The Coming Servant (3): Isaiah 49, 50 (2)

Pray Psalm 22.27, 28.
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.

Read Isaiah 49.7-13.

Reflect.
1. How many ways can you see that this passage points forward to Christ?

2. What are the effects of the Servant’s – Christ’s – coming?

Meditate.
This passage is definitely looking past Cyrus to the Servant Who comes with healing and salvation for His people. He is the Redeemer of His people, the Holy One, despised by the nations, even though He is the Servant of them all; He will be worshiped by kings and princes when He comes faithfully to fulfill the Lord’s promise to His chosen people (v. 7).

He comes with the strength and the help of God to bring in “the day of salvation” (v. 8). He is God’s covenant with His people (cf. Is. 42.6), and He brings a treasure trove of blessings with Him (vv. 8-12). What a great and glorious salvation this coming Servant will achieve! Restoration, recovered heritages, freedom from darkness and sin, feeding in lush pastures, protection from harm, guiding and leading, and a stream of people walking the high ground of glory from every part of the world!

All creation breaks forth in song at the salvation brought by God’s Redeemer (v. 13). The comfort, joy, and mercy God’s people sorely need will be theirs in the day of salvation, and will extend through them to the ends of the world.

Like the people of Isaiah’s day, we must endure many tribulations before we see this fuller and more glorious coming of the rule of King Jesus (Acts 14.22; Is. 9.6, 7). And like them, we must bear up under our trials, keeping our eye focused on the ever-unfolding and increasingly glorious, precious and very great promises of God, which are ours in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1.20).

Prepare.
1. How do you typically think of the salvation which is ours in Jesus Christ? Does this passage expand your understanding of that salvation in any ways?

2. Since God’s Redeemer brings such a package of blessings to the world, why do so many despise Him? Did their despising Him deter Him? Should it deter us?

3. God loves the world so much that He gave Jesus for its salvation. How can you see in this passage that more than merely the souls of God’s people benefit from the saving work of Christ? How does this instruct us in working out our salvation (Phil. 2.12)?

God made the abundance of his grace, help and spiritual consolation available to them. “For they shall not hunger or thirst.” For once they were without spiritual consolation and did not have godly law or prophet or schoolmaster or tutor or teacher, or any spring of water of understanding. After God took mercy on them, however, a feast has been prepared for them in the choir school of spiritual good things. The food there will profit their souls. For they will eat bread from heaven and drink living water, of which the Christ himself said to the Samaritan woman: “Anyone who drinks from this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty.” Cyril of Alexandria (375-444 AD), Commentary on Isaiah 4.4.49.8-12

Help me to work out my great salvation more fully, Lord, so that…

Pray Psalm 22.22-31.
This second half of Psalm 22 celebrates the victory of the suffering Servant and the coming of His salvation and Kingdom. Rejoice in the blessings it lists, and devote yourself to the commitment it prescribes.

Sing to the Lord.
Psalm 22.23-28 (Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord is King)
All you who fear the Lord, now praise His holy Name!
You children of His glorious Word, declare His fame!
We stand in awe of our eternal God, and on His mercy call.

For He has not despised the anguish of our King,
Nor from Him hid His eyes, Who knew such suffering.
Let praise arise from all who love and serve the Ruler of the skies!

The suff’ring King shall eat and praise with us the Lord.
Forever we His praise repeat and trust His Word.
Praise God above, all you who keep His vows and who His mercies love!

All nations shall repent and hasten to the Lord;
All those to whom His truth is sent shall praise His Word.
The Lord is King!  His sovereign rule on high now we His people sing!

T. M. Moore

How great is the salvation which is ours in Jesus Christ? Download the three installments of our free study, Such a Great Salvation, and learn for yourself (click here).

Forward today’s lesson to some friends, and challenge them to study with you through this series on Isaiah. Each week’s lessons will be available as a free PDF download at the end of the week. Get a copy for yourself and send the link for the download to your friends. Plan to meet weekly to study Isaiah’s important message.

If you value Scriptorium as a free resource for your walk with the Lord, please consider supporting our work with your gifts and offerings. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button  at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).