“But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine”
– Isaiah 43:1
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever seen or know a kid – or a guy or gal, who is a Jew? What would you do if you had a kid – or a guy or gal, who is a Jew move into a house next to where you live? There were guys and gals who were Jews who lived in the same area where your grandmaa lived when she was a kid in Wilmington, Delaware. There were guys and gals who were Jews who went to P.S. DuPont High School – which is the high school in Wilmington where your grandmaa graduated from in 1961. Other than kind of keeping to themselves and maybe taking making good grades more seriously than guys and gals who were not Jews, your grandmaa did not see much difference in the guys and gals who were Jews who attended her high school than the guys and gals who were not Jews. What have you heard or know about guys and gals who are Jews? What are some of the stereotypes that you have heard about guys and gals who are Jews? Have you ever heard the word greedy or diamonds or big nose and/or beanie used about a guy and/or gal who is a Jew? Do you know how many guys and gals who are Jews there are today? Your grandpaa believes that no one really knows how many guys and gals who are Jews are living in different places on planet Earth. Guys and gals who are Jews can be found living most everywhere on planet Earth. Your grandpaa has seen guys and gals who are Jews when he has been at airports waiting to get on an airplane. When your grandmaa and grandpaa lived in Santa Cruz, Bolivia as missionaries on South America Mission field missionary team, your grandpaa exchanged money with a guy who was a Jew. What do you think that guys and gals who are Jews think about the Holy Land or the land of Israel? Your grandpaa thinks that the guys and gals who are Jews may see the Holy Land or the land of Israel as being symbolic of their lives. Just as the Holy Land or the land of Israel has been and still is at times denigrated and mocked as being nothing more than a diminutive irritation for the securing of world peace, your grandpaa thinks that a guy or gal who is a Jew may at times sense being demeaned and maligned because of their ancestral ties to the Holy Land or to the land of Israel, by guys and gals who are not Jews. Do you think that Jew people group guys and gals believe that their people group has been and still is under a different dispensation than every other people group who has existed and is existing on planet Earth? Do you think that the Jew people group guys and gals believe that their people group has been and still is the most atrociously persecuted people group that has existed and will exist on planet Earth?
How much do you know about the story of the Jews? Guys and gals who are Jews do have a one of kind story that they can tell. The Bible is the best place to go to get a handle on the Jew’s story’s beginning. Isaiah encapsulates in Isaiah 43 the singular relationship that Jews have with God. As a prophet spokesman for God – as God the Father, Isaiah had God – as God the Spirit, breath on him exclusive, divine insights into a people group – who would end up being known as Jews, who God arbitrarily called out to be His specially chosen guys and gals. Verse 1 articulates the relationship that God initiated with this people group who would become known as Jews, “But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” There was a very specific reason why God chose the descendants of Abraham – who would become known as Jews, to be His specially chosen guys and gals. The guys and gals who were Jews were to ‘proclaim my praise’ per what God – as God the Spirit, had Isaiah to scribe. Even though the word flaw is not synonymous with God, there was a flaw in the people group – the Jew guys and gals, who God picked to be His specially chosen guys and gals. This ‘flaw’ would have been an inherent character blemish in any people group of guys and gals who God might have picked to be His specially chosen guys and gals. A rebellious, grievous misstep by Adam – who was the first guy who God formed to live on a specially designed orb – which is known today as planet Earth, that He placed into His constantly unfolding cosmos for whatever reason that He alone knows why, resulted in a sin genetic attachment to the DNA of every guy, gal and kid who has been and who will be born. Even though Abraham was granted the blessing from God to be the patriarch of His specially chosen guys and gals, Abraham was unable to escape the constantly niggling and nagging of the sin spirit to compromise his moral integrity – which in Abraham’s case was to lie twice about Sarah being his wife.
Because of the sinister ability of sin to get guys, gals and kids to behave insubordinately towards their Creator, God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids – the Israelite or Jew people group guys and gals, had to be constantly reminded by God as to why He picked them to be His specially chosen guys and gals. God – as God the Spirit, had Isaiah at this time scribe about the times when God rescued guys and gals who were Jews from untenable situations. God – as God the Spirit, also at this time had Isaiah scribe about the times when God became infuriated with guys and gals who were Jews for not making animal and grain sacrifices and offerings just to Him but instead worshipped manmade idol gods. What do you think life would be like on planet Earth with no guys and gals on it who are Jews?
Isaiah 43 (1156)