Returning Home

“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs. I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. “With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?”  Isaiah 46:3-5

Do you know that Israel has experienced several significant return home events throughout its history. Each of these “returns” represents a pivotal moment in the narrative of the Jewish people and history of the world.

==> Return from Egypt to the Promised Land (Canaan): This event took place around the 13th century BCE.

==> Return from Babylonian Exile: after the Babylonian Empire, under King Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BCE. The exile in Babylon for about 70 years. This is one Isaiah 40-46 prophesying about in our text.

==> Return from the Exile After the Assyrian Conquest (Northern Kingdom): The Assyrian Empire conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel (also known as Samaria) in 722 BCE. And the ten northern tribes were deported and scattered across the Assyrian Empire (Isaiah 11:11).

==> Post-Roman Exile: Dispersions and Partial Returns: After the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE, the Jewish people were scattered once again across the Roman Empire, leading to the Diaspora communities throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe for nearly 2,000 years.

==> Modern Return: Zionism and the Establishment of Israel in 1948: began in the late 19th century with the rise of Zionism, a political movement aimed at establishing a Jewish homeland in what was then Ottoman Palestine. This culminated in the creation of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948.

I love our text morning! It was the return from Babylon.

Like the remnant of his people, God is calling you to listen. He wants you to understand that He has been faithfully supporting you since the very beginning. From the moment you were formed, He has been there, and His promise is to continue sustaining you, even into your later years. His love and care for you are unchanging. No matter what challenges or trials may come, God reassures you that He will be the One to rescue and uphold you.

He then asks you to consider: who could ever compare to Him? No other power or influence can match His strength, His compassion, or His sovereignty over your life. God alone is unique, and He invites you to trust in His incomparable nature.