Isaiah 49:2b
in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me
in his quiver.
What’s the safest place you can think of? It’s not a question that often occurs to us here in the UK in 2020. If we’d lived in London during the Blitz, we’d probably have had a very good idea where the nearer Air Raid shelter was, and which furniture was sturdy enough to hide
under if we couldn’t get there in time.
In today’s verse, we discover where the Servant finds safety and security: in the shadow of the hand of God. But the Servant hasn’t had to search out this hiding place for himself. Instead, God reaches out to cover him from harm. It’s a beautiful picture. But it’s also quite
surprising, given everything else we know about this Servant. Taken on its own, this verse might mean that the person God wants to save is swept up into his hand and hidden far away from any possible risk of harm. Wouldn’t that be lovely?! But that can’t be exactly what he means. The Servant has been chosen by God to be the rescuer of his people. As we’ll read later on, this will be no easy job. The Servant will be despised, rejected and
eventually killed to accomplish his mission. Surely if God was serious about protecting this Servant, he’d keep him safely out of harm’s way by not sending him to do this painful and difficult work in the first place! Hiding in an Air Raid shelter during the Blitz was better than nothing, but living in a country at peace would surely have been a whole lot safer.
The people of Isaiah’s day faced a similar puzzle. God has already warned them that they face judgement and exile because of their rejection of him. Then they hear that he will send this Servant to be their rescuer. Wouldn’t it be great if the coming of the Servant meant that they were going to be spared the suffering after all? But it turns out not to work like
that. Everything that God has warned of in chapters 1-39 is still going to happen. In fact, the Servant isn’t even going to be born until hundreds of years later. Yet, in Chapter 51, God promises the people the exact same safety and refuge that he gives the Servant here. “I have … covered you with the shadow of my hand” he tells them. Total safety and protection. Not the complete absence of suffering, or judgement, but protection through it.
Not an immediate ceasefire, so that no bombs fall, but the provision of a strong enough shelter to withstand the damage.
The Servant was held safely in the shadow of God’s hand throughout his life and death, into
eternal resurrection. And because we have been united to him by faith, that’s where we are too. Even in the midst of all the suffering and dangers of a fallen world, we are safe in the Lord’s hands throughout our life and death and into eternity.
Let’s thank him for that today.
