Isaiah 43:2
In celebration of our Wear the Word Wednesday verse, Isaiah 43:2, we would love for you to read more about this verse and participate in our devotional!
There is a great Isaiah 43 Spotify playlist to listen to as you read through this devotional, or just to worship! You can click this LINK to open the playlist.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” -Isaiah 43:2
First off, lets talk about what's going on in this verse:
In this verse, God is telling the Jewish people that He will be with them in their most troubling times, supporting them through them, giving them the strength to move beyond them and delivering them out of danger without harm.
The Jewish people were in captivity in Babylon. They faced many afflictions and were persecuted by men, represented by the waters, rivers, and fire. Some of the Jewish people had rejected God and provoked His wrath. For these people, the metaphor represents the temptations of Satan that rapidly came over them and overwhelmed them into a disastrous state of separation from God.
In spite of their disobedience to Him, God tells His people that they should not fear because He has redeemed them. God will continue his love and care for them. His people are God’s workmanship, created by him unto good works (Esp. 2:10), and He will not forsake the work of His hands.
Okay, now lets break down what the different parts of this verse are saying:
#1 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;…”
God opened the Red Sea for miles to allow the Israelites to walk on dry land through the sea (Exodus 14:21-22). Then God let the walls of the sea close and destroy Israel’s enemies. He did this to encourage the unbelieving Israelites to trust in Him in their difficulties and show them that those who hurt God’s people will be ruined.
#2 “…and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”
God suddenly dried up the Jordan river as a band of priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood at the river’s edge (Joshua 3:14-17). It was during the time of harvest in springtime when the Jordan would typically overflow all its banks from melting snow coming in from Lebanon. The ark represented the presence of God. God piled up the water to reveal a dry riverbed so that His people could walk into Canaan and end their long, tiring wanderings in the wilderness. The journey from the wilderness into Canaan represents the believer’s passage from a sinful world, through death and into heaven.
#3 “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
God protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar had his soldiers throw them into a furnace after they refused to worship any god but the Father. The furnace was so hot that the soldiers who threw them into the furnace were killed from the flames of the fire. Yet Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the furnace completely unsinged (Daniel 3), and because of this miracle were promoted in the province of Babylon.
Take 5 minutes as you listen to the Spotify playlist above and journal about troubling times that God has been with you through. It's much easier for us to look at these events in the past and see where God was with us, rather than in the moment. Reflect on these and think about how God is with you NOW.
Adapted from:
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