Isaiah 49 begins a new section of the book. Whereas chapters 40-48 focused, more or less, on Cyrus as the deliverer of Israel from Babylon, chapters 49-55 look beyond him to focus on the coming of God’s true Servant, Jesus Christ. He is the only One able to do something about the sin which got the people into this dilemma in the first place. He will graciously do for Israel what Israel could not do for itself. His servanthood will make possible theirs—and ours. The first “Servant Song” (42:1-7) introduced the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and the second one (49:1-6) adds to this revelation. In both places, the Servant embodies all that Israel should have been. He is the ideal Israel, and yet He is distinct from, and thus able to save, Israel. This time, the Servant Himself speaks, calling for the entire world to listen to what He is going to reveal. God has set Him apart from the womb, perfectly equipping Him to fulfill His task at the appointed time. Unlike the violent conquerors of human history, the Servant of the Lord prevails by His word (v 1-3). It may surprise us to hear Him say, “I have labored in vain,” but Jesus’ earthly mission did not come across as one continual triumph. He was despised and rejected. Sometimes He felt frustrated; and in the end, He felt abandoned. But in all His setbacks, He trusted God and remained faithful. Not only will Christ succeed in His mission to renew Israel, He will have a worldwide impact as God’s appointed “light for the nations.” By Him, we are finally able to see clearly, for He replaces our gloom and confusion with joy and truth (v 4-6). This present world despises the humble Servant, but no one will be able to deny His final victory. In Christ, God has promised to gather a people and save them. So as we journey toward His eternal kingdom, Jesus thoughtfully cares for us and faithfully leads us all the way home. Anyone can be a part of Christ’s restoring work. Come to Him; there is room for you! All of creation joins the celebration, singing for joy at what God will do for His people (v 7-13). But the next verse seems to let all the air out of the balloon! “But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me’” (v 14). How hard it is for some Christians to be happy! When we hear God’s Word, we worship. But then we look at our problems and sink into despair. So what does God do? He goes on to speak more words of reassurance and comfort. Always attentive to our needs, the LORD will never abandon us. His love is more mindful than even the love of a tenderly nursing mother (v 15-21). And He is our triumphant King, ruling and overruling in history to our eternal advantage (v 22-26).  For further meditation: