Isaiah 43:4 Since you were precious in my sight, you have been honorable, and I have loved you: therefore will I give men for you… One of the worst mistakes we could make would be to judge our condition before God by our outward circumstances. Know ye not that the ungodly have their portion in this life? As for the people of God, they are often in great trials. I. THE LORD COUNTS HIS PEOPLE TO BE PRECIOUS. A child of God is often far other than precious in the sight of others. "The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!" Child of God! thou art precious in God's sight, and that is infinitely more than being precious to princes. You live in a little room alone, and few know you, and those who do know you do not think much of you; but the Lord says, "Thou art precious in My sight." How can this be? Read the first verse. "But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel." 1. It is clear that we are precious to God because we are His creation. The first creation was marred upon the wheel by sin; it became a thing without honour, and came under the curse. But he that believes in Jesus has been created anew by the work of the Holy Ghost. God has in a very special sense created him. 2. He has gone beyond mere creation: having first created the clay, He has formed it. We are not half made or ill made in regeneration; we are formed as well as created. The Lord who has given us spiritual existence is daily giving us fashion and completeness. 3. But what next does He say? "I have redeemed thee." We have been bought with precious blood. 4. Another blessing of grace is mentioned in the chapter, and that is that God has called us. "I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine." He called us, and we answered the call. 5. We have been ever since kept by His rich grace and preserved, and this also has endeared us to the Lord. Do you not think that if you are precious in Christ s sight, then everything that has to do with Him ought to be precious to you? Remember what said: he declared that he loved every man that had "aliquid Christi — any thing of Christ — about him. Think once more. If you are precious in God's sight, do not despise yourself so as to fall into the follies and vanities which please other men. Nobility has its obligations. II. Being precious, He adds another epithet. Since thou wast precious in My sight, THOU HAST BEEN HONOURABLE." How many of God's people were the reverse of honourable before they knew the Lord! Many a dishonourable thing they thought, and said, and did, and it is the dishonourable life that makes the dis-honourable man. Let a poor child of God tell out how he believes that he is honourable. 1. We are honourable by birth. Some are proud because they have been born of fathers who have been made baronets, or elevated to the peerage in years gone by; thus by birth they are honourable. Descended from the King of kings, each saint has a lineage before which the pedigrees of princes grow stale and mean. 2. Next, we become honourable by our possessions. Men pay honour to those who are immensely rich. "All things are yours." What an estate is that which belongs to every heir of heaven, for we are "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ"; and thus we become indeed honourable. 3. And the child of God becomes honourable in rank. A child of God is a prince of the Divine line. 4. We then become ennobled by our relationship. Jesus is "the first-born among many brethren"; and we as the younger brethren are all honourable. 5. We are honourable by calling, for He "hath made us kings and priests unto our God"; and these among men are the most noteworthy of all callings. 6. By Divine grace we have become honourable by character, for the Lord has sanctified His people. 7. Theirs is an honour-able life; they live for an honourable purpose; they are quickened by an honourable spirit; they are wending their way through an honourable destiny on earth to glory and honour and immortality and life eternal. The lesson to be learned from it is, do not let any child of God be bashful, shamefaced, and cowardly in the presence of men of the world. III. "Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honourable, AND I HAVE LOVED THEE." The Lord has not only told you of His love in the secret of your soul, but He has publicly acted love to you. If God loves us so, shall we not love Him? ( C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. |
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