THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Isaiah: Jahweh Is Salvation

Part LVII: Learning From The Rejection And Future Reign Of The Messiah

(Isaiah 49:1-13)

I. Introduction

A. The prophet Isaiah was used of God to predict the details of the life and ministry of Jesus the Messiah to a degree unparalleled by other prophets, and Isaiah 49:1-13 is one such passage.

B. Since how our Lord lived and served sets the pattern for how we His disciples are to live and serve the Lord in the Church era (1 John 2:6 with John 20:21), we view this passage for personal application (as follows):

II. Learning From The Rejection And Future Reign Of The Messiah, Isaiah 49:1-13.

A. God's "Servant" in Isaiah 49:3, 5-6, though called "Israel" in verse 3, is actually the Messiah, for He is called of God to lead the nation Israel back to the Lord in Isaiah 49:5b. The reason Messiah is called "Israel" in this passage is seen in how He personally fulfills the assignment that the nation had been initially given by God to perform, that of being the light of God's truth to the world, Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1103.

B. Accordingly, the Messiah in Isaiah 49:1 ESV addresses the world, reporting that God had called Him from the womb, naming Him from His mother's womb, which prophecy was fulfilled in Luke 1:30-33.

C. Isaiah 49:2 reveals the Father had made Messiah Jesus' mouth such a sharp sword of critique about the sins of the nation Israel that He would need to hide Him like a polished arrow in His quiver to be used at the right time. This explains why over 70 per cent of the life of Christ was hidden in obscurity before He publicly appeared on the national scene at about 30 years of age, cf. Luke 2-3, esp. Luke 3:23a: Christ's critiques of the sins in Israel would prove to be so sharp, God had to hide Him from public exposure for some time so as not to lead to His rejection and crucifixion by Israel's leaders before the timeline set by God. (cf. Daniel 9:24-26a)

D. God would tell the Messiah that He was God's Servant, Israel, in Whom He would be glorified (Isaiah 49:3), and the Messiah would come to reply due to the nation's rejection of Him by saying "'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,'" Isaiah 49:4 ESV. The Messiah would thus overcome the discouragement of being rejected by Israel through trusting God to fulfill His plan that the Messiah would in time rule in the Messianic Kingdom, Ibid.

E. The God Who formed the Messiah from the womb to be His Servant, to bring the nation Israel ("Jacob") back to Him since the Messiah realized He would be honored in God's eyes and that God would become His Strength (Isaiah 49:5) -- this Lord then speaks in response to Messiah's rejection and faith in Him, Isa. 49:6a.

F. What God claims is that it is too small an achievement for the Messiah to be His Servant just to bring back Israel as preserved unto Himself, for God would make the Messiah a Light to the nations that God's salvation might reach to the end of the earth, Isaiah 49:6b,c. This prediction tells of the worldwide spread of the Gospel in the Church era (Matthew 28:19-20) and in the Great Tribulation that followed the rapture (Matthew 24:14).

G. Isaiah 49:7-13 predicted the worldwide acclaim that would come to the Messiah at Christ's Second Coming:

1. To the Messiah Who would have been despised and abhorred by the nation of Israel, the servant of rulers at His first coming, God promises that in His Second Coming, kings and princes would do homage to the Messiah because of the exaltation He would experience at the hand of God [the Father], Isaiah 49:7 ESV.

2. At this fitting time, God would answer and help the Messiah, giving Him to be a covenant to Israel, fulfilling God's covenant promises to the nation that were initiated to Abraham, Isaiah 49:8; Ibid., p. 1104.

3. Messiah's ministry would be a greatly nurturing one in the Kingdom, one that would edify those who were once oppressed but who had put their faith in Him, Isaiah 49:9-11.

4. This ministry of the Kingdom would be worldwide (Isaiah 49:12), leading to great praise and joy to God as He will have then comforted His people and had compassion on His afflicted ones, Isaiah 49:13.

Lesson: Messiah would be rejected by Israel in His first coming due to their resistance to His sharp critiques of their sin, but the Messiah would trust God to vindicate and reward Him in the end. God would respond to this faith in Him, making Messiah not only Savior of Israel, but of the ends of the Earth in the Church era and Great Tribulation, only then to cause Him to rule saved Israel and the Gentiles in the Messianic Kingdom of blessing.

Application: (1) May we who trust in Christ like Him heed God's will for us even if we suffer rejection for doing so, trusting God to reward us in the end. (2) God will then make our works effective beyond our initial efforts as He did for Jesus, and He will in time fully honor and vindicate us for His glory, especially in the future Kingdom.