Isaiah 49 begins the second section of the last part of Isaiah’s book. In the previous section, chapters 40-48, there was the court scene with the trial between the Lord and the pagan idols. Cyrus, who would act as the deliverer for Israel from captivity and the fall of Babylon, was in the forefront. Isaiah also expounded on the majesty of the Lord’s and Israel’s relationship to Him as the Servant and Witness in the midst of a pagan world. These subjects, as well as Cyrus, will still appear in the rest of the book of Isaiah, but they will fade into the background. Isaiah 49-55 sets forth the character, the mission, and the achievement of the Divine Servant, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. In these chapters of Isaiah his major themes come to the forefront: The Messiah, His kingdom, and its glory.
This Sunday in our Adult Bible Study, we will continue our study on Isaiah by focusing on chapter 49.