Isaiah 44:1,2 - I formed you in the womb

44:1

“But now listen ...” Israel has just been told what has happened to her and why. She is essentially a basket case, but that is not the end of the matter. We are all, on our own merits, basket cases, but that is not the end of the matter. Israel’s identity is that she is God’s servant, chosen by Him. There is nothing she can do to change that. This has significance for our view of Israel. Israel is still relevant to God’s plans. The basis for all this is God’s sovereign choice and grace.

44:2

God now expands on His having chosen Israel. He created her in the womb. Now Israel is a nation so she was not formed in the womb physically (though, of course, the individual Israelites were), but the nation was created by God. Without God’s sovereign actions there would be no nation of Israel. Indeed, this is true of all of us.Without God we would not even exist. He is the Lord who will help Israel, so she is not to be afraid. The basis for our security in Christ is that He has formed us and chosen us.