July 20 - Isaiah 49:1-7

July 20 – Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. 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. He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” But I said, “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”

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 honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength— 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 you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

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 rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

I get so excited when I see Jesus plainly in the Old Testament.  I want to jump up and down and shout – there he is!  There He is!!

Here He is.  He is actually the speaker in these verses.  We learn so much about the Messiah in these verses.

God had named him before He was born – and then look at what we see!!!

My mouth like a sharpened sword (Isaiah 49:2).  What do we know about this?  Well, we know that Jesus is the Word of God and in Ephesians 6:17, the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.

In Revelation 1:16, out of his mouth comes a sharp double-edged sword.

I love seeing the scriptures come together in that kind of unity.

In Isaiah 49:3, we read “He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.’”

Now, God isn’t speaking to the Israelites, He IS speaking to the Messiah.  Because the Messiah actually comes to earth to do what the Israelites were supposed to do.  At some point they quit responding to God as a servant nation, so the Messiah would be sent to finish their work.

Though the Messiah came among the people of Israel, He didn’t actually change them.  Even when He walked among them, they remained stubborn and didn’t hear what it was He was telling them.  (“But I said, ‘I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.’” Isaiah 43:4a)

John 1:11 says, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”

The servant continues with His faith in God.  No matter that Israel doesn’t pay attention when it should, God’s timing will be fulfilled.

Then, look at Isaiah 49:6 – “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 you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

My goodness, these words fill my heart with joy. 

Jesus Christ … Jesus the Messiah … the servant of God.  Isaiah prophecies that He will not only restore the tribes of Jacob, but He will bring salvation to the Gentiles and to the ends of the earth.

Here He is!!!