A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES

Passage: Isaiah 49:1-7

Key verse: 6b

NIV

The Servant of the Lord

49 Listen(A) to me, you islands;(B)
    hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born(C) the Lord called(D) me;
    from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.(E)
2 He made my mouth(F) like a sharpened sword,(G)
    in the shadow of his hand(H) he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow(I)
    and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,(J)
    Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.(K)”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;(L)
    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,(M)
    and my reward(N) is with my God.”(O)

5 And now the Lord says—
    he who formed me in the womb(P) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
    and gather Israel(Q) to himself,
for I am[a] honored(R) in the eyes of the Lord
    and my God has been my strength(S)—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant(T)
    to restore the tribes of Jacob
    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.(U)
I will also make you a light(V) for the Gentiles,(W)
    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”(X)

7 This is what the Lord says—
    the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel(Y)—
to him who was despised(Z) and abhorred by the nation,
    to the servant of rulers:
“Kings(AA) will see you and stand up,
    princes will see and bow down,(AB)
because of the Lord, who is faithful,(AC)
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen(AD) you.”

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Footnotes
  1. Isaiah 49:5 Or him, / but Israel would not be gathered; / yet I will be
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Servant of the Lord

49 Listen to me, (A)O coastlands,
    and give attention, you peoples (B)from afar.
(C)The Lord called me from the womb,
    from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 (D)He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
    (E)in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
    in his quiver he hid me away.
3 And he said to me, “You are my servant,
    Israel, (F)in whom I will be glorified.”[a]
4 (G)But I said, “I have labored in vain;
    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
    and my recompense with my God.”

5 (H)And now the Lord says,
    he (I)who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
    and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for (J)I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
    and my God has become my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
    to raise up the tribes of Jacob
    and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
(K)I will make you (L)as a light for the nations,
    that (M)my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

7 Thus says the Lord,
    (N)the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
(O)to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
    the servant of rulers:
(P)“Kings shall see and arise;
    princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Isaiah 49:3 Or I will display my beauty
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. God calls and qualifies his servants (1-4) Here the prophet Isaiah describes how God chose him before he was born and equipped him to speak God's words. Isaiah is speaking in the voice of Christ. In Christ, God also chooses and trains us to make us an arrow in his quiver. God desires to display his splendor in each of his servants. Sometimes we may feel like all our sacrifice and labor in the Lord has come to nothing. But our reward is safe with God. 2. A larger purpose (5-7) Isaiah knew that God had called him to bring Israel back to the Lord. But God had even bigger plans than that. It was to make his people a light to the Gentiles, so salvation would come not just to Israel but to the ends of the earth. This is ultimately accomplished through Jesus, who was despised and afflicted, but now the kings of the earth bow down to him. The Holy Spirit gave Paul this key verse to describe his missionary work. Because of God's heart for world salvation, he calls and uses ordinary people like us for his great purpose.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for using me in greater ways than I realize. Help me serve you this year with confidence in your calling.

One Word: God uses us for world salvation