"I am Yahweh, your God..." Isaiah 48:17-18 (TPT)

This Scripture from Isaiah is one that has a special meaning, this isn’t a rebuke or chiding by the Lord, but rather a glimpse into the heart of compassion that the Lord has for His people.  

I love the way He describes Himself in the beginning, “I am Yahweh, your Kinsman-Redeemer” He first makes it clear that He is ‘Yahweh’ the God of the Israelites, whose name was revealed to Moses as four Hebrew consonants (YHWH) called the Tetragrammaton, which many scholars believe that the most proper meaning may be “He brings into Existence Whatever Exists” (Yahweh-Asher-Yahweh). In I Samuel, God is known by the name (Yahweh Teva-ʿot), or “He Brings the Hosts into Existence,” the hosts possibly referring to the heavenly court or to Israel. 

The term "kinsman-redeemer" is used only seven times in the Book of Ruth, and "avenger of blood" is used twelve times in the bible, the Hebrew verb “ga'al” from which both of these terms are translated, is used over 100 times and rendered by such additional terms as "redeemer" or "near relative." The Hebrew term designates a male relative who delivers or rescues, redeems property, or person who avenges the murder of a relative as a guiltless executioner and receives restitution for wrong done to a relative who has since died. The unique emphasis of the redemption/salvation/vindication associated with the kinsman-redeemer is the fact that this action is carried out by a kinsman on behalf of a near relative in need. This idea is most clearly illustrated in the Book of Ruth. God is Israel's Redeemer, the one who will defend and vindicate them, and that translates to us also.

Then there is the term ”holy one of Isreal” which is the Hebrew word ‘qadowsh’ transliterated ‘kä·dōshe' which means Holy one, or set apart one.  God is set apart from all other gods and is special, unique, and different.

God is making it clear in this passage who He is and what His role is for His people. “I am the one who makes you succeed” He is stating that He is the one who teaches us that we may succeed in life, He is our provision as well as our portion in all things.

He also states that I am the one “who leads you step by step in the way you should go.”  God is the one who leads us forward literally ‘step by step’ in the way we has chosen for us to walk.  It is this type of leading that God is best known for, taking a person by the hand and leading them forward step by step as only a loving Father would do.  The purpose of this type of leading is to develop trust and confidence that God will do what He says He will do, and His promises are steadfast.

God also states “If you had listened to my command then peace would have flowed like a river for you and success would wash over you like waves of the sea.”  By listening and obeying to the command of the Lord we are protected and experience His peace which is connected to His presence.  

It is described that God’s peace will flow like a river for us.  Jesus emphasizes this in the book of John:

“Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!”  John 7:38 (TPT)

Success will be our portion compared to the waves of the sea which come in constant rhythmic fashion .  God is telling Israel (us) that if we place our complete trust and allegiance in Him and His purpose for us that He will be before us and lead us to success and to His peace.

This is really amazing because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us we have all that we need placed within us, Peter takes up this thought in further detail:

“Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.”  2 Peter 1:3 (TPT)

There is everything we need at our disposal if we call upon the Lord and trust in His provision, He is our defender, our Holy one, our teacher, and our leader.  All of this will flow out from us because He resides within us.  That is His promise!

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett