Rescued with Grace

“Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will pass over it and will rescue it.” Isaiah 31:5

Have you ever gotten yourself into a pickle and needed rescuing? Has God’s protection over you ever surprised you? Maybe a time where you were ready to take what you deserved, but God’s grace rescued you instead?

Jonah is rescued with grace.

In the story of Jonah and the whale, we hear about a prophet who gets himself into a situation he cannot get out of without God’s help. Jonah’s disobedience is what landed him in the belly of a giant fish for three days and nights. But when Jonah repents of his sins, God rescues him. God rescues Jonah with grace. Please check out my series on the book of Jonah, starting HERE, to see how Jonah was rescued with grace. How it was God’s grace that saved his life by putting him in the belly of that fish!

Judah is rescued with grace.

In our verse from Isaiah, we see a whole nation of people who have gotten themselves into a pickle. Judah fell out of step with God, and instead, marched to their own beat. We see a nation that continues to sin and as we know, sin is what separates us from God. We will look at five ways Judah, like Jonah (like all of us really), wound up in a pickle and needed to be rescued.

1. Judah put her trust in others by looking to Egypt for protection. (Isaiah 31:1) – How often have you Googled an answer to your problems before praying to God for a solution? Don’t answer that; if you are like me, the answer will be quite embarrassing!
2. They sought protection from those who were powerless compared to God. Honestly, I usually feel silly when I realize I have placed more importance on the world than trust in God, but I fall for it so often and need God’s grace to rescue me.
3. Egypt and Judah will fall because of their arrogance. Jonah will hang out in the belly of a large fish for three days and nights because of his arrogance. Where will our pride take us?
4. They were serving their own interests instead of God’s. In Deuteronomy 17:16, Judah is warned not to acquire horses for their king. They are warned their king is not to take many wives or accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. However, we know King Solomon did not heed this warning and when Solomon became rich, his heart turned from God and that is ultimately what put Israel into captivity.
5. They did not want to humble themselves and repent of their sins. Eventually, the people of Judah will recognize their idols are nothing but man-made objects and don’t compare to the feeling of being in a forgiving relationship with God. Will we recognize our foolishness and repent before it is too late?

In both the stories of Jonah and Judah, we see people who brought hardship upon themselves because of their poor choices. But yet, they are restored, rescued, and forgiven. Why? Because of God’s great love for us.

We are rescued with grace.

God continues to love us, His children, even when we engage in sin. That is the unconditional love of the perfect Father. But when we repent, we are no longer separated from God because of sin. This is where we can fully feel His love without borders!

We see a beautiful picture of Christ’s protective love for us in today’s verse.

 “Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will pass over it and will rescue it.”

In MacLaren’s Expositions, this metaphor is explained as three pictures of one reality. Let’s indulge in an exposition of these pictures:

1. The image of a bird hovering overhead shows a fierce maternal love that will do anything to protect her young.
2. God as a shield is a picture of the bird with its wings spread wide over the nest of babies, protecting them from the fiery darts of the enemy.
3. Passing over and rescuing us is a throwback to the night the angel of death stalked the land and passed over the doors the Israelites marked with blood. The Lord has marked us with His bloodshed at the cross so that we, too, are rescued from the angel of death.

We can take comfort in the reality meant by these pictures. They point to God’s absolute promise of protection for His people from every evil.

So, I ask you again, have you ever been surprised by God’s protection? After studying this passage and meditating on the picture it paints of God’s protection, I am once again humbled by the number of times God has rescued me with grace.

Heavenly Father, your grace amazes me and the way you rescue me from my selfish ways humbles me. Forgive me for the times I have put my trust in something or someone over you. Oh, how foolish to think the power the world has to offer can ever compare to the power of you and your name! Thank you for fiercely protecting me like a mother bird her young, for spreading your wings over me as a shield, and for marking me for Passover from the very angel of death. In Jesus’ name. Amen.