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Overview

Isaiah 49 highlights again the person and work of the Messiah. YHWH proclaims His love for Israel, even though they have failed in their mission. Yet the Messiah, the true Israelite, will come and restore the fortunes of Israel and Judah. 

Isaiah 49:5-6

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—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.”

It truly seems—in a sense that the primary focus of the mission of the Messiah was to bring Israel and Jacob (i.e. Judah) back to YHWH. Now to the reader this may seem unsettling, but even the Messiah Himself said that He “was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24). 

But the macro truth cannot be missed—Israel failed in their mission to be a light to the nations, but the Messiah, the true Israelite, will not fail. He will bring salvation to the ends of the earth. How did that salvation go forth? Not actually through the mouth of the Messiah, but rather through the mouths of the Messiah’s followers. 

Isaiah 49:8-11

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, 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; 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. And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up.

Salvation is not just gaining heaven. Salvation is more holistic. Salvation brings shalom. Salvation brings us back to the “straight and narrow”. Salvation rescues those who are prisoners from their lusts, from their toxic cycles, from themselves. The Messiah, who brought salvation to the world, will bring people out of darkness and into the light. He will also make mountains viable for travel. His highways will be accessible to all, if they will choose to turn away from the highways that lead to despair and death. 

Ultimately, the Messiah will transform the world. Through the ages, many self-proclaimed messiahs have come and gone. People follow—because they seek rest, but those messiahs are bankrupt. They are snake oil salesmen. Only One can set up a kingdom that has no end. It is Jesus. He is the only way back to God. 

Isaiah 49:14-15

But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me. “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.

The people of Zion (i.e. Jerusalem) believe the Lord had left them. The reason they felt that way is because the blessings of the YHWH dried up. YHWH stopped the flow of His divine favor. Why? Because their hearts were not with God. They sought idols. They trusted in foreign armies and horses, rather than YHWH. Therefore, God gets quiet. He is still present, but He choses to withhold His daily gifts of grace. And yet, did God really abandon Zion? No way. No true parent ever abandons their child. No matter how unruly, how stubborn, how idiotic they are. Sometimes human parents do abandon their kids. But God is not a human. God is not fickle or selfish. God keeps His promises to His children. He promises to never leave them or forsake them. 

Friend, God has not left you. If you don’t feel His presence, it is because you are trying to do life without Him, without His will, without His Spirit. Go take a walk with God. Spend some time with the only One who truly knows and loves you. Your soul will thank you.