Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Pre-exilic Prophets 3 (4)
Pray Psalm 71.23, 24.
My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,
And my soul, which You have redeemed.
My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;
For they are confounded,
For they are brought to shame
Who seek my hurt.Sing Psalm 71.23, 24 (3).
(Solid Rock: My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less)
My lips with joy and praises ring; to You, Redeemer, praise I bring!
I praise Your goodness all day long; LORD, humble all who do me wrong.
Refrain
A Rock of habitation be; command Your Word to rescue me;
my Rock and Fortress ever be.
Read Isaiah 49.1-13; meditate on verses 7-13.
Preparation
1. What did God promise His Servant?
2. How many things are positively affected by the coming of the day of salvation?
Meditation
Who has a mouth like a sharp sword (v. 2; cf. Ps. 45.3; Rev. 1.12-16)? The Speaker in these verses is the Servant of the LORD Who will bring salvation to Israel and the world. He will be born of a woman (v. 1)—a virgin, as Isaiah would have recalled (Is. 7.14). And He will come to rule over all Israel and all the nations (vv. 5, 6). He is Wonderful, Counselor, mighty God, and everlasting Father, Whose Kingdom of righteousness will increase without end (Is. 9.6, 7).
He comes with the strength and the help of God to bring in “the day of salvation” (v. 8). We must not miss the connection between this and the coming of the Kingdom. They are virtually coterminous. The Servant 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.
Now is the day of salvation, and we are the people who have received it. Let us work out our great salvation in all the aspects and facets within our reach, fearing Him Who Himself is at work within us to will and do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2.12, 13).Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“…for He Who has mercy on them will lead them,
even by the springs of water He will guide them” (Is. 49.10).
“And again He began to teach by the sea.
And a great multitude was gathered to Him,
so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea;
and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea” (Mk. 4.1).
“So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the Word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat” (Lk. 5.1-3).
“On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables…” (Matt. 13.1-3).
“He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul…” (Ps. 23.2, 3).
Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End (Rev. 1.8)
Jesus, the One Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (Rev. 1.8)
Jesus, the One for Whom we give love and respect lest we anger the Father (Ps. 2.12)
Jesus, the One Who tenderly loves and cares for the broken and oppressed (Is. 42.3)
Is the same Jesus Who sits with, and teaches His people, by the still waters (Is. 49.10).
O how He loves you and me, O how He loves you and me;
He gave His life—what more could He give?
O how He loves you, O how He loves me, O how He loves you and me!
Jesus to Calvary did go, His love for sinners to show.
What He did there brought hope from despair.
O how He loves you, O how He loves me, O how He loves you and me!
(Kurt Kaiser, 1975)
Reflection
1. Suppose some non-Christian friend should ask you, “So, what’s so great about salvation?” What would you say?
2. Jesus leads us beside still waters to refresh our soul. What are the “still waters” of your life, where you meet Jesus to be refreshed?
3. Jesus said living water would flow from all who believe to refresh those around them (Jn. 7.37-29). Whom will you refresh today?
This passage may greatly aid us in ascertaining Isaiah’s meaning, that we may learn to connect our salvation with God’s good pleasure; a proof of which is given to us in the preaching of the Gospel. It ought also to be observed, that these predictions should not be limited to a certain age, since they belong to the whole Church in all ages. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Isaiah 49.7-11
Pray Psalm 71.17-22.
Pray for guidance, strength, openness, awareness, and grace to work your Personal Mission Field today. And pray for a greater measure of our great salvation, that you might increase in it day by day.
Sing Psalm 71.17-22 (3).
(Solid Rock: My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less)
O LORD, I praise Your righteousness Who me from youth have taught and blessed.
Forsake me not when I am old, ‘til I Your mercies all have told!
Refrain
A Rock of habitation be; command Your Word to rescue me;
my Rock and Fortress ever be.
Your righteous deeds are great and true. O God, there is no one like You!
Though many troubles I have seen, You will revive my soul again!
Refrain
Increase my greatness, comfort me, and unto You shall praises be.
Your truth I will exalt full well, O Holy One of Israel!
Refrain
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
