For instance, in the lectionary text for today, Isaiah 42:1-9, we for the first time encounter the image of the (suffering) servant of God that serves as a wonderful example of the meaning-making nature of the prophetic task (see also Isaiah 49:1-13; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12). Studying Isaiah 49 18-23. That is in Christ, he was a man who was governed by God. Then I said, I have labored in vain, You might find case where you say, "Well, there's a mother forgot." The LORD has called Me from the womb: The Messiah, later revealed as Jesus Christ, was called from the womb. The Messiah declares His mission. He will crush the Babylonians in a judgment suited to the cruel oppression that they inflicted on their helpless victims (25-26).Other Jews blamed God for their troubles, as if he had cast them off like a husband who divorces his wife or a father who sells his children to pay off his debts. Gods blessing will seem to come from nowhere. Isaiah 49:14-26 God Will Remember Jerusalem. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. And God's purposes are to be fulfilled there. Chapter 49Now in chapter 49, we have a fabulous prophecy of Jesus Christ in the first seven verses as God speaks of the Redeemer that He is sending. 14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. You can check these in your browser security settings. He made me like a sharp arrow Jesus sets those in bondage to sin and the law free (John 8:33-36, Galatians 3:22-23). a. Even when Jerusalem is in ruins, God's people envision the new day of restoration! 3 He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, and . (13-27) The Source Of True Deliverance (28-35) Historical Interlude (36-39) For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me. There is a loving, wise purpose for every mountain, and God wants to make each of My mountains a road. i. Isaiah 47:1-15 The Humiliation of Babylon . Partners In a New Creation / Lesson #2 God Foretells Redemption / Isaiah 49:1-13. Now He speaks here about the fact that He's going to bring them back again. Actually, as shown in Micah 5:2, Jesus was called even before He was in Marys womb, yet here He starts at the point which any man could most readily relate to. And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; But they will not. And my work with my God., a. God said, "No way. Can a woman forget her sucking child?" When the Servant completes His work of salvation, the whole creation, not just humankind, will experience liberation from the effects of the Fall (cf. He referred to this Servant earlier (Isaiah 42:1-9), but now he reiterated and reinforced what he had revealed in preparation for further revelation about this key figure. To bring Jacob back to Him: This shows that an important aspect of the Messiahs mission was to bring Israel back to the LORD. A woman may perhaps be so unhappy as not to be able to remember her sucking child (she may be sick, and dying, and going to the land of forgetfulness), or she may be so unnatural as not to have compassion on the son of her womb, as those who, to conceal their shame, are the death of their children as soon as they are their life, Lamentations 4:10; Deuteronomy 28:57. l "pauperum suorum", V. L. "pauperes suos", Forerius; "inopes suos", Vitringa; "humiles", Sept. "mansuetorum", Targum. Will say again in your ears, Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. ii. Surely these shall come from afar; It is not Isaiah, because prophets never begin "Listen to me". Clarke on They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet: These expressions therefore of the prophet are only general poetical images, taken from the manners of the country, to denote great respect and reverence: and such splendid poetical images, which frequently occur in the prophetical writings, were intended only as general amplifications of the subject, not as predictions to be understood and fulfilled precisely according to the letter., iii. Yet I will not forget you. See Special Topic at 41:2. If the Masoretic Text is correct, a long standing interpretation connects Sinim with China. (Wolf), ii. That God has a tender affection for his church and people, Isaiah 49:15; Isaiah 49:15. God's grace is too huge to be limited to one area or region. YHWH is described in terms of a nursing mother. By this metaphor the Prophet shews that no obedience which is rendered to God by heaven and earth is more acceptable to him than to join together and lend their mutual aid to his Church. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly" ( Psalms 22:9-10 ). Moody Bible Commentary summarizes Isaiah 49:1-13. Isaiah 49:1-13 (The 2nd Servant Song) Isaiah 49:1-13 - The 2nd Servant Song. But now, the LORD speaks against the nations, beginning with . i. Verse Isaiah 49:13. He's brought them back in the land. I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; They shall bring your sons in their arms, The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name. Here, He commands the coastlands the distant lands of the Gentiles to listen to Him. (l) "pauperum suorum", V. L. "pauperes suos", Forerius; "inopes suos", Vitringa; "humiles", Sept. "mansuetorum", Targum. You can also change some of your preferences. He has no physical hands, but this is poetic imagery that means he keeps us in his . The pictures of eating their own flesh and drinking their own blood draw on the horrors of siege conditions. Shall go away from you. 5 - 6 seem to distinguish the servant from . Jesus set the sick and diseased free from the bondage of their infirmities (Luke 13:16). You are My servant, O Israel, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, You won't find a clearer picture of Jesus Christ anywhere else in the OT. In these encouragements, Isaiah looks beyond his time to the coming of the Christ, and even beyond that to the second coming and the eternal kingdom. This week, we're looking more closely at "daughter Zion's" restoration to motherhood. He will receive the worship and honor He deserves, because He is the chosen of the LORD. "You think that I have forgotten you. And will have mercy on His afflicted. a. 3 And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." He hid me under the shadow of his hand. So he speaks about them coming into the land and being prospered and the land being too small for them and their desire to extend and expand their borders.Now the regathering and the rebuilding of the nation Israel has been a very remarkable thing in our days. For I will contend with him who contends with you, But these, where were they? They ignored God when he spoke to them through his servants the prophets. Away therefore with these distrusts and jealousies, which are the bane of friendship. Scattered Jews in other countries will also return, helped by generous aid from the nations among whom they have lived (22-23).Among the exiles were some who apparently doubted the prophets promise of restoration, for Babylon seemed unconquerable. For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. 1 Listen to me, you islands. They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . They are dwelling there. Not much. But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, Now God here speaks of the judgment He's going to bring on their oppressors. Yeshayahu - Isaiah - Chapter 49 Previous Chapter 48 Next Chapter 50 Rashi's Commentary: Show Hide Show content in: English Both Hebrew Previous Chapter 48 Next Chapter 50 The text on this page contains sacred literature. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. [2.] And I will save your children. To those who are in darkness, Show yourselves. This chapter is full of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the words quoted could not possibly have their complete fulfillment in any other save in our Savior. Once more God promises the return of the captive Jews to their homeland. There I was, left alone; but these, where were they? And bind them on you as a bride does. Man, whom he came to save, put contempt upon him. But through Him, we've been brought nigh. "Listen, O coastlands, to Me, 2 The message that he gave me to speak. And He has chosen You.. "Commentary on Isaiah 49:13". b. And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; Why are both Jesus and Satan referred to as the morning star? note on 42:1-4). What God will do for Zion we are told, Isaiah 49:17; Isaiah 49:17. But if that were the case, an apparent contradiction would arise in Isaiah 49:5-6, in which the Servants task is to bring Israel back to Yahweh and to the landthe view that Israel is a title of the individual messianic Servant harmonizes most satisfactorily with the passage and context. (Lindsey). 49 Listen to me, distant nations, you people who live far away! In order, therefore, that we may partake of the compassion of God, let us learn, under the cross and amidst many annoyances, to strive after it with sighs and tears. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. This passage shows that even though He ministered in difficult and discouraging circumstances, He never gave in to discouragement, but always put His trust in the LORD. So any nation or any people that opposes the Jews is not just contending with a race of people. Listen, you people that live in distant places. ", Isaiah began this pericope by clarifying the calling and ministry of the Servant. But, says God, I will not forget thee. Isaiah 13. What are the affections of nature to those of the God of nature! Let us therefore remember, that whenever the Lord promises anything, we ought to add thanksgiving, that we may more powerfully affect our hearts; and next, that we ought to raise our minds to the power of God, who exercises a wide and extensive dominion over all the creatures; for as soon as he lifts his hand, heaven and earth are moved. 2. The Father is the Lord, the Redeemer, and Holy One of Israel, as sending the Son to be the Redeemer. It's exciting, because God fulfilled His promise. He declared that the Lord called him (49:1) and prepared him for his mission (49:2). He is protected by the Lord (49:2). Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? you shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament: The LORD will bring back the exiled and captive sons of Zion to the Promised Land, and this will be an ornament for Gods people. The "mountain" (Isaiah 13:2) is discussed in Notes and Commentary on Isaiah 2:1-5. i. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands: This has an obvious and beautiful fulfillment in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus. Pay attention, you who are far away! The reason for rejoicing is that the Lord comforts and has compassion (cf. This one "despised and abhorred by a nation" (v. 7) is thus the same person as the servant in Isaiah 53, who is likewise described as "despised" and rejected (53:3). It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of JacobI will also give You as a light to the Gentiles: Though part of the Messiahs mission is directed to Israel, He also has a mission to the Gentiles. The despising nation was Israel. The first song (42:1-4) tells of the call of the Servant to "bring justice to the nations" (42:1). God replies that they have no evidence to support such an accusation, for he has neither divorced them nor sold them. For the LORD has comforted His people, You are My servant, O Israel: Since the rest of the context of this chapter indicates that this passage speaks of the Messiah, it is best to regard Israel as a reference to the Messiah. * [ 49:3 ] Israel : the servant is identified with the people of Israel as their ideal representative; however, vv. They shall feed along the roads, c. From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name: This was fulfilled in Luke 1:31, where the LORD, through the angel Gabriel, declared the name of Jesus before the conception in Marys womb. This represents the choices and lifestyle a person accepts as well as calling attention to the . What is the highway of holiness (Isaiah 35:8)? God has forsaken us." They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in the high places. So that Israel is gathered to Him In answer to Zion's fears, God speaks as one concerned for his own glory (he takes himself to be reflected upon if Zion say, The Lord has forsaken me, and he will clear himself), as one concerned also for his people's comfort; he would not have them droop, and be discouraged, and give way to any uneasy thoughts. Isaiah 50:1-11 God's Servant Must Suffer. Shout for joy, O heavens! Partners In a New Creation / Lesson #3 God's People Shall Prosper / Isaiah 49:14-23. ii. Zion, in distress, said, The Lord has forsaken me, and looks after me no more; my Lord has forgotten me, and will look after me no more.