17. The Messiah – prophet: Isaiah 49:1-16
The Messiah – prophet
Isaiah 49:1-16 This is another powerful and encouraging prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ, redemption by him, and his promise never to forget his covenant people. If we consider six points set forth in these verses, it will help us to understand the passage.
Isaiah 49:1-4. The nations are exhorted to listen to God’s Messiah-prophet.
1. ‘The Lord hath called me.’ He is the Father’s prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). He is the messenger of the covenant (Malachi 3:1). He is the apostle of our profession (Hebrews 3:1) and God’s last prophet (Hebrews 1:1-2). Before he was born, all of the prophets wrote of him (Acts 10:43; John 5:46). They not only told of his coming, but they wrote and preached ‘his name,’ which fully identifies his work.
2. ‘The Father hath put his words in my mouth like a sharp sword.’ (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16). The word of the Messiah is the living, quickening, saving words of God. The word of Christ is like a sharp, two-edged sword, so alive, so penetrating it reaches the most secret places, discerns the thoughts, and reveals the will and purpose of God (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23).
3. ‘Thou art my servant’ (Isaiah 42:1; Hebrews 10:7). ‘O Israel’ is a name of Christ as the Head of the Israel of God. ‘In whom I will be glorified.’ This is why Christ came, why he died, and why we are saved—‘to glorify God’ (John 17:1-4; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; Ephesians 1:3-6).
4. In Isaiah 49:4 it appears that the Messiah-Prophet (like all of the prophets) complains that his message and ministry are in vain because the world knew him not and Israel received him not (John 1:10-11; Matthew 23:37). ‘Yet, surely’ my work of justifying and judgment is assigned by my Father, and so is my reward promised by him (John 6:37; Php 2:9-11; Isaiah 53:10-11).
Isaiah 49:5-6. The Messiah’s call and appointment to his office and his success.
1. The Lord Jesus Christ was ordained of the Father before the world was, in an everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20-21; Hebrews 7:21-22) to be his servant.
2. ‘To bring Jacob again to him.’ Jacob is all of his chosen people, loved of God, the Israel of God from all nations (called the seed of Abraham in Galatians 3:7; Galatians 3:29). He will redeem all of them and bring them to God (1 Peter 3:18; John 6:37-40; John 10:27-29).
3. ‘Though the Jews be not gathered.’ Only a remnant shall be saved (Romans 9:27; Romans 11:1-5). ‘Yet I am glorified and pleasing in the eyes of my Father’ (Matthew 3:17; John 8:29).
4. ‘It is a light thing.’ To redeem anyone is a great thing and can only be accomplished by the God-man, and that by his sovereign power—his perfect life and atoning death. But his Father has given him more than the remnant of Israel; he has given him the world of believers (Psalms 2:6-8; Revelation 7:9-10).
Isaiah 49:7-8. He is despised of men, but chosen of God, the victorious head of the church.
1. Isaiah speaks in Isaiah 53:1-3 of the attitude of both Jew and Gentile toward God’s Redeemer and Holy One. But though he is despised of most, he is beloved, believed, and worshipped by those whom the Lord is pleased to call; and among the called ones are even some kings and princes. The Lord said, ‘not many’ noble; he did nor say ‘not any’ (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
2. ‘In an acceptable time...the day of salvation’ is the fullness, of time, when God was pleased to prepare for him a body and send him into this world to redeem his people (Galatians 4:4-5). The Father gave him for a covenant of the people, that by him all of his elect shall be fully saved. As the man sent to redeem, the Father heard him, helped him, preserved him, and accepted him, and accepted all whom he represented in him (Ephesians 1:3-7).
Isaiah 49:9-12. The full and complete redemption of the entire kingdom. When Israel left Egypt, Moses said, ‘There shall not a hoof be left behind in Egypt’ (Exodus 10:26). Just read carefully these words in Isaiah 49:9-12 describing the full and glorious exodus of his church out of all bondage into the glorious kingdom of our Lord Jesus (Colossians 1:13).
Isaiah 49:13. He is worthy of all praise in heaven and earth.
1. ‘The heavens are joyful’—the seraphims (Isaiah 6:2-3), the angels (Hebrews 1:6; Luke 15:10), the multitude of redeemed in glory (Revelation 5:9-10). This is the song of praise heard there (Psalms 24:7-10).
2. ‘The earth break forth into singing.’ This is the believers on earth. All men ought to praise the Lord, but they will not. His people will continually praise him; and if they did not, the stones would (Luke 19:38-40).
3. What is the cause of such praise and rejoicing? Here it is! ‘The Lord Jesus hath comforted his people (Isaiah 40:1-2) and will have mercy upon his afflicted people.’ vv.14-16. The church experiences tribulation but is assured of his love forever.
1. Because of heavy and fiery trials, Zion (the church), out of sorrow and heartache, sometimes feels deserted and forsaken of her Lord. David experienced this (Psalms 73 : Psalms 77:7-9).
2. But the Lord assured us of his infinite, everlasting, and unchanging love forever! Can a woman forget the child of her womb? Yes, some do! ‘Yet I will not forget thee!’ As the names of Israel’s tribes were graven on the breastplate of Aaron, the High Priest (Exodus 29), and upon his heart, our names are on the heart and hands of our Great High Priest—the Lord Jesus! The walls of his church (the living temple) are continually before him.