God Who Fights
In Isaiah Chapter 50, the prophet describes God’s relationship with Israel in a very pictorial and poetic language, typical of the prophets. The words that spoke loudly to me as I was studying the chapter began in verse 23. They describe how God aims to restore the dignity of his people who were oppressed and conquered. Hashem says, Veyadat ki ani ADONAI, asher lo yevoshu kovai – “Know that I am Hashem, and those who wait or hope for me will not be shamed or embarrassed.” The verse uses the verb KAVAH, which means to wait, to expect. Tikvah, hope comes from this verb. God will not allow those who trust him and wait for him to experience shame, as if their trust and hope are in vain. In Isaiah 50, verse 24, God asks, “Can the spoils of war be taken from a warrior? Can the innocent captives be rescued?” In antiquity, soldiers captured the wealth of those they conquered and often took prisoners too. That is exactly what happened to Israel.
Trust to Be Rescued. You may not be a captive or a prisoner of war today, but even if you were and the LORD is your God, that is a temporary situation. Unfortunately, captivity comes in many forms and shapes. You can be free on the surface but live in spiritual bondage for many years. And yet it does not have to be like that. If Hashem is your God, that is not your destiny to be a captive. He calls himself a Savour, one who rescues. He calls himself a Redeemer because that is how he sees himself in relation to his people. Are you his? Are you ready and willing to be rescued? If you put your trust and hope in God, if you call out to Him earnestly, he will break you out of any prison or bondage. That is what the prophet says: those who hope in him will not be ashamed.
The Mighty One of Jacob fights for his people, but his people must have genuine hope in their Savior and Redeemer. Our ultimate enemy is sin. It’s a bondage, a prison most cannot escape on their own. So Hashem sent us Yeshua, who dueled sin on our behalf, and he won; he overcame. He offers us his merit, his righteousness, restoring our honor, if we but only believe that he was sent by God, listen to him, and follow his lead into a better life. Those who hope in the salvation Hashem sends will not be ashamed.