“Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring.” Isaiah 44:2,3
Embedded in history, in God ‘s dealings with Israel, revealing to her His ways and means of coming back to God, we are brought face to face with the fact that He knows profoundly, and perfectly, the deep needs of the hearts of His people. To a wounded and despondent people, God comes, revealing through the words of Isaiah in chapter 40, a pathway of how He will meet the soul’s need of the people. Though they have suffered greatly, been trodden down because of their disobedience and faithlessness He has not forsaken them. He declares that her “warfare” has come to an end. The God of mercy, is now working wonderfully to lift Jerusalem and Israel from the dust, returning her to faith, and life, in Himself. This begins with comforting her with words of hope and a certain promise of a new beginning. Central and basic to the meeting of her soul’s need is the revealed word of God, which is the guidepost, and light, by which Israel has reason to hope. God is faithful to fulfill His word. In chapter 41, we discover that Israel might think that she has been forsaken, or cast away, and thus, she is left without any resource other than herself to rise, be delivered from evil, to know the power of a new beginning. Some great, and wonderful promises of God to Israel are these: “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.” (41:10)
When we come to chapter 43, we are confronted with God’s clear, and convincing, declaration to Israel: “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?” (v.19) As was the case of the Apostle Paul, Israel was called upon to forget “…those things which are behind,” and reach forth “…unto those things which are before.” (Phil. 3:13) God would have Israel free from the past, and this, first by realizing that He has pardoned all her previous sins. (40:2) He would have her realize that she is not forgotten and that her way is not hid from the Lord. (40:27) And He would have her to realize and grasp the truth that He has ordained, and called her to know a new beginning, one where there is the very real intervention of God in her existence and life. However, it is in coming to chapter 44 that we discover how He will bring this to pass. He will work in such a manner that Israel will not look to herself to meet her deep soul’s need, for she will realize that she has not the resources to do so. He will use the means of thirsting after Him, to draw out her heart to Him, to seek and find Him.
The first thing we notice in chapter 44 is that God calls Jacob and Israel to listen to Him. It is essential that Israel, and the individual, trust God according to what He has said. The “narrow way” of the word of God, by the Spirit, is God’s means to bring Life and blessing to the world. He states very clearly what He will do if one realizes, like the Samaritan woman of Jesus’ day, that there is but one, sure, answer to the thirst of the soul. It is only Christ, by His Spirit. But how is this transaction between the thirsting soul, and the satisfying work of the Spirit to be realized? It is by faith in God, believing Him according to His promise. He declares: “I WILL pour water (the Spirit) upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.” Thirst is the great condition of receiving Christ’s fulness.
Dear Father, Satisfy our thirsty souls according to Thy promise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.