Theology with Ozi: The Rescuer
Isaiah 41:10, 13
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.
For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
I love the New Testament. That’s cool, but we’re studying yet another Old Testament text, Ozi, you might be thinking. Hear me out. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says that all of God’s promises in Christ are yes and amen - yes and indeed, essentially. These two texts contain a total of five promises.
In addition, 1 Corinthians 13 provides a lens by which to view these texts - through the lens of God’s perfect love. One of the things we learn about agape love is that it is protective, an attribute of God that appears in both of the above texts. It’s with these two lenses that I can and do take comfort in both these verses. Let’s take a look at them, line by line.
Have you ever been afraid in your life? I know I have. Whether it’s worrying about family, love, or our futures - fear can reign prevalent in our souls. But in this passage, God tenderly tells us to fear not - because He is with us. Why is it important to remember that God is with us? When we understand that God is with us, we realize some things.
First, God will never abandon or leave us (Hebrews 13:6). No matter what we’re going through, God is always there for us - a comfort and help and provider.
Secondly, God knows how the situation will end. We are finite, but God is infinite in knowledge. He knows just how the situation will end and thus steadies our souls, providing a reason to hope in Him.
God then commands us not to be dismayed because He is our God. To be dismayed is essentially to lose heart - to become despondent. Have you ever been so discouraged about something that there seemed to be no hope at all? If you have, know you’re not alone. Proverbs says that a hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life (from experience on both sides of the coin, I know this to be true).
So why should we not fall into dismay? I am reminded of what Jesus, the Son of God, says in John 16:33 - “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” God, through Jesus, is making everything sad come untrue. Also, Romans 8:1 reminds us that God, the omnipotent God, is for us - He makes all things, including our trials, work out for the good of those who love Him, and that’s us! God is faithful; you can trust Him.
Finally, we come to the promises of God. God promises to strengthen us, help us, and protect us. What do we learn from this? We learn that God will keep His word because He is just, and it is impossible for Him to lie. Thus, we can trust Him. We also learn about the dimensions of God’s love. God’s love is not only kind, seeking our good in that He will strengthen us and help us - but it is also protective. How? God promises that He will uphold us with His righteous right hand and that He will hold our right hand and help us.
The same concept of the right hand appears twice in both verses, underscoring its importance. For God to uphold us and hold our right-hand means that He is intimately aware of our trials and will keep us, persevering us in the midst of them.
If you are experiencing trouble today, let your soul cling to the God whose right hand upholds you (Psalm 63:8). He sees you; he cares, and as the song “The Blessing” says, “He is for you.”
Discussion Questions
Psalm 46:10 says that God is a very present help in trouble. Isaiah 41:13 echoes this as God promises to hold our right hand and help us. How does it impact your view of God to know that He is not only with you but also actively helps you?
How does it make you feel that God knows what you’re going through and will keep you?
What is one thing you want to do this week to remind yourself of God’s promises?