Isaiah 44:21-23 – Remembered in Grace
In verse 21, God calls upon us to remember something in the past, something in the very immediate past, as well as farther back. The immediate past is — the words that He had just spoken through Isaiah about the foolishness of these idol worshippers. The people of God are told to remember, so they don’t go and follow the folly. God in His kindness calls the remnant His servant. What a humbling thing this must have been to them. How could God call them His servants? Because God has set His love upon them from eternity. We go on to read in this verse that God remembers something else. He remembers that they are His servant, but He remembers that He has created them in the covenant of grace. They’re the people from whom and to whom would be coming the Messiah. They’ve not remembered Him, His grace, His redemption, but He has not forgotten them. His love cannot be ended, or erased, or just tossed aside. No, it is from eternity in Jesus Christ and shall be to eternity. We can come to Him again and again with the sins we struggle with because He will not forget us. He does not forget His love. Believer, you can never be forgotten. Remember your sin and folly. But remember that you are safe in Jesus, remembered in the covenant, remembered in the Saviour who has fulfilled that covenant.
We see in verse 22 that we are saved by grace alone. Sin, like a fierce storm, separates us from God and brings destruction and misery. But God says, ‘Those big, dark, thick, frightening clouds, I sweep away’. Only Christ can deal with this cloud. Only He can deal with our sin. And that is exactly what He does. He redeems us. He makes sure the price of our guilt is paid for. He scatters the storm of our sin, and the warmth of fellowship with our Father washes over us now.
Do you remember when the truth of the gospel hit home? Were you not filled with joy? And is not such news worthy of praise? It is a joy to all of creation. We see here in verse 23, the mountains and the forests giving Him praise. Be part of this joy!
Questions
- What does God tell us to remember?
- How does God deal with our sin?
Prayer Points
- Give praise to God for the salvation you have in Christ.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.