From the beginning of Isaiah 41 it said that the Lord is God. The Lord strengthens, helps, and guides Israel. That is because Israel has been chosen by God to be his servant. Therefore, no matter what happens God will never abandon them. God is with them and will help them and watch over them. Then in today’s passage it says how God will help them and watch over them.

I. Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob (Vs. 14)
First of all please look at verse 14. “’Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
For I myself will help you,’ declares the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”
Here God is calling Israel “worm Jacob”. (14) Israel’s original name was Jacob. It means “someone who grasps the heal”, or “someone who pushes aside”. The name was changed to Israel, meaning “someone controlled by God”. Now this is also the name of a country. However, it was originally Jacob. It was “someone who grasps the heel”, “someone who pushes aside”, or “someone who is crafty”. To those who are just like a worthless worm that is trampled over and is finished, who it doesn’t matter if they are there or not, who are so small and weak, God is saying, “Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear,” (14)
Compared to the other countries around them Israel was “little”, (14) but they don’t need to be afraid or fearful. That is because “’I myself will help you,’ declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” (14) This is also written in 43:1-3.
Isaiah 43:1-3
“Redeem” (43:1) is to “pay the price and buy”. Just like when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and the Lord redeemed them (Exodus 15:13), the Lord will redeem God’s people, Israel, from their chains. The Lord will redeem Israel who is like a worm, scorned from the earth; the Lord will redeem them so the Lord is their Redeemer and Savior. The Lord will help them and take care of them. Therefore, they are not to be afraid or fearful.
The same can be said of Christians. The people who gather at church are “little” (14), few. There are times when we feel insecure about what we can do with so few members, but “Do not be afraid…Do not fear.” (14) That is because God has redeemed you. God’s only son, Jesus Christ bought you with his precious blood. As a result we are in God’s eyes precious and valuable. Even if you pass through water or cross through a river, you will certainly not be swept away. Even if you walk in fire, you won’t be burnt. That’s because “the Holy One of Israel” (14) is “your Redeemer,” (14) your Savior. We have a tendency to be despaired with our small being, but let’s not forget that the Lord is encouraging us who are like that saying to us “do not fear, for I myself will help you.” (14) We must continue to listen to His voice.
At a small church in Shimodate City in Ibaraki Prefecture, last October, a member that was one of the main workers in the church collapsed. His life was saved, but he was left with the aftereffects of the sickness and half of his body doesn’t move. After finishing a half of year of rehabilitation in the hospital, he returned to his house. Using a cane he was able to walk a little at a time, but he realized a problem. That is if there is no handicap restrooms then he can’t go anywhere. There was no western toilet with hand bars at the church. Even though he got where he could walk a little, he couldn’t go to church! He thought if only he could go to church. People starting talking about remodeling the restrooms, but there was no money. It was such a small church that they hadn’t been able to pay their share of contributions to the denomination, so how could they pay for remodeling! But even so they continued moving on with the plan. They started talking about remodeling in the middle of June and by the end of July it had materialized. The restrooms’ lowered floors became barrier free and a western toilet and hand rails were put in. Amazingly, the money needed for the restroom to be remodeled was collected.
That the restrooms were remodeled maybe not such an important thing, but God did it. We tend to be pessimistic about what such a small church can do, but God who is with us greatly surpasses all things in this world. He redeemed us. He is with us and helps us. Therefore, even if we are a small flock, we don’t have to be despaired. What is necessary is that we believe in God who redeemed us, and that we look to God. If so, then something will naturally happen. Of course the church is a small flock but, when we look to our Redeemer, our Savior, who redeemed us, we can start moving into a future that we never dreamed of.

II. I will make you into a new threshing sledge (Vs. 15,16)
Next please look at verses 15 and 16. “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.”

Here God says that he will make Israel “into a threshing sledge, new and sharp.” (15) According to the commentary on Isaiah by Alec Motyer, he explains that this “threshing sledge” (15) had a heavy wooden base with a sharp sledge on the bottom. It was a stone sledge. By threshing it the head of grain was made into grain kernels. Therefore, when it becomes old from use, the sledge becomes rounded and the grain does not fall off well. However, when it is replaced with a new stone sledge, by the sharp stone, there was a big yield. God is saying that He is going to make Israel “into a threshing sledge, new and sharp.” (15) Jacob who was thought to be equal to a worm, worthless, who were trampled on and died will be made “into a threshing sledge, new and sharp.” (15) What a change! They will be made into a new threshing sledge and “will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.” (15) We can’t tear down mountains. In our life there are so many mountains! There are times when right before our eyes mountains arise and block us and we can’t move forward. However, God remakes Jacob who is like a worm in a new threshing sledge and threshes the mountains and hills and crushes them into powder. This is what God does.
Last year I went to America and was surprised by the huge Church that we went to. About 5,000 people at one time met and worshipped. I wondered for that many people how many people were serving. Looking around I saw that a sufficient amount were serving. Some people helped seat the people who came in one after another. Others collected the offering and other helped with the music. To put it in one word, it was awesome. I think almost all the people were laymen, but they were happily serving.
How could they do that? Where did their strength come from? It doesn’t have anything to do with whether the church is big or small. It has nothing to do with that. It is because they are full of grace and strength from above that makes them new. If you are full of that strength you can gladly serve. You become thankful for living. What is necessary for us is to always be full of the Holy Spirit, God’s graceful strength that comes from above that makes us new. Without that when we do something we feel tired or that it’s hard, or wonder if what we are doing has any purpose and we are discontent and complain. When we are really humble and pray for the Lord to be his servant and be used by Him and give ourselves to God then God will fill us with new strength and new grace. You too can become “a threshing sledge, new and sharp.” (15)
In reality God said, “I myself will help you.” (14) “I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” (8) “You will thresh” (15) your enemies “and crush them. (15) No matter how small a worm you are or how far you have fallen, God will make you new and help you.

We can’t even begin to compare our church with the American church, but comparing isn’t necessary. What is important is whether we are full of God’s grace and strength from of above or not. No matter how much unhappiness you have, even if you go through the melancholy of tears to have a living faith of believing in God and living in the hope that God will save you is noble. Even though you have been told, “I am your God” (10) the problem is whether you are coming before God or not. No matter how small a worm you are, if you come before God and believe in what God does and follow him, your life will be changed into a victorious life where “you will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.” (15) A life where God helps you, not only you, but your neighbor will have a profitable life and you can walk a worthy life.

III. Water flows in the desert (Vs. 17-20)
Lastly let’s look at verses 17 to 20. First let’s read verse 17. “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”
This is not only salvation from foreign enemies, but is promising salvation from death by hunger and thirst. Israel who was captive to Babylon was in the circumstances of depending upon mercy. Even if they searched and sought for water, they couldn’t obtain it. They were struggling so much from thirst that their tongues were parched. However, God answered them, and watered their thirst. No matter how troubled a person is or no matter how much a poor person seeks water, his thirst is not healed and his tongue is “parched with thirst”, (17) but if the Lord is with him, the Lord will answer him and he will be completely healed. Israel’s God will surely not abandon him.
That’s not all. Please look at verses 18 and 19. “I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together.”
This is a prophecy that Israel, who by the captivity of Babylon was in the midst of struggling with no hope, will be restored. A life with God is a life watered by the rains of grace. Rivers will “flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys.” (18) The desert will turn “into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.” (18) In the desert cedar, acacia, myrtle and olive trees will be planted. It will be like a new creation. This will be fulfilled at the end of the world. In the course of time the Millennium will come and there God will bring this new creation just as it says. However, what we

should be surprised about is that even now we can see it being fulfilled a little at a time. Now in Israel we can see such development. In the desert water is running and many trees have been planted.
2000 years ago Israel by the persecution of the Roman Empire was dispersed. For a long time they lost their homeland. Until around the time of World War I Israel was for about 400 years under the control of the Ottoman Turk Empire. When the Ottoman Turks received taxes from the Arabs who had settled in Palestine, since they could pay the taxes in timber the Arabs that did not want to pay taxes cut trees down not from their own lands, but from Israel and paid it as tax. For that reason the land was devastated and became completely wasteland and the ground parched. It became worthless land that had gone wild.
In World War I England won over the Ottoman Turk Empire so under the rule of England the Jews settled in Israel. Then from Palestine they bought land at unreasonable prices, and they changed it into green land.
At the time of the Second World War, by the Nazi’s Holocaust 1/3 of the Jews in the world were slaughtered and the world’s sympathy went out to the Jews. Then it was thought that the Jews who had lost their homeland for 1900 years should be given a country. The United Nations too worked on it and on May 14, 1948 the Republic of Israel was able to gain its independence. Israel who for 1900 years had been a wandering people, were able to reinstate their country. What is humanly speaking completely unthinkable became a reality. It is even said that this is the miracle of the present age. This actually happened.
However, the surrounding Arab countries that didn’t like and didn’t accept this started wars. This was beginning of the wars of the Middle East. However, Israel has repeatedly won wars, and has made the country’s establishment certain. At the same time, during that time Israel has changed the condition of the parched land into green land. It has made the best use of high technological farming, and has become a world agricultural power. The amount of trees that have been planted in order to make forests is over 200.020,000. The land that was that parched they succeeded in making into green land.
This prophecy will be completely fulfilled in the Millennium which will come about later. However, in the present age too it is being fulfilled little by little. This shows that this prophecy will certainly be fulfilled. Also this is not so far in the future. It could happen within the age we are living in. The day that the Lord returns and establishes the Millennium on this earth is near. I can’t say when it will be. If I say when, then I will be a heretic. However, I feel that it is not so far away.
At the same time, this is for us living Christians who believe in Jesus, the living water that comes to our souls. Even if we haven’t seen the completion as these words say, God has brought this new creation to our hearts. He makes rivers in our dry, parched hearts, makes “springs within the valleys.” (18) He turns “the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into springs.” (18) Then there he abundantly plants cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, and various trees and waters them.
Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:37, 38)
It’s been 34 years since my wife came to Japan, but in reality before that for 1 year when she was a college student she had the experience of coming to Japan as an exchange student. The Japanese family that she lived with lives in Tokyo. Even now she has continued to consider them as her Japanese mother and father. When we got married her American parents couldn’t come so the father walked her down the aisle.
This person last fall got uremia, a sickness where you can’t urinate. It got inside of his head and he lost consciousness. We heard that he was in the hospital for two weeks, and remarkably recovered and was able to return home so two weeks ago we went to see them.
His daughter had told us that he had become quite senile so we were surprised that he remembered so well the past. Sometimes he even told jokes as he joyfully talked. In reality one other reason that we went was that we wanted them to believe in Jesus. While they were still able to understand we wanted to share the Gospel. However each time I tried to talk the conversation would quickly change and went another direction. I wasn’t able to share.
Then it became time to go. In my heart I was disappointed and felt that I had failed. Then the mother brought a wall hanging that a Buddhist priest had written. Even though she knew I was a pastor she said she would give it to us. It had the word “love”. written on it. She said she would give us the wall hanging and an ornament that she had bought as a souvenir when they went to some Southeastern country. Then in an instant words like this came out of my mouth. “Oh, I don’t have anything to give to you, but I want to give the love of Jesus so I’ll pray. Is that o.k.?” Then the father said to please do so. I forgot what I prayed, but I prayed from my heart. When I finished praying the father with deep emotion said, “That was the best present of all.”
Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) Jesus didn’t say, If anyone is thirsty, if you go over there, you will get filled. He said, “let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) Jesus is the only one who can say that. There is no one else. There is no other teaching that can say, “let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) They can give you road information by introducing you to what heals them or what fills them, but they can’t be the road. Only Jesus can say, “Come to me and drink. That is because Jesus truly can soak our thirsty heart with water.
“I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:5)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened.” (Matt. 11:28)
If you are thirsty, please come to Jesus. Please drink the water that Jesus gives. Whoever believes in Christ “as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:37) At that time you will “consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.” (20) Even in the midst of a thirsty life like the desert, daily we need to go to the Lord’s springs of grace and continue to drink from there the overflowing water of life.