“But now listen, Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 This is what the Lord says—
he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant,
Jeshurun,[a] whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.
5 Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and will take the name Israel.
In this passage God is referred to with female imagery. God is a mother who creates life in the womb and gives birth to the people of Israel. Specifically this is talking about how God chose Abraham to be the father of a great nation (Gen. 12:1-3) and "gave birth" to the nation of Israel, the descendants of Abraham, by taking them out of slavery and through the Red Sea.
This is also part of the Christian idea of baptism. In baptism our old self, the person that is born naturally is killed with Jesus on the cross and a new person is born and given a new life (Romans 6:1-4). This new life is something only God can give. Just like Abraham, we cannot earn new life or achieve new life. It is something that is given to us. We are made new by someone else. And because of Jesus (Abraham's offspring sent to bless all people was promised in Gen. 12:3) all people, not just the biological descendants of Abraham, are given the invitation to be born again into the new life of faith (Galatians 3:1-6).
Also, in Christian baptism we believe that the Holy Spirit is given to us to help us live this new life (Ephesians 1:13-14). God's Spirit is living in us and working through us to bring about God's kingdom. It does not mean that we are perfect, but that through faith we allow God to make us into what he desires us to be.
As a parent this passage is fascinating. The invitation that Isaiah is giving to us is to trust in God in the same way that we would trust in a loving mother (and father!). We are invited to believe that God really does care about us and really does have our best interests at heart. God is not a harsh taskmaster expecting perfection, but is expecting us to play nice with the other kids!
Do we trust Jesus with our lives enough to say, "I belong to the Lord"? Do we believe that God really does love us and want the best for us?
Lord God, we give you praise for the great works you have done in creation. We see how you chose Abraham and his family as to bring about the blessings of new life and faith through Jesus. Give us faith that through the life, death, and resurrection of Your Son that we, too, are loved by You and are given the gift of being born again as a new creation in Your Kingdom. In Jesus' holy name we pray. Amen.
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