Isaiah 49:1-6

C. PROGRAM OF THE LORD'S SERVANT,
Chapter S 49 - 53
1.

RESCUE, CHAPTER 49

a.

DESPISED SERVANT

TEXT: Isaiah 49:1-6

1

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: Jehovah 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 he hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he kept me close:

3

and he said unto me, Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

4

But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God.

5

And now saith Jehovah that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered unto him; (for I am honorable in the eyes of Jehovah: and my God is become my strength;)

6

yea, he saith, It is too light a 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.

QUERIES

a.

Who is this Jehovah hath called from the womb?

b.

Why is he disappointed that he has labored in vain?

c.

Why increase his burden to the end of the earth?

PARAPHRASE

Listen to Me, all you peoples in far distant parts of the earth, Jehovah called Me to be His servant long before I was ever born. From within the womb of My mother I was given My name by Jehovah. Jehovah is going to make My words His weapon, like a sharp sword. I will be the greatest weapon in His hand. He will make Me like a finely polished and sharpened arrow, ready in His quiver for His warfare. Jehovah said to Me, You are My Servant, My Prince, and people will praise Me because of You. But I replied, My work as Your instrument seems fruitless. I have spent My strength and it appears I have accomplished nothing! Nevertheless, I will commit it all to JehovahI know He will do what is just and give Me the reward I should have. And now, says Jehovahthe One who is is going to incarnate Me in a woman's womb to be His Servant, to gather Israel unto Him, the One who has honored Me with this task and gives Me strength to do it, He says to Me, I have a greater task for You than gathering just a remnant of the Jews to Me; I will also make You a revelation of My truth to the Gentiles and You will be My salvation to the whole world.

COMMENTS

Isaiah 49:1-3 CALL: Who, other than the Messiah-Servant, could be speaking in these verses? Note the following:

1.

Called from the womb (he is to be born of a woman) (cf. Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2, etc.).

2.

Named while still in the womb (Matthew 2:18-23; Luke 1:30-35; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6).

3.

His mouth a sharp sword (Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12; Revelation 2:16; Revelation 19:15; Hebrews 4:12)

4.

He is hid in shadow of Jehovah's hand (Colossians 3:3)

5.

He is called Israel (Prince of God) (Isaiah 9:6; Daniel 9:24-27; Luke 1:30-35, etc.).

6.

Jehovah is to be glorified in Him (cf. John 12:27-36; John 17:1-5)

7.

He is to bring Jacob back to Jehovah (Luke 1:33)

8.

He is honorable in the eyes of Jehovah (John 12:27-36; Luke 3:21-22; Matthew 17:5-8; Acts 2:22-36; Acts 3:17-26, etc.).

9.

He is to be a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 2:29-32, etc.)

10.

He is Jehovah's salvation to the end of the earth

A new emphasis is begun by the prophet Isaiah. From this point on Babylon and Cyrus are not directly mentioned. The Messiah-Servant and the glory of His future kingdom will be pre-eminent. Everything the prophet has to say to his contemporaries will, from this point on, be in relationship to the future messianic glory.

Note the absolute authority with which the Servant addresses the world, commanding the isles and all afar off to listen to Him. Jehovah has made the Servant His instrument of conquering warfare. The Servant is a polished arrow and His words are a sharp sword. The Servant is kept in Jehovah's quiver until the proper time for battle. The word of Christ is more powerful than any sword or arrow or any other carnal weapon. The word of Christ converts the mind and soulcarnal weapons only subdue bodies (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-20; Hebrews 4:12). It is imperative that the people of God today remind themselves they are engaged in the warfare of God. God sent His Son as a sword and an arrow! God so loved the world that He sent His Son, but He was sent to engage in a life and death struggle, a war, with the devil and his henchmen. The devil has been defeated and bound, but he still struggles against his chain and will devour all who willingly put themselves within his sphere of influence. God does not see the world, the flesh and the devil as a good place, every day and every way getting better and better. The world, the flesh and the devil are condemned, doomed, judged. Only those who bring every thought into captivity to obedience of Christ will survive the final judgment of the world.

The Messiah-Servant is also called to be anointed Israel (Prince of God). The Hebrew word yiserael means Prince of God. Jesus was descended from David according to the flesh (Romans 1:1-6), and promised the throne of His earthly father and His Heavenly Fathertherefore, Prince (cf. Isaiah 9:6; Daniel 9:24-27; Luke 1:30-35, etc.). To glorify is to honor. The highest form of praise or compliment is imitation and impersonation. Jesus reflected the very image of God (Hebrews 1:3); to see Jesus was to see God (John 14:8-10); in Him dwelt all the Godhead bodily (Colossians 1:15-20; Colossians 2:9); Jesus was the Word become flesh (John 1:1-18); He glorified the Father on earth (John 12:27-36; John 17:1-5).

Isaiah 49:4 COMMITMENT: This verse is one of the most unique verses of all the Bible! It predicts, in the words of the Servant-Messiah Himself, a point in the Servant's ministry when He will cry out in frustration and disappointment. Edward J. Young comments, The expression of discouragement is no thought of unbelief, but simply of a genuine modesty borne from a consciousness of one's own weakness. Jesus, the Eternal Son, pre-existent with the Father, humbled Himself, emptied Himself and took upon Himself the form of flesh (cf. Philippians 2:5-11). He partook of the same nature as man (Hebrews 2:10-18) and was tempted in all points like we are tempted (Hebrews 4:14-16) yet without sinning. It was in this incarnation that He partook of human weaknesses. Part of that weakness was the frustration and disappointment men know when they love other men and want to lead them to God's redeeming grace and when sinful, rebellious men refuse to be led (cf. Matthew 19:16-22; Matthew 23:37-39; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 19:41-44; John 12:27-36; Matthew 26:36-46). Did Jesus agonize? Did He have to cry out to God in prayer? Yes! (cf. Hebrews 5:7-9). Jesus was astonished at the unbelief of His countrymen (Mark 6:6); He wept at the grief of Mary and Martha (John 11:35); He even despaired of finding faith on the earth at His second coming (Luke 18:8). The earthly ministry of Jesus was not spectacular in its personal resultsjudged by human standards. He made more enemies, per capita, than friends. He convinced only 12 men to follow Him, one of them was a traitor, and the others disavowed Him at His death. He came unto His own and His own received Him not (John 1:9-11). This was predicted (Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12)!

In spite of the fact that the Messiah experienced discouragement and disappointment and was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, He realistically committed His cause to Jehovah for vindication, justification and reward. The Christian must be a realist also! If they persecuted the Master they will persecute the disciple (cf. John 15:18-27; 1 Peter 4:12-19, etc.). There will be emotional lows as well as emotional highs for the Christian. The implication that believers should have a constant, happy glow about life is a form of Christian schizophrenia. Christian emotional dishonesty often can lead to deep despair and other psychological problems. A Christian psychologist says: God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way. The way we learn those lessons is not to deny the feelings but to find the meanings underlying them.. Emotional dishonesty may be creating problems for others. Emotional honesty is necessary for one's own spiritual growth and it also helps others to get the right perspective on their own experience. Commitment to God is not built on human feelings as a basisthey are too subjective, biased and vacillating. Christ did not feel like going to the cross (... let this cup pass from me.). Commitment to God is built on faith in the facts about who God is as they are objectively revealed in the Scriptures and in the Person of Jesus (... nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.). Even the Messiah, in His incarnate humiliation, knew emotional depression and could overcome it only by commitment and faith in the knowledge of who the Father is. The Messiah knew He could depend upon the faithfulness of Jehovah to see that justice was ultimately done and that His ministry would receive its eventual reward. Eventually the work of the Messiah would produce a great multitude of believers which no man could number (Revelation 7:9 f),-' but not in the earthly lifetime of the Messiah. Christians need to learn the lesson of the parable. first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear (Mark 4:26-29).

Isaiah 49:5-6 COMMISSION: The Servant is born incarnate to accomplish a specific mission. He is to bring back Jacob and gather Israel to Jehovah. Ye'Seph is the Hebrew word translated gathered and means, to be brought in; placed in safety. His commission was to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This He did. And He brought to safety all of the true Israel (cf. Galatians 6:16; Romans 11:25-32). The parenthetical statement is the Messiah-Servant's reiteration that He has committed His cause to Jehovah and He is sure Jehovah will vindicate His ministry with honor and strength.

The Messiah-Servant's commission is much broader than physical Israel, although in the sovereign plan of God that is where redemption began (Acts 1:8). The Messiah was for the whole world. He was to gather sheep not of Israel into the flock of God to become part of the true Israel (cf. John 10:16). Paul the apostle quotes Isaiah 49:6 in Acts 13:47 to give us the inspired interpretation of this prophecy. Jesus Christ is no provincial Messiah; He is not just a prophet of the JewsHe is Savior of the whole world. He is the Light of the world (John 8:12 f). One religion is not as good as anothernot even to Isaiah. There is salvation in no other name (Acts 4:12). Isaiah is the prophet of world missions. Strangely enough, Isaiah says more about the salvation of the Gentiles than any O.T. book, and yet he is the one most read in the Jewish synagogues! Of course, most of the Jews have a different view of what God has in store for the Gentiles than Isaiah predicted (cf. Luke 4:16-30).

QUIZ

1.

How may we be certain this passage is a prediction of the Messiah?

2.

How was the Messiah to be used as God's instrument?

3.

Does the N.T. support the idea that the Messiah may have been disappointed in His earthly ministry?

4.

Why can-'t we base our relationship to God on our feelings?

5.

What N.T. scriptures indicate that the Gentiles were to be given an opportunity to become part of true Israel.?