Chapter Study & Analysis
Overview
Isaiah 49 - The Light to the Gentiles: The Second Servant Song. The Servant speaks of His call from the womb and His apparent failure, which God turns into a universal success, making Him a light to the whole world. Zion is reassured of God's unforgettable love.
THEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
1. The Discouraged Servant: Verse 4 reveals the human side of the Messiah's mission: "I have laboured in vain." God responds by enlarging His mission.
2. Maternal Love of God: "Can a woman forget her sucking child?" (v. 15). God's love is deeper than the strongest human bond.
3. Graven on Palms: Zion is "graven upon the palms of my hands" (v. 16), a prefiguration of the scars of Christ.
Practical Lessons
PRACTICAL LESSONS
1. Persistence in Failure: Trusting God for the results of our labor even when we see no immediate fruit.
2. Divine Remembrance: Resting in the fact that God cannot forget His own people.