Israel Will Be Restored and Enlarged

Isaiah 54:1-17

“Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.  Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” (Isaiah 54:1-3)

Many women who have been unable to get pregnant using natural means turn to in vitro fertilization as a last resort.   Israel is like a woman who tries in vitro fertilization and becomes pregnant.  When she goes in for an ultra sound, she learns that she is carrying septuplets.  She will need to  have additional rooms added to her house because suddenly she will have more children than her neighbors who got pregnant naturally.  The land of Israel will have to be expanded when the Lord returns to accommodate all the people who join them. 

“Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.  For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.  In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:4-8)

Israel has been like a woman who constantly fights with her husband until, in frustration, he goes somewhere else to get away from the conflict.  She is embarrassed to admit her husband walked out on her because she was so hard to get along with and blames him for all the problems.    He still loves her and will gladly return and work things out if she is willing to try.  God has called out to her like as woman wanting to make real changes in her life.  Like that loving husband, he will eagerly come back and forget about what caused the conflict as if it were only a minor matter.  The marriage can be even better than it ever was.   

“For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.  For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.” (Isaiah 54:9-10)

Just as God limited the time the flood was upon the earth and protected Noah and his family, God will limit how far and long things will affect Israel and will protect her.  Even though the hills and mountains will be shaken out of place or flattened out during the Tribulation, God will not forsake ofr forget his promise to Israel. 

“O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.  And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.  And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.  In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.” (Isaiah 54:11-14)

Though they were experiencing some terrible things at the time feeling homeless and unloved, God promised them a beautiful house one day, decorated with sapphires.  Their windows did not have glass and were covered with a lattice to keep out the birds.  God promised to place agate stones in the windows to let in the light while blocking the wind and rain.  The door would be covered with precious jewels and the gardens outlined with beautiful stones.  God would teach her children righteousness will become their way of life.  As a result, they will not have people controlling them or have to wory about being attacked, as Revelation 20 describes. 

“Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.  Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:14-17)

People will unite to fight against them, but it will not succeed.  God created the blacksmith and gave him the ability to make tools and weapons.  In a similar way, he created those who wicked to destroy.   When they turn against God’s people, their failure is guaranteed.  Even the accusations against them will be proven false and God will bless them.  That is just what he does for his people.  

Messiah’s Sacrifice

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.  As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)

God’s servant would come bringing a message of hope and salvation, as described in Isaiah 53:7-10.  Now we begin to learn more details about the messenger himself, and the things he will experience.  Previously Isaiah has served as a type or illustration, but here the description goes far beyond what Isaiah experienced.   The Messiah will be very wise in his dealings with people and will be praised and honored above anyone else, so that the kings and rulers will be silenced by his power, and he will influence many nations, even though he will be so abused and mistreated he will be almost unrecognizable.   As a result people will be amazed at how he is viewed, forcing even the powerful and educated to consider things they would normally ignore. 

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:1-3)

Though the Jews were expecting the Messiah, even Jesus’ disciples could not believe he would be executed.   The year of his birth was predicted by Daniel, yet only a few were aware he had been born, with the King having to ask the educated men where he would be born, perhaps as much as two years after it happened.   Because they didn’t believe he was the Messiah, the Jewish leaders had Jesus executed in an effort to silence him. 

They were expecting him to come as king with a mighty army who would sweep through the land destroying the Roman forces.  Instead Christ came as a little baby born to an ignored branch of David’s family.  He was so totally ordinary that nobody would even give him a second glance.  Being homeless, most people would avoid contact with him, literally looking the other way and treating him as if he was nobody.  There was no concern for the sufferings and loneliness he experienced. 

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Jesus experienced the same sorrows and concerns as other people, empathizing with other people to the point of experiencing the same hurt.  Other than his disciples and a few women, the Jewish people either viewed Jesus’ execution as punishment from God and something he deserved.  They didn’t understand or consider that he was the only one of them who didn’t deserve what he was suffering.  He was literally taking their punishment, to enable them to avoid damnation themselves, even as they cheered and egged on his executioners.

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.” (Isaiah 53:7-8)

When he was beaten and mocked, and spat upon, Jesus did not threaten of accuse his abusers.  He was denied a fair trial and rushed to judgment with no opportunity to obtain legal representation and was condemned to die even though the Judge, Pilate, said he found no evidence of wrongdoing.  He was executed without ever establishing a family to carry on his name.  His death was a direct result of the Jews rebellion against God and his law. 

“And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:9-11)

Jesus was executed alongside two thieves who, by their own testimony, were guilty of the crimes of which they were accused, though he had done nothing to hurt or take advantage of anyone.  He was buried in a rich man’s (Joseph of Aramathea’s) tomb because he had nothing of his own.  God chose to have him suffer these things in order that he might make an offering to pay for the sins of others.   Jesus’ suffering for sin satisfied the demands of God’s justice and because he willingly experienced it many will be made right with God because he paid for their sins.  Because he has honored God’s standard he will be given eternity with those he has chosen as his children. 

“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12)

God will give Christ authority over the entire universe, sharing everything with him because he willingly gave his own life for others, being considered one of the evil and taking their place to intercede on their behalf, as has been mentioned several times before in Isaiah’s writings.  

Get Out Of Depression

Isaiah 51:17-52:12

“Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.  There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.  These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?  Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.” (Isaiah 51:17-20)

Jerusalem has experienced God’s anger.  They have felt the extremes of fear and hopelessness and have no guide to show them how to escape their situation, or even anybody who can give them a sense of hope.  They feel deserted and fear they will be destroyed because of the famine and attacks by other groups.  They have come to same point of despair as a wild animal caught in a trap, angry and resentful but helpless in the hands of its captors and dreading what God may do to them.   

“Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.” (Isaiah 51:21-23)

Drunks are so affected by the liquor they have difficulty controlling their actions and thoughts.  Jerusalem had a similar problem because of their emotional despair and fear.  Like the captor of the wild animal, God has relieved the pressure on them and will take it completely away so they never have to feel that pressure again when they yield to him.  Instead he will turn the things they hate against those who inflict the pain and suffering on them.  They will no longer have to allow others to order them around and run over them.   

“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.  Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.  For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.  Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.  Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.” (Isaiah 52:1-6)

A person or animal that is depressed tends to let everything go and not care about how they appear.   The action of grooming themselves indicates a change in focus, but it also tends to overcome the depression.  Jerusalem needs to quit focusing on their problems and begin to focus on making things right.   Like a person who begins to drink and gamble as a way of gaining friends and popularity, Jerusalem had devoted their energies to things that would not produce lasting benefits.  They had turned to Egypt for help, submitting to the Egyptian demands for protection from the Assyrians, but the Egyptians had not protected them, and the Assyrians had surrounded them, cutting off most of their supplies. 

There was no reason for Jerusalem to be in such a state, but the leaders had focused their attention away from God, blaspheming His name by implying he was unable to protect them.  God’s purpose is that his people will know who he is and that he can be trusted to keep his word. 

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!  Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.  Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.  The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isaiah 52:7-10)

There was great rejoicing when the end of World War II was announced because it meant there would no longer be a demand for young men to sacrifice themselves on the battle field, or for families to go without to help the war effort.  In the same way there was a wonderful feeling to know that God was the ruler of the universe and that he was going to build Jerusalem again.  The guards who had watched would sing and shout with excitement that God was comforting his people and they were no longer in fear.  The whole world would see the power of God, and the salvation he offered. 

“Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.  For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.” (Isaiah 52:11-12)

God’s people should withdraw themselves from the world and not get involved in the things around them.  Instead, they should get their act cleaned up because they would not be forcibly driven out, but led out by God as they had been when they left Egypt.  He would be all the reward they needed, providing everything else for them.  

Listen To God

Isaiah 50:10-51:16

“Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.  Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” (Isaiah 50:10-11)

While they don’t know the future, people who have put their trust in God and listen to those he has sent can move confidently through life as long as they continue to follow him.  Those who try to define their own way, producing their own forms of light based on other things will ultimately wind up at the place that approach leads to.  They will experience the chastening and punishment of god and regret their decisions. 

“Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.  Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.  For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” (Isaiah 51:1-3)

People who want to do right, and to follow God need to realistically look back at where they came from.  The Jews needed to see that God had taken a man called Abraham, separating him from his people like a rock cut out of a quarry.  It was God who shaped and empowered Abraham to become the father of the nation.  That same God will comfort and strengthen the Jews, making her land, even the deserts and seemingly useless land productive and valuable, and giving them peace and happiness. 

“Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.  My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.  Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.” (Isaiah 51:4-6)

God was going to establish a new law or contract like what he had originally given them.  He would provide a standard of right as a light to guide them.  His plan was already in place and salvation was already planned, that would reach even to the foreign lands and islands that had no contact with Israel.  Israel should listen to God and observe what he had done, understanding that he will one day destroy this present earth, and the people who dwell on it, but that his salvation would not end when the earth is destroyed.  While the Old Testament Law would remain in effect only as long as the earth remains, the New Testament law will be in place forever, and his promises will never be changed. 

“Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.  For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.” (Isaiah 51:7-8)

The people who obey and trust God need not fear those who hate them, nor the things they accuse them of.  While they seem powerful at the moment, like a moth eaten piece of wool cloth, the holes in their claims and their weakness will be apparent to all.  God’s righteousness will last forever, and his salvation will be effective for generation after generation of people. 

“Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?  Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?  Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” (Isaiah 51:9-11)

The Rahab mentioned here is not the harlot of Jericho but means the proud or boastful one, and refers here to the Egyptian Pharaoh.  God delivered his people from them, destroying the Egyptian army and allowing the Hyksos to overrun and humiliate them.  He delivered the Jews by drying up a way through the Red Sea.   When it moves, that same great power of God will bring back God’s people from the foreign lands, and they will spend eternity rejoicing that he has loved them so much. 

“I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?” (Isaiah 51:12-13)

It was God who was encouraging them to put their faith in him.  Their enemies were just people like themselves, who would die just as easily as they.  They had forgotten who God was, the creator of the universe.  As a result of forgetting who God was, they had lived in constant fear of the anger and threats of those around them. 

“The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.  But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name.  And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” (Isaiah 51:14-16)

A captive in another land devotes his effort to trying to escape and to seeing that he doesn’t starve to death.  Israel had the same God who divided the Red sea to guide them.  He had told them what they were to do and had covered and protected them so they would not be harmed when he rebuilds the earth.  At that time, he will renew his commitment to them as we see in Revelation 20.

Confidence In God

Isaiah 50:1-9

“Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.  Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.  I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. ” (Isaiah 50:1-3)

When God called for his people, the house was vacant and nobody answered.  They hadn’t lost their home because god deserted them or because he had gotten into debt and they had been evicted or taken as bond servants to pay his debts.  They had sold themselves into slavery by deliberate sin like a gambler getting into debt to a loan shark or a drug addict being forced into prostitution to pay off her dealer.   Like the father of the gambler of prostitute, God was there and would gladly help them if they were willing to turn to him for the help.   He has the power to help them because just by his word he can dry up a sea of turn the river into a desert so that the fish all die.  He can blackout the sun or cause it to be like it was trying to shine through a burlap bag. 

“The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.  The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.  I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.  For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” (Isaiah 50:4-7)

Once again Isaiah describes his own experience, that god has made him able to speak in a way that is helpful to others,  daily enabling his to understand what God has said.  Because he was not rebellious but yielded to God, turning the other cheek when attacked and enduring the shame and abuse, He knew that God would deliver him and show him to speak the truth.  Once again Isaiah’s experience and description is prophetic of what would happen to Christ. 

First, Christ was abused by the Jews as described in Mark 14:65.  “And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.”  After being turned over to the Romans, he was abused by them as well.  John 19:1-3 describes their treatment of him.  “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.  And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.”  Despite how he was treated, Christ never varied in his way of life, or his teaching, trusting God regardless what they did to him.

"He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.  Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.” (Isaiah  50:8-9)

Knowing that God was there to direct him and care for him Christ had no fear of what his opposition would succeed, and Isaiah had similar confidence in God.  Any who stood against him or against Christ would eventually be destroyed just as a piece of clothing will eventually wear out and be discarded.  While the prophecy is primarily about Christ, Isaiah is being used as the example to illustrate what would happen to Christ.

Israel will Ultimately Be Saved

Isaiah 49:1-26

“Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.  And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. ” (Isaiah 49:1-3)

Isaiah describes what God has given him to do.  He was chosen to tell people about God even before he was born.  God has refined his speech and message like a warrior sharpening his sword to make it the most effective possible.   He has prepared Isaiah for his mission like an archer straightening and polishing an arrow, placing It in his quiver so it will be protected but ready to use so God will be glorified in what happens in Israel.

“Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.” (Isaiah 49:4)

Israel had rejected much of what Isaiah prophesied, turning away from God during the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz.  Even while Hezekiah was king, many of the people rejected God’s word, turning completely away as soon as Hezekiah died.  To Isaiah it looked like he was a complete failure and had wasted all his effort.  He was counting on God to recognize how hard he had worked and reward him in spite of his lack of success. 

“And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.  Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.  (Isaiah 49:5-7)

The same God that called Isaiah to turn Israel back to God tells him that he will be rewarded and glorified even though Israel refused to hear his message.  Isaiah’s message will not only impact Israel, but also the rest of the earth.  Though he was despised by the Jews, his message will bring salvation to the Gentiles, with the result that kings and political leaders will worship God.  While the prophecy is about Isaiah, and Israel,  there are definite Messianic overtones. 

“Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.  They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.  And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.  Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.” (Isaiah 49:8-13)

At the proper time, God will answer his prayers preserving the message as a covenant with the people like the covenant with Abraham to establish a permanent earth.  He will free those who have been enslaved so that they are no longer afraid to be seen and will experience an abundance of riches and they have never had, never suffering from hunger or thirst or being too hot or cold.  They will come from distant lands such as Sinim, a distant unspecified Oriental country.  All will rejoice and sing that God comforts his people as described in Revelation 5:13.  “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

“But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.  Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.” (Isaiah 49:14-17)

In their trouble, Israel believed God had forsaken them and forgotten his promise.  Most mothers will give even their life to protect their children but occasionally one will turn against them, or desert them.  God will never forget Israel.  It is like he has had their name tattooed on the palms of his hands as a constant reminder and everywhere he looks he sees reminders of them.  Their enemies will be driven out ahd their children will be free to run like children playing.   

“Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee.  As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.  For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.  The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.  Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?” (Isaiah 49:18-21)

As the Gentiles flock to Israel in that day, they will fill the land so that there is not room for everyone.  Where thy have been saddened by the huge numbers of Jews that have been killed, feeling alone and unwanted, they will find everyone wanting to be part of them.  They will wonder where they all came from. 

“Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.  And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” (Isaiah 49:22-23)

In that day, the nations that once attacked Israel will do everything they can to protect those who have turned to God, much like a doting grandfather or grandmother who though they are a king o queen will stop to care for their grandchild.  They will treat Israel like the grandparents treat the mother of their newest grandchild. Proud to be part of God’s family. 

“Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?  But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.  And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 49:24-26)

Most of the nations that attacked Israel were larger and more powerful and one would not expect to be able to take back their captives or what they had taken away, but God will fight for Israel and will regain what they have taken.  He will restore things to their proper owners and the captives to their own families.  Those that have hated and tried to destroy God’s people will themselves be destroyed as if they were doing it to themselves.  All the world will know who God is, and that he is their savior.  

Israel Needs To Listen

Isaiah 48:1-22

“Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.  For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.” (Isaiah 48:1-2)

The Jews made a big deal of their religion and that God had given them the land of Israel, constantly referring to him to justify what they were doing while ignoring his commands and their responsibility to him.  Paul said the same thing in Romans 2:17-29.  “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?  Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?  For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.   Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” 

A contract or covenant is worthless if one of the parties refuses to fulfill their obligation.  Because Israel refused their part of their covenant with God, he was under no obligation to fulfil his part, regardless how much they might refer to it or try to utilize it. 

“I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.  Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. ” (Isaiah 48:3-5)

Because God knew how stubborn and determined to have their own way the Jews were, He warned them in advance of the consequences of disobedience and showed them the benefits of obeying.  He made it very clear it was God who did these things so that they could not proclaim it was the result of some idol’s power. 

“Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it?  I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.  They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.  Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.” (Isaiah 48:6-8)

Time after time God had prophesied things would happen then made them happen to reveal his power, even doing miraculous things that could not occur naturally so they could be explained away.  Knowing they were a rebellious people he has consistently given them proof of his intentions in advance yet they still refuse to act on his promises. 

“For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.  Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.  For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.“ (Isaiah 48:9-11)

As frustrating as their disobedience is, God will not break his word to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, destroying his credibility.  Instead, he has and will allow them to be tried and punished, almost like putting silver through the furnace and melting it down to remove the impurities.   He will not allow his reputation for righteousness be destroyed, nor will he allow somebody else to take the credit for what he has done. 

“Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.  Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.  All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.  I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.” (Isaiah 48:12-15)

The Jews needed to stop and think about who God was and is.  He was the eternal God who created the world and the universe.  Babylon and the Chaldeans will do exactly what god has planned for them to do.  They will defeat Judah because God has chosen them to punish Judah and will cause them to succeed. 

“Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.” (Isaiah 48:16)

Isaiah had publicly proclaimed the message from god.  Nothing he said had been spoken secretly, and the message was what he had heard from God, not just something he dreamed up on his own.  It was the Holy Spirit who sent him. 

“Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.  O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.” (Isaiah 48:17-19)

God has tried to teach them how to be successful, trying to lead them in the best way pf life possible.   Exodus 23:25-27 promised, “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.  There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.  I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. If they had just listened to him, instead of fearing what the Assyrians or Babylonians would do to them, they would have been living in peace and prosperity.  They would not have been facing the destruction of both Israel and Judah. 

“Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.  And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.  There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.” (Isaiah 48:20-22)

When they finally are delivered from their captivity, God says they are to tell the entire world how God has delivered them and point out how he protected them through the worst times, miraculously supplying their needs just as he did when they fled from Egypt.  They also need to point out that as Romans 2:11-13 says, “For there is no respect of persons with God.   For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”