49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! Pay attention, you people who live far away! The Lord summoned me from birth; he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world.
Chapters 40-48 predicted that a Gentile Messiah (Cyrus the Great) would physically save Israel from the Babylon Captivity. Chapters 49-59 predicted that a Jewish Messiah (Jesus) would save Israel spiritually from her sins. In verses 1-13, the Messiah would become the perfect Israelite (Prince of God), by redeeming Israel from her sins. In verses 14-26, the nation of Israel will be physical returned back into her land.
In verses 1-4, the Servant was speaking. The Servant was calling for the whole world to listen to what He had to say. The Servant was the Messiah. He was chosen by God the Father to perform a mission. He was called from the womb of His mother to fulfill this mission. It is important to note that there were many prophecies which mentioned the mother of the Messiah, but there were none which mentioned the father of the Messiah.
49:2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hid me in the hollow of his hand; he made me like a sharpened arrow, he hid me in his quiver.
Isaiah used some powerful metaphors to convey some literal concepts about the Servant who was to come to Israel.
The Servant will possess a mouth with a sharp sword. The sword was given to governments for capital punishment. The Servant will possess the authority to inflict capital punishment upon His subjects. The two angels possessed this authority after Adam and Eve were banned from the Garden of Eden. After the flood, this authority was given to man. Paul recorded that governments in the Church Age were given this authority. The Messiah will possess this authority during the Millennial Kingdom.
The Servant will be hidden in the hollow of God the Father’s hand. This means that the Servant will be supernaturally protected by the God the Father. The enemies of Jesus tried several times to kill Him, but they were not able to do so. The storm on the Sea of Galilee could not kill Him. It was a not yet “His time.” Jesus gave up His own life in His own time. No one could take it away from Him.
The Servant will be a sharpened arrow which was hidden in God the Father’s quiver. Whenever God the Father is ready to execute judgment upon the world, then He will pull the Servant out of His quiver like an arrow and shoot Him into the heart of the world.
49:3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.”
Jewish rabbi teach that Israel is the Servant in this passage. However, this cannot be, because this Servant will restore Israel in verses 5-6.
Israel means “prince of God.” Israel was supposed to become priests to all of the nations, but by the time of Isaiah, the nation of Israel had fallen into idolatry. Israel would go into captivity. Israel had failed in her commission.
The Messianic Servant is the Lord Jesus Christ. He will not fall into idolatry. This Servant is the true Israelite, or the true “prince of God.” He is the one who will become a light to the Gentiles. Israel the nation failed, but Israel the Messiah will accomplish this mission. The Messiah is the true representative of Israel. He is the ideal Israelite. Israel failed to become "the prince of God," so the Messiah completed the task.
49:4 But I thought, “I have worked in vain; I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.” But the Lord will vindicate me; my God will reward me.
The Servant is speaking in this passage. It would seem as though He had worked in vain (or emptiness). He would expend all of His energy in teaching Israel, but the nation would rejected Him. However, He would end this statement in encouragement and hope. He knew that God the Father would vindicate Him and reward Him. This prophecy was the same prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Garden of Gethsemane.
49:5 So now the Lord says, the one who formed me from birth to be his servant— he did this to restore Jacob to himself, so that Israel might be gathered to him; and I will be honored in the Lord’s sight, for my God is my source of strength—
Verses 5-6 recorded the answer of Jehovah. While Jesus was in the womb of His mother, then He was commissioned to do two things. First, He would restore Israel back to God by bringing her salvation through His atonement. Second, He will to regather Israel back to Himself.
49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant, to reestablish the tribes of Jacob, and restore the remnant of Israel? I will make you a light to the nations, so you can bring my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”
How can the Servant bring salvation to Israel and how can He regather Israel if they reject Him? The answer is that the rejection of the Servant was part of God’s divine plan to bring salvation to Israel and to regather Israel. Not only will God do both of these things, but He will also become a light to the Gentiles. He will lead the Gentiles out of their pagan darkness and bring them into the light of salvation. Salvation will go into all of the world. Therefore, the Servant should not be discouraged when Israel rejects Him, because God planned it this way so that He could save the Gentiles as well. Jesus was not just the light to the Jews, but He was "the Light of the world.”
In Hebrew word for “deliverance” is יְשׁוּעָתִ֖י (Yeshua'ti), meaning “my Yeshua" or “my Jesus.” Yeshua will become a light to the Gentiles.
49:7 This is what the Lord, the protector of Israel, their Holy One, says to the one who is despised and rejected by nations, a servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise in respect, princes will bow down, because of the faithful Lord, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”
Jehovah is the one who protects Israel. He is the Holy One. He speaks to the Servant. The Servant is identified as the One who has been despised and rejected by the Gentiles, the Jews, and He is a subject of the rulers of the Roman Empire. These three groups did not see Jesus as fit to live on this earth. They branded Him a criminal and took away His life.
However, the Servant will be exalted. Another future day will come when all of the kings and princes of both the Jews and Gentiles will worship Him as God. This is a guaranteed promise, because Jehovah is the one who keeps His promises. He will make sure that the Servant is one day exalted. This exaltation will occur at the Second Coming of the Lord Christ. More details of this exaltation will be recorded in the prophecies of Isaiah 52:12-15.
49:8 This is what the Lord says: “At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you; in the day of deliverance I will help you; I will protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, to rebuild the land and to reassign the desolate property.
“At that time” refers to the crucifixion of the Servant. As Jesus is dying for the sins of the world, God the Father will help God the Son. Jesus sounded a note of discouragement on the cross when He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He made this cry after suffering six hours on the cross. During the last three hours, He suffered the wrath of God. For the first time in His eternal existence, He was spiritually dead and separated from the Father and Holy Spirit. It was at this point that the Father assisted Him. At this time, Jesus became the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. He became the covenant of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. He became the One who fulfilled all of the covenants, especially the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31-34. He will bring salvation to the Jews and Gentiles. He will return Israel and give them all of the land which was promised to the patriarchs.
49:9 You will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those who are in dark dungeons, ‘Emerge.’ They will graze beside the roads; on all the slopes they will find pasture.
During the Great Tribulation, many of the Jewish and Gentile believers will be imprisoned underneath the government of the Antichrist. The Messiah will release all of the prisoners and invite them into the Millennial Kingdom where they will find rest.
49:10 They will not be hungry or thirsty; the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them, for one who has compassion on them will guide them; he will lead them to springs of water.
These prisoners who are released will not suffer hunger or thirst during the Millennial Kingdom. They will not be subject to harsh climate. The Servant will have compassion on all of these ex-prisoners of the Antichrist. He will lead them and guide them into springs of water. This was the promise that Jesus made to the Samaritan woman at the well. He was identifying Himself as the Servant of this passage.
49:11 I will make all my mountains into a road; I will construct my roadways.”
During the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will control the highways. The highways will not be safe to travel. There will be much evil in the world. The Antichrist will persecute both Jews and Gentiles who travel on these highways.
During the Millennial Kingdom, the Servant will control all of the roadways so that they will become safe and easy to travel. There will be no more evil in the world. Angels may guard the highways and keep them safe.
49:12 Look, they come from far away! Look, some come from the north and west, and others from the land of Sinim!
During the Millennial Kingdom, the Servant will regather the Jewish people from all over the world. Some have associated Sin with China. Sin is the root word of Sinim. Sinim resembles the Latinization of Qin, after the Qin Dynasty. At the time of this prophecy, there was not one China, but many small city states.
It is important to note that during the days of Isaiah, there were no Jews in China. Today, there are many Jews in China. During the Millennial Kingdom, even the Jews out of China will be relocated back into the land of Israel.
49:13 Shout for joy, O sky! Rejoice, O earth! Let the mountains give a joyful shout! For the Lord consoles his people and shows compassion to the oppressed.
The earth is called to rejoice. The Millennial Kingdom has begun. Jehovah is once again showing compassion to His people.
49:14 “Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me, the sovereign master has forgotten me.’
In verses 14-26, the nation of Israel will be physically returned back into her land.
Zion is Jerusalem. It is not the church. It is not Utah. It is not Washington D.C or any other Gentile City. The people of the city of Jerusalem complain that they have been abandoned by God. They complain that Jehovah has forgotten about Jerusalem.
49:15 Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast?Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne? Even if mothers were to forget, I could never forget you!
Jehovah comforts Israel and makes her a promise. Just as a mother cannot forget her baby who nurses at her breast, neither can Jehovah forget Israel.
49:16 Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms; your walls are constantly before me.
Jehovah has inscribed (or tattooed) the name of Israel on the palms of His hands so that He will never forget her. Every time that God lifts His hands, He sees the name of Jerusalem.
According to Isaiah 62:6, God has placed angelic beings on the walls of Jerusalem who continually remind Jehovah to not forget about Jerusalem.
49:17 Your children hurry back, while those who destroyed and devastated you depart.
During the Millennial Kingdom, the children of Israel will return back to her land. Those armies of the Antichrist who will attack Israel will be purged out of the world.
49:18 Look all around you! All of them gather to you. As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “you will certainly wear all of them like jewelry; you will put them on as if you were a bride.
During the Millennial Kingdom, all of Israel is returning to the land. God will wear all of these individuals of Israel like many jewels around His neck.
49:19 Yes, your land lies in ruins; it is desolate and devastated. But now you will be too small to hold your residents, and those who devoured you will be far away.
During the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will destroy the land of Israel. It will become wasteland which cannot support human population. However, the Antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. Those who would devour Israel will be cast into hell to await the Great White Throne Judgment.
Jerusalem is presently too large to hold all of the Jews. During the Millennial Kingdom, there will be a large Jewish population explosion. Jerusalem will be too small to hold all of the Jews. God will restore the wasteland of Israel to her previous Garden-of-Eden conditions.
49:20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement will say within your hearing, ‘This place is too cramped for us, make room for us so we can live here.’
During the Millennial Kingdom, there will be so many Jews and Gentiles saved, that Jerusalem will be too small to contain them all.
49:22 This is what the sovereign Lord says: “Look I will raise my hand to the nations; I will raise my signal flag to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
During the Millennial Kingdom, the Gentiles will assist the Jews in returning back to her land.
49:23 Kings will be your children’s guardians; their princesses will nurse your children. With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you and they will lick the dirt on your feet. Then you will recognize that I am the Lord; those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.
During the Millennial Kingdom, there will be no anti-Semitic rulers who will attempt to exterminate the Jews. Instead, all of the Gentile kings will happily submit themselves to Israel. “Those who wait patently for me,” will be the Jewish believers who survive to the end of the Great Tribulation. They will not be put to shame. They will enter into the Millennial Kingdom.
49:24 Can spoils be taken from a warrior, or captives be rescued from a conqueror?
Israel is discouraged. She asks God if it is possible to rescue her while she is still in captivity. The Antichrist will capture many of the Jews in Jerusalem.
49:25 Indeed,” says the Lord, “captives will be taken from a warrior; spoils will be rescued from a conqueror. I will oppose your adversary and I will rescue your children.
Jehovah answers that yes, He can deliver Israel from her enemies.
49:26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. Then all humankind will recognize that I am the Lord, your deliverer, your protector, the powerful ruler of Jacob.”
When the Lord Jesus Christ returns at His Second Coming, then He will defeat the enemies of Israel. When He does so, then all of the Gentiles will recognize that Jehovah is God. The Millennial Kingdom will begin as a kingdom of believers.