Pay it Forward

Devotional Reading: Hebrews 10:19-25

Background Scripture: Isaiah 49:1-6
Print: Isaiah 49:1-6

Objective
Upon the completion of this lesson, the student should understand that:
1. Israel was chosen by God to be His servant – to glorify Him in the world.
2. Although our service may appear to be in vain, God encourages us to greater
service.
3. The Lord wants everyone in the world (from every nation and place on earth) to
be saved.

Introduction
- Chapters 49:1-6 contain the mission of the servant of Jehovah
- Verses 1-13 are the servant’s ministry, and verses 14-26 are the consolations of Zion.
-

I. Chosen for Service

Isaiah Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me
49:1 from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Listen, O isles
Psalm 97:1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad
thereof.

Big and small, far and near, nations are invited to listen to the Lord.
Habakkuk For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
2:14 LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Listen, O isles, unto me; (Who is this speaking in first person?)

Isaiah Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the
48:16 beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and
his Spirit, hath sent me.

Israel speaks:
Isaiah 49:14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten
me.

The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my
mother hath he made mention of my name.
Both Isaiah 7:14 and Matt 1:21 show this prophecy fulfilled
Isaiah Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
7:14 conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Matthew And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he
1:21 shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the
1:22 Lord by the prophet, saying,
Matthew Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they
1:23 shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Luke And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt
1:31 call his name JESUS.

There is no mention of the Father because there is no earthly Father:

Genesis And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou
3:14 art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly
shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Genesis And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
3:15 her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

• MESSIAH THE SEED OF

o The woman
Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:4; Jeremiah 31:22; Luke 1:31; Galatians 4:4
o Abraham
Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16; Hebrews 2:16
o David
2 Samuel 7:12,16; Psalms 89:35,36; Jeremiah 23:5; Matthew 22:42; Mark
10:47; Acts 2:30; 13:23; Romans 1:3

While speaking with Adam and Eve and Satan, God tells Satan in Genesis 3:15:
Genesis And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this,
3:14 thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field;
upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy
life:
Genesis And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
3:15 seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel.
Genesis Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy
3:16 conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire
shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Centuries later, it was the prophet Isaiah who explained why the Messiah would be
reckoned after the woman. In Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah writes:
Isaiah Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin
7:14 shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Galatians Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements
4:3 of the world:
 Galatians But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made
4:4 of a woman, made under the law,
Galatians To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the
4:5 adoption of sons.
Isaiah And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid
49:2 me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

• THE SWORD ILLUSTRATIVE

o Of the word of God
Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12
o Of the word of Christ
Isaiah 49:2; Revelation 1:16
o Of the justice of God
Deuteronomy 32:41; Zechariah 13:7
o Of the protection of God
Deuteronomy 33:29
o Of war and contention
Matthew 10:34
o Of judicial authority
Romans 13:4

The saints of God are in the shadow of his hand.

Protection
• God is able to afford protection for His saints
1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1:24
I Peter Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
1:3 abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead,
I Peter To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
1:4 reserved in heaven for you,
I Peter Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be
1:5 revealed in the last time.

Jude Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless
1:24 before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jude To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
1:25 both now and for ever. Amen.

• God is faithful to afford protection for His saints

1 Thessalonians 5:23,24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3
I Thessalonians And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your
5:23 whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
5:24
 II Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from
evil.

Isaiah And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
49:3
Israel: 3478
ְׂ ‫ ִי‬Yisra'el (yis-raw-ale'); Proper Name Masculine, Strong #: 3478
‫שָרֵאל‬
Israel = "God prevails" or “Prince with God”

In the previous chapter Israel is called Jacob because Jacob means “heel holder” or
“supplanter” but in this chapter the real Prince with God, the Messiah, is called Israel for
two major reasons:
A. The Messiah is the ultimate Israel who keeps the Law of God perfectly.
B. The Messiah fulfills the name "God prevails" or “Prince with God”

God the Father is glorified in the Son. Prophecy Fulfilled

Matthew But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great
12:15 multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
Matthew And charged them that they should not make him known:
12:16
Matthew That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet,
12:17 saying,
Matthew Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is
12:18 well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to
the Gentiles.

II. A Light to the World

Isaiah Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet
49:4 surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
vain: 7385
‫ ִריק‬Riyq (reek); Noun Masculine, Strong #: 7385
1. emptiness, vanity, empty, idle, vain
The word vain means emptiness, yet the work of the Messiah is not in
vain because prophecy must be fulfilled and none that belong to the
Lord will be lost.
John My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
10:27
John And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall
10:28 any man pluck them out of my hand.
John My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to
10:29 pluck them out of my Father's hand.

John Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this
12:27 hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
John Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have
 12:28 both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Romans For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye
11:25 should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to
Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Romans And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion
11:26 the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Romans For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
11:27
Isaiah And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob
49:5 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 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of
49:6 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.
How do you say Jesus in Hebrew?
Joshua: 3091
ׁ ‫ ְיהֹו‬Y@howshuwa` (yeh-ho-shoo'-ah); , Strong #: 3091
‫שּוַע‬
Joshua or Jehoshua = "Jehovah is salvation" n pr m

salvation: 3444
ׁ ‫ ְי‬Y@shuw`ah (yesh-oo'-aw); Noun Feminine, Strong #: 3444
‫שּוָעה‬

1. salvation, deliverance
a. welfare, prosperity
b. deliverance
c. salvation (by God)
d. victory

God just gave the people of Israel the name of the future Messiah.
Jesus!! I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest
be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Prophecy Fulfilled
Acts For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the
13:47 Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

I John My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man
2:1 sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
I John And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the
2:2 sins of the whole world.
 In chapters 1-13, Jesus is both the speaker and the one referred to as Israel.
In verse 14, the nation of Israel is referred to as Zion:
Isaiah 49:14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

In the Sunday School Publishing board commentary, they believe that God
was talking to the Nation of Israel rather than the Messiah, so I made a chart
showing the similarities between Jesus and the Nation of Israel in Isaiah 49:1-
6, but the evidence shows overwhelmingly that Jesus is the one who is being
called Israel.

Comparison:
Verse Israel Jesus
The Messiah was to be the seed of the
Isaiah Israel was God’s chosen servant
woman before He was a son given in
49:1 before the Lord formed the nation.
human form.
in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me,
and made me a polished shaft; in his
in the shadow of his hand hath he hid quiver hath he hid me;
me, and made me a polished shaft; in
his quiver hath he hid me; Jesus was protected by Father God until
Christ died for our sins according to the
God protected Israel. For example, scriptures. For example, Jesus was hid in
Isaiah Israel was brought out of Egypt and Egypt until the death of Herod, the
49:2 protected through the Red Sea. genocidal maniac.

Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, Matthew 2:15 And was there until the
then I loved him, and called my son death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled
out of Egypt. which was spoken of the Lord by the
prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called
my son.

Isaiah Servant to glorify God: Servant to glorify God:

49:3 Exodus 32:13 Remember Abraham,
Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to
whom thou swarest by thine own self,
and saidst unto them, I will multiply
your seed as the stars of heaven, and
all this land that I have spoken of will
I give unto your seed, and they shall
inherit it for ever.
Matthew 12
15
But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew
himself from thence: and great multitudes
followed him, and he healed them all;
16
And charged them that they should not
make him known:
17
That it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
18
Behold my servant, whom I have
chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is
well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him,
and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
 Discouragement followed by the
Discouragement followed by the
Isaiah sovereign, providential will of God
sovereign, providential will of God
49:4

Formed in the womb:

Ezekiel 16
1 Formed in the womb:
Again the word of the LORD came
Luke 1
unto me, saying, 32
2 He shall be great, and shall be called the
Son of man, cause Jerusalem to
Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall
know her abominations,
3 give unto him the throne of his father
And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD
David:
unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy 33
And he shall reign over the house of
nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there
father was an Amorite, and thy
Isaiah shall be no end.
mother an Hittite. 34
49:5 4 Then said Mary unto the angel, How
And as for thy nativity, in the day
shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
thou wast born thy navel was not cut, 35
And the angel answered and said unto
neither wast thou washed in water to
her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
supple thee; thou wast not salted at
and the power of the Highest shall
all, nor swaddled at all.
5 overshadow thee: therefore also that holy
None eye pitied thee, to do any of
thing which shall be born of thee shall be
these unto thee, to have compassion
called the Son of God.
upon thee; but thou wast cast out in
the open field, to the lothing of thy
person, in the day that thou wast born.
Isaiah LIGHT: LIGHT:
49:6 Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto
world. A city that is set on an hill them, saying, I am the light of the world:
cannot be hid. he that followeth me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life.
HOPE: The restoration of Israel
Hosea 2:14-23; 11:9-11; 13:13,14; Acts 13:47 For so hath the Lord
14:8 commanded us, saying, I have set thee to
be a light of the Gentiles, that thou
Hosea 2: shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of
14
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, the earth.
and bring her into the wilderness, and
speak comfortably unto her. HOPE: The Second coming of Jesus Christ
15
And I will give her her vineyards
from thence, and the valley of Achor Matthew 24: 29 Immediately after the
for a door of hope: and she shall sing tribulation of those days shall the sun be
there, as in the days of her youth, and darkened, and the moon shall not give her
as in the day when she came up out of light, and the stars shall fall from heaven,
the land of Egypt. and the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken:
Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the
sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great
glory.