Isaiah 41:14, commentary and pictures

Fear not is spoken to a people who are weak and seemingly insignificant, lowly and afflicted, vulnerable and powerless to free themselves, with the assurance that the Lord their Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, is with them to hold, strengthen, help and uphold them and never forsake them. He will defeat all who are incensed against them and strive with them until they become as nothing and perish, and will make His humble people effective to overcome obstacles and rejoice in Him. Joined to what follows, the worm threshing a mountain shows that God strengthens seemingly weak instruments to overcome formidable opposition beyond human strength, so when the work faces a crisis His people need not fear or lose confidence because the work belongs to God. This is the heart of Infinite Love yearning after the powerless, graciously offering strength to live for Him, and it is kept in mind especially by the lowly, cast down and downcast as reason for confidence, praise and thanksgiving. It will certainly be fulfilled to comfort true, humble, righteous believers near the close of this earth's history amid afflicting judgments and heavy calamities when Lucifer wars against God, and those who fulfill these words place themselves where the Lord will surely do all He has promised.

Words and Setting

The names worm Jacob and men of Israel picture a people weak and seemingly insignificant, vulnerable, lowly and afflicted, helpless and powerless in themselves to free themselves from Satan's snares. Though called a worm, they are not forsaken, for the address itself carries the assurance that the Lord is with them to uplift every cast-down soul that seeks Him. The lowliness of the name therefore defines who may claim the promise, namely those who feel their weakness and affliction and know they cannot deliver themselves.

The command not to fear rests wholly on the promise I will help thee, spoken by the Lord as their Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. It means He is with them as their God to hold their right hand, to strengthen them, to help them, and to uphold them with the right hand of His righteousness, and never to forsake them. His presence and support are the ground of trust in a living, loving Savior who upholds the fearful and vulnerable and answers and helps His people as they seek Him and care for others.

The verse belongs to a chapter to be studied in all its significance, for its promise of help stands amid God's larger pledge to bring water and growth to barren places and to hear the poor and needy. There He declares He will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys, make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water. There He declares He will plant together in the wilderness and desert the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree, and the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together, so that all may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy One of Israel hath created it as Creator.

The verse is part of God's very full revelation of His purpose for His people in Isaiah 41 to 45, which should be prayerfully studied. That purpose is that they have the wisdom of the Infinite at their command and are to look to Him for wisdom and help in humble dependence rather than turning away to finite man for wisdom. They are not to trust in men or make flesh their arm, for the Lord alone is to be their trust, and He is not to be trifled with.

The surrounding promise adds that God will hold His people and make them effective in overcoming obstacles so they can rejoice in Him. All who are incensed against them and strive with them shall be ashamed and confounded and shall become as nothing and shall perish. Thus defeat of those who oppose them and strength to His own people belong together with the help promised to worm Jacob.

Promise and Application

The verse opens the heart of Infinite Love yearning after those who feel powerless to free themselves from Satan's snares. To powerless Jacob and Israel it graciously offers strength to live for God, bidding them not to fear because He is with them as their God. He holds their right hand, strengthens them, helps them, and upholds them with the right hand of His righteousness as the Lord, their Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Joined to the next verse, the worm threshing a mountain shows that God can strengthen humble, seemingly weak and insignificant people to overcome formidable opposition beyond human strength. He can use the weakest instruments to accomplish great results, making a weak and humble one overcome what is like a mountain through His power. Since the work belongs to God, His people need not fear or lose confidence when the work faces a crisis.

This use of a weak instrument to do great work shows that His power is unlimited and that He reigns. He does not forsake His chosen people when they follow His will rather than human will and seek to do His will. He delivers the godly from temptation and sustains them through temptation, duty, and further trial, for further duty and further trial.

The promise is especially comforting assurance to be kept in mind by the lowly, afflicted, cast down and downcast who feel as a worm. The Lord, the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, is with His people to strengthen, help, hold the right hand, and uphold, and the Lord God of heaven is ready to uplift every soul that is cast down. It assures His presence as they seek Him and care for others, giving His loyal, commandment-keeping people reason for confidence and for praise and thanksgiving.

The verse encourages vulnerable and fearful people, though weak and seemingly insignificant like a worm, to trust in the living, loving Savior who upholds them and in His presence and support. It is applied to medical missionary workers, who as His helping hand may rely on God's protection and strength. Men are not to trust in men or make flesh their arm, for the Lord alone is to be their trust, He is not to be trifled with, and He calls His people to diligent work for repentance with most earnest work while He gives strength to His own.

It is part of a declaration from the Lord full of promises, encouragement, and assurance that will certainly be fulfilled. It is given to comfort true, humble, righteous believers near the close of this earth's history amid afflicting judgments coming upon the world — earthquakes, storms on land and sea, and heavy calamities by sea and railroad — when sincere followers are themselves afflicted by judgments upon the rebellious while many who have greatly sinned perish physically. In the latter days those who fulfill these words place themselves where the Lord will surely do all He has promised, and they need not be discouraged even while Lucifer wars against God and all who exalt the Lord and as a mighty deceiver takes many from the ranks to unite them in deception.