The Lord says,“ People of Israel, you are my servants. Family of Jacob, I have chosen you. You are the children of my friend Abraham.

惟你以色列我的仆人，雅各我所拣选的，我朋友亚伯拉罕的后裔，

惟你以色列，我的仆人，雅各，我所拣选的，我朋友亚伯拉罕的后裔，

惟你以色列，我的仆人，雅各，我所拣选的，我朋友亚伯拉罕的后裔，

“然而，以色列啊，你是我的仆人；雅各啊，你是我拣选的，是我朋友亚伯拉罕的后裔。

但你以色列，我的仆人啊！雅各，我所拣选、我朋友亚伯拉罕的后裔啊！

可是你，以色列啊，我的仆人！雅各啊，我所拣选的，我朋友亚伯拉罕的后裔！

惟你以色列－我的僕人，雅各－我所揀選的，我朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔，

惟你以色列，我的僕人，雅各，我所揀選的，我朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔，

惟你以色列，我的僕人，雅各，我所揀選的，我朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔，

「然而，以色列啊，你是我的僕人；雅各啊，你是我揀選的，是我朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔。

但你以色列，我的僕人啊！雅各，我所揀選、我朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔啊！

但你以色列、我的僕人、你雅各、我所揀選的、我朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔、

可是你，以色列啊，我的僕人！雅各啊，我所揀選的，我朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔！

我僕以色列、我所選之雅各、我友亞伯拉罕之裔歟、

昔我眷顧亞伯拉罕、簡其後裔、以色列族雅各家、為我臣僕。

惟爾以色列我之僕、我所選之雅各、我所眷愛亞伯拉罕之苗裔、

“ But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;

“ But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend,

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, my friend—

“ But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend,

“ But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.

But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,

But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, My friend—

But thou, Israel,[ art] my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

“ You, my servant Israel, Jacob whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham my friend,

“ But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend,

That is what Scripture means where it says,“ Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God.”( Genesis 15:6) And that’s not all. God called Abraham his friend.

You are a holy nation. The Lord your God has set you apart for himself. He has chosen you to be his special treasure. He chose you out of all the nations on the face of the earth.

Our God, you drove out the people who lived in this land. You drove them out to make room for your people Israel. You gave this land forever to those who belong to the family line of your friend Abraham.

The Lord says,“ Family of Jacob, remember these things. People of Israel, you are my servant. I have made you. You are my servant. Israel, I will not forget you.

Long ago the Lord saved Abraham from trouble. Now he says to Jacob’s people,“ You will not be ashamed anymore. Your faces will no longer grow pale with fear.

It is written that Abraham had two sons. The slave woman gave birth to one of them. The free woman gave birth to the other one.Abraham’s son by the slave woman was born in the usual way. But his son by the free woman was born because of God’s promise.These things are examples. The two women stand for two covenants. One covenant comes from Mount Sinai. It gives birth to children who are going to be slaves. It is Hagar.Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia. She stands for the present city of Jerusalem. That’s because she and her children are slaves.But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother.It is written,“ Be glad, woman, you who have never had children. Shout for joy and cry out loud, you who have never had labor pains. The woman who is all alone has more children than the woman who has a husband.”( Isaiah 54:1)Brothers and sisters, you are children because of God’s promise just as Isaac was.At that time, the son born in the usual way tried to hurt the other son. The other son was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same now.But what does Scripture say?“ Get rid of the slave woman. Get rid of her son. The slave woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property. He’ll never share it with the free woman’s son.”( Genesis 21:10)Brothers and sisters, we are not the slave woman’s children. We are the free woman’s children.

“ Family of Jacob, listen to me. You are my servant. People of Israel, I have chosen you.I made you. I formed you when you were born as a nation. I will help you. So listen to what I am saying. Family of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. People of Israel, I have chosen you.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Blessed are the people he chose to be his own.

Now obey me completely. Keep my covenant. If you do, then out of all the nations you will be my special treasure. The whole earth is mine.But you will be a kingdom of priests to serve me. You will be my holy nation.’ That is what you must tell the Israelites.”

Consider Abraham. He is the father of your people. Think about Sarah. She is your mother. When I chose Abraham, he did not have any children. But I blessed him and gave him many of them.

You are my friends if you do what I command.I do not call you slaves anymore. Slaves do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends. I have told you everything I learned from my Father.

They answered him,“ We are Abraham’s children. We have never been slaves of anyone. So how can you say that we will be set free?”Jesus replied,“ What I’m about to tell you is true. Everyone who sins is a slave of sin.A slave has no lasting place in the family. But a son belongs to the family forever.So if the Son of Man sets you free, you will really be free.I know that you are Abraham’s children. But you are looking for a way to kill me. You have no room for my word.I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. You are doing what you have heard from your father.”“ Abraham is our father,” they answered. Jesus said,“ Are you really Abraham’s children? If you are, you will do what Abraham did.But you are looking for a way to kill me. I am a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do the things you want to do.You are doing what your own father does.”“ We have the right to claim to be God’s children,” they objected.“ The only Father we have is God himself.”Jesus said to them,“ If God were your Father, you would love me. I have come here from God. I have not come on my own. God sent me.Why aren’t my words clear to you? Because you can’t really hear what I say.You belong to your father, the devil. You want to obey your father’s wishes. From the beginning, the devil was a murderer. He has never obeyed the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his natural language. He does this because he is a liar. He is the father of lies.

Don’t think you can say to yourselves,‘ Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones.

Family of Jacob, the Lord created you. People of Israel, he formed you. He says,“ Do not be afraid. I will set you free. I will send for you by name. You belong to me.

The Lord has chosen the people of Jacob to be his own. He has chosen Israel to be his special treasure.

“ Haven’t you noticed what these people are saying? They say,‘ The Lord once chose the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. But now he has turned his back on them.’ So they hate my people. They do not think of them as a nation anymore.

You are our Father. Abraham might not accept us as his children. Jacob might not recognize us as his family. But you are our Father, Lord. Your name is One Who Always Sets Us Free.

He remembered the holy promise he had made to his servant Abraham.His chosen people shouted for joy as he brought them out of Egypt.He gave them the lands of other nations. He let them take over what others had worked for.He did it so they might obey his rules and follow his laws. Praise the Lord.

But the Lord loved your people of long ago very much. You are their children. And he chose you above all the other nations. His love and his promise remain with you to this very day.

He said to me,“ You are my true servant Israel. I will show my glory through you.”

“ Family of Jacob, listen to me. People of Israel, pay attention. I have chosen you. I am the first and the last. I am the Lord.

You are a holy nation. The Lord your God has set you apart for himself. He has chosen you to be his special treasure. He chose you out of all the nations on the face of the earth to be his people.The Lord chose you because he loved you very much. He didn’t choose you because you had more people than other nations. In fact, you had the smallest number of all.The Lord chose you because he loved you. He wanted to keep the promise he had made to your people of long ago. That’s why he used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt. He bought you back from the land where you were slaves. He set you free from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

The Israelites are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. So they must not be sold as slaves.

Remember what he has done, you children of his servant Abraham. Remember it, you people of Jacob, God’s chosen ones.

They are the people of Israel. They have been adopted as God’s children. God’s glory belongs to them. So do the covenants. They received the law. They were taught to worship in the temple. They were given the promises.The founders of our nation belong to them. The Messiah comes from their family line. He is God over all. May he always be praised! Amen.I do not mean that God’s word has failed. Not everyone in the family line of Israel really belongs to Israel.Not everyone in Abraham’s family line is really his child. Not at all! Scripture says,“ Your family line will continue through Isaac.”( Genesis 21:12)In other words, God’s children are not just in the family line of Abraham. Instead, they are the children God promised to him. They are the ones considered to be Abraham’s children.

Then why was the law given at all? It was added because of human sin. And it was supposed to control us until the promised Seed had come. The law was given through angels, and a go- between was put in charge of it.

And Abraham is also the father of those who are circumcised and believe. So just being circumcised is not enough. Those who are circumcised must also follow the steps of our father Abraham. He had faith before he was circumcised.Abraham and his family received a promise. God promised that Abraham would receive the world. It would not come to him because he obeyed the law. It would come because of his faith, which made him right with God.