“7 “Hear me, you who know what is right,
you people who have taken my instruction to heart:
Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals
or be terrified by their insults.
8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment;
the worm will devour them like wool.
But my righteousness will last forever,
my salvation through all generations.”
9 Awake, awake, arm of the Lord,
clothe yourself with strength!
Awake, as in days gone by,
as in generations of old.
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
who pierced that monster through?”
Table of Contents
he has already won
In this passage, the author addresses a fear that many of us are familiar with: the fear of man. In response to this fear, Isaiah brings comfort to the people by proclaiming the eternal righteousness of God. There is no power that can come against Him because He has already won and offers “salvation to all generations.” How awesome is that? We are sons and daughters to a victorious God.
When we fear man, we strive for acceptance from others rather than believing we have already been accepted by Jesus. Our value becomes defined by what others think rather than being rooted in our identity in Jesus. Isaiah says we no longer have to “fear the reproach of men” because Jesus has defeated death and has given us His Spirit where we can find our value, acceptance, and love. We are invited to live forever with Him who takes all our fear away and replaces it with abounding peace.
what’s next?
The fear of man can look differently for everyone. Sometimes it comes in the form of comparing yourself with others and fearing what they might think of you. For others, you fear what your professor or boss might say if you do something wrong. I want to encourage you all to lay that fear down before the Lord and allow Him to fill you with His righteousness and strength that is everlasting. Simply ask Him to replace those fearful thoughts with a supernatural love for those around you.
pray
Father, I pray that my value will be found in you and you alone. Fill me with your strength to help me no longer live in fear but rather in the love that you have for each of your children.
-Kayley Anderkin