He Has Called You By Name

Isaiah 43:1-2

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
-Isaiah 43:1-2

Hope in God is not hope misplaced. 

Isaiah spent much of his prophetic time spreading the truth that God was angry at His people. They had fallen into fake and mindless worship of Him, which God despises. They refused to turn from their pride-filled sin.

And so God warned them through Isaiah that He would use an enemy to overthrow the nation of Israel. 

But He would not leave them without hope.

God didn’t simply bash the people over the head with their sin and then leave them to bleed out and die. He comforted them with two beautiful aspects of who He is: Creator and Redeemer.

Despite the constant sin of His people, He provided them with hope for the future not because of what they would accomplish or how they might turn their lives around through obedience. No, He gave them hope based upon who He is.

He is Creator. Our God formed us with the breath of His mouth. He knitted us together in the quiet place. Before father and mother even know about the existence of new life, Creator God has already placed a soul within the quickly growing cells of the tiniest of humanity. He forms us tenderly and exquisitely.

And as a result of the sin of humanity, He also redeemed. He has not stood by, watching His creation burn in the depths of its sin. He has redeemed us.

What did this mean for Israel? It meant they could obey His command to fear not. No matter what Babylon did to them, no matter how bleak their circumstances were, they could look to the words of the Lord given through Isaiah and remember that He told them to not fear, for He would be with them, not allowing them to be overwhelmed should they choose to not fear.

The context of this passage must remain clear in our minds. These were a people who constantly turned away from their Creator. They worshiped other gods. They blamed God for hardship, for evil, for the things about their lives they didn’t like. And because of their sin and refusal to repent, God was going to allow their sin to follow its logical conclusion.

Yet God had made a promise about redemption. And we can also trust and hope in God’s promises.

But maybe the most beautiful thing about this passage is the fact that God did not say, “However, I’ve made this promise about a future Savior, so tough it out, and I guess I must save you eventually. But I’m going to make it painful for you.”

Our God is a compassionate God. He’s a God who loves us. This passage reveals that love. He reminded His people that He did not just create them, but He calls them by name. He did not just redeems them, but He allows them to pass through horrific circumstances unscathed in soul and spirit. He gives them a beautiful, undeserved hope that no matter what they go through, if they turn to Him and fear not, He will be with them.

Isaiah did not speak these words to us, yet we glean hope from these characteristics of God, too. God is our Creator. He has redeemed us. He calls us by name, and we are His.

Therefore, dear friend, do not fear. God commands this of you. Do not fear your current circumstances. Do not fear your future. Do not fear your enemy. 

God has called you by name. You are His.

No matter what you go through in this life, God will never allow your soul to be consumed. You will not drown. You will not be overwhelmed. You will not burn.

God does not promise ease. He promises protection as His child. Not because of what you have or will do. Not because of your obedience. 

But because of who He is. He has created you, and He has redeemed you.