Isaiah 49:9

Isaiah 49:9 says. That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.  Isaiah said that when the people put their faith in the Messiah, especially after He had come, that they could tell those in spiritual prison because of their sins that they had been set free if they chose to be by putting their faith in Him.  They were also called on to come out of the darkness and into the Light.  Until someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, they will remain prisoners of sin and will live in spiritual darkness.  This is not talking about being imprisoned physically, which many of the followers of Christ have been, but it is speaking of being imprisoned spiritually and then being set free. 

Verse ten adds, 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.  Once more, I don’t believe this refers to physical things but to spiritual things.  If we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will never hunger nor thirst spiritually, because He is the Bread of Life and the Living Water.  Since this is true, we need to always allow Him to lead us.  Even though this also referred to the people of Israel being set free physically at that time and being allowed to return to Jerusalem, it even more so refers to the freedom from spiritual captivity by the forces of evil in the life of everyone and our ability to be able to return to a right relationship with God when we put our faith in Jesus Christ.

Verse eleven continues, And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.  God said He would make the way for the people to come to Him.  He would make the way on the mountains even, and His highways would be exalted.  God has made a way for us to come to Him, and that is by putting our faith in Jesus Christ.   When we do, we get on the gospel road and He will lead us when we are traveling on the easy path, but even more importantly, He will guide us when there are mountains in the way. 

Verse twelve concludes, Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.  Matthew Henry says this referred to bringing those people of Israel and Judah who still put their faith in God but had fled to other countries home to Jerusalem.  As Matthew Henry also said, I believe in its broader context it applies to the Gentiles, those who were physically far away from Israel and Judah being called into the kingdom of God when they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.