In our lives fear and insecurity are constant companions. However, when such fears surround us, what should we do? Today let’s look at this from the powerful words which the Lord speaks to us.

I. One (Vs. 1-7)
First please look at verses 1 to 7. I will read verse 1. “Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the palace of judgment.”
Here the Lord says “islands”. (1) These are the islands seen from Israel, the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. Perhaps it is o.k. to say it includes all the islands of the world. Japan is also an island. I think it is good to think that Japan is included in those that are being spoken to. Therefore, this is not spoken to Israel, but to other countries outside of Israel who were worshipping idols. God is saying to them, “Be silent before me” (1) and “renew their strength”. (1) This is not being used as a good meaning, but is speaking sarcastically. This can be seen in the words that follow, “Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the palace of judgment.” (1) “The palace of judgment” (1) is the court. Here a court room scene is the background for what is being said. The nations and their gods are challenged to display the same power and wisdom as Israel’ God. Like a court they will each present their case so it can be decided which is the powerful God who deserves to be trusted. In order to do that, God is calling out to them to please “renew their strength”(1) and then come.
Please look at verses 2 to 4. Here first it is speaking about the power of the Lord God. “Who has stirred up one from the east,
calling him in righteousness to his service?
He hands nations over to him
and subdues kings before him.
He turns them to dust with his sword,
to windblown chaff with his bow.
He pursues them and moves on unscathed,
by a path his feet have not traveled before.
Who has done this and carried it through,
calling for the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord-with the first of them
and with the last-I am he.”
The opinions of who the “One” that is recorded in verse 2 are divided. In general scholars think that this “one” is the King of the Medo-Persian Empire, Cyrus. This is a king that appears 200 years after the age of Isaiah. In Isaiah’s age the Kingdom of Southern Judah was attacked by Assyria. It was a dangerous situation. The Medo-Persian empire hadn’t risen up yet. That didn’t occur until 200 years later. In reality after Assyria was the Babylonian empire. By the Babylonian empire the Southern Kingdom of Judah fell and the people were captured and taken to Babylonia. There they lived as slaves to Babylon for 70 years. This Babylon fell to the Medo-Persian empire. Their king was Cyrus. This is the background for the second half of Isaiah, but this actually occurred 200 years after the age of Isaiah. This is being prophesized here. “One from the east” (2) victoriously reigns over each place that he goes. Cyrus, king of Medo-Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. and he victoriously reigned over each place that he went. Then King Cyrus issued the decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem. This is being prophesized here. Therefore, the opinion that “one” (2) is Cyrus is not wrong. He is mentioned in name in 44:28 and 45:1. The Lord through Isaiah is speaking in advance of what will occur 200 years later, and plus in reality he even cites the name in advance. This is really a surprising thing. The all knowing all impotent God is able to do this.
However, in verse 4 it says, “Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD-with the first of them and with the last-I am he.” The Lord “has done this and carried it through” (4) so some people think that “one” (2) refers to Jesus Christ. Especially since here it says, “I, the LORD- with the first of them and with the last-I am he” (4) so this is what Jesus is saying in Revelations 1:8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” Therefore, “one” (2) is also Jesus Christ.
In other words, “one”(2) is the Persian king, Cyrus. At the same time it is Jesus Christ who is in the background leading him. In this case, King Cyrus is described as a shadow, a pattern, of Christ. The main content is Christ. God rose up the Persian king, King Cyprus, and set them free. It is also a prophecy that in the course of time Jesus Christ, the real Savior, will come to mankind who is in the slavery of sin and will set them completely free. The King Cyrus is seen in history as a pattern of the Savior.
Therefore, the Savior that will come to the world in the course of time is beyond compare with the Persian King Cyrus. The real liberator, Jesus Christ, really helps broken people. Also we can know this reality that the Lord “has done this and carried it through” (4) through history. Babylon fell to the “one”, (2) the Persian King Cyrus, that victoriously reigned over each place that he went. Then he set the Jews who captive there free and issued the decree allowing them to return to Jerusalem. Then from then approximately 539 years later the Messiah, Savior, Christ, who since the time that Adam sinned and became depraved the Old Testament prophesized about, was born in Bethlehem of Judea and even though he lived 33 years without sin, was put on the cross and died and three days later rose again. By this those who believe in this work are given complete freedom. We know this. Our God by his only son Jesus Christ is the Savior that sets us free from sin.
How do the islands respond to this? Please look at verses 5 to 7. “The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward; each helps the other and says to his brother, ‘Be strong!’ The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer spurs on him who strikes the anvil. He says of the welding, ‘It is good.’ He nails down the idol so it will not topple.”
The people of the nations were fearful when they saw that there was no end to King Cyrus’ advancing forward, and forward, and forward. What they did in opposition to King Cyrus was to encourage each other. Here it says “brother” (6) shows that the people of the nations formed a coalition to oppose Cyrus. All the countries put their strength together against the conqueror King Cyrus whom the Lord had risen up. Then they tried to make their idols that would watch over them as strong, solid, secure idols so they “will not topple” (7) so they “nailed down the” (7) idols so they were stable and fixed and wouldn’t move. The idols were powerless so they had to be taken care of by the people who made the idols. If we look at the struggles on this earth it is very clear who is the real God. The real God is the God who achieves victory each place that he goes. Jesus Christ, whom the Persian King Cyprus pointed to, who sets us free from sin is the real God and who is worthy of our faith.

II. I have chosen you (Vs. 8,9)
Next, please look at verses 8 and 9. Here the reason, the basis of, why God helps Israel is recorded. That is because they are God’s servant, they are the people that belong to God. “But you, O Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
you descendants of Abraham my friend,
I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corner I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you
Here the Lord is calling Israel “my servant”. (8) Israel was specially chosen by God. That is not all. Here they are also called the “descendants of Abraham my friend”.(8) The Lord not only chose Israel out of all the nations and made them his own possession, but they are his friends. When we hear the word “servant” (8) we have a negative image. We have an image of lacking freedom, and being pushed around, but in reality a servant is not so, but is in the position of being taken care of by the master. Therefore, no matter what happens God will take care of them.
Here after “O Israel, my servant” (8) it says, “Jacob, whom I have chosen.” (8) Jacob was chosen by God. He had a twin elder brother, Esau, but God chose the younger brother Jacob. The two boys were the children of the same parents, Issac and Rebekah. Moreover Jacob was the younger and Esau was the older brother. Even so, God rejected Esau and chose Jacob. Paul wrote a surprising reason as to why God chose Jacob. “Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad-in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls-she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’” (Romans 9:11,12)
Here the point is “before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad” (Romans 9:11) it was ordained. In other words, God chose Jacob not because he was humanly outstanding or because he did something good, but by God’s one sided free choosing.
In man’s head is a law of causality that the result always has a cause that led to it. For example, if someone is successful in business, man thinks about why he was successful. They say things like he put out a lot of effort or the timing was good so he was successful, etc. Or in the reverse, if he fails, they think it’s because he does bad things all the time or he committed some kind of huge sin that no one knows about. Jacob who was pained by many catastrophes had friends whose attitudes were like this. However, in the Bible it is written that not all is like this. Especially concerning salvation, it is not because our personality is good or bad, or because there is a cause on our end, but it is only God’s one sided grace. If you look at it humanly, you can’t understand why Esau was hated and Jacob was saved, but God chose him from way back when. He ordained his people. Therefore, no matter what he will never reject Jacob, Israel.
That is not just the people of Israel, but the same can be said of us Christians, the spiritual Israel. Please open your Bibles to Ephesians 1:3-5. “praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons though Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”
Christians too are also chosen by Christ. That was before we were born, rather “before the creation of the world”. (Ephesians 1:4) That we were saved has no relationship to the kind of person we are or what we have done. It was ordained “before the creation of the world”. (Ephesians 1:4) When I talk about this doctrine of election many people doubt thinking that it is unfair that from the beginning there are people that are saved and people that aren’t saved. Not only can’t they accept the doctrine of election, but there are many that stumble from such passages of the Word of God. However, the salvation that the Bible talks about is like this. Also if you a child of God, saved, and if you are God’s servant, Israel, no matter what happens, you will never be rejected. It is exactly as it says, “You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” (9)
We sometimes have times when we feel like God has abandoned us. We pray and pray, but the dark cloud doesn’t clear up. There are times that no matter how much there is, it is of no help. God has definitely not abandoned you. When you think that God has abandoned you in reality is when God is bearing the burden of you pains with you and He is guiding you one step at a time. God is with you also when you think it’s tough too, He is with you and will help you. God chose us. Even if we are like a valley of dry bones, we will not be abandoned.
Many times I shared the poem “Foot prints” by Margret F. Powers, but it a good poem to hear many times so I would like to share it again.

　Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
set of footprints in the sand.
you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you.”
God will definitely not abandon you. God will never leave you, and especially while you are suffering. God will carry your sufferings with you. Let’s remember this well.
God will definitely not abandon you. God will never leave you, and especially while you are suffering. God will carry your sufferings with you. Let’s remember this well.

III. Do not fear. Do not be dismayed. (Vs. 10-13)
Therefore the third point is to not fear, to not be dismayed. Let’s look at verse 10 to 13. Let’s read verse 10 together. “So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will withhold you with my righteous right hand.”
These are really wonderful words. This is one of the passages that let’s memorize without fail. In reality I think there are a lot people that have been supported by these words. Up until now for thousands of years, lots of people in the midst of hardship many people have been helped, supported and received strength through this passage. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (10)
This is not just limited to Israel. These are words spoken to us too. Humans all fear. Indeed, there are many things that we fear so the Lord says many times over and over again “Do not fear” to encourage us. There may be many of us here today that are fearful about many different things: losing work, getting sick, not being liked by others, what will happen to your family, etc. However, don’t worry. The Lord who became your God, who loves you, who set you free from sin, will take care of you no matter what happens to you. What is the basis for this?
1. “I am with you.” (10) The creator God who made the heavens and the earth is with you. This God made man. He is not a god made in the image of man. He is not a god covered by gold or silver plating. He is the God who made the whole universe. If this God will take care of you and support you, why is it necessary to fear anything?
2. “I am your God.” (10) God is not just God. He is “your God.” (10) He is a God that has a personal relationship with you. Before God made a covenant with Israel. “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.” (Exodus 19:5) God established the bonds of this covenant with us in reality through Jesus Christ. This is the new covenant. The Lord Jesus said, “This is the blood of the covenant.” (Mark 14:24) God says to those who believe and accept the blood that Jesus shed on the cross “I am your God.” (10)
3. “I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (10) We think that when we are holding to the Lord, we will be o.k., but in reality we are not holding on to God, but God is holding on to us. His hand is his “righteous right hand.” (10) This “righteous right hand” (10) is a hand of power, victory and strength. God with this hand holds on to us and takes care of us.
If that is the case what do we need to fear? God will for sure bring you victory and give you prosperity. If there is someone who becomes angry with you, that person will surely be shamed. If there is someone who fights with you, that person will become nothing and will perish. That is because your God, the Lord will take care of you with his “righteous right hand”. (10)
This is a true story that happened in America. This is a testimony of what Sherman Jackson, a Christian, experienced. Usually Sherman Jackson was never late, but one day he was late to the evening worship service. However, he had a big reason.
On the way to church Sherman stopped at the gas station with his 7 year old daughter. He finished putting gas in the car and as he was leaving the gas station, a man came up to the car and said, “Just a minute, can I ask you a favor? Can you take me to where my car is? I’ll pay you.”
Sherman was hesitant for a moment. That was because he thought he would be late to church. However he told himself that he had to help the person that was standing in front of him and had the man ride in the passenger seat and had his daughter sit in the back seat. Right after taking off, the man took a pistol out of his pocket and while holding Sherman’s shoulder with one hand, he held a pistol at the side of his stomach saying” Hands up. I’m not playing around. Give me your money or I’ll shoot.”

Sherman had never been so surprised in all his life, but he said, “But I’m driving so I can’t put my hands up.” Then the man said, “Oh, so. That’s o.k., just give me your money.”
Sherman regretted that he had brought his daughter with him. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out all the money he had and gave it to the man saying, “That’s all. Take it and go.” The man didn’t believe him and pushed the pistol even stronger into his side saying, “Don’t lie to me. Give me all.”
Sherman lived in Garland, Texas and ran an insurance business, and was a member of the Gideon Society. He always had Gideon Bibles in his car and there was $1. inserted into each Bible. He had prepared them to give to the homeless. The armed man looked at the dollars in the Bible and in a loud voice said the Sherman, “You’re a big liar. There’s money there!”
Suddenly something happened to Sherman. Sherman started to pray in a loud voice. “Heavenly Father. Hear my cries. Now save me from the Devil who is in front of me.”
Amazingly, but as he was praying, he felt a peace that passed all understanding. Then all consciousness of worries and fears passed away and he received courage. 　
He lowered his speed and suddenly began to make a U turn.
The man yelled out, “What are you doing?!
Sherman answered, “I’m turning the car around. I’m not going to do what you tell me to do.
The man shoved the pistol harder at his chest threatening, “Don’t you understand. You are just a worm. Hand over the money.”
Sherman replied, “You are the one who doesn’t understand. God is for me the most important thing in the world. Christ is stronger than your pistol.”
Sherman knew that the gunned man was going to pull the trigger. With a clicking sound the gun hammer was lowered, but Sherman didn’t flinch.
He felt strongly in his heart the peace that the Lord was with him so he quietly approached the side of the road and then stopped, He said to the armed man, “Let’s talk about Jesus.”
The man for an instant flinched and then he put down his gun. He bowed his head, and next when he lifted his head, he was crying, “I’m sorry. Forgive me. I was really going to kill you.”
Sherman said, “I’ll forgive you!” Then he told him to believe in Jesus Christ and to pray to God to be born again. He also invited the man to go to church with him, but the man said to take him to his car that was near there. On the way, the man became humble and started talking about many things. He introduced himself as Mike and offered to shake hands.
As Sherman was driving he continued to tell him to accept God and start a new life. When the car got near the store that the man told him to driver to, Sherman asked the man to return his money. The man who was at the point of being a strong thief, weakly gave the money back. Sherman said, “in exchange take this Bible. Read it more than you have ever read. Mike. I’m praying for you. May God enter your life.
When Sherman pulled the car up alongside the man’s car, the man got out and went to his car. The man had the pistol in one hand and in the other hand a Bible. In his eyes were tears. Then Shuman went to church. He was a little late.
This was in the International Gideon report in 2002. The Gideons pass out Bibles throughout the world. It was really interesting. Usually if we are in a situation like that, we don’t do anything and obediently do what the other person says. However, no matter how dangerous of a situation, the Lord is our God, and promises to at all times to be with us and will take care of us. What a blessing!
God is with us. Even if we walk in the valley of death, we don’t fear. That is because God is with us. Even if we lose our job we are not alone. Even if difficulties come and we are in the midst of struggles, we are not alone. Even if our families all turn their
backs on us, God will not do that. Even if our friends deceive us, God never changes. Even when we are in the wilderness alone and we are shaking in deep loneliness, we are not alone. God is with us. If God is with us, then we have no need to fear anything.
Going into San Francisco is the beautiful Golden Gate bridge. It was built in 1930. It is longest and tallest bridge in the world. It is a suspension bridge. When it was built, because of the many dangerous elements the engineers were always feeling insecure. By putting up safety nets the men believed in the nets and could work securely.
The Lord is our safety net. The Lord will take care of us with his “righteous right hand.” (10) Therefore, whatever danger comes upon us, we shouldn’t fear or have anxieties. Under us is God’s safety net. Those who believe in God are set free from uncertainties and fears.
If the Lord is with us then tomorrow is not fearful. We don’t have to worry at all about tomorrow. “Do not fear; I will help you.” (13) When you have that assurance, you to can move forward in courage.