Isaiah 49

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Suffering Servant of the Lord – The Coming Messiah

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. The Messiah is the Servant of the Lord.

  2. The Messiah is the Savior of Israel

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Praise the Lord for the palms of His hands.

QUESTIONS

  1. Review our outline of the book of Isaiah.

  2. Recall how the phrase “the Lord’s servant” is used by Isaiah.

  3. How do verses 5-6 help us deduce that the Servant of the Lord is not the nation of Israel in this passage?

  4. How do we know that the future return of the Jewish people to the Messiah’s kingdom is broader than their return from Babylon (verses 9-12)?

ANSWERS

  1. Chapters 1-39 consisted mainly of Denunciation from God. Chapters 40-66 consist mainly of Consolation from God. This second section can be subdivided as follows: Consolation because of God’s greatness (40-48) Consolation because of God’s Servant (49-57) Consolation because of God’s program (58-66)

  2. This phrase can refer to the nation of Israel, the godly remnant of the nation, or to an individual that God uses like Isaiah the prophet, or even Cyrus the Persian. But the primary way the term “Servant of the Lord” or “My Servant” is used in Isaiah is in reference to the Coming Messiah, the Lord Himself.

  3. In these verses the Servant of the Lord is distinguished from the nation, so we believe the Servant of the Lord in this chapter is the Messiah.

  4. Verse 12 says that the Jewish people will return from the west. From their Babylonian captivity they returned from the east. This worldwide return of the Jewish people to their Land is already beginning and will be complete when the Messiah establishes His kingdom.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Walk through the first section of this Servant Song and discuss how the Lord’s first advent is shown in verses 1-4, while His second advent is described in verses 5-7.

  2. Being pro-Israel today may not be politically popular, but for believers with a high view of Scripture, it is a necessity. Discuss what you can do within your home and church family to promote a positive view of the modern State of Israel. This state is just a foretaste of God’s rich plans for His Jewish people.

CHALLENGE

  1. The people Israel are before the Lord at all times, inscribed on the palms of His hands. This reminds us of the nail-scarred palms of our Lord – a reminder of how precious we are to Him.

KEY VERSES

  • “Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6

  • “But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” Isaiah 49:14-16

Isaiah, Old Testament, TalksDeb HarmsIsaiah 49