S) "4 Who has performed and accomplished it,
Calling forth the generations from the beginning?
'I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.'"
Isaiah 41:4 (NASB)
O) Several times through these next few chapters, God highlighted His eternal nature, along with His omniscience, especially contrasted with the unknowing and mute idols that the people had taken to worshiping. This verse reveals a very specific facet of the foreknowledge of the LORD. From the beginning, the LORD knew the generations to come, calling them forth. That means that when He would carry out punishments to the third and fourth generation (see Numbers 14:18), it was not arbitrary, random, or even (necessarily) unjust for Him to do so. He already knew those generations that would follow. This isn't always stated so clearly, but there are hints of that in the similar verses (e.g., Exodus 20:5), where it suggests that those following generations would also hate the LORD. Whenever the wrath of God is revealed, whether it is the Old Testament or the New Testament, the reader must remember the very real, rebellious, clear guilt of sin. Not to lose track of the verse today, this also means that God knows which of the generations to come will know and love Him. He knew, and called forth, my children before I even thought of them - indeed before I even existed. God knows whether or not I will be a grandpa. God knew exactly how many generations, from the beginning, that there would be from Adam to Jesus Christ. In Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, there is now hope for every generation. This is why there was a shift, that God would not punish the generations to follow because of the sins of their fathers (see Jeremiah 31:27-34 ).
A) The most encouraging revelation that comes from this aspect of God's character, is that He knows the generations to come. He already knew my children would be who they are today. He knows who they will become. He knew ahead of time, which parts of their personalities would be strengths to bless them, and weaknesses to make them rely on Him. He knows now, what generation may come from my children, and on and on and on. God knows, and I don't have to wonder. I will rest in my prayers for my children and my posterity, trusting the LORD that His will be done.
P) Father, You called me forth, from the beginning. You knew I would be born on January 13, 1982, right at lunchtime. You knew my mother would be challenged to abort me. You knew it would strain her relationships and You strengthened her to persevere. You knew when I was born, what challenges would come into my childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. You knew each of my children, and called them forth from the beginning. You know who will follow after them. There is nothing that escapes Your notice, indeed You know everything already. Because of Your exhaustive knowledge, wisdom, and sovereignty, I place my trust in Your will. You are a good God, compassionate and slow to anger. You desire that none would perish, but that all would come to repentance. Father God, I pray that each of my children would know You, even better than I have come to know You. I pray that each of my children would love You, even more than I have come to love You. I pray that they have children, who exceed their own knowledge and love for You, God. I pray that every generation that follows me, would increase in their relationship with You, over the generation that preceded them. Let Your will be done in my generations to come. You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and with the last. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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