According to this passage, Israel is precious, honored and loved. Israel is meant a parable for any nation. By extension the assertion applies to all peoples. We are informed in Scripture that God is no respecter of persons. No one is more important to him than any other. Each of his children has full privilege. He has no favorites. There is no need for anyone to be a favorite, for his love is perfect love, shed abroad to all without regard to their virtue. How could perfect be improved upon? To have any of his love is to have it in purity. There is no dilution.
This is not to deny that God has planned to work with mankind, and will work in some factors through Israel. We can take nothing away from that scenario if we are to understand Scripture and related history. But to choose a person or people for a function does not assume the superiority of anyone. Equality is not based on function in society. As I may select an employee for a company, to serve a purpose, I do not mean that others are inferior to that person. Function does not indicate intrinsic worth. I have, as an administrator, engaged persons for special duty, duty for which they demonstrated skills. Some of them I might not include in a circle of loving friends. Some of my loving friends would never be hired by me, simply because they do not possess related duty skills or inclinations. God has chosen to tell much of his story through Israel and others. (Note Cyrus) This is not a measure of superiority. Israel became a living parable.
The cause for Isaiah’s statement relates to the protection of God for those who follow his direction for life and service. No matter how difficult the way, how misunderstood, how great the barriers, any faithful person is precious, honored and loved by God. For Isaiah that was enough, and it ought to be for us as well. I can believe in any circumstance when I am precious, honored, and loved by God. What may be said here that can serve to make that full concept grip us for hope, and to comfort the hopeless person? God informs us as to how we can become life engaged.
A pastor, tall and handsome, athletic and personable – a living symbol of a macho man once said in my hearing that he had to learn what precious meant. He had thought it to be something of value to women and children, but not to he-men. He was struck to discover that God considered human beings to be precious, which means highly valued. Two captains, sent to Elijah from King Ahaziah, perished in attempts to get Elijah to meet with the evil king. Failing, the soldiers were executed. The third captain succeeded by asking Elijah to regard the soldiers’ lives as precious – as respected. Elijah regarded the truth of the concept, and followed the captain. The lives of the fifty soldiers and the captain were precious. (2 Kings 1 – KJV) Psalm 49:8 refers to the precious value of the soul – no [human/wealth] payment can buy it. (NIV) Isaiah referred to the precious man. (13:12, KJV) The Apostle Peter was attracted to the word, especially in his First Epistle which makes persons so precious, there follows the redemption of God – “with the precious blood of Christ.”
1 Peter 1:19 (KJV) Christians should have no problem with self-worth from the hour we believe that we are precious in God’s sight. Lost sheep found are precious for the good shepherd – so asserts the gospel record. This supports dignity created for each person, who is precious even if our erratic performance veils that dignity. As Israel is allegory of human meaning of self and society to God, so Christ represents all of God to mankind. We are to God a precious life, and he refines the meaning. What a discovery it would be for the secular population to hear and believe that human beings, all of them, are precious to God – but he awaits faith response. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020