thinking bible.

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how do other prophets, like isaiah, offer a different perspective on god's presence during exile?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Isaiah 43:2-3a

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you. For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

This passage comes from the prophet Isaiah, specifically a section (chapters 40-55) believed to have been written during the Babylonian exile (around 550 BCE). It addresses the exiled people of Judah, who felt abandoned and punished, offering them words of comfort and assurance of God's continued presence and eventual deliverance.

How might understanding God's presence in difficult times, rather than absence, shift your perspective on current challenges?

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Read alongside it

  • Psalm 137:1

    Recounts the despair of the exiles by the rivers of Babylon, feeling unable to sing.

  • Deuteronomy 31:6

    Moses assures the people that God will not leave or forsake them as they enter a new land.

  • Matthew 28:20

    Jesus promises his disciples, 'I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'

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