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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Isaiah 49:1 - 49:13
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The Testimony of Jehovah's Servant
v. 1. Listen, O isles, unto Me, and hearken, ye people, from far, the entire heathen world being called upon to give attention to the proclamation here being made: The Lord hath called Me from the womb, designating the Servant of Jehovah for His special service from the very hour of His birth; from the bowels of My mother hath He made mention of My name, the words plainly indicating that an individual is speaking, and not the entire nation of Israel, He who has received the definite name of the Messiah of Israel, for only He, properly speaking, is the Servant of Jehovah.
v. 2. And He hath made My mouth like a sharp sword, in the proclamation of His Word, Heb_4:12; Rev_2:12; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid Me, as an instrument prepared for His service, and made Me a polished shaft, an arrow of unsullied purity; in His quiver hath He hid Me, to be used at the time appointed by Him,
v. 3. and said unto Me, Thou art My Servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified, the Messiah being the true Israel, He who battled with God and with men and remained victorious and was therefore elevated to the divine glory and majesty. Cf Php_2:9-11.
v. 4. Then I said, the Messiah speaking here in His role of true human being, in the weakness which beset Him in Gethsemane, I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for naught and in vain, being oppressed with sorrow and the fear of death in the midst of his work of atonement; yet surely, in spite of that feeling of depression and terror, My judgment is with the Lord, the cause which He represented was that of Jehovah, and My work with My God, the fruit and result of His labors being in the hand of His almighty Father. It is the same thought which we find in the story of Gethsemane: If it be possible, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine, be done.
v. 5. And now, saith the Lord that formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, as stated in verse 1, to bring Jacob again to Him, namely, the true spiritual children of Jacob, Though Israel be not gathered, rather, "and that Israel may he gathered to Him," for this is one of the purposes for which the Servant of Jehovah is prepared, yet shall I be glorious In the eyes of the Lord, and My God shall be My Strength, the second object of the Servant's calling being to equip Him for His work by the strength of the Lord.
v. 6. And He, Jehovah, 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, those whom the Lord had chosen for His own out of the descendants of the patriarchs, Cf Mat_15:24; I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, Isa_60:3, that Thou mayest be My Salvation unto the end of the earth, the Servant of Jehovah being the Savior of the whole world, the heathen being fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God. Although the children of Israel were the chosen people of the Lord, His first-born son, it remains true, nevertheless, that there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him, Rom_10:12.
v. 7. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, the almighty and merciful Vindicator of His people, and His Holy One, who is zealous for His honor, to Him whom man despiseth, whom people generally hold in contempt, to Him whom the nation abhorreth, whom they regard as an abomination, to a Servant of rulers, one who is treated like a slave by the tyrants among men, as history relates of Jesus, Kings shall see and arise, namely, when He appears in view, princes also shall worship, being obliged to show Him due honor, because of the Lord that is faithful, since they are bound to realize that the Lord is standing behind His Servant and upholding His cause, and the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose Thee, on account of the zeal of Jehovah for His chosen people.
v. 8. Thus saith the Lord, once more in answer to the complaint voiced in verse 4, In an acceptable time have I heard Thee, in the Messianic period, when His grace and mercy would be evident in an extraordinary measure, and in a day of salvation have I helped Thee, at the time when help came out of Zion upon the spiritual Israel; and I will preserve Thee, keeping Him from destruction in the hours of the greatest trials, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, as a Mediator of His covenant of grace, to establish the earth, the entire land of Canaan, as the type of the spiritual Israel's heritage, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages, so that all believers become partakers of the blessings originally given to Israel (these blessings, chiefly of a spiritual nature, were willfully despised by the great majority of them, but are now, in the Messianic era, to be the lasting possession of all true Israelites),
v. 9. that Thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth, to them that are in darkness, namely, the darkness of sinfulness and unbelief, Show yourselves. The reference is to the spiritual deliverance, which is the fruit of the Gospel-message. Isa_42:22. They shall feed in the ways, the entire number of those who are partakers of the salvation in Christ enjoying the blessings offered by Him, and their pastures shall be in all high places, the richest spiritual food in the very midst of the vanities of this world.
v. 10. They shall not hunger nor thirst, having food and drink for their souls in abundance in the Word of His grace; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them, the tribulations of this world being unable permanently to harm them; for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them, the assurances of His loving-kindness and tender mercy serving to refresh the souls in every circumstance of life.
v. 11. And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted, all obstructions and difficulties will be removed, so that the Lord's children will have their pathway to heaven made smooth.
v. 12. Behold, these, those who belonged to the Lord by virtue of their salvation, shall come from far; and, lo, these from the North and from the West, and these from the land of Sinim, probably China, for the Lord has His own in every country of the world. For that reason the prophet inserts a powerful admonition to the whole creation to break forth in thanksgiving for the evidence of the Lord's mercy in the salvation of His people.
v. 13. Sing, O heavens, and be Joyful, O earth, all creatures everywhere raising their voices in grateful anthems, and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the Lord hath comforted His people, refreshing and healing them in the midst of their afflictions, and will have mercy upon His afflicted, giving them direct and concrete evidence of His love in the Messiah. All this, however, redounds to the glory of the Lord's Servant, since He alone receives all the credit for every soul which is saved by His mercy, as our hymns to this day expressly state.