God’s Redeeming Work for His People

Isaiah 44:21-28 

21 "Remember these, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant;

O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!
22 I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions,
And like a cloud, your sins.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."

23 Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!

For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
And glorified Himself in Israel.

24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,
And He who formed you from the womb:
"I am the LORD, who makes all things,
Who stretches out the heavens all alone,
Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;

25 Who frustrates the signs of the babblers,
And drives diviners mad;
Who turns wise men backward,
And makes their knowledge foolishness;

26 Who confirms the word of His servant,
And performs the counsel of His messengers;
Who says to Jerusalem, 'You shall be inhabited,'
To the cities of Judah, 'You shall be built,'
And I will raise up her waste places;
27 Who says to the deep, 'Be dry!
And I will dry up your rivers';

28 Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure,
Saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built,"
And to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid."'

The people of God are not forgotten and will be restored.  That was the message to the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah by Isaiah who were both called His servants.  The promise was to cover their sins as if forgotten because they were not forgotten.  The redeemed of the LORD were forgiven as we are in Christ with our sins completely atoned for by our great high priest.  God called for the very heavens and earth to rejoice in song for this work of the Lord as Je called them back to Himself in the response of repentance.  He redeemed His people and glorified Himself in that work of redemption, which work He has consummated in Christ for all His people out of Israel and all the nations blessed through the faith of Abraham!  He knew them and us in the womb because He predetermined us to exist even before time began (Psalm 139:13, 16, Ephesians 1:4-6, 2 Timothy 1:9).  From there He forms us according to His word and will which we refer to as sanctification with the pattern set here in verse 24 as a comfort to us and to strengthen our trust in His sovereign grace in his working for His glory as well as our good (Romans 8:28).  What a comfort and rejoicing we find in all of scripture!  He brings our His truth and glory by confounding the philosophy and arrogance of man’s thinking.  He brings to nothing the fortune tellers and false prophets, making them go mad in their futility of thought and turning them back from causing harm to others.  He shows their foolish imaginations as empty knowledge while confirming His word of truth and understanding of His working of grace and judgment; grace for His chosen people and judgment on those who reject His word.  He confirms the words given through His prophets who have gone before up to the final messenger of His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).  He does all He promises and gives us a future and hope in that working for the present into forever.  Just as He promised to rebuild Jerusalem and bring His people back there using the worldly leader Cyrus to shepherd them, so Jesus Christ the great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) will lead us and build up His church (1 Peter 2:4-5) with Him as its foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11).  This prophetic picture of the church is seen in many of the Old Testament books like Isaiah as examples for us to understand His work leading up to the Messiah who is the Christ (John 4:25) for all His people (Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 1:10).  This is God’s redeeming work for ahis people that we might hear and believe, accept and receive (John 1:12, 6:29) that work.