Isaiah: Never Abandoned

Isaiah 49

Do you ever blow off sin in your life? There are times when I say something I regret or do something I shouldn’t, and treat it as no big deal. Repeated sin has a callous effect. It makes our hearts hardened to our common sin patterns. However, God takes a different view.

I’ve had people ask, “Why is it so important to study the book of Isaiah? It’s lengthy, with so much prophecy presented in poetic form. Sometimes I feel lost trying to understand the message. What is the benefit gained from this book?” Here’s my answer: Isaiah drills home three critical truths of the Christian life:

1. God takes sin seriously (Isa. 1-39). I sometimes gloss over this important aspect of my relationship with the Lord. I want to pursue my own desires and chart my own course. However, my sin is an act of rebellion against God. It leads me to wander away from him into perilous territory. God’s love for us is so vast that he disciplines us to capture our attention and guide us back home. His discipline is always rooted in his love.
   
   
2. God forgives fully (Isa. 40-66). Aren’t you thankful for that? God sovereignly works to bring Judah back home after their time of discipline. He knows us intimately, understands us completely, and forgives us fully. God says, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25).
   
   
3. Jesus is the answer. Throughout the book, Isaiah writes about the expected Messiah, the One who will come to deliver his people from their sins. That’s why many New Testament authors quote Isaiah—to prove that God’s plan for Jesus’ time on earth, centuries before he came, was fulfilled. Isaiah assures us of God’s sovereignty and trustworthiness.

We are starting “the home stretch” in our study of the “miniature Bible,” the book of Isaiah. Chapters 49-57 focus on the coming Savior, while chapters 58-66 describe what we can look forward to in the future kingdom.

To this point, we have studied the history behind Isaiah’s prophecies, so now our study of the final chapters will be more personal and applicable. Today, we are focusing on Jesus. He is the One who turns the darkness into light (Isa. 49:1-7), the One who sets the captives free (Isa. 49:8-13), and the One who delivers hope (Isa. 49:14-26).

The Servant brings light to the darkness (Isa. 49:1-7).[1] 

Think back on the day that you accepted Jesus as your Savior. Maybe you had heard the good news about Jesus many times. However, on that particular day or through circumstances, God opened your eyes to understand your need for One to rescue you. Isaiah speaks of the One to come, who is the light.

Isaiah 49:6
“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.” 

How will Jesus bring light to the nations?

First, Jesus is God in the flesh. The Servant said, “The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name” (Isa. 49:1). God sent his Son through a woman (Gen. 3:15, Isa. 7:14). Therefore, the incarnation, along with the resurrection, are two essential pillars of our faith.  Jesus is God and came with the authority of God (Isa. 49:3).

The Servant said, “He made my mouth like a sharp sword…” (Isa. 49:2). The sword represents a weapon to destroy those who oppose God. The apostle John repeats this picture in Revelation, “In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength” (Rev. 1:16). John later states, “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations” (Rev. 19:15).

Sin and Satan blind our eyes to the truth. Without Jesus, we are walking in darkness. But Jesus changes everything. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

The Servant will bring liberty to the captives (Isa. 49:8-13). 

The people of Judah had been captives in Babylon for seventy years. Now it was time for God to lead them back home.

Isaiah 49:8-9
Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ 

The return to Jerusalem would be challenging, but God would prepare the way. He promised to provide them food and water and make their path smooth (Isa. 49:9-12). God will comfort his people and have compassion on those who have been afflicted (Isa. 49:13).

When Jesus began his earthly ministry, he read in the synagogue during the Sabbath worship. He took the scroll and unrolled it to Isaiah 49, where Isaiah spoke about God giving liberty to the captives, making blind eyes see, and setting “at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). He then declared that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in him.

Without Jesus, we are captive to sin (Rom. 6:16-22). Jesus said, “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Jesus is the One who sets the spiritual prisoner free finally and forever!

Jesus gives hope to the discouraged (Isa. 49:14-26).

The people of Judah felt abandoned and hopeless. They said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me” (Isa. 49:14). Here’s how God responded:

Isaiah 49:15-16 [Anchor Point]
Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. 

God will never abandon us. We belong to him. Our names are written on the palms of his hands. He will never forget us. God will do his work. He will provide everything that is needed and protect us each step of the way. When God acts, “Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame” (Isa. 49:23).

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Isaiah 49. Take time to focus on our Anchor Point—Isaiah 49:15-16. How does this truth from God’s Word give you comfort and hope as a believer?

Talking to God:  Thank God for never forgetting or abandoning you. 

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Every day is a day of spiritual renewal as we follow hard after Jesus.