A Wee Story
I find it hard not to be jealous of incredibly gifted people, be they athletes, artists, writers, and in particular, musicians. One of my favourite musicians is Cory Wong, and his collaboration with the amazing Metropole Orkest, Starship Syncopation, is an album I love to listen to time and again.
Recently I watched a YouTube video, this one, where Cory takes a voice note from a friend and then arranges all the different instruments to make a great song. Talk about gifted!
What caught my attention and the reason for this wee story and how it links to our scripture for Sunday, is that good music almost always has repeated phrases which give it overall coherence and add to the beauty and listenability of the song. These repeated phrases also mean that when a song does something new, that new thing bursts from the song.
What’s this got to do with Isaiah?
As we work our way through Isaiah on Sunday mornings and at Life Groups, I’m starting to notice repeated phrases and themes, which in a similar way to repeated phrases in music, give an overall coherence to Isaiah’s message and which also point to the steadfastness of God’s love.
This Sunday
This Sunday we will look at Isaiah 43. It is a fantastic passage of scripture, and I would strongly encourage you to read it, and read it again, and again, before Sunday.
Created and Formed
I was struck, reading Isaiah 43 that it opens with a theme which is repeated from Isaiah 40 onwards. Again, and again, like a repeated refrain in music, God tells his people that he created them and that he formed them (Isaiah 42:5; 43:7; 43:10; 43:12; 44:2; 44:21; 44:24;45:8; 45:12; 45:18; 49:5).
Do not …For…
Another repeating theme/phrase which struck me is, “do not fear, for I am with you” (verse 5). Repeatedly God through Isaiah gives the instruction not to fear, Isaiah 7:3–5, 35:3–4, 40:8–10, 41:9–10, 41:12–14, 43:1.
Bedrock Rhythms
The story Jesus told about two people who built house, one on sandy ground and the other on rock is a familiar one. The end of the story is deliberately predictable, the house on sand falls down while the one on rock stands firm.
These repeated themes and phrases in Isaiah are rock on which we can stand and build. We need bedrock rhythms in our lives and God’s word to us which is a solid foundation.
Why?
Why does God repeatedly remind his people that he is the God who created the whole world and formed them into a people?
The answer lies in the fact they are having an existential crisis; they are unsure of who they were anymore. Their sense of identity has taken a battering. Their trust in God and in his ability to deliver what he promises is at a low point.
Whether we are ancient Hebrews captive in Babylon, or people living in Glasgow and its wider metropolitan area, when we become unsure of our identity (personally and collectively) aspects of our relationship with God close off and we become unsure about God.
Good News.
That God acts in grace towards people runs through all of scripture, and so we find this great theme in Isaiah. God graciously reminds them that he is the creator – if he can create all they see and know, then surely he is capable of acting in their situation? He also reminds them that he formed them and this “formedness by God” is central to their identity, both in terms of where they have come from, but also their sense of purpose, a purpose which God has not revoked.
Remembering
Remembering, not in some casual off hand way, but deep within us, that God is creator (i.e. he is capable of doing anything), and that he formed us (our identity is found in him, our purpose comes from him, and as his possession our security and sense of being safe comes from him) is the bedrock which allows us not to fear.
Do not fear, for I am with you, is the same “tune” as I am the Lord who created you and formed you.
Remembering God can do anything (creator) and our identity and security is found in him (he formed us), provides the reason and basis why we need not fear, and the grounds upon which we can accept the claim that He is with us.
And there’s more …
There’s a lot more to dig into in Isaiah 43, so hopefully we will do some digging on Sunday morning.
In the meantime, may you know deep in your soul that God is creator and He is for you and with you. So, do not fear, but in whatever you have and are facing, rejoice.
See you Sunday.
Brodie