Isaiah 50:9

Isaiah 50:9 says, 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 said that since God was helping him, who could condemn him.  If we are doing what God has called us to do, we have no need to be afraid of anyone.  As long as we are forgiven by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, there is no one who can ever condemn us.  Isaiah said that those who opposed him were about as powerful as an old moth-eaten cloth.  Our enemies today as Christians have no power over us spiritually. 

\Verse ten adds, 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.  Isaiah asked who were they that feared and obeyed the Lord but yet walked in darkness still and had no light.  He then told them if this was the case that they needed to just call on the Lord and keep faith in God.  We may walk in a world full of spiritual darkness where it is often hard to see the Light, but as long as we remain true to Jesus Christ, He will always light our way. 

Verse eleven continues, 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.  This is a warning against trying to provide your own light spiritually.  If we are struggling with doubts about God, we should never try to come to an understanding about what He wants from us by our own reasoning power, but we must always wait for God to shine His light on us.  False spiritual light is never going to do anything but confuse us even more.  In our darkest hour, we need to simply look to Jesus, the only true Light.

Isaiah 50:4

Isaiah 50:4 says, 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.  Isaiah said that God had given him the ability to speak and to hear, or understand, as learned men did.  Matthew Henry says that even though this applies to Isaiah and all prophets, as it does to all preachers today, that it also applies specifically to Jesus Christ, Who alone is able to completely understand God.  We may be given the understanding to proclaim the gospel, but we will never fully understand all of God.  We also need to understand that in order to speak with understanding so that people might understand Who God is, we must first listen to what God says to us.  We cannot reach people by being educated by the world’s standards, but we must reach the world by first listening to and then proclaiming God’s word as He gives us an understanding of it.  In His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ listened to and obeyed the Heavenly Father.  We as followers of Jesus Christ need to listen to and obey the Holy Spirit.

Verse five adds, The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.  Isaiah could be referring to what had happened with himself, but as we read the next few verses, this seems to refer to Jesus Christ and what happened to Him in His life here on earth.  This should apply to all prophets and preachers, or even individual Christians, but it also applies to Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry.  He was never rebellious and never turned away from the will of the Father, and as Christians, we never should either. 

Verse six continues, 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.  This specifically happened to Jesus in His earthly ministry, and it may have happened to others who were called to proclaim God’s word, but had He not been willing to endure this abuse, it would not matter if we do.  Had Jesus Christ failed to be obedient to the will of the Father, we could not be saved by His sacrifice.  If He was willing to endure this for us, we should be wiling to endure these things for Him and never be ashamed about it. 

Verse seven states, 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.  Matthew Henry says that though this applies to Isaiah, that in a broader context it is a reference to Jesus Christ, Who always depended on the Heavenly Father for strength and guidance.   Isaiah said that his support came from the Lord, which would be a reference to the coming Messiah, and our support as Christians comes from the Holy Spirit, Who was sent to indwell every believer in Jesus Christ after He died as a sacrifice for our sins. 

Verse eight adds, 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.  Isaiah said that since his Lord was near him and justified him, who could contend with him.  He also called for the people of Israel to stand together.  Isaiah then asked those who would stand against him to come near.  We need to be united as followers of Christ, and we should never be afraid to speak God’s truth no matter how powerful those who oppose us may be.  We don’t need to argue with the people of the world, but we do need to be willing to talk about our believes about God without fearing what others may do. 

Isaiah 50:1

Isaiah 50:1 says, 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.  God said that He had never put away those who were a part of the covenant relationship with Him by a bill of divorcement or by selling them to pay off credit He was owed.  The people of Israel being once more in captivity by another nation was their own fault.  They had sold themselves into captivity by turning away from their covenant relationship with God.  God has never abandoned anyone or sold them for His benefit, so if we find ourselves in bondage to sin once more as followers of Christ, it is because we have failed to continue to live in obedience to Him.  If someone has never accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, it is also their responsibility, because Jesus Christ died to give them forgiveness from sin if they will accept it.

Verse two adds, 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.  God then asked if the people of Israel thought that He was not powerful enough to set them free.  He asked if in the people of Israel,  there was not even one person who had listened to Him when He called out to them.  We better hope that as the church today that we never reach a point where we lose faith in God’s power and fail to listen when He speaks to us. 

Verse three continues, I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.  God said He was in control of the heavens as well as the earth, so the implication was why did the people of Israel not believe in His power.  If we believe that God is the Creator and Sustainer, we should never question His power to keep us safe spiritually, and we should never fail to hear Him when He calls us.

Isaiah 49:17

 Isaiah 49:17 says, Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.  This was a promise that the nation of Israel would once again be a nation of many people.  They were beaten down and small in numbers, especially of those who truly believed in God, but they were going to be great again in the days to come.  This is also a call to the church today.  As followers of Christ, we may at times feel beaten down and defeated, but if we remain true to God, we will one day flourish again.   

Verse eighteen adds, 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.  This verse speaks not only of people from everywhere coming to Jerusalem after it was rebuilt, but more importantly refers to people from everywhere coming to the church after Jesus Christ died and rose again to redeem those who put their faith in Him, who are His church. God said these others coming to the church would be like an ornament for the people of Israel.  I will state once more, the people of Israel were always supposed to call others to God and not keep them from coming to Him, and the same is true of the church today. 

Verse nineteen continues, 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.  Isaiah said that God had declared that the land of Israel, which had for a time been desolate and nearly unpopulated would now be overflowing with inhabitants.  This should be our desire for the church today, since we are God’s people as followers of Christ.  No matter how bleak things may look, we need to be calling others to salvation so that God’s kingdom can grow. 

Verse twenty states, 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.  God said that the children that they had might have been lost, but they would be blessed with many others, who would call the land too small and ask for a place where they could dwell.  We need to overflow the church with people today who will look for a place to grow even larger in numbers.  Even though the commandments of God might have been strait, or strict, the people around Israel still wanted to be a part of God’s kingdom.  We cannot water down God’s word to increase the numbers in the church, but we must continue to hold up God’s standards for those who would be a part of His kingdom. 

Verse twenty-one adds, 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 said the people of Israel would ask where these great numbers of people had come from, since for too long they had been desolate and alone.  They had been left desolate because as a nation as a whole they had turned away from God and now they had returned, and He was fulfilling His promise to them.   At times, the church may almost be invisible, but God will always preserve the true church, and if we obey His command to preach the gospel to all the world, there will be times when the church seems to be overflowing.  In either condition, we need to give God the glory and praise Him for His goodness and mercy. 

Verse twenty-two continues, 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.  Isaiah said God was going to reach out to the Gentiles and they would bring their sons and daughters to Him.  The people of Israel should have already been doing this with their children, not that either group could save their children by their own power, but so that the children would know Who God is and what He had done for them.  He had made a plan of redemption, not just for the Jews, but for the whole world if they would only accept His plan of salvation. 

Verse twenty-three says, 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.  God said that even some of the rulers of the world at that time would come humbly to Him to be saved, acknowledging that He alone is God.  He also said that those who waited on Him wouldn’t be ashamed to proclaim this.  We today are waiting on the return of Jesus Christ to claim His people, and we should not be ashamed to wait and proclaim this while we do, no matter how powerful we might be in the eyes of the world. 

Verse twenty-four adds, Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?  Isaiah asked if the prey, those captured by other nations, be taken from them by force.  The people of Israel were the prey, and it was not expected that they would be set free, since they weren’t powerful enough to free themselves at that time.  We are the prey or captives of sin until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we are not powerful enough to set ourselves free.  So, when Jesus died to set us free, it was not something that would have been expected and it certainly wasn’t done the way people would expect.

Verse twenty-five continues, 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.  Isaiah said that God proclaimed that He Himself would set the captives free and that He would contend with those who contended with the Jews, or God’s chosen people in other words.  God is still the only one Who can defeat our enemies, sin and death, and He did so when His only begotten Son Jesus Christ died on the cross and arose again in victory.

Verse twenty-six concludes, 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 said that God was going to totally destroy the enemies of His people and that when He did, they would know that He was their Savior and Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob.  We know that Jesus Christ destroyed the power of all our spiritual enemies if we are one of His followers.  The mighty One of Jacob refers to Jesus Christ being the fulfillment of a promise from God to Jacob based on the covenant relationship they made with each other, and it does not mean that Jacob himself was somehow responsible for people being set free.  The mighty One was one of his descendants, Jesus Christ.  We are not set free from the power of sin and death by our own ability or worth, but we are set free by our accepting the gift of salvation freely provided by the mighty One of Jacob, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 49:13

Isaiah 49:13 says, 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 called on the people whom God had provided a way for them to return to Jerusalem out of captivity then to rejoice with the heavens, but in the broader context it is what all who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord should do.  All of creation rejoices when a sinner is saved, so we as saved sinners certainly should as well. 

Verse fourteen adds, But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.  Isaiah said that instead of rejoicing that they were God’s chosen people that the people of Israel and Judah were moaning that He had forgotten them because of their current physical situation.  As followers of Christ, we should never allow our physical situation to cause us to begin to doubt that God has forever set us free spiritually. 

Verse fifteen continues, 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.  God then asked if a woman could forget her very young child, and then said that she could, but that He would never forget His children, those who had put their faith in Him.  We today too often hear about a newborn being left in a bathroom or a trash can, so we know that it is possible for a woman to do this, but we need to be just as certain that it is impossible for God to abandon His children because He has promised He never will and His word is always true. 

Verse sixteen concludes, Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.  God said that the people of Israel, or more accurately the ones who were still true to Him, were engraved on His palms and that their walls were continually before Him.  I believe this means that He would never forget them and that He would always protect them spiritually as long as they remained faith to Him.  As long as we as Christians remain faithful to God, He will always bring us spiritual victory, and our names are forever written in His Book of Life.  We have everlasting security because of God and His promises and not because of anything we may do other than accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. 

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. 

Isaiah 49:4

Isaiah 49:4 says, 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 begins to speak about his ministry and to say that he had worked in vain since the people weren’t listening.  It is not our responsibility as Christians to make sure that people believe the gospel if we share it with them, but it is only our responsibility to share it.  Isaiah also said that even if he felt that he had failed, that the judgment of his work was up to the Lord.   We are not the ones who will ultimately determine our success or failure in obeying God, but He is.  We are simply to be obedient to His call, and then we are to leave the results of our work up to Him.  Of course, this passage also points to Jesus Christ when he came to redeem the people of Israel and was rejected.\, but He knew He had done what His Father had sent Him to do.

Verse five adds, 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.  Isaiah said that God had formed him from the womb to bring Jacob, or the people of Israel, to Him again.  God has a purpose for each individual before they are born, but it is up to each individual whether they accept that purpose for their life or not.  If we are to be glorious in God’s eyes, we must obey His will, and when we do, He will empower us to carry out our calling. Once more, this also applies to Jesus Christ when He was here in the world.

Verse six continues, 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.  Though Isaiah had also been speaking of himself in the last couple of verses I believe, here the focus shifts to Jesus Christ once again.  Isaiah could not bring salvation to people to the ends of the earth, and he was not the light that they needed.  He could proclaim God’s word, but that could only point the to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is still the only One Who can bring salvation to anyone. 

Verse seven says, 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 now speaks of the humiliation that the Messiah would face, especially by God’s chosen people, Israel.  Jesus Christ came to be the Redeemer of Israel, but the people of Israel despised Him as a nation, because he came as a Servant and not as an earthly ruler.  There are people today who reject Jesus Christ because He doesn’t live up to their standard of what a Christian should be.  We as followers of Christ should never reject the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter Who came to be with us when Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, because what He teaches does not align with what we want. 

Verse eight adds, 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;  Matthew Henry says this refers to God’s saving Jesus Christ at the acceptable time, which was after all His humiliation and His death on the cross.  God did not let death defeat Jesus Christ, but He raised Him from the dead when the time was right.  Without His enduring death for our sins, we could not be saved, so the time was not right before then.  God also said in the day that He raised Jesus Christ from the dead that He established a new covenant with them.  We are a part of that covenant relationship if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  I believe that the acceptable time that God will hear us is when we call out to Him in faith and finally realize that He alone can save us.  I also believe that it was just a small minority of the people of Israel who did this in that day, but those who did were a part of the true descendants of Abraham.