Your Study Notes this week were written by Will Buschmann, Director of Student Ministries.
Welcome to Week Six in our study of the book of Isaiah and the second of three servant songs we will look at. Isaiah 49 was a gift to Israel then and it continues to be a gift to God’s people here in 2021. Isaiah 49, written around seven hundred years before Jesus, gives us a clear picture of who Jesus is. He is the better, obedient Israel, but far greater than even that, He is the Savior of the whole world.
Our passage this week is Isaiah 49:1-13. Since it is a short passage just like last week, we encourage you to read the entire passage as a whole before doing Personal Worship. Each day we will focus on a verse, or a few verses, from within the passage. Let’s get started!
Index to Days 2 through 5
Day 1
A Sword and an Arrow
Observe
One of the more uncomfortable themes throughout all of Scripture (in my honest opinion) deals with the sword. A sword that separates the righteous from the wicked. We see it as Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden. We see it enter into David’s lineage due to his sin with Bathsheba. Solomon shows his divine wisdom using a sword and a baby. Jesus himself speaks of his purposes as the sword during his ministry. Isaiah 49, also introduces this theme in his prophecy this week concerning The Servant of the Lord.
Isaiah 49:1-2
Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
Genesis 3:23-24
23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
2 Samuel 12:10
10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
1 Kings 3:23-25
(You should probably read the whole story if you haven’t)
23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” 24 And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.”
Matthew 10:34-39
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
This prophecy seems to not align with a description of the “Prince of Peace.” A sword has the ability to wound and divide. A sharpened arrow has the ability to pierce. Jesus’ ministry is one of piercing hearts and dividing people. If anything is clear in Scripture, it is that Jesus declares himself God. It is a claim that cannot be taken neutrally. You are either for him or against him. The beauty of Jesus as Savior is that he was wounded and pierced for us. Our hope and our ultimate goal is found in him and him alone.
- Where has Scripture pierced your heart recently?
- In what parts of your life do you find yourself in neutral territory with Jesus? How can you bring those aspects of your life to him today?
Jesus, swords scare me. The Scriptures about swords have the ability to cause fear in me. I praise you though that you are a God who doesn’t leave me where I am when you found me. That you use your words and the Scriptures to pierce and wound the sin and the brokenness inside of me. Forgive me for when I run from it. Forgive me for all the areas of my life that I am just okay with being in a neutral place with you. Give me your Spirit to light a fire in me and to teach me to trust you with everything I have. Let my heart know that a life with you is far greater than anything this world can offer me. Amen
Day 2
Laboring in Vain
Observe
“Israel” in this verse is not speaking about the people of God, instead it is speaking about Jesus. Jesus came and through his life shows himself to be the far greater Israel, the true Israel.
Isaiah 49:3-4
3 And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
and my recompense with my God.”
Matthew 17:14-17
14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.”
Matthew 24:45-46
45 Now from the sixth hour[f] there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus is the far greater Israel. The Servant of God who will not turn his back on God due to the suffering and rejection he will face. Jesus’ feelings of laboring in vain are surprising from our viewpoint though. Jesus’ earthly mission 2,000 years ago was ultimately successful, but in the midst of it, it is one characterized by suffering and rejection. At times Jesus felt frustrated (Matthew 17:17). He felt abandoned (Matthew 27:46). Imagine how he felt as he heard the crowd chant “crucify him” as they set Barabbas free (Matthew 27:15-23). The sinless Son of God did not turn away in the midst of it all. Unlike Israel and us, he trusted his Father. He clung to faith to finish the arduous mission he was placed on. And for the joy that was before him, he suffered death, even death on a cross. For me and you, he did it all. He’s absolutely beautiful.
- What suffering, difficulty, obstacle, earthly horror makes you want to lose faith today?
- How can you bring that suffering, difficulty, obstacle, earthly horror to Jesus today? Knowing that by bringing it to him, you bring it to the Savior who never fails, who is never defeated, who never gives up on you, who death could not even keep dead. You can trust him with it.
Jesus, you are absolutely amazing. It is easy for me to look past all that you endured on this earth. I easily forget the suffering you endured on my behalf. The hatred that you pressed on through for my salvation. Forgive me for so often hearing what you endured and being so neutral about it. In that Lord, I know that you did it willingly for me. That you loved me and you acted on that love. Lord, let that love transform me. Let me see your sacrifice and in return give my everything for you and your kingdom. Thank you, Jesus! Amen
Day 3
The Light of the World
Observe
Jesus is a far greater Savior than just the restorer of the nation of Israel. Jesus was given a far greater task than that. He is divinely appointed to be the Savior of the world. Even as I type that it is easy for me to pass by. Think of every human in history that has called on him as Savior. I assume, which I believe is correct, that it’s a large number. Now, imagine the price he paid for each soul and every sin of that soul. His love is astounding.
Isaiah 49:5-6
5 And now the Lord says,
he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
John 8:12-20
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
I did not write this next part, but it is too beautiful not to share. It is written by Ray Ortlund Jr. in his Isaiah commentary, “God Saves Sinners.”
“Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and there is no other. He is God’s appointed “light for the nations.” Every wisdom and philosophy and moral code outside Christ lies in the deepest, outermost darkness as to salvation. But to enter into the light of Christ is to have your gloom lifted and your confusion replaced with truth and delight. He is your breakthrough to seeing everything in a new light. And his God-appointed mission, to bring the light of God into our natural darkness, will succeed with worldwide impact. Jesus himself said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).” 1
1 Ortlund, R. C., Jr., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Isaiah: God saves sinners. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
- Where in your life do you feel like you are too far gone for Jesus to restore?
- Where are you trusting in something or someone besides Jesus for your salvation?
Jesus, you came to save sinners. You bring Israel back from darkness into light, but you have even more in store for this world. You are the Savior of the Nations. You bring every soul that calls on your name from death to life. I praise you for that in my own life. Lord, continue to pour your Spirit out on me that I may walk in the light and run from the darkness. Let me be an ambassador of your kindness and love to bring others from darkness to light. Amen.
Day 4
The Holy One
Observe
The concluding verse of this section is the perfect conclusion for the preceding verses. In Isaiah 49:7, we see God, the Father, addressing the Servant of the Lord, Jesus.
Isaiah 49:7
7 Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
Philippians 2:1-11
2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Ephesians 1:3-10
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
In this verse, we have the transcendent God, who redeems Israel through his holiness speaking to the Servant of the Lord. The adjectives for the Servant of the Lord, who is Jesus, is not as lovely as it is for God, the Father. The Servant of the Lord is described as despised, abhorred, and as a servant of earthly rulers. Jesus’ earthly life is being shown here, one characterized by deep suffering caused by those around him. The current people of Israel when they heard this would have identified with the Servant of the Lord. They too lived a history marked by being despised, abhorred, and ruled. Jesus came to identify himself with Israel and all the outcasts of this world. The description conveys a picture of one who is lowly, worthless, and helpless on this earth. What does Jesus’ future hold though? The verse continues and is an exact reversal of what he experiences on this earth. Kings and princes will come and prostrate themselves at his feet. Why does this happen? Because the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, chose Jesus. That’s it. It’s due to God’s faithfulness to his chosen people. What an encouragement to us today! That the chosen people of God, no matter if we are despised by those around us, no matter what government rules over us, no matter what suffering we face due to the sin of this world or the sin of those around us, God is faithful to bring us to glory. Our suffering in this life is doing something even if we can’t see it. It is producing in us an eternal weight of glory where we will be co-heirs with Christ Jesus. In the backward Kingdom of God, suffering leads to glory over and over and over again. So don’t lose heart.
- Where on this earth do you feel lowly, worthless, and helpless? Where are you suffering right now?
- How do you teach your heart to know that this earthly suffering is producing in you an eternal weight of glory that will one day be received? How do you lean into Jesus, not away from him in your suffering?
Jesus, the way you operate is backward to the ways of this earth. Our world looks to avoid suffering at all costs, but you teach me something different about suffering. That my suffering isn’t worthless, because it leads me back to you the suffering servant. Lord, teach me not to love suffering for suffering itself, but teach me “to kiss the wave that strikes me against the rock of ages.” Amen.
Day 5
Cosmic Celebration
Observe
Isaiah points to a beautiful future where the Servant of the Lord will complete his work. He will bring salvation to his people and in beautiful poetic language, he details what that will look like.
Isaiah 49:8-13
8 Thus says the Lord:
“In a time of favor I have answered you;
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages,
9 saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
They shall feed along the ways;
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
10 they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
11 And I will make all my mountains a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
12 Behold, these shall come from afar,
and behold, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Syene.”
13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted.
Revelation 21:1-8
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Jesus has come to bring all people who call on his name to salvation. He is a covenantal God, which is a precious gift and promise to weary and faithless people like you and me. Salvation comes from a Jesus that holds on tight to his people. I mean just read the list of what he does for us again. He gives back the land. He frees the prisoners. He calls us out of the darkness. He feeds us and we will never hunger or thirst. He leads us, not just anywhere, but by springs of water. He will give us a road on the mountains of life. He’s doing this for all people everywhere. It’s beautiful poetry. All of this causes a cosmic celebration in verse 13. Salvation should cause joy in us in all of our circumstances.
- How would you rate your joy level these days on a scale of 1-10?
- Life’s hard. I would encourage you to read and sit in this passage as long as possible today until you can honestly sing for joy and join in the cosmic celebration that we have been given.
Our Father and Our God, I praise you for giving us your Son. I praise you for the Servant of the Lord, who suffered deeply for me. I praise you that Jesus humbled himself to death on a cross so I can join in the cosmic celebration of salvation. Forgive me for my sight being so focused on this earth that I walk around this earth without the divine joy that you sacrificed yourself for. Pour out your Spirit on me to fix my eyes on what you are doing. Let me see that you are making my mountains, roads. Thank you for who you are and let me live this day with a joy that makes people wonder. Amen.