Isaiah 42:8-9 – The Series – Part III

Isaiah 42:8-9 – The Series – Part III

By Kristina Cornell

Kristina, my name represents who I am: Italian origin, meaning is follower of Christ, and the fact that my mom even spelled it differently than most, makes it me…unique. That is MY name. Setting me apart even from my siblings.

However, my last name I share with them and our parents (and my dad’s brothers and sisters, and their parents, so on and so forth.) That family name carries lineage. To some, just hearing “Cornell”, makes them laugh, or tell a crazy (sometimes sordid) story of my uncles, or dad, or brother. By the time it got to me, my father had given his heart to Jesus and the direction of our surname changed.

Growing into a woman, brought responsibility for my name. I have learned these things:
1. It matters how you live your life; it sticks.

2. It matters how you present and represent yourself; it sticks.
3. Having a good name (a good reputation) goes before us; it sticks.
In this week’s study, God was emphatic that we grasp the concept of namesake.
8;I am the LORD, that is My name;” Remember previously in this series, “Lord” is Jehovah = existing
one… “that is MY name”. It is like He is saying: “Israel! My chosen people, look at the meaning of my name! Look at the history and reputation of my name! It is very familiar to you”. Or maybe:

“PAY ATTENTION! What I am about to say brings with it the brevity of who I am: My creation, the miracles I have performed, the wonder and glory I have shown. I am the God of Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David. ALL of these heroic stories of the faith, my people, have been done for you in my name.
8b “I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”
As Isaiah prophesied God will not give His glory to another. Jesus, the Messiah, was coming with the glory of the Father. No one before Him. No one after.
And we read confirmation of this in Phil 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the
highest place and gave Him the name above all names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Sidebar: The end of Isaiah 42:8 makes me shudder. The creator of the universe, the force that commanded the flood; The deliverer of Israel, the consumer of Sodom and Gomorrah is
acknowledging the heresy of the counterfeit. We must be careful what we put above God in our lives. He recognizes idols and has no regard for them or their worshippers.
Yet, for those of us who choose to praise Him, those praises are a commodity to The God of gods. HE WILL NOT SHARE. Until the “Son” part of the trinity was born, No one could reflect the glory of His Father. He would never share the splendor of Who He is with anyone other than Jesus. Verse 8 is His
endorsement and his warning. 9;Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth, I proclaim [them] to you.&

Declare and proclaim are similar in our English language, but in the Hebrew translation “Declare” means
to make conspicuous or make obvious and “Proclaim” is making it known. For example, I can tell someone that I am hungry. That is a statement. Until I make them aware that I need to eat right now, they may feel no urgency.
In verse 9, Isaiah is relaying: “Behold, the former things have come to pass.” In other words, this is a
call to Israel: the things that have happened in the past, the ways things were done will completely
change with the birth of this new seed. Describing that those fresh, new things have never been seen
and will abundantly grow from this sprout. (tiṣ·maḥ·nāh)

AHA MOMENT – I do not like when someone misquotes me. It is as if they are using my name to qualify
their statement. NOT COOL! One’s name can carry power of successes and good deeds into the words of
someone who would misuse its credibility. God must not like that either.
I am reminded of the scripture John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and
truth.” This is the manifestation of Isaiah 42:9. And at the end of the verse we read God’s endorsement,
His authenticity promise. He assures that HE, HIMSELF, will proclaim (not just speak it, rather, He will
make sure we grasp HIS words) before they happen.
John starts the beginning of his God inspired book 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. v2 He existed in the beginning with God.”
Take heart, we have so many promises given in the Bible. This devotional is to remind you they are
guaranteed. God’s word is alive and His name is truth!