he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength--
He says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:5-6)
In these verses, Isaiah is prophesying about the Messiah, who was yet to be born. Jesus, who stepped down from the throne and came to the earth through the womb of the virgin girl Mary, was to come and ‘gather Israel to himself’. This is speaking of a time yet in our future, when our Redeemer returns. This great gathering of Israel is also the time the prophet Zechariah spoke of:
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah 12:10)
But through Isaiah, the Spirit of God also says that ‘it is too small a thing’ for the Messiah to save Israel – He is to first bring salvation to the Gentiles (meaning the rest of the world). Make no mistake – it doesn’t matter where you are from or what you’ve done – Jesus died for you!
This is what the Lord says--
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel--
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” (Isaiah 49:7)
For a King to save His chosen people is a wonderful feat, but for our King it is too small a thing!
#LoveMatters