In Isaiah there are many passages that people memorize and that continuously support and encourage them. For example, “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (40:31) is one of them. Also, “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 fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (43:2) is another. Also in today’s passage verses 3 and 4 are also one such passage.
Verses 3 & 4
These are really wonderful words！However when you ask people who love these verses and for whom these words have been a support for their lives, most of them don’t know what proceeds and comes before this passage. There are a lot of cases where this is loved as an independent text.
Today while considering the context, what proceeds and comes before it, I’d like us to experience the wonderfulness of this passage.

I. I will sustain you (Vs. 1-8)
First please look at verses 1 to 8. Here by comparing the real God and idols, it tells us how wonderful the real God is. First let’s read verses 1 and 2.
Verses 1 & 2
Here in verse 1 the names “Bel” and “Nebo” appear. These are names of the Babylonian idol gods. “Bel” (1) is another name for Marduk, the chief deity in Babylon. At that time in Babylon there were 50 gods, but the chief one was Marduk, “Bel”. (1) “Nebo” (1) was the god of learning and writing and was the son of “Marduk”. (1) There was a Babylonian King named Nebuchadnezzar. The god’s name was used in the King’s name. It means “God’s messenger”.
About these two gods here it says, “Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary.” (1) In the course of time Babylon will be destroyed and the idols that they believed in will become a burden. In ancient times in the Near and Middle Eastern world they thought war was fighting between the gods of the nations. So when you lost in the war, you fled with your idols. This is what this is saying. In other words, the gods of idols “are carried about” (1) and the gods “are burdensome”. (1)

Then 150 years after Isaiah said this this was fulfilled. When Babylon was destroyed by the Persian King Cyrus these idols were “borne by beasts of burden” (1) and are carried away with their worshipers. Like this, when you are in a pinch, idols are of no use at all. Instead they “are burdensome, a burden”. (1) Idols are like this. Even so lots of people stoop and bow down and pray to these gods.
How about you? Are there any idols that you are bowing down to? As I have talked about before, the first commandment in the 10 Commandments is “You shall have no other gods before me. “ (Exodus 20:3) If you put anything in front of God, this is your god. If you put your job in front of God, or studying in front of God, or your friends in front of God, or your hobbies in front of God, those are idols. They are the same as “Bel” (1) and “Nero”. (1) Such things are all important, so they are not things that can be neglected, but no matter how important they are we must not put them before God. If we put them before God, then not only will they become an idol, but they will in the course of time become “burdensome, a burden” (1) and make you weary.
How is the real God compared to this? Please look at verses 3 and 4. Let’s read them together. “Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all of you who remain of the house of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since you were conceived,
and have carried since your birth.
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
In contrast to the idols who cannot save people and “they themselves go off into captivity” (2) being carried “by beasts of burden” (1) the real God has upheld you “since you were conceived” (3) and has carried you “since your birth.” (3)
Please open your Bibles to Jeremiah 31:3 too.
Jeremiah 31:3
Here this isn’t just “since your birth.” (3) Here it is “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3) God’s love is “an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3)
What kind of love is “an everlasting love?” (Jeremiah 31:3) “? It is eternal. There is no sense of time. It is not controlled by the time of the past, present and future. It is always. God is always with you and loves you. There isn’t even a moment when he doesn’t love you. Up until now and from now on he will continue to love you. No matter how terrible a person you are, no matter how horrifying a sin you commit, he will definitely not change, but always love you. Rather, from the beginning he was fully aware of it and even so he continues to love you. This is God’s love. This is “everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3) (Jeremiah 31:3) God loves us with this love.
Man is different. Man always puts conditions on love. If you are or do this, then I will love you. Therefore, we live always in fear of when a relationship is going to fall apart. However, God’s love is different. God always loves. God has “loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3) God has carried you.
What is interesting is the word “upheld” in verse 3. This is exactly the same word that is used in verse 1 that is translated as “burdensome”. In the previous context the idols “are burdensome, a burden.” (1) Here in verse 3 we are “burdensome”. In reality we “are burdensome, a burden” (1) for God. We are originally self-centered, and more than believing in God, and more than following God, we live like we want to and are selfish. Such mankind is of no use for God. He is nothing more than “a burden” (1) for God. Even so God uphold us and carries us. Then he took the burdensome burden of sin that we aren’t able to bear upon himself. This ultimately expresses the cross. God through His son, Jesus Christ, who by being put on the cross and dying in our place, he took upon himself all of our burdens.　So that “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Therefore, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. “ Matt. 11:28.
Jesus died in exchange for you on the cross, so Jesus bore all your burdens so if you go to Jesus, your sin will be forgiven, and your burdens will disappear. Your tiredness will be healed, and your spirit can obtain peace. Like this you have been upheld. That compilation is the cross of Jesus Christ. Therefore if you come to Jesus, if you believe that he took upon himself your burdens of sin and bore them, then you will be saved.
That’s not all. If you look at verse 4, this will be the same from now on. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Do you have any gray hairs? There is no problem with having gray hairs, but one meaning is that it is a characteristic of older people and without realizing it they are losing strength. There will come a day when they don’t react to the pleasures of the world. In society too they are treated as worthless and unusable, and many feel lonely.
In Japan the average life span is the highest in the world, but by the progression of change to nuclear families, the insecurity of old age is increasing. There is no guarantee that we will be able to be fine not depending upon any one and financially o.k. until we die. 　
However, the Creator God who made the heavens and the earth, the real God promises “even to your old age” (4) to uphold you and “sustain you.” (4) This is not just a guarantee for your future life, but it is also assurance that in the severe last years of your life God will be with you and take care of you.
Why God can say that is given in the first word of verse 4, “even.” God has upheld you “since you were conceived.” (3) He has carried you “since your birth.” (3) God has always upheld you and carried you and “even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.” (4) From now on too God will always uphold you and carry you just has he has up until now. In other words, God who never changes who up until today without fail has carried you in perfect grace will from now on too care you in the same way.
There is the poem, “Foot prints”. You have heard it many times, I think. All Christians can relate to it. This is because we think that up until now we have walked all alone, but we realize that in reality that is not so. The Lord walked with us. He upheld us. Then we are given confidence that in the future too in the same way he will watch over us.
Foot prints
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two set of footprints in the sand, one belong to him and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.
This really bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow You, You would walk with me all the way; but I have noticed that during the most troubled time of my life there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why You would leave me during the times when I needed You most.”
The Lord replied, “My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
God has upheld you “since you were conceived” (3) and had carried you since birth. Even when you were struggling the most, even at the hardest times, he did not forsake you or abandon you, but watched over you. From now on too he “will sustain you.” (4) “Even to your old age and gray hairs…he…will sustain you.” (4) The Lord will sustain you and carry you.
Please look at verse 8. Let’s read it together. “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.”
“This” (8) is thought to be what has been said up until now. In other words, the idols are gods that “are carried about”. (1) In contrast the real God “will carry you”. (4) We must “remember this”. (8) That is because if we don’t know this, if we don’t realize

this, our hearts are always moved and can’t stand firmly. Those who “remember this” (8) can always stand firmly in the Lord. Have assurance that the Lord is God, “and there is no other” (9) and can live depending only on this God.
Are you still depending on your own thinking and your own abilities? Have you been pulled by the world and is your heart lost? Please “remember this.” (8) Let’s stand firmly in faith in this God.

II. My purpose will stand (Verses 9-11)
Next please look at verses 9 to 11. “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come, I say; My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.”
Here, the Lord says, “Remember the former things.” (9) This is Israel’s chain of past history. Especially this refers to the events of Israel being saved from Egypt. This says to remember this. That is because by remembering the former things, we can have hope. This is the hope that they will be saved from Babylon. Israel in former times experienced amazing grace. For 430 years they lived in Egypt as slaves, but by the great acts of God they were set free.
However, as time passed, they forgot God’s grace, and began to serve the idols around them and they lost their strength, were weary, and were eventually destroyed by Babylon, and were driven away from their country. Next they were captured by Babylon and taken away as captives. There was no hope. What they needed to do was “Remember the former things” (9) and what God had done for them. They needed to “Remember the former things” (9) and how much mercy God had shown them. They were to do this because by doing so they would receive hope. The hope that the same Lord would set them free from Babylon would be given.
We are the same. There are times when we are put in a situation where we are captured by Babylon. We can’t see the future at all. There are times when we have lost all hope. At such times what we need to do is “Remember the former things.” (9) How has God shown you mercy? Remember what great things God has done for you. Jesus died in your place to save you. Even though we are worthless and so deeply sinful that we deserve to be abandoned, Jesus died on the cross for us and saved us from our sin. We must remember this. There are some people here who have just been saved recently. There are some who were saved in the last few years. Still others have been

saved for 20, 30, 40, 50 or more years. No matter how recently or how long ago it doesn’t matter we always need to remember this and return to our first love. If so, then we will be able to overcome our difficulties and continuously have hope.
Please look at verse 10. It says, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come, I say; My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
“My purpose” (10) and “all that I please” is God’s plan to save Israel which was captive to Babylon. God’s purposes “will stand, and” (10) God “will do all that” (10) He pleases.
Verse 11 tells how God “will do all that” (10) He pleases. “From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.” “A bird of prey” are birds like eagles or hawks which quickly catch their prey. This refers to King Cyrus. At this time King Cyrus hadn’t been born yet. He appeared on the stage of history 150 years after this prophecy was declared. While King Cyrus still hadn’t been born yet, while Israel was still captive to Babylon, God spoke about how Israel will be saved from Babylon. God planned to use King Cyrus to destroy Babylon and save Israel. What God has said, He will “bring about.” (11) God also made a plan to save all mankind. That is the cross. God’s only son, Jesus, was put on the cross and died, and three days later rose again was God’s plan “from the beginning, from ancient times.” (10) God’s purposes “will stand.” (10)
Also God has a plan for your live and God will fulfill that plan. If that is the case, then we can see that to put our life in the hands of God who holds our future is the most blessed thing.
How about you? Are you concerned about tomorrow? Jesus said not to worry about your life: what you are going to eat, what you are going to drink or about your body, what you are going to wear. Your life is more important than food and your body is more important that clothes. Jesus said to look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant seeds and they don’t harvest. They also don’t store up food. However, our Father in Heaven feeds them. Also look at the lilies of the field. They don’t work, but our Father in Heaven takes care of them. Therefore, won’t God take even greater care of you? You are a child of God saved by the everlasting love of God. God will do what is best you, His child. What you need to do is “Remember the former things, those of long ago.” (9) Remember what God has done for you and then leave all in His hands.

III. My righteousness is near (Vs. 12 & 13)
Lastly, let’s look at verses 12 and 13. “Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted,
you who are far from righteousness.
I am bringing my righteousness near,
it is not far away;
and my salvation will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,
my splendor to Israel.”
“You stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness” (12) are the same as the “rebels” of verse 8. In other words this refers to the Israelites who have ignored God’s warnings, have turned their backs on God, and who have lived self-centeredly. They haven’t listened to God and haven’t followed Him so they were destroyed by Babylon and have become a captive people. However, amazingly God declares to such people, “I am bringing my righteousness near.”(12) Even though they are “stubborn-hearted…far from righteousness” (12), and “rebels” (8) and as a result were punished and are captives to Babylon, God declares, “I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away.” (12) That is because God’s “salvation will not be delayed.” (12) It will go according to plans. No matter how “stubborn-hearted” (12) man is, no matter how much he ignores God, God’s plans will be fulfilled. It will not be too late or too early, but in God’s best timing, it will be fulfilled in superb timing.
We have a second nature of self- centered thinking so if something is delayed we get panicky thinking, “why didn’t he do something about this sooner,” or “if it continuous like this, everything will be spoiled,” or “It’s all over!” God doesn’t panic. According to His plans, God’s work of salvation quietly progresses. “Salvation will not be delayed” (13) nor will it come too quickly so if you trust in God you won’t be shaken up, or get panicky and you will be given perfect peace.
Even if we are “stubborn-hearted…far from righteousness” (12), or “rebels” (8), God will have mercy on us. Of course, it doesn’t mean that its o.k. to remain a rebel. It doesn’t mean that it’s o.k. to be stubborn-hearted. However, even if you are such a person, God comes near and brings His righteousness near. If God didn’t come near and bring his righteousness near, then we would be eternally in the dark and eternally damned. Even though we are “stubborn-hearted…far from righteousness” (12), and “rebels,” (8) God came near us and brought his righteousness, salvation, to us.
This can be seen in the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke. The son who received half of his father’s inheritance in advance and used it up as if money was growing on trees had nothing to eat and was hungry to the point that he wanted to eat the pig’s food. Then he came to his senses and thought about his father who had lots of servants that were given more bread than they needed to eat. Therefore, he thought he would go back to his father and apologize to his father and ask him to let him be one of his servants because he didn’t deserve to be his son any more.

Then he returned to his father. He was dragging his feet, but when he was still far away “his father saw him, and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20) Then the father dressed him in his best robes, put a ring on his finger and put shoes on his feet. Then he joyfully said “Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.“ (Luke 15:23,24)
God is really a God that runs to us. The father said, “this son of mine was dead.” (Luke 15:24) A dead person does not get up and start walking around on his own. A dead person can’t come near someone on his own. 2,000 years ago Jesus came down from heaven and lived among us. He didn’t commit any sins, but he became just like us. He experienced our pains, sadness, and hardships. In addition he bore all our sufferings on the cross and died. God came near and saved us. This is grace, isn’t it? Before we sought God, God sought us. Before we loved God, God loved us.
God took the initiative. We are deeply sinners and helpless creatures. We can’t save ourselves. If God doesn’t come near us, if God doesn’t work we are only headed towards damnation. Ephesians 2:1 says, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins“ God came to us even though we are the same as a dead person. Jesus came near us and saved us from death. He gave us life to live eternally, eternal life.
Here the salvation is the salvation from Babylon captivity, but spiritually this is salvation from sin. Just as Israel was saved from Babylon and returned to Jerusalem, we too are saved from sin and are able to return to heaven, Jerusalem. “It is not far away; and…salvation will not be delayed.” (13) God has come near you. You need only to accept the salvation that is being offered to you. If so, you too will be able to receive that righteousness.
“Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart.” (8) If so you will be able to stand firmly. God who upheld you “since you were conceived” (3) and has carried you “since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs…will sustain you.” (3,4) From now on God will continue to do the same for you. God will set you free from all chains. “It is not far away” (13) Let’s travel the road of life with this hope.