Today I would like to talk about the last part of Isaiah chapter 49.

I. Israel’s complaints (Vs. 13,14)
First of all please look at verses 13 and 14. “Shout for joy, O heavens;
rejoice, O earth;
burst into song, O 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.”
God will rise up to save Israel who had been taken captive by Babylon. Then He will set the captives free and send them home to the Promised Land, Jerusalem. “The LORD comforts his people” (13) and has “compassion on his afflicted ones.” (13) Therefore, the Lord says to “shout for joy” (13) and to “burst into song”. (13)
“But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) They said this because they had been captured by Babylon for 70 years. No matter how much they prayed, God said nothing so they had lost hope in God. If God had no interest in them, then God was not concerned about them. They felt “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13)
However, their thinking was not based upon reality. It was wrong. God hadn’t forgotten them, but they had forgotten God. God had chosen them his people and redeemed them. Isaiah 41:9 and 10 makes the following promise. “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 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.”
God took them “from the ends of the earth” (41:9) and promised to always be with them. God will strengthen them and help them. God will uphold them with his “righteous right hand.” (41:10) Such a God would never forsake them. God hadn’t forgotten them, but they had forgotten God. Their lack of faith was the root cause of the complaints they made. If they were looking right at God then they would never make such a complaint. Their problem was that they weren’t looking at God.
There are times when we too are like this. When we become even just a little troubled, we say, “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) “No one notices me and I’m so lonely.” “It doesn’t matter whether I am here or not.” However, we say this because we are not looking at God. If we were looking at God, then we would definitely not say that. If you look at Jesus who died on the cross for you, your anxieties and sorrows will be blown away all at one time. That is because you will know how much you are loved.
The reason why we are depressed, the reason why we say that we are not loved or that no one understands us is because we have forgotten the truth. We are forgetful. We soon forget how much God loves us. That is the problem. Today after this we are going to have communion. The reason that we have communion is so that we don’t forget this. “Do this in remembrance of me.” (I Cor. 11:24) Communion is to remember what God did for us through Jesus Christ. If we remember this, we won’t be depressed. Rather, we will be overflowing with thankfulness and joy. Our church has communion once a month, the first Sunday of every month. However, it may be needed every Sunday or perhaps every day. We must not forget. We must remember how much God loves us.
Scores of years ago in Manchu 3 children who had just turned 10 months became sick with small pox. Small pox was the first contagious disease to be successfully eradicated from the world, but at that time the vaccination had not been discovered so many people were infected and died. Even if a person got better, the marks remained so in the world it was feared as the incurable disease, the disease of the devil.
Due to the terrible medical environment 2 of the children died because they weren’t able to receive proper medical care. One girl child only verily made it. However, the marks of small pox were left on her head and she was always bullied by the other children. She thought that if she had to live the rest of her life like this then it would have been better to have died. At such times she would remember the words that her mother always said to her. “Your small pox marks are a witness that God gave you life. Therefore, they are a sign of blessing.”
After many years passed, she has assurance in her heart. That was that God was the Lord of her life and that He that is the real guide. Then she had the assurance that those marks were proof that God loved her.
She is now serving as the wife of the pastor of a famous church in New York. If she looked only at the outward appearance only, then she may have thought it might have been better for her to have died. However, when God’s love came into her heart, she was able to receive an unmoving hope and so the marks of small pox changed to marks of love and grace. A person who lives with God as their Lord can at all times be a victorious person.
What are the marks of God’s love in your life? That is the marks of the nails on Jesus’ feet and hands. That is how much Christ loves you. If you remember that, then such thoughts as “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me” (13) are meaningless. Instead you will be given thanksgiving and hope. Then you will be able to think of how to overcome your situation.

II. God’s love (Vs. 15& 16)
Next look at verses 15 &16. This is God’s answer to Israel who were lamenting that “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget you, I will not forget you.” (15, 16)
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?” (15) Probably in human love there is no stronger bond than the mother child. A mother’s love is a world that exceeds logic. That is how much a mother thinks about her child. That exceeds logic.
However, even among such mothers there are some mothers that abandon their children for their own selves. There are mothers who get so into pachinko that they forget about their child in the car. Therefore, a mother’s love isn’t definite. However, God is different. God will definitely not forget you. “Though she may forget you, I will not forget you.” (16)
Verse 16 says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” This engraving is like tattooing. It is on a different level than just writing on your hands with a pen. You are engraved on the palms of God’s hands. Paul said in Galatians 6:16, “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” This was a brand. That is the same as a tattoo. It can never be erased. In the same way God has engraved us on the palms of his hands. Therefore, it definitely can’t be erased. On the palms of God’s hands your name is eternally engraved. Also always and forever, he is concerned about you. Therefore, the Lord will never forget us or abandon us.
The early Christian theologian, Augustine, wrote in his autobiography, Confessions that the greatest astonishing mystery that we can’t understand is that God loves us. More amazing is that God loves us as if we are the only person in the universe. Even if we are the only person in this universe, the Lord will joyfully die on the cross for us. God loves us to the end and takes care of us.
Is there anyone here that feels like there isn’t a God? Is there anyone one who thinks that “The LORD has forsaken me”? (14) In reality when we feel like this is really the time when God is the closest to us. When Jesus was put on the cross, he called out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46) That was the time when Jesus was the closest. God loves you. You are engraved on his hand. He died for you. The Lord will definitely not forget you. He is always “with you always to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28; 20) Until the end He will love you and watch over you.

III. The promises of God. (Vs. 17-26)
Lastly, let’s look at verses 17 to 26. What did God promise to the Israelites whom God said that he would never forsake or forget? Please look at verse 17. Here it says, “Your sons hasten back,
and those who laid you waste depart from you.”
“Your sons” (17) are the Israelites that are captive to Babylon. This expresses that they are going to depart from Babylon. In verse 18 it says, “’Lift up your eyes and look around; all your sons gather and come to you. As surely as I live,’ declares the LORD, ‘your will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.” They will return walking like a bride wearing a beautiful wedding dress with ornaments.
Please look at verse 19. Here it says, “”Though you were ruined and made desolate and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away.” This means that Israel will become too small for its people. In the future people will come altogether so God’s people will be overflowing.
For that reason as it says in verse 20 and 21 the people there will say in their hearts, “This place is too small for us; give us more space to live in” (20) and “Where have they come from?” (21) It will be that full.
That’s not all. Please look at verse 22. “This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
‘See, I will beckon to the Gentiles,
I will lift up my banner to the peoples;
they will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.”
This means that the Lord will command the Nation’s Kings to serve Israel so the nations will bring Israel back like “sons in their arms” (22) and like “daughters on their shoulders.” (22) There they will receive the full service of the Kings. Then the Israelites will realize that they are the people of God and God hadn’t abandoned them and hadn’t forgotten them.
In addition please look at verses 24 and 25. “Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives rescued from the fierce? But this is what the LORD says: ‘Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.”
It is the most difficult work to rescue the captives and to retrieve the plunder from Babylon who was victorious in battle and controlled the world. The common sense at that time was that if you won in battle, then you took the plunder as you wanted. Therefore, if you had no power then you were plundered and you had to give up. Therefore, for Israel who were captive to such a powerful enemy they were worried and uncertain as to whether they could be helped out of the situation.
However, the Lord can do what seems to be impossible for man. He proclaims, ‘Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce;” (25) Here it says, “I will save.” (25) It is emphasizing that “I will save.” (25) God can do this. By doing that “all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” (26)
This is the promise to the Israelites, the people of God. This encouraged and gave hope to the Israelites who were disappointed and without hope said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) Then God just like he did for Israel encourages and gives hope to us who are disappointed and without hope saying, “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) by promising us that we will return to the eternal city, God’s Jerusalem. In the course of time, someday, we too will be set free from sin which binds our hands and feet and tortures us and we will return to heaven. You may not believe it but God can do this. God is “your Savior, your Redeemer.” (26) He says, “I will save.” (25) In reality this Babylon prophecy is a pattern of our liberation from sin and going to heaven. There you will receive God’s eternal comfort. This is real hope.
Bolt who received 14 Gold medals announced that the 2016 Rio de Janiero Olympics will be the last Olympic and he will retire. The reason is he lost sight of his impelling goal. No matter how many Olympic Gold medals we win, it isn’t our goal. Our life goal is to win our way to heaven. That is not by our strength, but by God’s power, by God’s mercy that it is given. God saves us, redeems us, and leads us to heaven. That is promised. This is God’s promise. There is no stronger encouragement than this. This is the goal that impels us. We are promised that we will receive this kingdom. If so, why is it necessary to be depressed? We get depressed because we don’t know God. If we know how great God is, and what He has done for us, then instead we will be overflowing in thankfulness and joy. God will definitely never forget you.
Now I am in my daily devotions reading Judges. Just now I am studying about the man, Samson. He was a Nazarene devoted to God, dedicated to God. Even so he loved a Philistine woman and married her. Even though he was devoted to God, like this he sinned to God. That’s not all. He really gets carried away and tried at his own wedding banquet to build up the party by telling a riddle. He said that if someone could answer the riddle then he will give them 30 sets of clothes. “Outer of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong something sweet.” (Judges 14:14) What is it? The young Philistine men at the banquet in order to know the answer threatened his wife. They told her to find out the answer from Samson. When the men told Samson the answer and he realized how they got the answer, “He went down to Ashkelon (one of the five principal cities of the Philistines) struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle.” (Judges 14:19) By his own road he chose, he got trapped. He made a mistake. That’s not all. When he returned to his father’s house he found that his “wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding.” (Judges 14:20)He was terribly heart sick, and experienced deep feeling of loss. It could be said that he reaped what he planted, but God didn’t forget Samson.
Samson, who was burning with revenge, struck down a thousand Philistines with a fresh jawbone of a donkey. Then when he went again to the land of the Philistines and he met a woman named Delilah and married her. The Philistines came to her and asked her to lure Samson into showing her “the secret of his great strength.” (Judges 16:5) As might be expected of Samson, he was unwilling to give the answer. Three times he deceived her, but every day she said the same thing insistently begging him. She urged him to the point that he felt like he had reached the end of his rope. “So he told her everything” (Judges 16:17) saying that the source of his strength is his long hair so if his hair is cut off, then his strength will leave and he will become weak and become like the average man.
As it turned out while he was sleeping the Philistines came and shaved his hair off so his strength left him. He became a completely powerless man. Then the Persians gouged out his eyes, and bound his legs with bronze shackles, and put him in prison. Even though he was a Nazarene devoted to God like this he defied God many times and completely lost his strength.
However, God didn’t forget Samson. Even if Samson forgot God, God didn’t forget him. In the course of time when the Philistines brought Samson out to the temple of Dagon to entertain them, he called out to the Lord, “O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more.” (Judges 16:28) Then Samson pushed the two central pillars on which the temple stood and that he was leaning on “with all his might and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.” (Judges 16:30) God gave him, one more chance. No matter how much he sinned, God didn’t give up on him. He didn’t abandon him. No matter how much he forgot God, God didn’t forget him.
The writer of Psalms 23 confesses, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4) Whether we feel it or not, God is always with us. To believe this is the faith of Emmanuel. God with his invisible hand is helping us.
Therefore, even if you think you are abandoned or that God gave up on you, you need to know that God is always with you. You are always remembered by God. God will not forget you. No matter what you are engraved on the palm of God’s hand. You are so precious that you are engraved on the palm of God. Our heart is warmed when we are remembered in the thoughts of someone or when we are not forgotten. Even what is more moving is that creator of the heavens and the earth, the ruler of all, God, doesn’t forget you and remembers you. Even if other people forget you, God will never forget you. God loves with endless power and grace.