Bible Study: Isaiah 49:1-26. He was despised and rejected. This promise was partially fulfilled in the return of the exiles from Babylon but will be ultimately fulfilled in the regathering of Israel in the last days. Isaiah now announced more about the work of the Servant (cf. People born in exile will flock to the rebuilt Jerusalem. Moody Bible Commentary summarizes Isaiah 49:1-13. Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, "Poor Fiji," the by-word of the nations, is become more Christian than the land that sent her Christ. The 5 Servant Songs of Isaiah are wonderful prophecies of the Messiah and His First Coming to mankind as a Servant. f. And these from the land of Sinim: Some identify Sinim with a place in Egypt; others identify it with China. He is protected by the Lord (49:2). Yet if there is any specific time that this promise was fulfilled, it was as Jesus died on the cross and trusted in the promise of resurrection. 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. If the tokens of his wonderful power are to be seen everywhere, he intends that there shall be an eminent and remarkable example of it in the salvation of the Church. It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. 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; In His quiver He has hidden Me." "And He said to me, 'You are . These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. God has forsaken us." This verse is the clearest indication that the Servant is the nation of Israel. He made me like a sharp arrow There is a loving, wise purpose for every mountain, and God wants to make each of My mountains a road. The book of Isaiah contains 66 chapters divided into 39, and 27 the same way the Old and New Testament is divided. The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Its use here is possibly because of the similarity in sound to the word 'destruction'(dad). And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me ( Isaiah 49:1-2 ); You go back to Psalms 22:1-31 , that glorious prophetic Messianic psalm of David, and we read there in Psalms 22:1-31 verse Isaiah 49:8 , or no, verse Isaiah 49:9 : "But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. It isnt just demonstrated by the past and the present, but also by His future plans for them. And God's purposes are to be fulfilled there. Isaiah 42:10-13; Isaiah 44:23; Isaiah 45:8; Isaiah 52:8-9; Isaiah 55:12-13). Sunday, June 12, 2022. You have made my mouth like a sharp sword." And when the Israelis go in and take the oil and cut the prices in half, everybody is going to hail them as the heroes, because suddenly this whole problem of world economy is going to be reversed. are without the yod or the conjunction vau before the verb: and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. Studying Isaiah 49 18-23. There I was, left alone; but these, where were they? By Christ the prince of this world, the great destroyer, is cast out, is dispossessed, has his power broken and his attempts quite baffled. But now, the LORD speaks against the nations, beginning with . And he said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel ( Isaiah 49:3 ). 2 He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword. The LORDs love and faithfulness for Zion are also shown by His promise for their future. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. Isaiah 49:14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 3 And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." Study the Bible on the go with Andrew's free online Bible commentary. It occurs 12 times in the first 39 chapters and 14 times in chapters 40 through 66. Isaiah 55:1-13 Commentary; Isaiah 56 Commentary. They accused God of forsaking them. Converts to the faith of Christ are the children of the church; they shall join themselves to her with great readiness and cheerfulness, and flock into the communion of saints, as doves to their windows. Can a woman forget her nursing child: Though bizarre accounts of unspeakable cruelty surface from time to time, everyone knows that a woman will never forget her nursing child. Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? 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. So it's a wise plan, and who's going to object?So God speaks here that they're going to say, "Hey, we need to expand our borders. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. In an acceptable time I have heard You, To Him whom the nation abhors, And he wilt have compassion on his poor. The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles - "Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; The Lord called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name. That is in Christ, he was a man who was governed by God. As the prophet spoke, he called on nature, personified, to rejoice (on the mountains rejoicing see 44:23). He could know, based on this promise, that the LORD would hear, help, and preserve Him. [ a] He made me like an arrow, sharp and ready for use. We may request cookies to be set on your device. But thus says the LORD: The Servant's weapon is the word of the Lord (49:2). The triumphs of the church, after her troubles, will in due time put the matter out of question. We wept when we remembered Zion. He is a person that has revealed himself to us that we may know him and the power of his resurrection (Phil 3:10). All new evidence . 'The Almighty'(verse 6) translates aday - the only time this title for God appears in Isaiah. Oh, thank God for the light of Jesus Christ unto the Gentiles. . Give me a place where I may dwell. For over one hundred years International Critical Commentaries have had a special place among works on the Bible. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. . Now God here speaks of the judgment He's going to bring on their oppressors. The Messiah would not simply bring salvation; He would besalvation to the ends of the earth. So the work of Christ among the Gentiles, the kings worshipping and so forth as the gospel of Jesus Christ has permeated many kingdoms of the Gentiles. Beg your pardon, I jumped. And, of course, here God said, "Can a mother forsake her or forget her nursing child? You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Jesus set the sick and diseased free from the bondage of their infirmities (Luke 13:16). Isaiah 49:1-13 (The 2nd Servant Song) Isaiah 49:1-13 - The 2nd Servant Song. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; 3 He said to me, "Israel, you are my servant; The response to Gods saving work will be universal joy (cf. The best commentaries on Isaiah ranked by scholars and reviewers: (1) Oswalt, John N. in NICOT, (2) Webb, Barry G. in BST, (3) Motyer, J. Alec . He calls not only Israel to hear His voice, but the coastlands (islands) and distant peoples because His message is for all mankind. ii. 1. Chapters 13-27 : Historical Commentary on the Old Testament: forthcoming: Boda, Mark J. Isaiah: Story of God . 8 The judgments upon Israel for their pride . 49:1-13 - today's passage 50:4-11 52:13-53:12 Oswalt: In subtle but nevertheless clear ways the focus has shifted from the physical captivity of the Judeans to the moral and spiritual captivity of Israel and the whole world. And a part of their plan, very shrewd indeed, is to take Saudi Arabia and immediately cut the price of oil in half. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. ( Psalms 137:1-4 ) Now some of the old rabbis say that the next two verses are God's response to this cry. It is common in Isaiah thus to interpose a song of praise on the announcement of any great and glorious truth, and to call on the heavens and the earth to rejoice together (see the notes at Isaiah 12:1-6; Isaiah 42:10-11; Isaiah 44:23). Formal, beautiful, memorable, remarkable speech. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Rather their sins are the cause of their troubles (50:1). 49:10) on those who need help, including Gentiles. There is no situation of entanglement, nothing that you can possibly conceive, but this can be part of Gods way to make His mountain a way of deliverance. (Redpath). Thus says the Lord GOD: The Father is the Lord, the Redeemer, and Holy One of Israel, as sending the Son to be the Redeemer. Though the promise seems too good to be true, God confirms it with an oath to the nations. The whole problem that we're having here with inflation, our whole problem of economy is based to the increased oil prices. You might find case where you say, "Well, there's a mother forgot." Then you will say in your heart, The "multitude" is "a great people" (Isaiah 13:4) who come together, mustered by the Lord of Hosts, ready to do battle (compare 2 Nephi 23:3-5). On the surface, the statement You are my servant, Israel, explicitly identifies Yahwehs Servant as the nation Israel. Or, "The plan and model of thy walls, that are to be rebuilt, is before me, and they shall certainly be built according to it." This text has usually been made to serve as proof of the legitimacy of the church state (or state church); however, the prophet does not have the Church in mind here, but future Israel. (Bultema), ii. But God said. Before I was born, the *Lord called (appointed) me to be his special Servant. 1 Listen to me, all you in distant lands! Israel 40-66 is all about the comfort of God 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. 1 What joy shall be in the midst of afflictions, by the Kingdom and birth of Christ. Why are both Jesus and Satan referred to as the morning star? Accordingly, he places the subject almost before their eye, that they may be fully convinced that they shall have the most abundant cause of rejoicing; though at that time they saw nothing but grief and sorrow. He'll gather them from the north and from the west and from the east. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. Transition: Isaiah 49-55 is a section within a section. b. 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. But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me: In the midst of this great praise for the Messiah and His saving work, Zion speaking of the highest hill in Jerusalem, and the place of Gods people by association Zion objects. And it is equivalent to Revelation 7:16 . 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. was like a sharp sword. This promise of salvation (49:8-12) leads into a rapturous eruption of praise and joy: "Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! "Thy builders shall make haste" (so some read it), "who shall build up thy houses, thy walls, especially thy temple; they shall do it with expedition." The land will be too narrow for you by reason of the inhabitants. In whom I will be glorified. c. Your walls are continually before Me: The walls refer to the walls of the city of Jerusalem, which figuratively speak of the health, the strength, the prosperity, and the security of Gods people. [Note: See F. Duane Lindsey, "The Commission of the Servant in Isaiah 49:1-13," Bibliotheca Sacra 139:554 (April-June 1982):129-45.]. The troubles of the church have given some occasion to question God's care and concern for it, Isaiah 49:14; Isaiah 49:14. The overall message of second Isaiah is one of comfort and redemption: God hasn't forgotten you-all, still loves you, and is absolutely going to redeem and restore you. And some of the old rabbis say that that is God speaking there in response to the people who were captives in Babylon, who said, "God has forgotten us. Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 49:13-17 The scope of these verses is to show that the return of the people of God out of their captivity, and the eternal redemption to be wrought out by Christ (of which that was a type), would be great occasions of joy to the church and great proofs of the tender care God has of the church. Grogan gives another perspective on Sinim: It is most likely that Isaiah was being consciously obscure. So any nation or any people that opposes the Jews is not just contending with a race of people. Then I said, I have labored in vain, In this case, the servant, too, is hidden even from himself as an agent of God. See how deplorable the case of God's people may be sometimes, such that they may seem to be forsaken and forgotten of their God; and at such a time their temptations may be alarmingly violent. Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, For your waste and desolate placeswill even now be too small for the inhabitants: As the LORD brings the sons of Zion back to Israel, they will fill the land in a glorious way. More Isaiah commentaries. 49:13. For the Lord has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted. Some apply his engraving his church on the palms of his hands to the wounds in Christ's hands when he was crucified; he will look on the marks of them, and remember those for whom he suffered and died. 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. Instead of serving Him with humility and offering love to their neighbors, the nation of Judah offered meaningless sacrifices in God's temple at Jerusalem and committed injustices throughout the nation. Well, actually, you can drive from one side of Israel to the other in two hours; you can drive from one end to the other in six hours. But even they shall be taken away. To bring Jacob back to Him: This shows that an important aspect of the Messiahs mission was to bring Israel back to the LORD. But they are seeking to expand. What is a plumb line in the Bible? In short, men either remain in suspense, or tremble, or utterly fall and even faint. Scripture: Isaiah 49:1-13 Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed The Kingdom Of Heaven Part 2 - Israel - A Nation Chosen By God Series Contributed by Stephen Smith on Sep 22, 2019 based on 3 ratings | 4,644 views A message explaining the reason why God chose Israel for himself and outlining the purpose he had (and still has) for this special nation. He named me even before my birth. The servant who is the nation Israel is displeasing to God (42:18-25), but this servant is honored by God (49:5). First, It is not likely that she should. 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). Because of the LORD who is faithful, The Lord ( Yehovah) hath forsaken me, and my Lord ( Adonai) hath forgotten me. 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. (heaven) (Mt 7:13-14). But these, where were they? The servant was to be a light to the nations, making it possible for non-Jews who had been in darkness because of being without the knowledge of God and his promises to be forgiven of their sins and to cease being in a state of alienation from him. The one thing that tells us beyond a doubt that Isaiah, the prophet, wrote all of it, is his use of the title "Holy One of Israel". The pictures of eating their own flesh and drinking their own blood draw on the horrors of siege conditions. To restore the earth, b. Surely these shall come from afar;