"Consumed"
Overview
Consumed by the Love of God
Isaiah 43:1 opens with two of the most hopeful words in Scripture: "But now." To feel their weight, we have to read what comes just before. In Isaiah 42:21-25, the Lord had been pleased, for the sake of His righteousness, to magnify His law and make Israel a great and glorious nation. Yet Israel was unfaithful—plundered, imprisoned, and exiled. The text is clear that this destruction was not ultimately the work of Babylon but of the Lord, against whom they had sinned. Like David's confession in Psalm 51:4, "Against you, you alone, have I sinned," Israel's exile was a just verdict on covenant unfaithfulness. God's wrath had been poured out, and still they did not take it to heart.
But God's wrath was not His final word. "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." Four assurances rest on God Himself: He created Israel as a holy people; He redeemed them out of Egypt and through the sea; He named them—a sign of intimate covenant relationship, just as Abram became Abraham and Jacob became Israel Genesis 32:27-28; and He claimed them as His own. The burden of the covenant rested on the Lord, not on the faithfulness of His people. So when waters rise and fires burn, He promises His presence: "the flame shall not consume you."
We are creatures who are always being consumed by something—a worry, a fear, an ambition, an anger, a passing fascination. The question is not whether we will be consumed, but by what. The good news is that God is consumed with love for His people, and He has extended every promise of Isaiah 43 to us in Christ. In Him we are a new creation 2 Corinthians 5:17, "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" 1 Peter 2:9-10, justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Romans 3:23-25. He bears the burden of our unfaithfulness by sacrificing His own Son.
And He names us still—"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God" 1 John 3:1. The tangible sign of this naming is the washing of Holy Baptism: "He saved us... according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit" Titus 3:3-5. Whatever consumes you today—fear, sin, sorrow, or shame—will not have the last word. The God who is all-consuming in His love has created you new, redeemed you in the blood of Christ, named you His child, and claimed you eternally. Hear the "but now" spoken over your life, and go tell others that they too may be called and claimed as His own.
Transcript
If you would please join me in opening your Bibles to the Prophet Isaiah, the 43rd chapter, 1s
the Prophet Isaiah, the 43rd chapter. 8s
If you look at verse 1, it begins, but now thus says the Lord. 12s
But now thus says the Lord. 18s
Well really to understand the, but now that the Lord is going to say, we really need to understand 20s
what preceded this next oracle. 28s
So we're going to actually go back to Isaiah 42. 33s
We want to see what's happening right before the, but now thus says the Lord. 37s
So if we look back to verse 21 of Isaiah 42, we read that the Lord was pleased for the sake 44s
of his righteousness to magnify his teaching and make it glorious. 52s
As remember, the Prophet Isaiah is writing to the Israelites people. 57s
He's speaking to them from the Lord, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 63s
He's sharing God's word with them and he's telling them that God in his righteousness 68s
had given his law to Israel. 74s
He was ready to make his law great. 78s
He was ready to be glorified through Israel thereby making Israel a great nation. 80s
He was ready to do this out of his own righteousness, out of his own goodness. 88s
But we continue in verse 22. 94s
But this is a people robbed and plundered. 96s
All of them are trapped in holes and hidden in prisons. 101s
They have become a prey with no one to rescue. 105s
A spoil with no one to say, restore. 108s
Who among you will give heed to this? 112s
Who will attend and listen for the time to come? 114s
So God was ready to make Israel a great nation. 120s
He was ready to use his glorious law, his righteousness to make Israel great. 125s
And yet Israel was unfaithful to Yahweh and because of their unbelief, 135s
because of their unfaithfulness, instead of being a great nation, being made great. 141s
They were pillaged and they were plundered. 149s
Verse 24 says, who gave up Jacob to the spoiler and Israel to the robbers? 153s
The nations were going to flock to Israel. 157s
They were going to flock to Zion because of its greatness, because of the glory and greatness of the Torah, 161s
God's law. 170s
But instead they were looted. 172s
The nations came and looted the nation of Israel. 175s
And who allowed that to happen? 181s
We continue in verse 24. 184s
Was it not the Lord against whom we have sinned? 187s
In whose ways they would not walk and in whose law they would not obey. 191s
Israel was in exile in Babylon, but it was not caused by the Babylonians. 197s
It was allowed to happen because of their unfaithfulness. 204s
They had been unfaithful to God and against God and God alone, they sinned. 209s
It's reminiscent of King David in Psalm 51 in his great penitential Psalm where he wrote, 216s
against you, you alone have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, 224s
so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 229s
It was against the Lord that the Israelites had sinned. 236s
They were disobedient to Him. 241s
They had been unfaithful to Him. 244s
And so He was righteous and right to pass judgment and in the sentence that He would pass. 250s
We continue in verse 25 of Isaiah 42. 257s
So He poured upon Him the heat of His anger and the fury of war. 261s
It set Him on fire all around, but He did not understand. 267s
It burned Him, but He did not take it too hard. 271s
So in that verse we have a lot of He and a lot of Him, but it's not all the same He or Him. 275s
We hear that God poured upon Israel the heat of God's anger and the fury of war. 282s
Israel was on fire, but they still didn't repent. 288s
God's wrath was being poured out upon Israel, but they continued to sin. 294s
They didn't take it to heart. 300s
They didn't heed the call and need for repentance. 302s
This is the preceding oracle that Israel had been given. 308s
An oracle which was of God's wrath and the rightness for Him to pour out His wrath because 313s
of Israel's unfaithfulness. 322s
Israel knew. 327s
They knew the covenant that they had with the Lord. 328s
They knew that the wrath of the Lord would rain down upon them and they experienced God's wrath 334s
and still they hadn't taken heed. 341s
They hadn't turned in repentance. 346s
But God's wrath was not His final word. 349s
And this is where we come to this, but now, but now, verse 1 of chapter 43 in Isaiah, 354s
but now, thus says the Lord, the previous words were words of destruction for Israel. 364s
It was God's righteous judgment upon them, but now there is a word other than destruction. 370s
Now there is a word other than God's wrath. 379s
In verse 1 it continues, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel. 385s
Israel was created by God. 393s
Certainly we know the stories that all the Israelites would have known, the creation of the entire 395s
universe by God, where He created Adam, out of dust and Eve, out of Adam and He literally 402s
created them. 410s
But we also have the creation in which Israel is created as a nation where He calls the people 411s
to be set apart as His own people, a chosen people, a separate people, in a holy people. 420s
And as His people, God made a covenant to them to be their God. 429s
And they would be His people. 435s
And the burden of the covenant was placed upon Yahweh. 437s
The burden of the covenant was placed upon Him. 443s
But now, this is not a word of wrath. 450s
I will remind you Israel that I created you. 455s
Here that word we continue. 461s
He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel, do not fear for I have redeemed you. 465s
Remember where we said that the covenant between Yahweh and the Israelites people, 473s
it was incumbent upon Yahweh upon the Lord to bear the burden of that covenant with His people. 480s
Israel does not need to fear. 487s
Not only has God created Israel as a holy and separate people to be His own. 491s
He redeemed them. 498s
When they were captive in Egypt, it was the Lord who set them free. 500s
He kept them safe during all the plagues. 505s
He kept them safe when the angel of death swept over Egypt, claiming the first born. 508s
He kept them safe and led them through dry land, through the red sea, 516s
as if they were walking on dry land, though the Egyptians were chasing after them. 522s
God had a responsibility in saving Israel and in redeeming His people. 528s
So God has created Israel. 538s
They have no need to fear because God has already redeemed them. 541s
We continue. He says, I have called you by name, you are mine. 547s
He reminds them that He created them. He reminds them that He redeemed them. 554s
Not only did He create and redeemed them, but He named them. 561s
He claimed them as His own. 565s
And what does that mean? 569s
When God names one in the Old Testament, it means that there is an intimacy that is present. 571s
An intimacy of friendship, a closeness of relationship. 578s
God didn't just call the people in general. He called them by name. 584s
He had a very particular relationship set for Himself and the Israelite people. 591s
He adesignated them as His own. 598s
When God made that covenant with Abram, Abram was given a new name, Abraham. 604s
And in that name, it was added to His person the multitude of His descendants, 612s
the descendants that would come out of that covenant with the Lord. 620s
Jacob was given the name Israel when He wrestled with the Lord. Israel is a nation 626s
that would wrestle with Yahweh. In Genesis 32, it says, so He said to Him that is the man, the Lord, 634s
what is your name? And He said, Jacob, then the man said, you shall no longer be called Jacob, 644s
but Israel, for you have driven with God and with humans and have prevailed. 650s
God had poured His wrath out upon disobedient Israel. They were exiled, they were desolate, 658s
they were all but completely destroyed. But God said, I have a new word for you. 667s
As my people, I have created you. As my people, I have redeemed you. I have already shown 682s
that I will redeem you. I have named you, I have taken you as my own you are my people and you have 690s
nothing to fear. We continue in verse 2. When you pass through the waters, 700s
I will be with you and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, 706s
you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you. This of course brings up the imagery 714s
of the waters that the Israelites indeed passed through. The red sea that they passed through 722s
being led by the Lord through Moses as if they were walking on dry land passing through the 729s
seas not having it crashed down upon them into freedom out of slavery in Egypt. They were led 737s
by Yahweh or by Joshua through, by Yahweh through Joshua through the river Jordan, through the 747s
river the waters had turned back and they had entered into the promised land not overtaken. 759s
Water and fire show us destruction, they show us obstacles but we see that the Lord is promising 772s
that no earthly obstacle, no earthly destruction would be able to destroy his people. They would not 782s
be consumed. When you think of being consumed, it really can be either good or bad. I think 793s
about my kids when they were younger toddlers and they would go through, we called them phases, 803s
but they would go through phases in which they were consumed by a particular cartoon character 810s
or consumed by playing a particular game and every waking moment of their day was spent playing 817s
or play acting in this all-consuming character or game. It took up all parts of their life. 828s
At the dinner table, we had to call them by their name or that was requested that we would perhaps 840s
call our eldest Cinderella instead of Aslin or perhaps sing songs about Dorah the Explorer 846s
during our walks in the neighborhood. Every waking moment we were thinking and talking and playing 856s
about different childhood phases, it was all consuming and I don't know that that's something 863s
that we ever quite grow out of. Think about your life, think about what fills your every waking 871s
moment. Is there something that is all consuming for you? Something that is constantly vying for your 880s
attention, something that you are concerned with or worried about or angry about or fear or 889s
pleased with at all waking moments of your day? Is there something that we consume our lives with 896s
at all times and in all places? Are you consumed? Do you fear that which consumes you? 907s
God is consumed. God was consumed with his love for the Israelite people. Remember do not fear. 923s
I have created you, I have redeemed you, I have named you and I have made you my own 935s
because the burden of the covenant was upon him. We read verse 3, part A, for I am the Lord your God, 942s
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. God promised the Israelites redemption. He had already 955s
proven himself to bear the burden of the covenant when Israel was unfaithful. And again, 964s
after pouring out his wrath upon them, he gave them a new word, a word of promise, a word of assurance, 973s
a word of hope because he is the Holy One of Israel. He had proven himself to love them, 983s
had proven himself to redeem them. And once again, he was promising that he would redeem them. 992s
Again, he is not only Israel's Savior as you know. He is our Savior. He is my Savior. He is your 1001s
Savior. In his promise of redemption, God was not promising to redeem Israel alone. 1012s
He was telling of the promise to redeem all of creation to make right the relationship that he has 1023s
with all mankind, with all of his created universe. If we look at second Corinthians, the fifth chapter, 1033s
verse 17, we read, so if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. Everything old has passed 1046s
away. See everything has become new. In Christ, you are created by God again. In first Peter, 1056s
chapter 2, verses 9 through 10, Peter wrote, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, 1068s
a holy nation, God's own people. In order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of Him who 1077s
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are 1083s
God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1092s
God indeed did create Israel to be a separate people of people unto Himself. But through Christ, 1102s
Jesus, He has made you a new creation. He has made you his own. He has made a new and holy priesthood, 1109s
a holy nation unto Himself through Christ alone. God created a nation for Israel. He created a 1118s
nation for His own self, a royal priesthood, and He redeemed us in Christ Jesus. If you go to Romans 1129s
the third chapter, verses 23 through 25, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 1140s
they are now justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 1150s
whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by His blood effective through faith. 1157s
The covenant that God made with the Israelite people, he bore the burden of that covenant to redeem, 1165s
he bore the burden of Israel's unfatfulness, and God bears the burden of the covenant that He makes 1174s
with you and with I. He bears the burden that He makes with us when we are unfatful to Him. 1181s
He forgives us. When we go astray from His law, He forgives us. 1191s
When we condemn those around us, when we are all consumed with anything of this life, 1200s
He forgives us. He bears the burden of our sin. He bears the burden of everything that consumes 1210s
us in this world, and He sacrifices His own Son. Jesus Christ in order to bear that burden. 1219s
We are made new creations. We are redeemed through Christ and Christ alone, 1233s
and just like the Israelites were named by God, you also have been named by God. 1239s
If you turn to first John the third chapter, in the very first verse, John wrote, 1246s
see what love the Father has given us, that we should be called the children of God, and that 1253s
is what we are. In our reading, our gospel reading today, we see and hear as Jesus goes about 1260s
calling and naming His disciples, and He has named you to be His disciple, and not only does He 1271s
call us. He names us not just as a people, holy to Him, as a people separate to Him, but He 1280s
names us that we should be called His very children. He doubles down on the relationship that He has 1290s
created with us. He doubles down by not only redeeming us, but by calling us into His own family, 1300s
by sacrificing His own blood, and giving us His own righteousness that we can be named with His name, 1309s
that we can be named with His righteousness. He names us and claims us as His own, 1319s
and the physical tangible promise and assurance that we have of this can be found in Titus 1331s
the third chapter of Titus. I'm going to find this one where He writes, 1340s
or the second, you know, the third chapter of Titus, sorry about that. The third chapter of Titus 1351s
verses three and four where He writes, we are Paul wrote, for we ourselves were once foolish, 1357s
disobedient, let us stray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and 1366s
envy, despicable, hating one another, but when the goodness and loving kindness of God are 1373s
Savior appeared, He saved us not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, 1379s
but according to His mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 1384s
we are redeemed in Christ. We are named as His own children, though we were sinners, 1396s
though we were lost, even dead in sin. We can't escape that on our own, but we are led through the 1404s
system, claimed and named as God's own children, washed a new, given forgiveness of our sins, given 1414s
forgiveness or salvation and victory over death and the devil. We are called to be His own, and we are 1424s
truly all consumed and all consuming. He loves you with a love like no other. He loves you with 1444s
a love that only He can offer. He loves you with the tangible sacrifice of His Son for you, 1455s
and He washes you clean with the tangible water and promise of His mercy. 1465s
He indeed did create Israel and redeemed them and called them by name and claimed them as His own, 1475s
but in the consuming love of God's for you, He has created you new in Jesus Christ. He has 1485s
redeemed you in the blood of Christ upon the cross. He has named you as His own children, 1496s
and He has claimed you as His own eternally. God is all consuming and He has all consumed with His 1505s
love for you. We have been made free, we have been redeemed in Jesus Christ, and we are called, 1517s
not only as His own, we are called to go out and to share this good news that others may be 1525s
called and claimed and named as Christ's own as well. 1534s