Memory Verse

This is what the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, Israel’s Holy One says, To the thoroughly despised One, To the One hated by the nation To the Servant of rulers, Kings will see and arise, Princes shall also bow down, Because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.” Isaiah 49:7 AMP

Key people

Here is a list of key people found in today’s reading (in order of appearance) with bios from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Hezekiah. The 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named.

Today’s Devotional Reading: Isaiah 47 – 51

Isaiah 47 Amplified Version (AMP)
Isaiah 48 Amplified Version (AMP)
Isaiah 49 Amplified Version (AMP)
Isaiah 50 Amplified Version (AMP)
Isaiah 51 Amplified Version (AMP)

From Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Infinite Wisdom could have ordered things so that Israel might have been released and yet Babylon unhurt; but if they will harden their hearts, and will not let the people go, they must thank themselves that their ruin is made to pave the way to Israel’s release. That ruin is here, in this chapter, largely foretold, not to gratify a spirit of revenge in the people of God, who had been used barbarously by them, but to encourage their faith and hope concerning their own deliverance, and to be a type of the downfall of that great enemy of the New-Testament church which, in the Revelation, goes under the name of “Babylon.” In this chapter we have, I. The greatness of the ruin threatened, that Babylon should be brought down to the dust, and made completely miserable, should fall from the height of prosperity into the depth of adversity, Isa. 47:1-5. II. The sins that provoked God to bring this ruin upon them. 1. Their cruelty to the people of God, Isa. 47:6. 2. Their pride and carnal security, Isa. 47:7-9. 3. Their confidence in themselves and contempt of God, Isa. 47:10. 4. Their use of magic arts and their dependence upon enchantments and sorceries, which should be so far from standing them in any stead that they should but hasten their ruin, Isa. 47:11-15. (Chapter 47)

God, having in the foregoing chapter reckoned with the Babylonians, and shown them their sins and the desolation that was coming upon them for their sins, to show that he hates sin wherever he finds it and will not connive at it in his own people, comes, in this chapter, to show the house of Jacob their sins, but, withal, the mercy God had in store for them notwithstanding; and he therefore sets their sins in order before them, that by their repentance and reformation they might be prepared for that mercy. I. He charges them with hypocrisy in that which is good and obstinacy in that which is evil, especially in their idolatry, notwithstanding the many convincing proofs God had given them that he is God alone, Isa. 48:1-8. II. He assures them that their deliverance would be wrought purely for the sake of God’s own name and not for any merit of theirs, Isa. 48:9-11. III. He encourages them to depend purely upon God’s power and promise for this deliverance, Isa. 48:12-15. IV. He shows them that, as it was by their own sin that they brought themselves into captivity, so it would be only by the grace of God that they would obtain the necessary preparatives for their enlargement, Isa. 48:16-19. V. He proclaims their release, yet with a proviso that the wicked shall have no benefit by it, Isa. 48:20-22. (Chapter 48)

Glorious things had been spoken in the previous chapters concerning the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon; but lest any should think, when it was accomplished, that it looked much greater and brighter in the prophecy than in the performance, and that the return of about 40,000 Jews in a poor condition out of Babylon to Jerusalem was not an event sufficiently answering to the height and grandeur of the expressions used in the prophecy, he here comes to show that the prophecy had a further intention, and was to have its full accomplishment in a redemption that should as far outdo these expressions as the other seemed to come short of them, even the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ, of whom not only Cyrus, who was God’s servant in foretelling it, was a type. In this chapter we have, I. The designation of Christ, under the type of Isaiah, to his office as Mediator, Isa. 49:1-3. II. The assurance given him of the success of his undertaking among the Gentiles, Isa. 49:4-8. III. The redemption that should be wrought by him, and the progress of that redemption, Isa. 49:9-12. IV. The encouragement given hence to the afflicted church, Isa. 49:13-17. V. The addition of many to it, and the setting up of a church among the Gentiles, Isa. 49:18-23. VI. A ratification of the prophecy of the Jews’ release out of Babylon, which was to be the figure and type of all these blessings,, Isa. 49:24-26. If this chapter be rightly understood, we shall see ourselves to be more concerned in the prophecies relating to the Jews’ deliverance out of Babylon than we thought we were. (Chapter 49)

In this chapter, I. Those to whom God sends are justly charged with bringing all the troubles they were in upon themselves, by their own wilfulness and obstinacy, it being made to appear that God was able and ready to help them if they had been fit for deliverance, Isa. 50:1-3. II. He by whom God sends produces his commission (Isa. 50:4), alleges his own readiness to submit to all the services and sufferings he was called to in the execution of it (Isa. 50:5, 6), and assures himself that God, who sent him, would stand by him and bear him out against all opposition, Isa. 50:7-9. III. The message that is sent is life and death, good and evil, the blessing and the curse, comfort to desponding saints and terror to presuming sinners, Isa. 50:10, 11. Now all this seems to have a double reference, 1. To the unbelieving Jews in Babylon, who quarrelled with God for his dealings with them, and to the prophet Isaiah, who, though dead long before the captivity, yet, prophesying so plainly and fully of it, saw fit to produce his credentials, to justify what he had said. 2. To the unbelieving Jews in our Saviour’s time, whose own fault it was that they were rejected, Christ having preached much to them, and suffered much from them, and being herein borne up by a divine power. The “contents” of this chapter, in our Bibles, give this sense of it, very concisely, thus:—“Christ shows that the dereliction of the Jews is not to be imputed to him, by his ability to save, by his obedience in that work, and by his confidence in divine assistance.” The prophet concludes with an exhortation to trust in God and not in ourselves. (Chapter 50)

This chapter is designed for the comfort and encouragement of those that fear God and keep his commandments, even when they walk in darkness and have no light. Whether it was intended primarily for the support of the captives in Babylon is not certain, probably it was; but comforts thus generally expressed ought not to be so confined. Whenever the church of God is in distress her friends and well–wishers may comfort themselves and one another with these words, I. That God, who raised his church at first out of nothing, will take care that it shall not perish, Isa. 51:1-3. II. That the righteousness and salvation he designs for his church are sure and near, very near and very sure, Isa. 51:4-6. III. That the persecutors of the church are weak and dying creatures, Isa. 51:7, 8. IV. That the same power which did wonders for the church formerly is now engaged and employed for her protection and deliverance, Isa. 51:9-11. V. That God himself, the Maker of the world, had undertaken both to deliver his people out of their distress and to comfort them under it, and sent his prophet to assure them of it, Isa. 51:12-16. VI. That, deplorable as the condition of the church now was (Isa. 51:17-20), to the same woeful circumstances her persecutors and oppressors should shortly be reduced, and worse, Isa. 51:21-23. The first three paragraphs of this chapter begin with, “Hearken unto me,” and they are God’s people that are all along called to hearken; for even when comforts are spoken to them sometimes they “hearken not, through anguish of spirit” (Exod. 6:9); therefore they are again and again called to hearken, Isa. 51:1, 4, 7. The two other paragraphs of this chapter begin with “Awake, awake;” in the former (Isa. 51:9) God’s people call upon him to awake and help them; in the latter, Isa. 51:17. God calls upon them to awake and help themselves.

Reflection

God specializes in making significant people from ordinary lives. Even Jesus came to earth as a baby, just like you and I did. He learned the trade of a tent maker and served His fellow man. He washed the feet of His Apostles and taught Bible school for free!

Have you ever wondered why you have come through the trials and tribulations that helped to define who you are? It is because God chose you to relate to some section of humanity. You are uniquely qualified to reach people who have had similar experiences as you have had. How have you shown your worth in the earth? Have you volunteered to do things that others do for monetary gain? Have you given your time and substance to feed the poor?

Regarding Jesus, it was said that no one could do the things that He did unless it was from God’s own helping hand. Do people recognize the source of your “power” to do good? Believe it or not, you are a chosen person. You’ve been chosen to represent that same Christ who died on the cross for your sins and mine.

You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you. John 15:16 AMP

So, who is chosen to be the one who God is calling for to heal His people? You are the chosen one.

References

« The Amplified Bible
« The King James Bible
« Matthew Henry’s Commentary

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Image Source: 365 Seeds of Promise by Shenica Graham.

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