seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Isaiah 49:1 Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.”
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.”
5 And now the Lord says—
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am[a] honored in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am[a] honored in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
7 This is what the Lord says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
8 This is what the Lord says:
“In the time of my favor I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’
and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’
“They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.
He who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways will be raised up.
12 See, they will come from afar—
some from the north, some from the west,
some from the region of Aswan.[b]”
and find pasture on every barren hill.
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.
He who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways will be raised up.
12 See, they will come from afar—
some from the north, some from the west,
some from the region of Aswan.[b]”
13 Shout for joy, you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;
burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
rejoice, you earth;
burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me.”
the Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.
17 Your children hasten back,
and those who laid you waste depart from you.
18 Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your children gather and come to you.
As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,
“you will wear them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.
17 Your children hasten back,
and those who laid you waste depart from you.
18 Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your children gather and come to you.
As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,
“you will wear them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.
19 “Though you were ruined and made desolate
and your land laid waste,
now you will be too small for your people,
and those who devoured you will be far away.
20 The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.’
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who bore me these?
I was bereaved and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.
Who brought these up?
I was left all alone,
but these—where have they come from?’”
and your land laid waste,
now you will be too small for your people,
and those who devoured you will be far away.
20 The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.’
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who bore me these?
I was bereaved and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.
Who brought these up?
I was left all alone,
but these—where have they come from?’”
22 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“See, I will beckon to the nations,
I will lift up my banner to the peoples;
they will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their hips.
23 Kings will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
I will lift up my banner to the peoples;
they will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their hips.
23 Kings will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
24 Can plunder be taken from warriors,
or captives be rescued from the fierce[c]?
or captives be rescued from the fierce[c]?
25 But this is what the Lord says:
“Yes, captives will be taken from warriors,
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;
I will contend with those who contend with you,
and your children I will save.
26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;
they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine.
Then all mankind will know
that I, the Lord, am your Savior,
your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;
I will contend with those who contend with you,
and your children I will save.
26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;
they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine.
Then all mankind will know
that I, the Lord, am your Savior,
your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
a. Isaiah 49:5 Or him, / but Israel would not be gathered; / yet I will be
b. Isaiah 49:12 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text Sinim
c. Isaiah 49:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 25); Masoretic Text righteou
I'm going to start with the easy English this morning.
‘My special Servant’
In the Book of Isaiah, the meaning of ‘my (that is, the Lord’s) special Servant’ varies. Sometimes, ‘my special Servant’ identifies a person, such as Eliakim (Isaiah 22:20) or David (Isaiah 37:35) or Isaiah himself (Isaiah 20:3). Most of the verses that include ‘my special Servant’ appear in the second part of the Book of Isaiah (about 20 times). About half of these verses identify the ‘Servant’ as ‘Israel’. Several verses refer the name to Messiah. The New Testament identifies Messiah as Jesus. (Take care; sometimes a verse may include more than one of these meanings at the same time!)
This is from the bible-studys.org site.
The “servant” is a person who shall come forth from the Servant-Nation Israel. He is the Messiah who was “formed … from the womb to be his servant” and to “bring Jacob again to him”. He is further commissioned to be a “light to the Gentiles” (quoted in Acts 13:47 as being fulfilled as Jesus Christ). The reference to the “covenant of the people” is to the New Covenant (Testament), by which Christ will gather believers “from far.”
“Prisoners … darkness … feed … pastures”: At the Messiah’s Second Advent, Israel’s condition will change from captivity and oppression to contentment and prosperity such as that enjoyed by a well-fed, protected, and watered flock of sheep. Theses ideal conditions will be enjoyed by the faithful remnant returning for their kingdom in Israel. John reveals that this condition is a foretaste of heaven (Rev. 7:16-17).
God promises Israel that His new covenant with the Gentiles does not negate His covenant with Israel. “I have graven” (shagag, to “carve, cut, engrave), “thee upon the psalms of my hands” reveals the eternal security of the salvation of God’s people. They are inseparably united to Him. Ultimately God will bring both the “Gentiles” and His people together into one people of God.
Verses 15-23: Here is the summary of the history of lament by the nation during its long period of suffering, followed with words of assurance responding to the despondency.
“Children … clothe thee … jewels”: Zion’s inhabitants will return as the city’s destroyers depart and will adorn the city, Israel will be the means of the conversion of the nations in the end (Romans 11:11, 12, 15).
After the faithful remnant is regathered in salvation, and Gentiles come to faith in the kingdom through Jewish witnesses, millennial Jerusalem will not be large enough to contain all her inhabitants.
“Feed … with their own flesh … drunken with their own blood”: Strong language against Israel’s enemies reassures her of eventual deliverance from her exile. The angel of the waters draws on this terminology in celebrating the third bowl judgment in Rev. 16:6. The destruction of Israel’s enemies, led by Satan in the tribulation (Rev. 12:15-16), also fulfills this pledge.
There would be famine caused by God. They would be so hungry; they would eat their own flesh. Their devastation will be so great, that they will appear to do these things. At the end of God's wrath upon them, they will be like Pharaoh, eager to send the captives out.
There will be no question at all, who has the power. They will know without doubt that God has delivered the captives from them. The captives will know also, that God delivered them. In fact, everyone will know God delivered them. Notice the names Savior, Redeemer, and mighty One. All are speaking of God.
This is some really heavy stuff.... it's way over the head of an old woman with an online bible and commentary. I can definitely see Jesus here. I can also see the connection to humans who are not directly descendants of Jacob [Israel]. It also says that there will be enough room in Jerusalem for everyone. Now I'm speaking off the cuff here.... I really don't understand the deep meanings and hidden agendas that others might see.... I'm an old woman reading the Bible in search of the truth. I think this is talking about the Messiah's mission and the second coming. I think Isaiah has jumped from Cyrus sending the descendants of Jacob [Israel] back to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem..... to the Messiah's mission and the Second coming.
Noah built a boat.... he had his family.... three sons. Those three humans had to repopulate the whole world. I don't have to go all the way back to Adam and Eve.... Cain and Abel..... I can start at Noah because all the humans outside that ark died. Now.... Shem was the son who's line includes David.... Solomon.... and Jesus. The other two sons began the "other nations". Cyrus was from the "other nations", for instance. So although God has control over every human every where..... until now.... it appears that God has been spending a lot of His energy on Shem's family..... but hang on there's a change here......
If Jesus is bringing the cure to "death"..... there are some humans in the line of Noah's other two sons that have learned about Jacob's [Israel's] God and believed..... they preferred Jacob's [Israel's] living God to the wooden bobbles, shiny bobbles and astrological, magical, projections. Those people who put the God of Jacob [Israel] first are the "other nations". Jesus is bringing the cure to "death" and some of the humans from other nations will receive it too.
This kind of reminds me of the Ice Cream Man. Every now and then the Ice Cream Man would come down our street..... Moms, Dads, and children would come from far and wide to the Ice Cream Man. Without fail.... one of the neighbor kids who had spent all their allowance.... or who didn't get allowance.... would be standing on the sidelines. They couldn't get an ice cream..... until one of the parents called them out of the corner.... and rescued them from sadness and sorrow by handing them an ice cream to enjoy with everyone else.
Amazing.... how did the Ice Cream Man know how many popsicles he would need for all the children? How does God know how many people will return to Jerusalem? According to this chapter of Isaiah.... just as there was always Ice Cream.... there will be space for all the "believers" who will return to Jerusalem. I worship the God who controls time. He already knows which humans will "Choose God".
