Isaiah

 Isaiah Chapter 49

• Isaiah 49:1 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.
• 2 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;
• 3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
• 4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

Isaiah along with all true prophets in the bible were called from their mother's womb but this one also refers to Jesus our Christ. It has more than one meaning as many prophecies in the Old Testament seem to have. This is a prophecy of Christ, (Messiah) and also the calling of Israel, the nation God chose to bring forth the Messiah. The Messiah was the one sent to save all who would receive Him. Since the Messiah was to come through the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who later became Israel, we see how this fits. Double prophecies and prophecy that becomes a pattern may be fulfilled more than once and is common in the Old Testament. Sort of like a former and a latter rain.

• Isaiah 49:5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

Who could possibly bring Jacob back to God if not the Christ. Even if Israel refuses to accept the Messiah He will still be great in the end. Jesus is now at the Father's right hand in Heaven until all is fulfilled and the time of His return comes.

• Isaiah 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Now we know for sure who these passages is speaking of and it causes my heart to leap for joy. Not only is salvation for Israel and their restoration back to God but Christ is to be a light to the Gentiles. He is to be salvation to all the earth. No one is exempt from the gospel. It is for everyone who will believe and receive. Praise God. This should cause the rocks to rejoice. The rocks shouldn't have to rejoice though if we do it instead.

• Isaiah 49:7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

The Messiah is called the Holy one of Israel. He is despised by many nations and people but God exalts Him above all and all both small and great will worship Him.

• Isaiah 49:8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages ;

The earth will be established under His rule and power. The stone whom the builders rejected will become the head of the corner. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Amen.

• Isaiah 49:9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places .

This may mean the prison of sin, the actual prisons containing those who are imprisoned for the gospel's sake, or the prison of the compartment of Hades or Hell that the righteous dead went before the resurrection of Jesus. Whichever it refers to, Jesus brings deliverance through faith in Him.

• Isaiah 49:10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

He shall lead His people free and none shall harm them. This could refer to the future gathering of Israel when they recognize their true Messiah and they are delivered from the enemies that surround them. This also could refer to any who suffer for the kingdom of God's sake. All nations need to take heed how they treat those of their own countrymen and others outside their own nation. Whatever you give shall be given back double and maybe triple. If kindness is given, kindness shall be returned, if cruelty is given that is what will be given in return. The persecuted and oppressed will be delivered and saved.

• Isaiah 49:11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
• 12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
• 13 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.

This further gives a hint that these passages refer to the Jewish people and the re-gathering after much tribulation and affliction. They shall return to their own land after having been scattered over much of the earth. The Gentile nations will even be used of God to help them re-locate in the Promised Land. After their re-gathering, many shall fight against them to try to remove them again but they shall not prevail for the coming of Jesus Christ will save them forever.

• Isaiah 49:14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

I'm sure that Israel must have felt this way many times throughout history. The truth is though that they were the ones to forsake the Lord. He would never have forsaken those who trust in Him.

• Isaiah 49:15  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Even though they sinned, He does not forget them or utterly forsake them. His plan for Israel will be fulfilled and none shall stop it. The armies of the whole earth shall not prevent it.

• Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

This He did since He made a covenant with Abraham.

• Isaiah 49:17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
• 18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.
• 19 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.
• 20 The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
• 21 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? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?

This is a picture of a nation that has been robbed of its people and land by other surrounding nations. They have been scattered over all the earth. None but God Himself can save them because of the enemies and the power of the enemies.

• Isaiah 49:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders .
• 23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
• 24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
• 25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
• 26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

We see that the enemies of God's people will be destroyed. He will contend with those that contend with His people. All flesh shall know who is the Lord and who is the redeemer. We see many trying to achieve peace in the Middle East now but unfortunately it will be to no avail. Until the true Prince of Peace returns, they will have no peace. Someone may rise on the scene and appear to bring peace but he will not be the one.

Jesus Christ is the one who will usher in the kingdom of peace and righteousness. He alone will do this and no other. He first comes to deliver the nation of Israel from their enemies and the anti-Christ and then He sets up a kingdom that will reign and rule forever. The capital of the whole world will be Jerusalem not the United States. The most powerful nation in the world will be Israel not the United States.

I don’t know what is to happen to the United States but they need to take heed. I would first of all repent and seek God and pray that my nation would be one of the sheep nations Jesus sets on His right hand and not one of the goat nations that is turned into hell.

We have a lot to repent of in the United States. Denying God, teaching lies to little children (the theory of evolution), allowing the removal of the bible and God from our classrooms, and allowing the murder of innocent unborn children. That is just the beginning. What must He think of us after blessing us with the greatest power and wealth of any nation before us?

Isaiah 50

Isaiah Index