Isaiah 41:10 - No Need For Fear Or Anxiety Since God Is Near.
Isa.41:10; No Need For Fear Or Anxiety Since God Is Near.
CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word
Study:
Isa 41:10 (KJV) Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not
dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isa 41:10 (NASB) 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not
anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely
I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right
hand.'
Isaiah 41:10 (AMP) Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I
am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for
I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties,
yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My
[victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. [Acts 18:10.]
Fear thou not. Outwardly there was much of which the professed
people could be afraid in the days of Isaiah. The northern kingdom,
Israel, had been wiped out of existence by Assyrian military might, and
it appeared that Judah could not long endure. The people were
greatly in need of a message of comfort and hope, and Isaiah sought to
inspire them with courage and cheer (see chs. 40:1, 2; 41:13, 14; 43:5;
44:2). [SDA Commentary]
Right Hand: A hand of power and salvation (see Ex 15:6,12; Ps
20:6; 48:10; 89:13; 98:1). [NIV SB]
Right Hand: Indicates His sovereignty and strength over all who
oppose Him (40:10). [Nelson SB]
CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:
Overview
Judah's sovereign LORD intends good for His people (40:1-31).
God, not the idols worshiped by the nations, controls the future
(41:1-29). Though Israel failed its national calling as God's servant, One
from the nation will fulfill God's purpose (42:1-25) when the Creator
acts to redeem His chosen people (43:1-44:25). As evidence, God will
appoint one named Cyrus to restore Jerusalem (v. 26-45:25). Oppressive
Babylon will be crushed, and God's word of blessing for Israel will be
fulfilled (46:1-48:22). [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
41:1-42:17
In this prophecy the Lord puts the nations on a trial to show
them that He alone is God because only He can predict the future. The
trial consists of two cycles (41:1-20; 41:21-42:9), followed by a
praise hymn (42:10-17). In each trial cycle, there are three elements:
(1) a call of the nations to trial (41:1, 21-24); (2) a prediction
of the coming of Cyrus (41:2-7, 25-29); (3) a celebration of the
victories of the Servant (41:8-20; 42:1-9). [Nelson SB]
41:1-29 THE INCOMPARABLE POWER AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
The "islands" served as a figure referring to the people of the
Mediterranean world. The one aroused "from the east" (41:2) referred to Cyrus,
king of Anshan, who inherited the kingdom of the Medes (550 B.C.) and
captured Babylon (539 B.C.) to found the Persian Empire. Although Cyrus
was an unbeliever, he was called to do God's righteous will (cf.
45:1-5). In 41:8-9 the believers of Israel were addressed as God's
"servant." The term also was used of Isaiah (20:3), Cyrus (41:2), and the
Messiah (49:5). The context is the key to determining who was being
referred to by the term "servant." The "mountains" (41:15) referred to
mountain-like shrines (called "ziggurats") that were used for idolatrous
worship. God addressed the pagan idols, challenging them to prove their
worth (41:21-24). They were asked to predict a near prophecy ("former
things") or a distant prophecy ("things to come"). [New Bible Companion]
Israel Encouraged
Israel Assured of God's Help
Fear Not, For I Am with You (41:1-20)
Only the Lord Can Save Us
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.
Deut. 31:6 (KJV) Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor
be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with
thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Deut. 33:27 (KJV) The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath
are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from
before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
Joshua 1:9 (KJV) Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a
good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord
thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
2 Chron. 20:17 (KJV) Ye shall not need to fight in this battle:
set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord
with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow
go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.
2 Chron. 32:8 (KJV) With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is
the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the
people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Psalm 27:1 (KJV) The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be
afraid?
Psalm 29:11 (KJV) The Lord will give strength unto his people;
the Lord will bless his people with peace.
Psalm 37:24 (KJV) Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast
down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
Psalm 46:1-2 (KJV) God is our refuge and strength, a very
present help in trouble. [2] Therefore will not we fear, though the
earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst
of the sea;
Psalm 145:14 (KJV) The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and
raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
Isaiah 12:2 (KJV) Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust,
and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song;
he also is become my salvation.
Isaiah 40:29 (KJV) He giveth power to the faint; and to them
that have no might he increaseth strength.
Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall
run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 41:13 (KJV) For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right
hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Zech. 10:12 (KJV) And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and
they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord.
Romans 8:31 (KJV) What shall we then say to these things? If
God be for us, who can be against us?
2 Cor. 12:9 (KJV) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient
for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly
therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ
may rest upon me.
Ephes. 3:16 (KJV) That he would grant you, according to the
riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the
inner man;
Philip. 4:13 (KJV) I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.
Philip. 4:5-6 (NIV) Let your gentleness be evident to all. The
Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests
to God.
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?
God chose Israel through Abraham because he wanted to, not
because the people deserved it (Deut. 7:6-8; 9:4-6). Although God chose
the Israelites to represent him to the world, they failed to do
this; so God punished them and sent them into captivity. Now all
believers are God's chosen people, and all share the responsibility of
representing him to the world. One day God will bring all his faithful people
together. We need not fear because (1) God is with us ("I am with you"),
(2) God has established a relationship with us ("I am your God"),
and (3) God gives us assurance of his strength, help, and victory
over sin and death. Have you realized all the ways God has helped
you? [Life Application SB]
God is with His people in exile and suffering. He knows our
fears, speaks words of comfort, and promises to help. Salvation is no
bed of roses. Being saved involves struggle, suffering, and growth.
The good news is that we can count on God to help us with our fears
and heartaches, to deliver us from our failures, and to strengthen
us in our weaknesses. We call this process sanctification.
[Disciple SB]
God has a strong reserve with which to discharge this
engagement; for he is able to do all things. Believer, till thou canst drain
dry the ocean of omnipotence, till thou canst break into pieces the
towering mountains of almighty strength, thou never needest to fear.
Think not that the strength of man shall ever be able to overcome the
power of God. Whilst the earth's huge pillars stand, thou hast enough
reason to abide firm in thy faith. The same God who directs the earth
in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the sun, and trims
the lamps of heaven, has promised to supply thee with daily
strength. While he is able to uphold the universe, dream not that he will
prove unable to fulfil his own promises. Remember what he did in the
days of old, in the former generations. Remember how he spake and it
was done; how he commanded, and it stood fast. Shall he that created
the world grow weary? He hangeth the world upon nothing; shall he
who doth this be unable to support his children? Shall he be
unfaithful to his word for want of power? Who is it that restrains the
tempest? Doth not he ride upon the wings of the wind, and make the clouds
his chariots, and hold the ocean in the hollow of his hand? How can
he fail thee? When he has put such a faithful promise as this on
record, wilt thou for a moment indulge the thought that he has
outpromised himself, and gone beyond his power to fulfil? Ah, no! Thou canst
doubt no longer.
O thou who art my God and my strength, I can believe that this
promise shall be fulfilled, for the boundless reservoir of thy grace can
never be exhausted, and the overflowing storehouse of thy strength can
never be emptied by thy friends or rifled by thine enemies.
"Now let the feeble all be strong,
And make Jehovah's arm their song." [Morning and Evening by
Charles H. Spurgeon]
Consider the godly aged. In our society older saints often feel
they are not doing their part. They can't help with the children;
their bodies won't cooperate to do certain physically hard work; they
have difficultly hearing or seeing; they feel like they can't
contribute anymore. This idea must be eradicated! If you are someone like
this, or know someone like this, consider Anna who was very old (Luke
2:36,37). She spent her time worshiping, fasting and praying. Praying.
And she was shown the Savior, in answer to her prayers! Older saints
today need to be encouraged to pray and not be permitted to think they
are second class servants! Younger ones are not able to pray like
Anna. God has ordained His power be bent to earth to do His will,
THROUGH PRAYER. Encourage older saints in this manner. They are
literally on the front lines, bringing God's power to bear on the things
of the earth. No one else can render this service; encourage them!
[In His Time; Walk With Wisdom re Psa.34:15]
All you are expected to do is to rest in His love. Do not worry.
Jesus loves you, and now when you are weak and suffering, He holds you
in His arms, just as a loving father holds a little child. Trust in
Him in whom you have believed. Has He not loved and cared for you
all through your lifetime? Just rest in the precious promises given
you. {TDG 313}
Often your mind may be clouded because of pain. Then do not try
to think. You know that Jesus loves you. He understands your
weakness. You may do His will by simply resting in His arms. {MH 251}
Help and grace sufficient for every circumstance are promised by
Him whose word is truth. His everlasting arms encircle the soul that
turns to Him for aid. In His care we may rest safely, saying, "What
time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" (Ps. 56:3). {AG 21}
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