The ‘Withness’ of God
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But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters
I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
9 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” -
13 Shout for joy, you heavens;
rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
Years ago when I was lying, crushed and paralysed on the steep bank at the foot of a ravine below Honister Pass, a Christian friend knelt over me and whispered in my ear – do you feel the Lord’s presence with you. My instant inner response was this – ‘No, I do not feel his presence. I thought my friend Ron was crazy, asking me this question when I was fighting for my life. As soon as I entertained this negative thought, I sensed or perhaps actually heard a voice ‘I am with you always.’ Words the Holy Spirit spoke deep into my heart that reassured me and strengthened me for the way ahead both the immediacy of the time in survival mode in Intensive Care and for a life’s journey since then.
Despite my feelings of being crushed and alone and empty of all things spiritual the reality was that I was not alone that day. In those words ‘I am with you,’ kept me alive, surviving until I was blue lighted to Whitehaven Hospital – that experience has led me to a deeper understanding of the ‘withness of God.’ Isaiah 43:5 I am with you. Let us break it down, like this: I am. With. You.
[1] I AM
[2] WITH
[3] YOU
I AM
I Am is GOD
We refer to God as the great ‘I am’ – taken from Moses’ encounter with YHWH at the burning bush, when the Lord told Moses to use the name ‘I am’ for God. In the NT Jesus frequently used these two words ‘I am’ to self identify himself as God. 7 times in John (The bread, the light, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection, the way, truth, life, I am the true vine.
When he says in Matt 28:20 ‘I am with you, always’ he is identifying as God. Transcendent yet immanent, Almighty yet available on a personal level. I am with you in bible ~23-51 times (depends on translation)
He is totally good and right and true, the way the truth and the life. He is our life source. The only one who can satisfy our deepest desires. He is the only one permanent and consistent enough to give meaning when what is happening to us doesn’t make sense.
Lewis wrote: “All that we call human history–money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery–[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
As I lay on that bank at Honister Pass, the ‘I Am,’ personal God was present and tending and feeding me the bread of heaven – word of God to keep me alive: Isa 43:5, Matt 28:20 ‘I am with you.’
It is not as if I was lying there thinking, ‘I’m in trouble here, I’d better think of some Bible verses.’ No, the God, the great I AM was, reassuring me, strengthening me with His Word.
Broken, cold, soaked and confused the only one who could help me at that time was present and reassuringly so spoke deep into my heart, ‘I am with you,’ hallelujah – he was all I needed. I Am is God.
And the next word…
WITH
….I am WITH.
We have constant reminders in the Word of God’s ‘withness.’ God from before creation, to the garden of Eden, to the incarnation of Jesus, God in the flesh – he longs for us to get hold of his ‘withness.’
It had to be that way in order for Jesus to take our sin and shame on himself on the cross. Hebrews 2:17 "Fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."
Jesus was one of us, in the world, knows our temptations and sorrows and limitations. He lived the good and righteous life we should have lived. He took all our sin and shame on the cross so that we can receive his righteous presence within us. His withness is part of who he is Immanuel, God is with us. Withness means we are not alone no matter what our circumstances or how we feel.
God is with us in our loneliness. With us in our sorrow and grief. With us in the darkness even if we cant sense that He is there. God is with us the fears and anxieties. Withness includes the light of his presence in the darkness of depression or grief and bereavement.
Story of Lindy, ‘I never got to tell Pete (Norton) about Jesus….’
God is with us when others abandon us, with us when others speak harshly or wrongly about us.
‘Withness,’ when the storms are raging and the waves overwhelming. His withness says peace be still.
We reflected on this in the last session when we looked at the art of Seger Koder & next session – Rembrandt – the prodigal
God is also with us in our times of temptation and failure. Runs to embrace us on our return from sin.
Withness in our everyday daily routines and the ordinariness of life.
Withness promises when he re-appears, ‘we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.’
And the next word….
YOU
You is personal. In my life’s journey, which included kneeling at my bed as a young boy and inviting Jesus into my life. That journey as a young Christian included spiritual highs Holy Spirit kind, highs of sporting achievements and travel joys. There were lows of sin and selfishness and sadness.
If you ever wonder who am I to receive anything good from the Lord there is an answer for you in Isa 43.
“I have redeemed you I have called you by name you are mine.” God's calling determines who we are, you are mine. God gives us our true identity no matter how we feel at any point in time.
We are not defined by our past, by what's happened to us or by our sins or our success. We are not defined by what others think about us, not even by what we think about ourselves. God says you are mine (v1).
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” v2-7, we will face trials we will experience hard times, is it were, ‘pass through waters, walk through fire.’ The Lord does not abandon us in these situations he is with us 43v2. He shares in our trials, weeps when we weep, knows Every tear.
Psalm 56v8 I have held your Tears in a container (a crater lake). He could not forget or forsake me.
That is my experience it led to the Lake of Tears vision. God with us is not just for the good times but also it works with this in the darkest valley.
If you are facing trials don't see that is sign of being away from God or abandoned by God. God is with us in the fire he rescues us from the floods.
Stuart Townsend wrote: “How deep the father's love for us. How vast beyond all measure? That He should give His only Son, to make a wretch His treasure. Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart. His wounds have paid my ransom.
Isa 43:4 We don't often think about this, but we are ‘precious and honoured in his sight.’ God created the stars, the flora and fauna and the most precious metals and minerals in our earth (Ukraine). And he says we are precious and honoured in his sight, ‘to make a wretch his treasure.’
Wow. He loves you, has redeemed you, you are his. That is what I mean by ‘withness!’
But there is a fifth word
ALWAYS
Matt 28v20 surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
If you think about it ‘Always’ in the context of Jesus ascending does not add anything to the meaning of his statement except for emphasis. I am with you – stands alone as a promise but Always is reassuring. That is how it was for me as I heard his voice on Honister’s bank – it was this one word Always that reassured me. He didn’t leave me as the car careered off the road, he is with me always.
Always means the ascended Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit never leaves us and never fails us. He always guides and strengthens us. Always turns sadness into joy and mourning into dancing. Always means we have the peace that is beyond understanding.
John 14:16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. … you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. … Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. … 23 If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Jesus is with us always through the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who makes Jesus real to us and will give us the strength to serve God. I am with you always – is a nailed on promise.
These scriptures sum up a recurring theme in my own life story and as I relate my testimony to you I hope it speaks into your own situation. The Lord says in Isaiah 49v15 ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast..and have no compassion? Though she may forget, I will not forget you. See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.’ Matt 28v20 the Lord said as he was ascending ‘I am with you always.’
In Isa 49 in response to the suggestion that God is not with us always. God responds with two pictures. Picture number 1 is a picture of an abandoned child. [Illust news coverage of abandoned child, we wonder how could they be abandoned by their birth mother]. God’s reply to the accusation is: ‘even if you can do it I could not do it to you.’ We can sense the hurt God feels at the accusation God have you abandoned us? Even if a mother could abandon her child God says “I could never”. [You are mine].
Think about the compassion God has for his people (& us) don’t just see the picture as God defending himself, that’s not what it’s about this is God agonising over how he can show his infinite love for us far beyond anything we can imagine.
The 2nd picture is very interesting. In response to the accusation of that God had forgotten them.
If we doubt the ‘always’ aspect of his presence, or wonder if God has gone quiet. The 2nd answer from God is all about Tattoos. [Has anyone got a tattoo]?
The Israelites would have known very well that the Babylonians would tattoo the name of their god on their hands to remind them who they belonged to and who controlled them. If you were to tattoo JESUS you would be like the Babylonians remembering who controlled you/given yourself to. BUT that’s NOT what God is saying here God replies to ‘have you forgotten us’ with “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands”. Babylonians tattooing their god on their hands this is Yahwh tattooing your name on HIS hands BOTH hands, God is saying I love you so much I am so certain of the permanence of our relationship I have engraved you on my hands, God is saying I can not & will not forget you.
Five words I am . With . You. Always. In my darkest hour those five words changed everything. It was the light I needed, it gave me hope, courage, strength. Five words changed everything. I have never been alone since.
Maybe these words have become personal for you today.
Maybe you need to come to Christ Jesus for the first time, maybe return in a new way with fresh zeal.
