Isaiah 49:1-13 The Calling of the Servant of God

A translation and sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS 04 Nov. 2007

 

Translation

1. Coastlands, listen to me, and to peoples from afar, pay attention:

Jehovah called me from the womb,

from the body of my mother He caused my name to be remembered.

2. He positioned my mouth like a sharp sword,

in the shadow of His hand He hid me,

and He positioned me for a polished arrow, in His quiver He concealed me.

3. And He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, you in whom I will glorify myself.”

4. Yet I,

I said, “I have grown tired for nothing,

for chaos and smoke I have exhausted my strength.

Surely my vindication is with Jehovah and my result is with my God.

5. And now, Jehovah says He is shaping me from the womb into a servant for Himself

to turn Jacob back to Him, though Israel will not be gathered.

So I have been honored in Jehovah’s eyes and my God has been my strength.

6. Then He says,

“Your being for me a servant

to cause to establish the tribes of Jacob

and to cause to turn back the preserved of Israel

is insubstantial,

I will also give you for a light of nations, to be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

 

7. Thus says Jehovah, Redeemer of Israel, its Holy One,

to the despised soul,

to the one abhorred by the nation,

to a servant of rulers,

“Kings will see and they will stand up,

and princes will prostrate themselves on account of Jehovah who is faithful,

the Holy one of Israel, and He chose you.”

8. Thus says Jehovah,

“In a time of favor I answered you, and in a day of salvation I helped you,

and I will preserve you and give you for the covenant of a people,

to cause to establish a land,

to cause to inherit desolated inheritances.

9. to say to the captives, ‘Go out;’ to the ones which are in the darkness, ‘Be unveiled!’ Upon the roads they will pasture, and their pasture will be in all the tundra.

10. They will not hunger and they will not thirst,

and heat and sun will not strike them down,

for their Compassionate One will lead them,

and He will lead them to water upon springs of water.

11. And I will position all my mountains into the road and they will raise up my highways!”

12. Look at these - from far away they come!

And look at these - from the North and from Sea-ward!

And these – from the land of China!

13. Heavens, sing for joy, and earth, rejoice! Let mountains break forth into singing,

for Jehovah has comforted His people, and will show compassion to His afflicted ones.

 

Introduction: When we do what God has called us to do and it doesn’t seem to be working out, is this pointless?

This passage in Isaiah reminds us as servants of God not to give up hope because Jesus did not give up hope in the success of His calling.

 

The Fulfillment of this passage in Christ

v.1a called me from the womb

v.1b from the body of my mother

v.2 mouth like a sharp sword

arrow hidden in shadow/quiver

v.3 – my servant

v.4 Does the complaint that the servant’s labor was in vain indicate Jesus was not omniscient or not victorious?

v.5-6 – the mission of the servant

v.7. The humiliation and glory of the servant

v.8-9 The Day of Salvation

v.9-13 The Servant as a good shepherd

The Union between Christ and His people

 

The Application of this passage to us

 

Nate Wilson’s website – Isaiah Sermon Expositions

 

Christ the Redeemer Church website - Sermons