Isaiah 49:1-7

Passage: Isaiah 49:1-7
The Servant of the LORD.
1 Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The LORD called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
3 And he said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
4 But I said, "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."
5 And now the LORD says,
he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD,
and my God has become my strength—
6 he says:"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
7 Thus says the LORD,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

Journal: Christ is being discussed here, and His mission and purpose has been established from the foundation of the earth. [v. 1b -- "The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name."] Yet, this mission and purpose will be opposed because He is being hailed as a savior and redeemer. [v. 7 -- "Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One . . ."] He will be up to the opposition. [v. 2 -- "He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away."] Further, this mission and purpose is being expanded beyond "the tribes of Jacob" to "you peoples from afar." [v. 6 -- "He says:"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.'"] The remnant of Israel is being expanded to the remnant of the world.

This is something that should bring wonder to us, for our salvation was not "too light a thing" for our God to ignore. He found us where we were, and saved us from who we are. His perfect One became our perfection. His redeemed One became our redemption. It is a precious thing to not be taken too lightly by our God. Thus, because we were not taken lightly, His "light" has found us for He was made "as a light for the nations." [v. 7 -- ". . . because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."]