CHRIST’S FUTURE REIGN
Isaiah 49:7. Thus saith the Lord, &c.
In this and the subsequent verses we have a direct promise from Jehovah to the Messiah, of the ultimate success of His mediatorial work. Consider—
I. THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN OF THE MESSIAH.
1. As despised, rejected, and contemned by men. “Him whom man despiseth”—literally, whom the soul despiseth. It was a characteristic of Him that He was despised and rejected; and the prophet, in this verse, has given a summary of all that He has said respecting Him in chap. 53. (John 1:10-11). “Despised by the mere animal passion of man, which judges according to the outward appearance; and is therefore carnal, and not spiritual.”—Wordsworth.
2. As abhorred by the Jewish nation. “Him whom the nation abhorreth” (cf. chap. Isaiah 1:4; Isaiah 10:6). He was regarded as an abomination by the people (Luke 15:2). “This man”—this fellow—“receiveth sinners”—is in secret sympathy with them. In Matthew 26:67; Luke 23:18-26, Isaiah 53:3-4 is literally fulfilled. He is still abhorred by the Jews. His name excites the utmost contempt among them, and they turn from Him and His claims with the deepest abhorrence. They contemptuously call Jesus Tolvi, the crucified; and nothing excites deeper abhorrence and contempt than the doctrine of salvation by the merits of the crucified Nazarene (1 Corinthians 1:23, and others).
3. As “a servant of rulers.” Though He was ruler of all worlds, He voluntarily submitted Himself to human power, and yielded obedience to human rulers—the constituted authorities of His day. He conformed to the institutions of His country (Matthew 17:27; Matthew 26:52-53). He submitted to an unjust trial and verdict. In the strictest sense He was “a servant of rulers,” for “He was deprived of His liberty, comfort, and life at their caprice.”
II. THE PURPOSE OF GOD RESPECTING THE MESSIAH’S REIGN.
1. He is “chosen of God” to accomplish the world’s salvation. “He shall choose thee.” He was elected to diffuse light and truth among all nations (Isaiah 49:6; also chap. Isaiah 42:1-10).
2. All shall bow to His sceptre. “Kings shall see,” &c. That is, kings shall see the fulfilment of the Divine promise by which He is destined to be the light of the nations, and they shall rise up with demonstrations of respect and reverence; they shall render Him honour as their Teacher and Redeemer. They shall do homage to the great King-Saviour. “Kings, being usually seated in the presence of others, are described as rising from their thrones; while princes and nobles, who usually stand in the presence of their sovereigns, are described as falling prostrate”—(Hitzig). The universality of His reign is distinctly foretold (Psalms 2:6; Psalms 2:8; Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 42:4; Zechariah 14:19; Revelation 19:6; Revelation 19:11-17; and others). The text has been fulfilled. Kings and princes have bowed before the Redeemer, and the time is hastening on when throughout the world they shall adore Him.
3. God in His faithfulness will accomplish His gracious purpose. “Because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel.” His purpose shall assuredly be brought to pass. For this He pledges the veracity of His word. The universality of Christ’s reign shall be traced entirely to the faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God.
CONCLUSION.—
1. What a glorious period is approaching! All the world shall see the salvation of God. He who is now despised and rejected by so many, shall be universally honoured, loved, adored. All shall bow to Him, as the ripe fields of autumn do to the winds of heaven. The day of His triumph draws nigh—all things betoken it! Glorious prospect! (H. E. I. 979, 1161, 1162; P. D. 475).
2. What encouragement have all Christian workers—Ministers, missionaries, &c. The success of our efforts is certain. What honour is conferred upon us as the instruments of diffusing light and truth! Christ deemed it the highest honour, so should we. Let us with all possible earnestness seek the advancement of His reign, and the increase of its glory. They who do most for the conversion of the world, are most like Christ, and will have the greatest reward in heaven.
3. What is your relation to this great King-Saviour? Is God’s gracious purpose accomplished in your salvation? Does He reign in your heart? Do you despise and reject the crucified Jesus, or do you receive Him as your prophet, priest, and king? It is of infinite importance that you belong to His kingdom. Without this, there can be no real holiness, happiness, security. Hostility to Christ, the Divinely appointed Saviour-King is utterly useless. He must and will be victorious (Psalms 2:4-5, and others). How fearful will be the condition of all who refuse allegiance to Him! Let Him become without delay your Saviour and your King (Psalms 2:11-12).
“O Thou Almighty Lord,
My Conqueror and my King,
Thy sceptre and Thy sword,
Thy reign of grace, I sing;
Thine is the power: behold, I sit
In willing bonds before Thy feet.”
—Dr. Watts.
—Alfred Tucker.
THE SUFFERING REDEEMER THE SOURCE AND DISPENSER OF BLESSING TO HIS PEOPLE
Isaiah 49:7-12. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer, &c.
I. THE HUMILIATION AND EXALTATION OF THE MESSIAH (Isaiah 49:7). He who had always taken care of the Jewish church, and wrought out for it those deliverances that were typical of the great salvation, here speaks to Him who was the Undertaker of that salvation.
1. He takes notice of His humiliation (Isaiah 49:7). “Whom man despiseth,” &c. (cf. Isaiah 53:3; Luke 23:21). “A servant of rulers.” Pilate boasted of his power over Him (John 19:10).
2. He promises Him exaltation. Honour was done Him, even in the days of His humiliation. Noblemen, rulers, centurions came and kneeled to Him; but this was more fully accomplished when kings received His Gospel, submitted to His yoke, joined in His worship, and called themselves His vassals. Not that Christ values the rich more than the poor (they stand on a level with Him), but it is for the honour of His kingdom among men, when the great ones of the earth appear for Him, and do homage to Him.
II. THE SUCCOUR AND SUCCESS PROMISED HIM.
1. The succour. God will hear His cry for help (Isaiah 49:8; Hebrews 5:7). In the days of His flesh Christ knew that His Father heard Him always (John 11:42; John 17:24). He will also help Him to go through with His undertaking. The Father was always at His right hand, and did not leave Him when His disciples did (John 16:32).
2. The success. He is assured
(1.) that He should be the Guarantee of the treaty of peace between God and man: “I will give Thee for a covenant of the people” (see pp. 113–115).
(2.) By Him the decays of the Church should be repaired, and the Church itself established on a “rock” (Isaiah 49:8). “Establish the earth,” or rather, “the land,” the land of Judah, a type of the Church.
(3.) To Him should be gathered those who were farthest from God and the good land He had promised to His people (Isaiah 49:12). The Jews were dispersed into several parts of the country of Babylon, as enemies pleased, to prevent any combination among them. But when God’s time is come to bring them home together, one spirit shall animate all them that lie at the greatest distance from each other; and those also that had taken shelter in other countries shall meet them in the land of Judah. This promise was to have a further accomplishment in the great confluence of converts to the Gospel-church, and its full accomplishment when God’s chosen shall come from the east and the west, to sit down with the patriarchs in the kingdom of God (Matthew 8:11).
III. THE BLESSINGS IN STORE FOR ALL THOSE TO WHOM HE IS MADE SALVATION. It was by the foresight of these that He was encouraged to prosecute the great and costly work He had undertaken. He is assured—
1. That by Him the souls of men should be freed from the bondage of guilt, and brought into the glorious liberty of God’s children (Isaiah 49:9).
2. That He should be enabled to provide for the comfortable passage of those whom He set at liberty to the place of their rest and happy settlement (Isaiah 49:9-11). These verses refer to the provision made for the Jews’ return out of their captivity, who were taken under the particular care of Divine providence; but it is applicable to that guidance of Divine Grace which all God’s spiritual Israel are under, from their release out of bondage to their settlement in the heavenly Canaan.
(1.) They shall have their charges borne and shall be fed at free cost with food convenient. “They shall feed,” &c. Now, as formerly, God leads Joseph like a flock. When God pleases, even highway ground shall be good ground for His sheep to feed in. Their pastures shall be not only in the valleys, but “in all high places,” which are commonly dry and barren. Wherever God brings His people, He will take care they shall want nothing that is good for them (Psalms 34:10). So well shall they be provided for, that “they shall not hunger nor thirst;” for what they need they shall have seasonably, before their need of it comes to any extremity.
(2.) They shall be sheltered and protected from everything that would incommode them. “Neither shall the heat nor sun smite them,” for God causes “His flock to rest at noon” (Song of Solomon 1:7). No evil thing shall befall those who put themselves under Divine protection; they shall be enabled to bear “the burden and heat of the day.”
(3.) They shall be under God’s gracious guidance (Isaiah 49:10). He will lead them, as He did His people in the old time through the wilderness. The world leads its followers by broken cisterns, or brooks that fail in summer; but God leads those that are His “by the springs of water.” He will furnish them with suitable and seasonable comforts.
(4.) Those whom God guides shall find a ready road and all obstacles removed (Isaiah 49:11). He that in times past made the sea a way, now with as much ease will make the mountains a way, though they seem impassable. The causeway shall be raised, to make it both the plainer and the fairer. The ways in which God leads His people, He Himself will be the overseer of, and will take care that they be kept in good repair, as of old the ways that led to the cities of refuge. Though there be difficulties in the way to heaven, which we cannot by our own strength get over, yet the grace of God will be sufficient to help us over them, and to make even the “mountains a way.”—Matthew Henry: Commentary, in loco.
CHRIST DESPISED AND HONOURED
Isaiah 49:7. Thus saith the LORD, … to him whom man despiseth, &c.
This verse has been called “a prelude of chap. 53.” It anticipates that minute and graphic exhibition of the Messiah’s sufferings and glories, which we have so often pondered, and prize so highly. In brief compass it states the leading points presented in that chapter. This is the twig which is there expanded into a magnificent tree. Here, as there, the prophet transports himself into the time when our Lord lived and suffered on earth, and stands at the point of transition between the humiliation and the exaltation. The shame, the indignities, the rejection, the cruel sufferings are stated as present facts: the glory, the honour, the worship, the world-wide influence are viewed as future. When Jesus died upon the cross, and His body was consigned to Joseph’s tomb, His degradation seemed complete, His cause hopeless. His persecutors never dreamt that He would ever be heard of again, and even the faith of His disciples was shaken (Luke 24:21). Never were surmises more signally falsified; never were fears and doubts more effectually relieved than when the Redeemer rose on the third day, and, after showing Himself to His disciples, ascended to the seat of honour and power. From this time onward His career is an entire reversal of the circumstances connected with His previous earthly course.
I. View the prophecy in its historical fulfilment. “The sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow” form the great theme of Old Testament prediction, and in this one verse, which contains the substance of chap, 53, both the sufferings and the subsequent glory are clearly foretold.
1. Look at the features of His humiliation. The Messiah is spoken of as one “whom man despiseth (or of contemptible soul), whom the nation abhorreth, a servant of rulers.” In these successive clauses the number of Christ’s enemies is narrowed from men to the Jewish people, and from the Jews to their rulers; but the feelings of hostility and the active opposition became more intense, passing from contempt to abhorrence, and from abhorrence to the infliction of cruel sufferings and abject degradation, culminating in the death of a slave. In Him men saw nothing to attract their admiration,—none of that earthly greatness and outward display which captivate the mob. His meekness and holiness repelled them, and His lowly station rendered Him an object of contempt (Isaiah 53:2-3). By the Jews he was regarded with abhorrence. He did not answer to their carnal notions, He shocked their prejudices: they reasoned from His sufferings and mean condition to His character, inferring that for some sin He was the object of the Divine displeasure, not knowing that the sin was their own. In fanatical zeal their rulers condemned Him to die a shameful death. Thus was He rejected by all classes. His cross was an offence. His mission, character, and work were strangely misunderstood. The ignorance and blindness of His adversaries explain their treatment of Him (Acts 3:17; 1 Corinthians 2:8). The power and passions of the world were arrayed against Him.
2. His subsequent honours and influence. Behold how changed is the estimate formed of Him! Even kings rise from their thrones to pay Him homage, and princes worship Him, implying that if those of highest rank acknowledge His claims and bow before His throne, those of meaner position will likewise do so. Already we can witness the fulfilment in part of this prophecy, but more remains (Psalms 72:11). The King of kings and Lord of lords has won the love and allegiance of all ranks, and sovereigns have given Him their personal service and the homage of their hearts. Crowned heads have appeared in the meetings of the Evangelical Alliance, and shown a deep interest in its proceedings. The Redeemer has won His conquests from all classes; all ranks grace His triumph. “The servant of rulers” has become their Master.
3. The explanation of this surprising change in men’s attitude towards Christ. All hinges on the word “see.” That is the secret of the transition. Men are brought to see the truth in reference to Christ’s person, character, and work. The veil is removed from their heart (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). They see the glory of the cross, the love and justice displayed in redemption. The Godhead of Christ, the surpassing beauty of His character, and the necessity and efficacy of His sacrifice flash upon their minds, and revolutionise their views and feelings. The real cause of their hostility was that they would not “come and see.” Honest inquiry removes every stumblingblock in the way of faith. The lowliness of the suffering Saviour would become His strongest attraction, for to this He condescended in His love for the guilty (2 Corinthians 8:9).
4. The result of this transition. “Because of, or for the sake of the Lord, who is faithful.” It manifests the Father’s faithfulness to His Son in crowning Him with the promised reward of His work (Isaiah 53:10-12), and to mankind in accomplishing the long-foretold redemption. When “every knee shall bow to Christ,” it will redound “to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11).
II. View the prophecy as a description of our own spiritual history. Once, it may be, we were indifferent to Christ and despised Him in our hearts, evading the very thought of Him. But now we have tasted and seen that the Lord is gracious. God has shown us the madness of despising His Son (Galatians 1:15-16). Our experience resembles that of the Jewish converts as expressed in chap. Isaiah 53:2-6. They who hid their faces in shame at the sight of the Messiah now own Him as their Saviour. There is nothing in Him to draw the carnal eye. The sensual mind has no appreciation of His excellence; the self-deluded and impenitent can dispense with His sacrifice; the sin-loving soul is repelled by His holiness; the ignorant and indifferent disregard Him. If the unbeliever studies Christ at all, he is forced to maintain that He is not the Son of God, and that His death was the merited punishment of His claim to be the Son of God. But he whose eyes have been opened is entranced by the vision of His divine glory and self-sacrificing love (Ephesians 5:8; John 9:25; 2 Corinthians 5:17). “Would that all of us could see the glory of the cross, the true character and dignity of the Redeemer! As preachers we do all in our power to draw aside the veil of ignorance and prejudice, that the glories of Christ might break upon the benighted soul. What think ye of Christ, then? Do you despise Him, or do you worship Him?—William Guthrie, M.A.
THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
Isaiah 49:7. The Lord that is faithful.
This verse contains a promise of the future honour that should await the Redeemer, and of the success which should crown His work. Because Jehovah is faithful in the fulfilment of His promises, He will assuredly bring this to pass, and the fact that the Messiah shall be thus honoured shall be traced entirely to the faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God.
I. THE NATURE, CHARACTERISTICS, AND MANIFESTATIONS OF THE DIVINE FAITHFULNESS.
1. What is faithfulness in relation to God? It is that absolute perfection of the Deity by which He is true in Himself, and by which it is impossible for Him not to fulfil whatever He has promised, or not to bring to pass whatever He has purposed. “It is the attribute that pledges to man in infinite condescension—for it is the most anthropopathic of all His attributes—the fulfilment of every specific promise based upon the economy of His righteousness” (Dr. Pope). It is necessarily implied in His holiness. Testimonies of Scripture at once explain and prove this view of Divine truth, and place this topic in a clear and convincing light (Numbers 23:19; Psalms 36:5; Psalms 6; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:2; Hebrews 6:16-18; Hebrews 10:23; Titus 1:2; 1 John 1:9).
2. What are the distinguishing characteristics of the Divine faithfulness? It is declared to be—Established (Psalms 89:5). Unfailing (Psalms 89:33; 2 Timothy 2:13). Great (Lamentations 3:23). Incomparable (Psalms 89:8). Infinite (Psalms 36:5). Everlasting (Psalms 119:90; Psalms 146:6).
3. How is the Divine faithfulness manifested?
(1.) In the triumphs of Christianity in the world. See text and context, with records in “The Acts of the Apostles.” Modern triumphs of the Gospel at home and abroad.
(2.) In forgiving sin. Sinners repenting of their sin, and confessing it, are assured that God “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).
(3.) In the preservation and establishment of believers. Believers oppressed by the weariness of the way, and their own instability, are reminded that “the Lord is faithful,” &c. (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
(4.) In the entire sanctification of believers. The saints, encouraged to aspire to perfect holiness of body, and soul, and spirit, are assured that faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
(5.) In the relations which He sustains. As a King, Friend, Father, &c.
(6.) In the afflictions of the godly (Psalms 119:75).
(7.) In the fulfilment of His promises. However apparently improbable (1 Kings 8:20; Psalms 111:5; Psalms 132:11; Micah 7:20; Hebrews 10:23). “There is not a promise which God has made but what either He has kept it, or else, being dated for the future, He will keep it when the time appointed comes.” “If God were to forget His engagements, He would cease to be God.”
These passages carry the Divine fidelity into the entire process of personal salvation from beginning to end.
II. THE LESSONS WHICH THE DIVINE FAITHFULNESS SHOULD TEACH US.
1. How it ought to warn the wicked! It is remarkable that this attribute is never expressly connected with the Divine threatenings, though equally applicable to it. God will inflict the punishment which He has denounced against sin (H. E. I., 2180–2184, 2296–2299, 4603–4610).
2. How it ought to encourage the penitent! The promises of forgiveness and grace are to be relied on with the utmost possible confidence.
3. How it ought to promote the abiding graces of the Christian life! Increase and strengthen our faith. Why mistrust Him? [1498] Raise and animate our hope (Psalms 39:7; Psalms 146:5; Jeremiah 17:1). Augment and intensify our love.
[1498] “What makes you think that God will never forsake them that trust in Him?” was asked of an aged Christian. “Because He has promised,” was the reply. “And what makes you think that He will keep His word?” “Because He never yet broke it.” Here is encouragement for us all! Here is cause to cry aloud,—“Though He slay me,” &c. The past declares God’s faithfulness, the present confirms it, and the future will only make more clear His fidelity and truth.
4. How it should encourage pleading prayer! (Psalms 143:1). “We should turn God’s promises into prayers, and He will turn His promises into performances, for with God saying and doing are not two things, as they often are with men. God will do as He hath said”—(Henry). “Thou hast said”—a mighty plea in prayer.
5. How it should incite us to bear our personal testimony! Every trusting soul can say, like Joshua (Joshua 21:45). This testimony we should bear (Psalms 40:10; Psalms 89:1).
6. How it should teach us to cultivate faithfulness in all its forms and degrees!
(1). To God. “Be ye followers”—imitators—“of God as dear children,” Faithful as servants, &c. Faithful to His word—in holding it, and in seeking to spread it.
(2.) To our fellow-men. “The fruit of the Spirit is faith”—fidelity (Galatians 5:22). True religion makes a man faithful—as a neighbour, friend, father, husband, son. He is faithful to his fellow-men. All pretensions of being the subject of the renewing influence of the Spirit, when such fidelity does not exist, are deceitful and vain.—Alfred Tucker.