Proclamation:
“Shout
for joy, you heavens; rejoice you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For The Lord comforts His people and will have
compassion on His afflicted ones. But
Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, The Lord has forgotten me.’ ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget
you! See, I have engraved you on the
palm of my hands; your walls are ever before me…Lift up your eyes and look
around; all of your children gather and come to you. As surely as I live,’ declares The Lord, ‘you
will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.’” Isaiah 49:13-18 (NIV)
Explanation:
These
are the words of the Prophet Isaiah which were written under the influence of The
Holy Spirit of God and spoken to the people of God. Because the city of Jerusalem had been
destroyed, the people of Israel said that The Lord God had forsaken and
forgotten them. Isaiah told them what
The Lord had revealed to him. These were
His words of compassion to comfort them and to assure them that He had not
forgotten them. The Lord compared
Himself to a mother who had given birth to and breast fed a child. (Isaiah
49:15) She would never forget her child,
and if she did, He would never forget His children. Then He compared Himself to a lover who has
the name of a loved one tattooed on their body. (Isaiah 49:16a) Their relationship may change but He would
never forget those that He loved. Then
He compared Himself to a watchman guarding the city. Their city walls are always on His mind. (Isaiah
49:16b) Then He compared Himself to a
jeweler who would adorn a bride with fine ornaments. (Isaiah 49:18)
Application:
We
may go through some difficult times in this life and we may feel as though The
Lord has forgotten us. However, He is
true to His word and He said that He would never leave us or forsake us.
(Deuteronomy 31:6) As believers we are
the children of God. (Matthew 5:9 and John 1:12) He loves us so much that He died for us.
(Romans 5:8) When we were lost in sin He
paid the price for our transgressions. (Ephesians 2:4-7) We are in the very hands of God and no one
can take us out of His hands. (John 10:27-30)
The Lord God sees all that we do, (Psalm 33:13) and He hears our
prayers. (Proverbs 15:29) Our concerns
are always before Him for He neither slumbers nor sleeps. (Psalm 121:4) God has great plans for us. The church will be the bride of Christ and
she will be adorned beautifully for the wedding. He will never forget or forsake us. To Him we are (as in the words of Nat King
Cole) “unforgettable.” He has made promises
to us and He keeps His word. (1 Kings 8:56, Psalm 85:8, and 2 Peter 1:4)
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