Isaiah 49:1-12 King James Version
1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob 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.
6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of 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.
7 Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
8 Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
Verse by Verse Bible Study and Commentary with Scripture Cross References
In verse one: “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far..” To whom does this passage referring to? Let’s go to Genesis 10
Genesis 10:1-5 King James Version
1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
The passage is referring to the Gentile nations.
Continuing in verse one: “..The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.” This part of verse one prophesied the birth of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Luke 1:30-32 King James Version
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
In verse two: “And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword..”
Hebrews 4:12 King James Version
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
So we noticed who was speaking starting from the first two verses, is none other than the Son of God, Jesus Christ. When we say “word of God” (small cap “word”) today we refer to the Bible, or to the scriptures, but it can also refer to Jesus Christ (Capitalized “Word”).
John 1:1, 14 King James Version
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Why does the word of God compares to a twoedged sword? In the Bible the sword is usually attributed to two things: it’s use either for Judgement or for Protection.
Sword for Judgement
Ezekiel 21:1-3 King James Version
1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
3 And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
Isaiah 34:5 King James Version
“For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea (Edom), and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.”
Revelation 19:15 King James Version
“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
Sword for Protection
Luke 22:35-36 King James Version
35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
This implied that if any of the apostles are carrying a purse (with money) then it is important to carry a sword with them to protect them from thieves and criminals when they go place to place preaching His Gospel.
Ephesians 6:13, 17 King James Version
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Continuing with verse two: “..in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;” Let’s go to Psalms
Psalms 91:1-3 King James Version
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Psalms 121:5-7 King James Version
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
When you are under the shadow of God’s hand, it means that you are well protected from any evil. We see this in Matthew 2 when God protected Jesus Christ since His youth from Herod.
Matthew 2:13-15 King James Version
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
And we know that God still protects Jesus Christ when He was growing up when it says “and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;”. Let’s go back to Psalms where both shaft (or arrow) and quiver occurred in the Bible.
Psalms 127:3-5 King James Version
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Arrows is being compared in Psalms 127:4 with “children of the youth”, and going back to Isaiah 49:2 it says “..and made me a polished shaft..” we see this in connection to Luke 2 when Jesus Christ was twelve years old when He was waxed strong in spirit and increased in wisdom, stature and in favour with God and man.
Luke 2:40-42, 52 King James Version
40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Continuing in Isaiah 49:2 - “..in his quiver hath he hid me”, this is a second time the LORD mentioned “hid” in the same verse. Let’s study how the word “hid” is used to derive the meaning and context
Using Strong’s Concordance
“..shadow of his hand hath he hid me..” - “hid” חָבָא (chaba) – to secrete, to hide
The word “secrete” means to retire from notice into a private place, which ties up with Matthew 2:13-15 cross reference used.
“..in his quiver hath he hid me” – “hid” סָתַר (sathar) - to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively:--be absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self), (keep) secret
Let’s go back to Psalms 127:5 – “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them..” in this verse it says that the man is happy when the quiver is full of arrows which is comparing to children in Psalm 127:4 , simply means a man is happy when he has a lot of children. Now let’s tie all this with Mark 6.
Mark 6:1-3 King James Version
1 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
This is during Jesus Christ’s three and a half year earthly ministry. In verse 2, people were astonished that this man (Jesus) suddenly appeared out of nowhere and is now teaching in the synagogue with such wisdom and doing mighty works such as healing the sick and casting out devils. All they knew about Jesus was that He’s the son of Mary, and the eldest brother among His siblings. This ties in with Psalms 127:5 – “quiver full of them” and Isaiah 49:2 – “in his quiver hath he hid me” the connection of this is that Jesus Christ was hiding in plain sight among His half siblings, children of Mary until it’s time to do His Father’s Will.
In verse three: “And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”, some say that the servant mentioned here is the nation of Israel but based on the context of verses 1-3 thus far this appears to be a dialogue between God the Father and God the Son, so is “servant” in the verse pertains to Jesus Christ? Let’s look at Philippians 2.
Philippians 2:5-8 King James Version
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Yes, Jesus Christ took up the form of a servant, but does this mean that the word “Israel” is pertaining to a person, to the servant which is Jesus? Let’s look at Hosea 11.
Hosea 11:1 King James Version
“When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”
This prophetic verse was later fulfilled in Matthew 2:15 – “And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
Let’s look at the semantics in Hebrew, we read that Israel is being point out as a person also, “And He (God the Father) said to me (Jesus Christ) My servant (God referring to Jesus Christ), You [are] Israel..”.
Note: In Hebrew you read from right to left
In verse 4: “Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.”
Jesus came for the house of Israel.
Matthew 15:24 King James Version
“But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry is focused on the nation of Israel (with an exception to the Canaanite woman in that chapter) to redeem Israel. He underwent many trials and temptations to spread His Kingdom message to the children of Israel, but in the end they rejected Him, tortured and crucified Him, so the Kingdom of Heaven didn’t come to fruition yet at His first coming so His work of establishing the Kingdom of Heaven as the verse says was in vain, but this will still be fulfilled in the future.
John 18:36 King James Version
“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
Jesus Christ confirms that His kingdom was not yet established.
In Isaiah 49:5 – “And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob 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.”
We read that Jesus Christ was form from the womb to be God’s servant, and His mission to redeem Israel and bring about His Kingdom of Heaven on earth, we read further that He knows Israel will not accept Him as their Messiah (“Though Israel be not gathered”), but He knows He is fulfilling something even greater.
Isaiah 53:10-12 King James Version
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
John 3:16-17 King James Version
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He came down from Heaven in order to save all people of this world, Jesus Christ came to the children of Israel first because they're His chosen people.
In verse 6: “And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel..”
Since the Jews rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, their Lord and Saviour and crucified Him (Matthew 27:22-25). And later rejected again when the Jews stoned Apostle Stephen (Acts 7:51-60) and also other Apostles who were persecuted by the Jews for preaching about Christ and Salvation by Grace which is contrary to the Mosaic Law. So the nation of Israel was set aside, but God is not done dealing with them, the restoration of Israel was put on hold at a later date, God is now focusing on the Gentiles.
Romans 11:1-2 King James Version
1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,
Continuing in verse six: “..I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”
We know that Jesus Christ is the light of the world in John 8:12.
John 8:12 King James Version
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
And in Luke 2:28-32, Simeon, a just and devout man in Jerusalem held the child Jesus and said
Luke 2:28-32 King James Version
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
For as long as Jesus Christ is on this world
John 9:5 King James Version
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
But who is the light now that Jesus is not on this world?
Acts 13:46-48 King James Version
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
It's important to note that even though Apostle Paul was quoting the prophecy in Isaiah 49:6, the source of that true Light is still Jesus Christ, the Apostles and saved believers in Christ are the ones that bear witness to that Light, so that all men through him might believe.
John 1:6-9 King James Version
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
In verse 7: "Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee."
This verse is expounded in Isaiah 53, how our Messiah Jesus Christ had been despised and rejected of men even to His own nation. Even so Jesus Christ will go back in dealing with Israel when the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke 21:24-27)
Romans 11:25-27 King James Version
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Verse 7 mentioned that Jesus is " a servant of rulers", it's important to point out that during Jesus' first coming, He did not once go against the rulers nor their way of governing at His time. This is Jesus' answer regarding the Roman taxation in Israel.
Matthew 22:20-22 King James Version
20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
Continuing in verse 7: “..Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel..”
We don't see this fulfilled yet in our time, this however will be fulfilled at a future timeline during Christ's Millennium Reign. And the Kings and princes that will worship Him and its mentioned that these have been the chosen, could be pertaining to the Saved Believers who will reign with Him in the Millennium Kingdom as Saved Believers can receive crowns as rewards in the Judgment Seat of Christ for their service to the Lord and crowns are usually worn by Kings and princes.
In verse 8: "Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee.."
This is related to 2 Corinthians 6:2 concerning Salvation
2 Corinthians 6:2 King James Version
"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"
Continuing in verse 8: "..and I will preserve thee,"
Once you received Salvation by Grace through Faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) then you are eternally secured in Heaven, and no can take that away from you (unless you're left behind during the Great Tribulation), so there is no better timeline to get save than here while we're still in the Church Age.
John 10:28-30 King James Version
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
There is an Assurance of Salvation
Continuing in verse 8: "..and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
Galatians 3:14-18 King James Version
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Ephesians 1:13-14 King James Version
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
When we're saved we become the spiritual seed of Abraham through Jesus Christ and we receive the promises and blessings that God gave to Abraham.
In verse 9: "That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places." The verse is related to Matthew 25 during the Great Tribulation, also called Jacob's Trouble.
Matthew 25:32-40 King James Version
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
When an unsaved Gentile missed the Rapture , the way to get save becomes different, you not only need to have Faith but you also need to resist the Mark of the Beast and help the Jews through the Tribulation which includes visiting them in prisons.
In verse 10: "They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.". This is related to Revelation 7.
Revelation 7:14-17 King James Version
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
In verse 11: "And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.". This is related to Isaiah 2, that in the last days during Jesus Christ's second coming, He will established His house in the top of the mountains which shall be exalted above the hills and from there He will rule over the nations on earth for a thousand years.
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Isaiah 2:1-5 King James Version
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
And in Isaiah 2:3 many people will go to the mountain of the Lord in order to learn and follow His ways and these people as said in Isaiah 49:12 will come from the north, west and from the land of Sinim.
Hope this may be a blessing to the readers.
How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below.
GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation
If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven?
This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by:
(1) Admitting that you are a sinner
(2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord
(3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God
Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead.
Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die!
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Bible Believers Baptist Church International
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“And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)
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