Continue where we left off this morning. Promises to a fearful and dismayed people. Isaiah chapter 41 verse 8 and verse 10. But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 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. Amen. We know the Lord will add his blessing to the reading of his word. Once again we turn to this passage and we have learned that the people to whom Isaiah wrote would in a future day, around about 100 years or more, experience captivity in Babylon due to chastisement for their refusal to abandon their false idols and return to the Lord. Yet the Lord in mercy, the Lord in grace, gave a promise for the future for them to hold on to, and to continually bring before them. Remember, even in Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 10. Thus saith the Lord that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon." So here's the Lord telling them they would have this through this time. After 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you and causing you to return to this place. And that's remarkable, even though they had backslidden, even though they had rebelled against the Lord, yet the Lord in sending them into Babylon gave them promises to hold on to, that I will forgive your sin, that I will cleanse you, that I will bring you back again. Oh how good is the God that we adore. Isaiah writes about that occasion as the Babylonian army come and Jerusalem's walls are brought down wasting the city and taking them slaves the people experienced fear they became dismayed and yet the Lord has this promise for fearful and dismayed people because the Lord knows what each and every one of us will experience. The Lord knows what will happen in your life later on, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. And for that basis, he gives a word for us to hold on to, that whatever happens to you tonight, then you can look back to that word you've heard today. Whatever happens tomorrow or the next day, then you can look back to that word, and you can say that God has said to me that he is my God. and he will strengthen me, he will help me, he will uphold me. The words apply to our hearts. No matter what seems to crash down in our lives, like Jerusalem's walls, or times when nothing seems to make sense, or the foundations be shaken, or you deal with situations that you never anticipated, maybe certain things have come upon you like an army with great speed making its mark. And you begin to fear, you begin to dismay, and recovery seems far off. The Lord has a word for you. He had a word for his people whom he was sending into Babylon. Fear not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. We look this morning that the Lord secures his people, and they are secured because they have been chosen by the Lord. They are secure because they've been called by the Lord. And they are secure because they've been covenanted by the Lord. And so there's application to our heart, believer. We are safe and secure in Jesus Christ. He has given unto us eternal life. We shall never perish. We've been chosen by him. We've been called by him. We've been covenanted by him. All whom have been given to Christ, They will never perish, they will never be lost, because Christ can never fail. That's why you can never lose salvation, because Christ can never fail. And he did not fail. On the cross, he cried, it is finished. And therefore, in the Old Testament, they looked toward the cross. They had faith in what Christ would do when he would come to the world in the fullness of time. where we who live after the cross, we look back to the cross, that he did came. Here is what he did do. But between the Old Testament, the New Testament age, and after which includes herself, there's only one way of salvation. There's only one redeemer. There's only one cross work whereby sinners are saved. It's the Lord Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary. So people always ask that, how were people saved in the Old Testament? Well, they were saved the exact same way as you're saved, by faith and the shedding of precious blood. But notice, as we look today, not only the Lord secures his people, but notice secondly, the Lord surrounds his people. I am with thee what a word of comfort I am with thee the word with means to come alongside it means to go before and so the idea is to surround completely the lord surrounds his people by his presence he puts a hedge round about them remember the Lord spoke to Moses and to Joshua and the people before they were to enter into the promised land. Deuteronomy chapter 31 verse 6, as God delivered his message through Moses and the Lord He it is that doth go before thee. Deuteronomy chapter 33 verse 29, the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms. The Lord encouraged his servant Joshua in Joshua chapter 1 verse 5, as I was with Moses so I will be with thee. We learn in Psalm 125 verse 2, as the mountains are round about Jerusalem. So the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever. In other words, the Lord says, I am thy God, I am with you, underneath you, I go before you, I'm around about you, I come alongside you from beginning to end. I am with you. I know about tomorrow because I have planned tomorrow. Tomorrow is in my hands. Your time is in my hand. You don't need to fear. You don't need to be dismayed about the future because I have told you already what will take place in future days. That after 70 years be accomplished, I will bring you back again. Here was a word for a people who felt forsaken, who felt forgotten. The Lord makes the point, I am with thee, I am about thee, I'm in the midst of you. Again, Isaiah 43 verse 2, when thou passedest through the waters, I will be with thee. and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. O Israel, whenever they would enter into Babylon, and for that seventy year period, they would experience trial after trial, they would experience hardship after hardship, But the Lord had told them, I will be with thee, I will be round about thee. Remember the psalmist said in Psalm 34 verse 19, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. Remember Christ, when he comforted his disciples, he said to them in Matthew chapter 28 verse 20, whenever he gave them that commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel, before his ascension into heaven what did he say lo i am with you always even on to the end of the age or the end of the world and that word world means age so here was a promise for god's people that i am with you to the end of the world to the end of the age before i come again i am with you As Christ is preached as the only saviour of sinners, as men and women hear there's redemption only through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, as He builds His church, as He saves souls, as there's this remnant according to the election of grace. As we serve Him, He says, I am with you. because we cannot do God's work without Him. Except the Lord build the house, they labour and fain that build it. Therefore, here we have a great promise. The Lord not only secures His people, I am thy God, but the Lord surrounds His people. I am with thee, I go before thee, I'm in the midst of thee, I surround thee, my eye is ever upon thee. The Lord his eyes are upon the righteous and he ponders all their goings. What a word that was for the people going into Babylon. And men and women, the Lord may send you through a trial. That trial could be as chastisement because of sin, or that trial could just be to increase your faith, to trust in him more. but you have the promise that through it, I am with thee, I surround thee, I go before thee. Notice thirdly, the Lord also strengthens his people because he assured them, yea, I will strengthen thee. the scenes of the enemy's destruction and the captivity in Babylon seemed to empty them. Remember they were weak, they were heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care. Fear had taken hold on them. yet while in Babylon the Lord said through Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 40 verse 31 these are all promises regarding when they would go into Babylon words for them to hold on to they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. And that word renew, it means to change or exchange. And so you could read it that way. They shall change their strength. They that wait upon the Lord shall change their strength. Or they that wait upon the Lord shall exchange their strength for God's strength. In other words, in our weakness, He is our strength. The words literally read, they will keep putting on fresh strength. Those that wait upon the Lord, who spend time in his presence, you will grow from strength to strength, day by day, you will be strengthened, you will be enabled. Again, 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 9. Remember Paul had that thorn in the flesh and he asked the Lord to remove it three times, but the Lord would not remove that thorn in the flesh. But what did God say to him instead? My grace. is sufficient for thee and that word sufficient means enough complete all you need is my grace and me there is a sufficiency all you need is found in me and then the lord added for my strength is made perfect in weakness and the words made perfect mean more clearly revealed and so you could read it that way that my strength is more clearly seen in your weakness. It is not the case. Whenever we go through a trial, whenever we go through trouble, a bereavement, a sorrow, a sickness, whatever it may be, The Lord draws near in such a way to show us I am thy God. I will help you. Remember that word help means to come alongside. It means to draw near. It means to surround. We know the Lord's surrounding touch. And we know his strength in our weakness. His grace is more clearly seen. His love is more clearly seen. His presence is more clearly known. And though he's always there, though he's always loved us, though there's always grace, But yet sometimes it takes those trials for us to remember the goodness of the Lord. Remember Daniel. Daniel was one of those children born in captivity. Daniel was one of those young men in that captivity who was brought down with the children of Judah at a young age. And Daniel was a man full of the Holy Spirit. But you read in Daniel's book that Daniel was tried and tested during those times of captivity. In Daniel chapter 10, verse five, Daniel, as he labored in prayer, as he prayed his eyes were lifted to see a certain man and this man was christ himself it was a christophany that's an appearance of christ before his incarnation verse 18 of daniel chapter 10 there came again and touched me like one the appearance of a man. He strengthened me and said, O man, greatly beloved, fear not. Peace be unto thee. Be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened. And he said, let my Lord speak, for thou hast strengthened me. O Daniel was strengthened by the Lord. And therefore, child of God, in your weakness, in your difficulty, in whatever challenge the Lord has permitted you this year, or even next year. The Lord has promised, He will strengthen you. I will strengthen thee. I will enable thee. My grace will be sufficient for thee. Notice also, the Lord not only secures His people by saying to them, I am thy God, because I've chosen thee, I've called thee, I've covenanted thee. Not only does the Lord surround His people in that He helps them, He draws near to them, He goes before them, He's in the midst of them, but He strengthens His people in that He enables them, He gives them strength in their weakness, but also the Lord suckers His people. Because he said, I will help thee. Again, also verses 13 and 14, I will help thee. And that word help, as you have before you in Isaiah 41 verse 10, I will help thee. In the original Hebrew, that is the word sucker. And it's a word that means to run to the Adolf. And that's what the Lord is saying here. I will help thee, I will come to your aid. The picture is of the rider on the horse in battle. And whenever there's someone in danger, he rides swiftly to the help of another, to the aid of another. And that's what the Lord's saying when you go into Babylon, when you're in times of persecution. Because remember Babylon would be a pagan society. There was Nebuchadnezzar. There was false gods, false idols. Remember God's people were persecuted even in Babylon as we'll look at in a minute. And yet they had this word to hold on to. I am thy God. I will help thee. I will strengthen thee. I will run to your aid. I will help you. I will come to you in your time of trouble. Whatever that may be, whenever that will be, I will help thee. I will succor thee. Remember Daniel. was a man of prayer. We sing that song, don't we? Daniel was a man of prayer. Daily, he prayed three times. Now remember, Daniel was promoted because of his godly character. But yet there was men who worked with Daniel, and they did not like Daniel or his godly character. They thought they should have been promoted in the land, not Daniel, this Jewish man. And so they sought to find something against Daniel. And yet there was this law made that Nebuchadnezzar had to be worshipped, that people had to bow to him and his idols and all the rest, but Daniel would not do it. And there was this law made that if any man prays to his God, then he ought to be punished because the men knew fine rightly, Daniel, he's a man of prayer. He will still pray. We've got him. And whenever that law was made, Daniel still went down to his room, and he kept his mind, and he prayed toward Jerusalem. His mind was upon the city, the promises of God. And they caught him. And Daniel, as a result, was cast into the den of lions. and they thought he'd be destroyed, he'd be ripped apart. But the Lord is the one who said, I am thy God, I will help thee, I will strengthen thee, I will come to your aid. The Lord came to Daniel's aid. And as we sing the song, the lion, God just... shut the lion's mouth so they could not harm him. We read in Daniel 6 verse 22, my God has sent his angel and has shut the lion's mouth that they have not hurt me. Oh there the Lord came to Daniel's aid. The Lord was that sucker to him that day. He helped him, he strengthened him. You imagine being thrown into that den full of hungry lions. Imagine the fear and the dismay, but Daniel knew my God will deliver me and God delivered him. Again, you think of Daniel chapter 3, you have the three Hebrew children in the exact same situation. They refused to bow down to the idols off the day and they're cast into this fire. and Nebuchadnezzar has the fire to be lit even hotter but verse 25 Nebuchadnezzar said lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire but only three went in but yet I see four in the fire and they have not hurt and the fourth is like the son of god Whenever they came out of that fire, none of their clothes were burnt at all. There was not the slightest mark on them. Verse 27, whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair off their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of the fire had passed on them. Oh, the Lord came to their aid that day. The Lord upheld his promise, even in Babylon. The Lord still surrounded his people. The Lord still held his people, why? Because he said, I am thy God, you belong to me. Hebrews chapter two, verse 18. The Lord Jesus Christ, for in that he himself has suffered, being tempted. Notice, he is able to succor. them that are tempted and that's the same word he is able to come to the aid of them that are tempted and that word tempted is the word meaning tested and so whenever God's people go through tests and trials Lord Jesus Christ is the one who comes to the aid of his people. Why? Because he did battle for us on earth. He was tempted off the devil, but yet he was victorious off the devil to show that there's only victory through him. He was tested and he won the victory. He is able to succor them that are tempted. And therefore, what a great joy when we come to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer, the one who comes to our aid. There is no help like the Lord Jesus Christ. He helps in a time of need. Again, Samuel. Samuel, in 1 Samuel 7, verse 13. Remember, whenever Israel went into battle, God gave them victory and Samuel to praise God said this here hitherto hath the Lord helped us and you have that phrase Ebenezer hitherto hath the Lord helped us well again that word in first Samuel chapter 7 verse 13 the word helped hitherto hath the Lord helped us is the same word to sucker Hitherto hath the Lord come to our aid. We went into battle with the Philistines, the enemies of God, and our Lord came to our aid. He came in a time of need. He came to strengthen us. He came to uphold us. As our God, as our Redeemer, He gave us victory. Hitherto it was not Samuel, nor was the people, nor was it our strength. It was our Savior. All glory be to God! He has come to our aid. The word hitherto means all times. Hitherto, at all times, hath the Lord helped us. And believer, as you look back on this past year, and you get ready to enter into new year, You can say at the close of this year, hitherto, hath the Lord helped me. Hitherto, hath the Lord been that sucker to me. Hitherto, hath the Lord come to my aid when I wasn't well, when it was a financial issue, when it was a medical issue, when it was an emotional issue, when it was a family issue, whatever it was. Hitherto at all times, the Lord has come to my aid. And let me tell you, going into this new year, You have the exact same promise. Hitherto, at all times throughout the year, he will still come to your aid. I don't know what you're experiencing at the minute. Don't know what trial you're going through. Some man has said you're either about to go into trial, you're going through a trial, or you're coming out of a trial. You're in one of those three. But through it all, you have one who will come to your aid. Notice, finally, Not only does the Lord secure his people, not only does he surround his people, not only does he strengthen his people, not only does he succor his people, but notice the Lord, fifthly, supports his people. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. That word uphold, means to support it means to take hold of it means to preserve isn't that interesting i will preserve they remember they're going into babylon it's the same situation as remember we looked at the life of joseph whenever the famine was going to come and god raised up joseph to save the nation to preserve the people why because through Jacob's children, one of Joseph's brother, his name was Judah, and through that tribe Messiah would come. And so if all the tribes died in the famine, well where would happen to the promise? So God must uphold his promise, and they're going into Babylon, but they're not going to be there. only for 70 years, because God must bring them back again. Why? Because Messiah must be born in Bethlehem, back in the land. And so there's a great Christological line here, thinking about Christ and Christology. I will preserve you. I will uphold you. I will never let you go. The idea is to make secure. God's people are upheld, are preserved by his right hand. Again, the same word is used in Psalm 63, in verse eight, when David says, thy right hand upholdeth me, or preserveth me. Psalm 17, verse five, uphold me, or preserve my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not the same word uphold is illustrated in exodus chapter 17 verse 12 it's translated as the word stayed you remember that count whenever the people of god israel are on mount rafferty and then amalek come to battle with them and joshua is battling but moses goes up to pray the man of god the prophet of god he goes to pray for the people but in prayer moses becomes weak in prayer moses begins to faint but iron and hair air both come and lift up his hands, they uphold his hands, they preserve his hands and as Moses's hands are held high and he prays for the people then there's victory, there's success. But whenever he begins to fall down, weaken, heavy laden, then the enemy begin to overrun. But whenever his hands are upheld again, preserved, there's victory. And the lesson is this, believer. Uphold one another in prayer. Uphold your preacher in prayer. Uphold one another in prayer. There's also a lesson there of how the Lord and the Holy Spirit comes alongside to uphold us in prayer when we're weak, when we're feeble, when we feel like giving up. Amalek is a type of the flesh and the flesh will come to have war with the people of God and we are weak and we give in to the flesh. But whenever we are a prayer, whenever we, our hands are upheld, then we prevail over the enemy. Verse 11 and 12 of Exodus 17, when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand, Amalek, or the flesh, prevailed. Moses' hands were heavy, and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon, and Aaron and her, stayed up his hands. And that word stayed is the word uphold. They preserved his hands, supporting the man of God. The word heavy means to become faint. Moses was becoming weak. And as Moses began to be weak, then the enemy, the flesh, began to infate, to take ground. But whenever Moses was upheld, preserved and strengthened, then the flesh was defeated. And the point is this believer, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. When you are in prayer, when you stay in prayer, when you seek God in prayer, your hand will be strengthened and you will be preserved. But if you neglect prayer, if you become weak, then the enemy will prevail. But here was a lesson to God's people in Babylon, that he supports them, I will uphold thee, I will preserve thee. with the right hand of my righteousness. The right hand symbolizes God's power. It's the right hand of power. That's what's symbolized in scripture. Again, Psalm 44, speaking of God driving out the heathen. Notice verse three, it was by thy right hand. David said in Psalm 139 verse 10, thy right hand shall hold me. Remember, whenever the Babylonian army came and would turn Jerusalem into wasteland, and then the people would journey to Babylon, it would be a long journey, it would be a weary journey. Yet the Lord gave the word, I will uphold thee, I will preserve thee with my right hand. my power the right hand of my righteousness psalm 56 verse 3 in what time i am afraid i will trust in thee therefore believer what a word that is to go into the new year you can look at this new year and say the lord secures you whatever happens to you whatever you may lose whatever may be taken from you You will be safe and secure in the arms of Christ. You will never lose salvation. The Lord surrounds his people. He draws near to them. He's round about them. He goes before them. He will never leave nor forsake. The Lord strengthens his people. He empowers them. He suckers his people. He helps. He comes to your aid. The Lord supports His people. He preserves them. He stays their hand by His power. What a word that we can rest upon today. Oh, I trust men and women, if you're not saved, that you will come and put your faith and your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for full salvation. Because salvation is not off the church. Salvation is off Jesus Christ. We were talking there in the afternoon about, and I know it's been on Facebook lately, and I'm digressing here, but about all this AI stuff. AI and all these computer gadgets and things like that, and they don't even need no movie actors anymore. They can do it all with AI. And I was sharing that a church, I think a Roman Catholic church, that they have now got an AI, Jesus, and it's a big, massive, big, massive image on a screen. It's like a big screen, maybe the size of that window, big, long, massive one. And it's a picture of Jesus. And the people go to it and talk to it and confess their sin to it. And being AI, it now responds to them. And those people leave thinking they're all forgiven. They all believe leaving thinking they're at peace with God when it is all deception. And therefore don't be deceived. I don't want you thinking you're going to heaven when you're actually on the road to hell. I don't want you thinking you're going to heaven because you've got a bit religious or because you've attended church service. I want you to be assured in your soul you're going to heaven today, not because of someone has said to you, I forgive your sin, but because you've realized I am a sinner. I have come to Jesus Christ by faith and said, Lord, forgive me of my sin. And then upon the basis of Christ's work, you can have the joy of knowing sins are forgiven. May the Lord write his word upon our heart.