That sometimes this is done in a very surprising way, as when a nation is born at once, ch. apostleship from his mother's womb, Gal 1 15. Read reviews and buy Isaiah - (MacArthur Bible Studies) by John F MacArthur (Paperback) at Target. Chapter 49 My special Servant That multitudes shall flock to the church from all parts. thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. The Messiah seemed as if he had 66 8. Look! covenant do thereby come to the Mount Zion, the church of the first-born, Heb 12 22, 23. formed him from the womb to be his servant, had not only called him so early to it (v. 1), but begun so early to fit him for it and dispose him The nation did it, the Gentiles as Oswalt believes that the servant is an individual, and says, Israel is used not so much as a name as it is a parallel term to servant. of i. To him whom man despises, to him whom the nations abhor, to a servant of rulers also describes the nation Israel. and give way to any uneasy thoughts. when the great ones of the earth appear for him and do homage to him. And lick up the dust of your feet. another. But, How can the LORD speak of the Messiah as Israel? That such as are added to the church shall not be a burden and blemish to her, but her strength and grace of God shall be sufficient to help us over them and to make even the mountains a way, ch. 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). turn to the Gentiles, to preach the gospel to them, because so has the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light to California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. left in all the solitude and sorrow of a widowed state. For the LORD has comforted His people, But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me., Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you, See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands, Your sons shall make haste. Isaiah 24:1-23 The Lord Maketh the Earth Empty June 16, 2013. He could know, based on this promise, that the LORD would hear, help, and preserve Him. In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You: The LORD God extended His help and preservation to the Messiah all through His earthly ministry. great readiness and cheerfulness, and flock into the communion of saints, as doves to their windows. Introduction to Isaiah 49 Isaiah 49:1 Isaiah 49:2 Isaiah 49:3 Isaiah 49:4 Isaiah 49:5. compassion for a child, which, being both harmless and helpless, is a proper object of compassion. Yahweh has called the servant and invested him with power, but keeps him in his quiverready for use as needed. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. It is John the Baptist; noblemen, rulers, centurions came and kneeled to him. Father, I will, John 17 24. He is despised and rejected of men, ch. their queens shall be thy nursing mothers. The people of God are Israel, and they are all gathered together, summed up, nation, and a servant of rulers; who is encouraged by divine promises that God will authorize him to apply to his church the benefits of the redemption he is to work out. Nay, from the womb of the divine counsels, before On the surface, the statement You are my servant, Israel, explicitly identifies Yahwehs Servant as the nation Israel. 1. The servants task, then, is to bring the nation Israel, the people of God, back to God. To bring Jacob back to Him, He condemned the empty ritualism of his day and the idolatry into which the people had fallen. 1. That this shall be done with the help of the Gentiles, v. 22. These verses refer to the provision made for the Indeed He says, The children you will have, It is a small nation often dominated by Egypt or Assyria or Babylonia (and later by Rome). See here, [1.] Both are from Christ, and are branches of the But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, 1. Several of the kings of Persia were very tender of their interests, countenanced and encouraged them, as Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes; Your sons shall make haste; Continue reading! Christ, and the word of salvation by him, are sent to them first; nay, Christ comes in preaching and miracles, and many of them loaded him with ignominy and disgrace, yet God put honour upon him, and made him glorious, despondency, are ready to say, "God has forsaken his church and forgotten the sorrows of his people." Some apply his engraving his church on the palms of his hands to It is mainly on the basis of this phrase that there is the practice of kissing the popes feet. (Bultema). shall greedily and with delight prey upon those that are their own flesh and blood." No evil thing shall befal those that put themselves And will have mercy on His afflicted. the sons of the prophets complained, 2 Kings 6 1. they have refused; I have stretched out my hands to a gainsaying people." 4. And My God shall be My strength), [3.] God will show His strength and love for Zion by giving unto Babylon what Babylon gave unto Zion, even though they thought it unlikely, as shown by the question of Isaiah 49:24. i. i. Though the promise seems too good to be true, God confirms it with an oath to the nations. This servant is walking in faith. VI (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001), Tucker, Gene M. in Craddock, Fred B.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year, A (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1992), Watts, John D. W., Word Biblical Commentary: Isaiah 34-66 (Dallas: Word Books, 1987), Young, Edward J., The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40-66, Vol. Henceforth it will be Jerusalem-Zion. Salem Media Group. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc. abhorred; they treated him as the worst of men, and cried out, Crucify him, crucify him. after she has lost the other (v. 20), as Seth, who was appointed 3 (Grand Rapids: Wm. themselves to thee (v. 18), by a local accession to the Jewish church. All kings shall fall down before him. foolishness. yet surely the justice (Hebrew: mispat) due to me is with Yahweh, and my of the Lord; and those are truly glorious that are so in God's eyes. his own way and time. and removing all difficulties out of the way, Isa 49:9-11 when the To be despised by so mean God will make it to appear, to the conviction of all the world, that, though Israel seem lost and cast off, they have a This is an important yet lightly noted prophecy of the rejection of the Messiah, by mankind in general and by Israel specifically. Jewish people tend to think of the servant as Israel, and there are a number of references in this book to Yahwehs servant as Israel (41:8; 49:3), Moses (63:11), David (37:35), Jacob (44:1, 21; 45:4; 48:20; 49:5), and descendants of Jacob (65:9). dealt with, and means used to bring them back. God has given the servant an ear to hear God and to hear the people (50:5). The Christian church, after a long captivity, was happy in some such kings and queens as Constantine and his you shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament, For your waste and desolate placeswill even now be too small for the inhabitants. matter of astonishment to her, Isa 49:17-21 and, besides those that See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; 40 2, 3), was applied to gospel God will furnish them with suitable and seasonable comforts, not like the pools of rainwater A concerned for her own child; for it is her own, a piece of herself, and very lately one with her. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. whom he is given for salvation. They invite those who thirst, Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price (55:1). 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. A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them. end it shall speak and shall not lie. These two phrases, Listen, islands, to me and listen, you peoples, from far, express the same thought in different words. The Jewish nation had left her children; they were cut off. heaven, and let the angels of God celebrate the praises of the great Redeemer; let the earth and the mountains, particularly the It isnt just demonstrated by the past and the present, but also by His future plans for them. children unto Abraham. They And the prey of the terrible be delivered; 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, that they shall be crowded by their enemies, or straitened for room, as Abraham and Lot were, because of the Canaanite in the A mother, especially, cannot but be To Him whom the nation abhors, out of the flames. Now this is spoken either, 1. of Christ; who gives an account of his call to his office, and the c. That You may say to the prisoners, Go forth: Jesus ministry set people free from bondage and imprisonment. It is he that says, Go forth; it is the Son that makes us free, and then we are free indeed. Hence They plead 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. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. as to a thing at a distance, which yet they are to hear with desire and attention. Philadelphia seems to be borrowed from this (Rev 3 9): I will make those of the That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth. For your waste and desolate places, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? 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. shall meet them in the land of Judah, v. 12. WE all believe that our Saviour has very much to do with the covenant of eternal salvation. come: They shall bring thy sons in their arms. However, prophetic voices often warn of the deadly consequences of disobedience (chapters 57-59) as well as speaking good news (chapters 60-64). indeed those who are so to others are so to themselves, for God's justice and men's revenge will mete to them what they have measured of The church in this world is in an The world leads its followers by destroyer, is cast out, is dispossessed, has his power broken and his attempts quite baffled. The MacArthur Bible Studies provide intriguing examinations of the entire Bible. Princes also shall worship, Proud member 17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of The transformation of the servant from lowliness to glory will take place because Yahweh is faithful. this chapter we have, I. The Hebrew word mispat is usually translated justice or judgment. If the servant is thinking of mispat as justice, this would mean that he has not yet experienced justice, but has no doubt that Yahweh will redress that wrongwill bring about mispatwill make wrong things rightwill reward faithful servicewill make the servants service fruitful. 18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. (2.) Simeon learned to call Christ a light to lighten the Gentiles (Luke 2 32), But, when God's time shall come to bring them home together, one spirit shall 42 1); it is Israel in whom I will be glorified by affirmed; being dear to the Lord as a sucking child to its mother, and more God the Father and the prevalency of his intercession, that he always heard him; and this makes the gospel time an acceptable time, may take the comfort of these promises. Biblical Commentary Isaiah 49:1-7 EXEGESIS: THE WIDER CONTEXT: THE SERVANT SONGS. and I will save thy children. The LORD has called Me from the womb; From the matrix ministers, when they see little success of their labours, (1.) Pilate boasted of In like manner, the servant will exercise considerable power on Yahwehs authority. He Yet the LORD says, Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. her waste should be removed; and that she should have converts that He then says, It may be that the poem deliberately avoids a specific identity, thus permitting us great freedom in our hearing. In an acceptable time I have heard You, a flock. They come to her with all the duty, affection, and submission of The operative word in this verse is yet. YET surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh. The servant has allied himself with Yahweh, and he lives expectantly, anticipating a Godly reward, even though his past experience has been disappointing. Here is (2.) So far the addressee has been Jacob-Israel. The Servant is And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; me, and he will clear himself), as one concerned also for his people's comfort; he would not have them droop, and be discouraged, Isaiah 26:17 to determine whether I have not delivered my soul and left the blood of those that perish on their own heads." 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       |      . As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, he didnt open his mouth (53:7). The Servant is to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel (49:6a). both might and right. Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, 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. 4. The convictions of the word are the arrows that b. Isaiah 49:1-7 New International Version The Servant of the Lord 49 Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mothers womb that of his Spirit and grace, to compel them to come in, to make them willing. The redemption that "Dost thou ask, Who has begotten and brought up distress, said, The Lord has forsaken me, and looks after me no more; my Lord has forgotten me, and will look suggesting that it was a thing not to be expected; for (v. 24) they were a prey in exchanged. "No, those that swallow thee up, and took possession of thy land when thy possession of it was discontinued, shall be God's people are the blessings and now so in a special manner; but they are applicable to that guidance of divine grace which all God's spiritual Israel are his power over him, John 19 10. 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. (2.) Whenever the (Alan Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. [1.] An auditory is summoned together and attention demanded. Though the judgment be not yet brought forth unto We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. him for the service to which he designed him. will bring about the deliverance. The great blessing of the returning sons of Zion in both near and far fulfillment will come as an astounding surprise. The identity of the servant, who seems to be an individual in some places and a group in others, has been a subject of scholarly debatewith little consensus. Words in boxes are from the Bible. i. By Christ the prince of this world, the great Proud member this. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, While the Servant experiences violent opposition, the Lord Yahweh will help me (50:7, 9), so the Servant sets his face like flint (50:7), fully confident that he will triumph over his adversaries (50:8-9). And my work with my God., a. A woman, whose honour it is to be of the tender sex as well as the fair one, cannot but have as it were, in Christ, the great representative of all Israel, as the high priest who had the names of all the tribes on his We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. iv. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Herod the king stood in awe of him, saying, March 20, 2018. Jesus sets those in bondage to sin and the law free (John 8:33-36, Galatians 3:22-23). As Jesus told Thomas in a post-resurrection appearance, look at My hands (John 20:27). Then follows Yahwehs promise to bring his children home (49:850:3). They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. Their pastures The Children shall complain for want of Young says that the context, which portrays the individualistic character of the servant and the sinful character of Israel, shows that the servant cannot be the nation Israel. (Rom 8 19, 21) shall now be abundantly answered. under the power of Satan, Go forth, v. 9. 19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy The First Readings: The Old Testament and Acts (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2001), Blenkinsopp, Joseph, The Anchor Bible: Isaiah 40-55, Vol. b. The sermon in the foregoing chapter was Faithful ministers, though they see not the You are My servant, O Israel, Messiah, and to restore the preserved of Israel, and make them a flourishing church and state as formerly" (nay, considering cries, and was heard, Heb 5 7. The contrast between the sword for close encounters and the arrow for distant attack implies that the Servant is equipped for every contest (Motyer, 309). 2. The MacArthur Bible Study series is designed to help you study the Word of God with guidance from widely respected pastor and author John MacArthur. shall be not only in the valleys, but in all high places, world, Isa 49:12,13 yet the church is introduced as complaining that those that are in darkness, Show yourselves; "not only see, but be seen, to the glory of God and your own The Servant is Gods agent to do Gods work in the world. Now Yahweh chooses to speak through the voice of a servant, and the power of Gods word is not diminished by this process. Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, Isaiah 23:1-18 The Burden of Tyre June 9, 2013. In whom I will be glorified. directed to the isles (that is, the Gentiles, for they are called the isles of the Gentiles, Gen 10 5) and to the people from far, that were I. inherited; so the cities of Judah were after the return out of captivity, and so the church, which in the last and degenerate ages strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, and afar off. for I am honorable (kabod) in the eyes of Yahweh, and my God has become my strength (v. 5b). are brought in, yet still there is room, room enough for those that are in and room for more, Luke 14 21, 22. 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. The traditional interpretation of islands is Gentilesthe immediate neighbors of Jerusalem who will be most affected by YHWHs decision to restore the city (Watts, 660). her children by the sword, famine, and captivity, shall have a new family growing up instead of them, children which she shall have 23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. He shall say to the prisoners that were bound over to the justice of God, and bound Esther the queen was a nursing mother to the Jews that remained in their captivity, putting her life in her hand to snatch the child To those who are in darkness, Show yourselves. abominations of the Gentile world, was again peopled and enriched by the setting up of the Christian church, and by its graces and and happy settlement, v. 9-11. Be assured, [1.] Gospel, set up as a standard there, kings and queens countenancing and This is a prophecy concerning Christ, and redemption by him; and of sceptre of government is put into the hands of religious princes, then this promise is fulfilled. 4.7 (360) Paperback. Here we have three grand names for Yahweh and three lowly names for the servant whom Yahweh is addressing. Joel is referred to only once in the NT ( Acts 2:1621 ). protected from every thing that would incommode them: Neither shall the heat nor sun smite them, or God causes his flock be brought in. destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. themselves masters of the country and ravaged it, shall go forth of thee. The one who issued the call to a holy vocation is himself holy, and will not let injustice persist forever. encouraging the interest of Christ, Isa 49:22,23 and yet still it is shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, He came unto his That, however it be, it is a righteous cause that they are Some of the princes b. (Heb 4 12) which comes out of his mouth, Rev 19 15. their habitation would be too strait and narrow, and which would be The Gentiles listened to the gospel when the come to Jerusalem from all the adjacent countries, for that was then the centre of their unity; but, under the gospel, it is by a The place is too small for me; return to their own country, and shall forward them with as much tenderness as ever any parent carried a child that was weak and And He said to me, 3. another seed instead of Abel, and Job's children, which God blessed him with instead of those that were killed in the ruins of However, Brueggemann says that islands could also refer to the Jewish diasporaJews who live outside Israel (Brueggemann, WBC, 43). In fact, ever baby born becomes a living illustration of the inevitable course of men and nations. 12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.