REACHES TO THE ENDS

Passage: Isaiah 49:1-7

Key verse: 6

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

This passage is a Messianic prophecy. It talks of a “servant of the Lord” who is a reflection of our Lord Jesus. The Israelites have been living in oppression and exile, like a lowly tribe among mighty empires of the world. However, this word of the Lord brought a message of hope and deliverance. This hope is for you and for me, and to those at the very ends of the earth. The ends of the earth are not just the Gentiles, but those we may never have imagined God saving. The gospel is often considered offensive not because of those it excludes, but because of those it welcomes.

Jesus spent his limited time on earth with those on the margins of society including the lower class, women, the sick and demon possessed, children, racial minorities, outcasts and public sinners. The gospel very quickly became a message of salvation to all people because God’s heart and love extends to all who are suffering and feel excluded. Such grace was offensive to those in power, but it has power to change the world.

Prayer: Father, thank you for extending grace and salvation to me. May this grace overflow and expand in my heart to the very ends.

One Word: God’s salvation reaches to the ends.