I am forever secure. My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Jesus I am seated in heavenly places. Everything is perfect there. But in this life I'm an exile, and there's gonna be pain, and there's gonna be selfering, and there's gonna be difficulty, and there's gonna be discouragement, and things are not always going to go right in any way, shape or form. So what happens if we take these fear nots from the Old Testament and instill them from the people whom they were attended will give you an i unrealistic expectations. And number two, it will give us a misunderstanding of God's promises. In Christ. We start focusing on temporal promises and physical promises. Other than the spiritual promises which we can grab on to number three.

47:01 It destroys a theology of suffering. Misapplying these fear not passages can lead to a prosperity theology, or a belief that if someone has enough faith, they will be protected from sickness, suffering, or financial loss. This idea is not biblical and directly contradicts the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles, who emphasize the reality of suffering for all believers the Health and Wealth Gospel. The Health and Wealth Gospel claims that Christians can avoid suffering if they have enough faith. Often realize on misinterpretations of Old Testament promises. When suffering does come, it can lead people to wrongly believe that their faith is inadequate, or even worse, that God has filled them. A proper understanding of fear not for Christians when Christians should. While Christians should certainly draw comfort from the fact that God is always present and they are spiritually secure in Christ, fear not promises must be understood in light of the New Covenant and spiritual realities. It emphasis so for a Christian. When we see hear not, we don't look at the fear not that was given to Israel and those specific historical situations. We see the fear not this way. I can fear not because of spiritual security. Paul reassures believers in Romans eight thirty one through thirty nine that nothing can separate is from the love of God, even though they may face tribulation, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword. This passage shows that the security Christians promised this primarily spiritual, not physical. We may face the sword,

48:33 we may face famine, we may face the plague, we may face disease, we may face persecution, we may face all kinds of natural disasters and pain and suffering. But guess what, Nothing can separate me from the love of God. This is my fear. Is I fear not because of a spiritual security, not because of anything else. Now, if we want to draw a parallel, Israel is suffering. They're sinners, they are suffering the judgment and wrath of God, the face exile. They're facing all of these difficulties. But God tells them to fear not. Well, guess what we, in a sense are in exile? Right? We are in this world. We're not of it, but we are in it, and we face the pain and the suffering and all the things that come along with being in this world. Because what I can be told because of spiritual promises, I can fear not, because nothing can separate me from the love of God. I am eternally secure no matter what happens.

49:27 If my house burns down, if I get cancer, if I get hit by a car and paralyzed, if I get shot five times, stabbed twenty three times, if I am starving to death, I can fear not because I am spiritually secure in Christ. Because that security does not come by anything I have done, but what Christ has done for me. There I can drol There, I can say, Okay, I can fear not. But I don't take these fear nots and apply them to me, because these fear nots have a very clear historical context to a very specific people and a very specific situation Hebrews thirteen five through six.

50:07 I will never leave you nor forsake you. The promise to hear is about God's presence and faithfulness and all circumstances it does not have promised to avoid hardship. Christians are called to trust in God's presence even in the midst of suffering. God is with us as he was with them, But that doesn't mean that we're going to be preserved from physical pain or suffering. I can fear not as a New Testament Christian because of victory over death and judgment one Corinthians fifteen fifty four through fifty seven. Death is swallowed up in victory, Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The ultimate fear not for Christians is knowing that Christ has conquered death and that eternal life is secured. For those who believe John five twenty four. Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me, has eternal life.

50:57 It does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Christians do not need to fear eternal judgment because they have already passed from death to life through faith in Christ. That's the ultimate fear not for us. Death has been defeated. I have eternal life. I am guaranteed I have passed from judgment into life because of what Christ has done. There is where I don't fear so as a Christian, I fear not because of spiritual security. I fear not because of victory over death and judgment. I fear not because of God's sovereign plan and suffering. James one twenty four counted, all joy, my brother, and when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of her faith produces steadfastness one Peter four twelve through thirteen. Beloved, be not surprised at the fiery trial which comes upon you to test you as though something strange was happening to you, But rejoice in so far as you as you share Christ's suffering, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. The New Testament perspective on suffering is not to avoid it, but to understand that God uses trials for the sanctification and maturity of believers. The Christian hope is not to avoid suffering, but in knowing that God's purposes are being worked in and through it. When we take these Old Testament fear nods and rip them out

52:28 of their context, not only we mishandling the word of God, we're doing actual spiritual damage to the people we give this lie to. Israel's given a very specific fear nod for a very specific reason. Given very specific reasons why they should not fear. Because God created them, that's them. He created them as a nation, He identified them as Israel. He redeemed them. This is not salvific. This is He redeemed them from all of these other horrible situations, and they're now in another situation. So they can trust he will once again deliver them, which ultimately he will. We believe that the promise to ultimately redeem Israel from all where all the places they've been separated and bring them back into the land. We believe that's going to occur.

53:14 He's entered into a covenant with them, and he offers protection for them. All of that is based off his covenant relationship with them. Now for us, if we want to see a parallel, we too are in exile. We are in this world, even though we're not of it. We're pilgrims, we're strangers here. This is not our home. Our citizenship is in heaven. But for now we are in exile. We are in exile, but the time is coming that we will be brought into the land. There is the parallel. But when God tells for me not to fear, is I don't take the old Testament promises of fear not I take the New Testament concept of why would I not fear? Well, I don't fear for very specific reasons. I don't fear because I have spiritual security.

54:01 I don't fear because I know Christ has gained victory over death and judgment, and now I am one hundred percent guaranteed eternal life, and I know that death is not the end. I do not fear because of God's sovereign purpose and suffering. So but guess what, there's a major danger if I take these fear nots of the Old Testament apply him to me, I'm gonna end up disillusioned, discourage, confused, and probably absolutely maybe leading to wanting to just give up and say Christianity as a fraud. Now I can.

54:48 I could do more here, but I think you get the idea. I think you get the idea. Oh I want to. I want to. I want to do much more. I've got I got a lot more here. Oh, I want to do more here, but I won't. Wow, I could go for another too an hour, I could go for another hour. So now do you understand Isaiah forty three and its proper historical context Israel's in a bad situation. Judah and Israel, they're in a horrible situation.

55:33 They know they're guilty, they know they've failed God. They feel that guilt, they feel that shame. They know God is upset. They know that the Northern Kingdom's already been taken by the Assyrians, the Southern Kingdom's about to go into Babylonian exile. There's pain they're suffering, there's fear, and you can see why they're worried. You can see it, you can feel it. It's very real. There's a historical textual reason. If you look at Isaiah forty two, you really get the sense of it. Right. Starting a chapter of forty two, starting in verse thirteen, we start reading about the judgment of God, and then he is starting in forty two eighteen, Here here ye death, and look ye blind that you may see who is blind, but my servant or Death as my messenger that I sent.

56:21 Who is blind? Is he that is perfect and blind as the Lord's servant, seeing many things, But thou observest not opening the ears, but the hereth not. The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness sake, he will magnify the law and make it honorable. But this is a people who robbed and spoiled. They are all of them snared in holes. They are hid in a prison houses there for a prey, and none delivereth for a spoil, and none saith restore. Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken in here for the time to come? Who gave Jacob for a spoil? And Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned, For they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. Therefore he poured upon the fury of his anger and the strength of battle.

57:06 And he had sent them on and set them on fire round about. Yet he knew not, and it burned him. Yet he laid it not to heart. Hey, this is this is, I mean literally forty two gives you the idea you are suffering because of your sin. You are guilty, And he even mentions the idea of fire. And then all of a sudden, he says, but now fear not, fear not, And they're like white. Why we are so guilty? We deserve everything, God says, fear not. Why but why should we not fear? I made you from Jacob to Israel. I made you, I created you, I redeemed you. Remember all those times where you messed up and I redeemed you.

57:49 I'm gonna redeem you again, and I entered into a covenant with you. I do not forget my covenant, and I'm gonna be with you as you go through all of the difficulty, whether fire water. That's for Israel. And I think anyone who knows that God has made promises to Israel that have yet been fulfilled, He's going to fulfill them as well. They're ultimately going to be redeemed, ultimately from their ultimate exile because they've been scattered and they're going to ultimately be brought back, put in the land and redeemed. God's going to give them a new heart. He's going to save them, and he's going to fulfill those promises. That's what it's about. You say, well, where are we, Well, primarily we're nowhere in it, but we can see a parallel. Where are we right now? Well, we're sinners. We still sin all the time. We know we're sinners. You should know that guilt. Every single day, you should know how you fell God. Every single day you should feel it, and you should look around and go, this is not my home. I'm still in exile. I'm in it, but I'm not of it. I'm a pilgrim.

59:01 I'm a stranger here. And guess what I'm going to incur. I'm going to recur. I'm going to incur suffering, and I'm going to incur pain and death and sickness and all the things that I'm going to experience right here in this world and when I'm going to do so. But in a roundabout way, we have reasons for us not to fear because of all the spiritual promises we have been given, all the spiritual promises. Fear not because of your spiritual security. Romans eight thirty one through thirty nine. Fear not because of Christ's victory over death, the grave and sin one Corinthians fifteen fifty four through fifty seven, and John five twenty four. Fear not because of God's sovereign plan and suffering James one two through four, and one Peter four twelve through thirteen. There is where you can find some parallel, and there's coming a time for for us that we will be gathered together out of our exile and brought into the land, and then we will be just like Israel. Oh we're gonna get We're gonna be completely transformed. There's the parallel if you want to see a parallel, But that's not what Isaiah's pointing to.

1:00:20 Isaiah's pointing to Israel. We can see ourselves in it, but it's not what it's about. Now that's sixty minutes. What I wanted to do was to show you how we took a We listened to a sermon that immediately obliterated the text. We tried to go back and actually look at the text and its historical and textual context. We try to show you the dangers of ripping things out of context, but then we try to at least demonstrate how you can still make it applicable to a certain degree without doing any damage to the text. And I think if you look at Isaiah forty two, it even becomes more prominent. They're fearful because of how guilty they are. Well, I'm fearful because of how guilty I am.

1:01:08 Now I can draw some more parallels between them and us, but they're parallels. There's similarities, but it's not what if the key from Isaiah's to see what God did for them. All right, I'll stop there. You can tell me what you think, right, Isaiah forty three, you may want to go back and read forty two. You may want to go back and read forty to forty two. And maybe we'll do some more work on Isaiah forty three. But see, if you'll just exegetically stay with the text, you can find parallel. Parallel is one thing. Just knocking them out of the text and making it about us is where we're hijacking the text. See there, we did not hijack the text. We stayed true to the text, and then we saw an interesting parallel. And there is an interesting parallel, and we can do a little bit more work on it, but for now we'll stop. Thanks for listening Isaiah forty three.

1:02:07 Just maybe focus on that today. I was typically i'd give you some assignment, but just focus on Isaiah forty three. Thanks for listening. God bless