Father God has You by the Hand

“For I, Jehovah your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)

This is just one verse of Isaiah’s prophecy that is 26 chapters long beginning with chapter 40.  In chapter 39 we learn of Hezekiah’s foolishness showing all the treasures of the temple to the Babylonian envoys and Isaiah’s prophecy that Babylon would return to take them captive. Then chapters 40 through 66 is Isaiah’s prophecy that covers a multitude of topics and prophecies, from comfort to salvation, Babylon’s judgement, salvation through the Servant, rebuke for the wicked, Zion glorified and God’s final judgement.

Our one verse of study is part of the Lord’s comfort to the captives in Babylon. Now in perspective, Isaiah prophesied all this about two hundred years before the actual captivity.  Isaiah lived between 800BC to 701BC. Hezekiah ruled 716/15–687/86BC. The Babylonian captivity began in 598/7BC. The Babylonian captivity didn’t occur until after Hezekiah’s death. His words to Isaiah were cavalier. “Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, Good is the Word of Jehovah which you have spoken. And he said, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.” (Isaiah 39:8) His actions had consequences for his descendants and the future of Judah, but he only cared that it wouldn’t happen while he was alive.

A couple of lessons are learned first from our verse of study and also from the events with Hezekiah. Do our actions today have consequences for our descendants? When Moses spoke with God and God revealed Himself to Moses, the Lord God told him that the descendants would suffer for their fathers’ sins. “And Jehovah passed by before him and proclaimed, Jehovah! Jehovah God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the sons, and on the sons of sons, to the third and to the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7) But later, God gives the Law to Moses. “These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to do in the land which Jehovah, the God of your fathers gives you to possess it, all the days that you live upon the earth.” (Deuteronomy 12:1) In this new Law, Moses records God’s word concerning the sins of the father. “The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, neither shall the sons be put to death for the fathers. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16) Here we see that from the beginning of time, until the Law was given, there was generational consequence for sin. This was without the Law, which all of humanity lived and now live under. This is why we are born sinful and in the kingdom of sin and darkness. But when the Law was given God changed that for those living in the Law. This was only the Jews who were to keep the Law but which no one could keep.

We do not live under the Law but live in the fulfilled law of God through Jesus Who fulfilled all the Law. He fulfilled it for us. Our children do not suffer the consequences of our sins when they receive Jesus, the Law Keeper. But better than that, we receive the promise for our children when we are in covenant with Jesus when they may be outside of the mercy and grace through Jesus Who fulfilled the Law for us. Because of our covenant with Jesus, we have the promise of generations following the Lord.

Now in our Scripture of study we learn that although they were in the worse of times in captivity in Babylon, God is merciful. He comforts them by telling them not to fear because He is well aware of what is happening to them and will help them by holding them by the hand. What a picture of a loving Father. I’ve seen many children that when they are frightened, they run to hold their father’s hand. They know they are safe close to their father. That is what the Lord told the captives, that He was near and that although they were captive there was nothing to fear. And as our heavenly Father, He tells us the same thing over and over. The words “Do not fear or do not be afraid” are in the Bible sixty-one times. No matter the circumstances coming against you, no matter the situation one is in, God says to us, “Do not fear.” I’ve got you by the right hand and I am near. The right hand signifying your strong hand. In other words, God means I won’t let go and you won’t let go ‘cause I have you by your strong hand. It’s His promise of His present help and His promise that we won’t give up either 'cause He’s got us by our right hand.