Okay, we have made our way to Isaiah 49, which is the beginning of what I consider the most interesting part of Isaiah. Obviously, the first 39 chapters laid a lot of the ground. for where he was going in the second half, in the first part of the second half, these first 10 chapters or so, or eight chapters, I guess, nine, I can't add, 40 to 48, that would be nine. Nine chapters, he really shares, God shares with us what he's all about, and the fact that he is the creator, that he is the one who is above all things, he is above all these idols. My favorite verse in that whole section is where it says, you got to carry the idols, but I carry you, which I think is just really powerful. And my second new favorite verse in the book of Isaiah is what I call the Sandy verse, which is God basically does whatever he wants. and which is very powerful, you know, and so forth. So now, we are Isaiah 49, and let's just get right to it. It says, listen, or shema, listen to me, O islands. When it says O islands, that's the same word that is oftentimes translated coastlands, and what it means is the places that are inhabited as to be opposed from the places which are uninhabited. If you lived in Australia, this would make a lot of sense because they only inhabit the coastlands. Everything inland is bush, as they like to call it, the bush. And so that's kind of what was the case here as well. If you look at most of the areas that were inhabited in those days in that part of the world, it was always around a river, or always around a lake, or always around the Mediterranean Sea and so forth. Of course, the reason for that is pretty obvious, if you think about it. Communication, or it's not communication, travel rather, was able to be done by the river and by the sea. Obviously water is an important element when there's all sorts of desert around you. And so they didn't inhabit areas that were away from the coastline. So he's saying here, listen to me, oh coastlands or oh islands, and then this is really good, and pay attention. So not only does he say, listen, shema, but he says, pay attention, which I think is really just such an interesting thing. That's a, the word there for pay attention in Hebrew is chwashab, which is a word that's really only used like in poetry. It's sort of a, if we were talking, it'd be kind of like an old word. that would be used primarily, not one that would be spoken a lot. So he's saying to them, shema, a word that would be used a lot, and then he's saying kwashab, which means, you know, like in poetry, you need to pay attention to what's gonna be, it's gonna be said. So he says, so pay attention, listen, pay attention, and now this is what he wants to pay attention to, listen to this, okay? He says, the Lord called me from the womb. Now remember, there were no chapter breaks. This is just a continuation of what we read in 48. And remember, 48, it was God speaking, but of course, in verse 16, it says, come near to me, listen to this, in 48, from the first I have not spoken a secret, from the time it took place, I was there, and now the Lord God has sent me, and his spirit, the picture of the triune Godhead, but more importantly, This is the second part of the Godhead that's actually speaking here. It's not God himself, because he says the Lord God sent him. So we see this one who is being sent. So whenever the scripture talks about that, typically it has to do with Messiah. And what's interesting to me is that this section of scripture, this 49 to 57, which is this whole thing about the servant, Traditionally in Judaism, ancient Judaism, especially if you get back into the early discussions of this particular area, always referred to the Messiah. But once believers, once Christians started to use this as a proof text for the fact that Jesus was in fact the Messiah, The Jewish rabbis and the higher critics in Judaism basically said, oh no, no, no, he's not talking about the Messiah, he's talking about Israel. So whenever he's talking about the servant, he's talking about Israel. Well, that is actually a true statement in parts of scripture, because the word ihad, which of course is this word that's used for servant here, can be used in a variety of ways. They can be used as a slave, for example, but there wouldn't be any slaves in Israel, but it is used to describe Israel from time to time. But I believe, as I said in my email last night, for those of you that actually read it, Come on, that was seven. And remembered. And remembered, exactly. As I said in my email last night, the thing that's interesting about this word in this context is that it has a specific indication that it is messianic. It is uniquely messianic in this particular sense because of the way in which it's written. So listen, he's saying pay attention, listen. And what does he say this into? The Lord called me from the womb and from the body of my mother he named me. Now this is a very interesting section of scripture because if you know anything about Judaism, you know that most Jewish people consider their lineage from their mother. And they get it from this verse. Isn't that interesting? So they come to this place where they say, well, the lineage comes from the mother. Now what's interesting about that is that there isn't any place in scripture other than this spot where it says that we get our lineage from our mother. In every other place, the lineage is always from the father. But it's right here, it says your lineage is from your mother. So I started looking through scripture, trying to find another place in scripture where it says you get your lineage from your mother. How many do you think I found? Zero. Zero. Isn't that interesting? So here we have this one spot where the Jewish higher critics basically say, this is about Israel. And of course, this is, you know, we know that because we get our lineage from our mother, but yet there's no place else in scripture except here where it says you get your lineage from your mother. So who is the one person in history where we know his lineage is exclusively from his mother? And of course, that would be Jesus. Go to Matthew chapter 1 and read it. It's very clear. It says that the angel Gabriel comes and visits Mary and her soon-to-be husband and says, don't fear, because the child that you're with is not a problem. It's of the Holy Spirit. And he says, and you shall call his name Jesus, Yeshua, because he is going to save, Yeshua means salvation. You shall call his name salvation, for he shall save his people from their sins. So look at this in context. It says, the Lord called me from the womb and from the body of my mother, he, what? Name me. So we see this exact situation going on in this context. Now, I'm not finding fault with anybody who says that Jewish people have taken on this idea that you find your lineage from your mother. Fine. I don't really have an argument one way or the other. Whatever. It doesn't make any difference. But that's not applying here. That's not what's going on here. This is a very unique situation because it goes further. Listen to what it says. He has made my mouth like a sharp sword. We did the book of the Revelation. It says that when Jesus appeared to John, he appeared as this figure, and out of his mouth, it says he had a double-edged sword. and that his mouth was as a double-edged sword. When we see the message to the churches in Revelation 2, on two different occasions in the message to the churches, he says, and he spoke from the tongue of his double-edged sword. At the end of Revelation says, when he's in judgment, it says that Messiah is going to stand there and out of his mouth comes a double-edged sword, which he uses to judge the quick and the dead. So this idea of that thing. The other thing that's fascinating is that how many times the New Testament writers spoke of this idea that the word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, it tells us. and cutting down and being able to go to the marrow, right to the marrow of the problem. So it's just so many interesting analogies here. So he's made my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand he has, this is interesting, he has hidden me or he has concealed me. The word hidden or concealed there is Chabah. We get the word chuppah from that, which means covering. If you've ever been to a Jewish wedding, you know that they have a covering that goes over the bride and the groom. Typically it's held with four poles and it's held by the people that are the attendants to the bride and the groom. And they hold this chuppah, this covering over them. But within Judaism itself, that word is very important because we also get the word chabad from that word. And Chabad is a sect of Lubavitch or Orthodox Judaism, which basically is all about revealing that which is hidden. And so, hence the idea of being Chabad, or concealed. And he says, in the shadow of his hand, he has concealed me, he has hidden me, he has protected me. And we of course see this, that when Jesus came, wasn't it true that he had to be taken off to Egypt and be hidden away? He had to be protected when he was a child. God made provision for him all the way up until the time of his crucifixion, where people wanted to take him and kill him, but he said, no, my time is not upon me, and God would hide him away. So again, he says, by the shadow of his hand, he has concealed me. He has also made me a select or a sharp arrow. If you think about the speech of Jesus, he had the ability to cut right to the quick of a person and understanding that. And so everything about him was being revealed here in this text. in this beautiful picture. And he said to me, this is an interesting thing, because again, this is where a lot of the critics say, well, this must be talking about Israel. He said to me, you are my servant, Israel, in whom I will show my glory. Now, in the context of what's going on here, I believe there's a preposition that's been left out. And the preposition is to. So it should read, I believe, it should read, and he said to me, you are my servant to Israel. Not, this is my servant, Israel, because it doesn't jive. He doesn't go on and say anything. Look at what he says there in verses four, five, and six. He says, but I said, I have toiled in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing in vanity, yet surely the justice due to me is with the Lord, and my reward is with my God. And now, says the Lord, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him. Well, as we've talked about throughout this entire section, or excuse me, through the study of Isaiah, when he talks about Jacob, he's talking about Israel and Judah. He's talking about the entire nation. And so he's saying to them, he says, this servant is going to bring back Jacob to God. Well, if in fact the servant is Israel, how can Israel bring back Israel? It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't work in the context of what is written here. And there's no indication, to me at least, that Israel is doing any of these things. And so he goes on, he says, and now, but here's what's really cool about four and five. It starts with the Chuck Morrison word. But, okay, but. So this is kind of like, you know, God has set up these things, he's doing that, but. And what is he saying? I have toiled in vain. And by the way, that could be a good argument. Because if you were looking at what Jesus ultimately went through, and then that finally gets taken off, that had to be the thoughts of people around him. Oh, he must have toiled in vain. I mean, there's just no way. I don't know about you, but I'm sure there are times in your life, as there were in Jesus' life, where he just felt like this was going nowhere. This was just like, what's going on here? And he says, but I said, I have toiled in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing in vanity, yet surely justice to me is with the Lord and my reward is with God. Go over to John chapter 17. Another one of those. John 17. Go to John 17. So just before Jesus was taken to his crucifixion, he had this time where he was able to go into the garden alone. There was a great song about that. I went to the garden alone. And he went to the garden and he went there alone. And this is what he prayed. Let me read the first five verses. It says this. These things Jesus spoke, And lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son, that the son may glorify you. Even as you gave him authority over all mankind, that to all whom you have given him, he may give eternal life. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah, whom you have sent. I glorify you on earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do." That is such a powerful statement. I have finished the work. I have accomplished the work. The word finish there is the Greek word telios, which means to come to a complete end, to be perfect, to have the, you know, this idea of completeness and so forth, perfection. And he says, so I have perfected the work or accomplished the work or finished the work which you have given me to do and now glorify Glorify me together with yourself, Father, with the glory which I have with you before the world was. So I look at this and I see Jesus basically making this cry out. He realizes he's done everything that he can possibly do at this point. and he knows it is finished, it is complete. And that's basically what this expression here in Isaiah is saying. Now again, remember, this is God speaking. This is not Isaiah speaking. This is Isaiah quoting God. This is what God is speaking to him. He says, but I have said, I have toiled in vain and spent my strength for nothing in vanity, and surely the justice is due me. And now says the Lord, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him in order that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God is my strength." So the message is, he called me from the womb, he named me from the womb, the Lord has made my mouth like a sharp sword, he has chabad him, he has kept him secret, and he has made him like a sharp arrow, The sharp arrow thing is interesting because what that says to me is that he's given him a very specific purpose and he's given him very specific timing. If you remember what he said there in John chapter 17, he says, the time has come. Let me just read it one more time, just so you remember. He says, Father, the hour has come. So this idea that he's a sharp arrow, is it has purpose, but it has very specific timing as well. And that you're gonna be my servant to Israel, and you're gonna do it to show my glory. And again, there in John chapter 17, we read that over and over and over, that your glory might be revealed through me, that this might happen. Paul, in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, said that the manifestation of God is shown to us and the glory of God is revealed to us in the face of Messiah Jesus. So this is, to me, one of those just incredible sections which, I don't know, every time I read it, I get kind of like more excited about it. But it's incredible because it's just over and over and over. Look at what he says in verse six. He says, he says, is it too small a thing? Is it too small a thing? That's such an interesting expression. Is it too small a thing that you should be my servant? to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will also make you a light to the Gentiles." Now, Paul recognized that this was such an important verse when he was talking in the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 13. And we'll go to Acts chapter 13. I wasn't gonna read it, but we can go there. Acts chapter 13. I just gotta find it. This is in his first missionary journey, be towards the end of the chapter. Yeah, verse 44. It says, in the next Sabbath, nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God. But when the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul and were in fact blaspheming. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to the Jewish people first. Since you repudiated, however, judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For thus the Lord spoke through Isaiah, I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles. that you should bring salvation to the end of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they began glorifying or rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was beginning to be spread throughout the whole region. So we see this, I believe that was in Thessalonica. I'm not 100% sure of that, but I'm pretty sure that's where it was. And so the point is, is that We see this great revelation of God that this servant is not only going to reach out to the Jewish people, but he's going to reach out to the Gentiles as well. And I would suggest, show me a time in Scripture, show me a time in history, forget about just Scripture, don't limit it to that, just in history, where the Jewish people as a people reached out to the Gentiles and brought them in. It just never has happened. It's just the opposite. They have always been in a position where they were being exiled by the Gentiles, and the truth is we see that even happening and playing out even in our own day today. Since October 7th, we see this incredible event where the Jewish people were attacked. And what's their response? Their response is not to bring the Gentiles in, but it's to attack back. And so we see that kind of thing. I'm not finding fault with that. I'm just saying that's basically what's going on. And so he's saying here, he says, I will make you a light to the Gentiles so that my salvation may reach the end of the earth, as Paul said there in Acts chapter 13. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One. You see the triune nature of God revealed again, the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and His Holy One. to the despised one, to the one abhorred by the Gentiles, to the servant of rulers. Kings shall see and arise. Princes shall also bow down, because the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." Oh, man. I mean, this is incredible. this idea that he's called the despised one, and we're gonna read as we get a little bit further in, when we get to Isaiah 53, it says, he was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Exactly, and we're proof of that. Look around the room. They don't. Again, this is kind of futuristic. It hasn't happened. Maybe someday it might happen again. This is interesting because I see this amongst not only higher critics within Judaism, but higher critics within Christianity as well. They come to Scripture with a preconceived mentality. For example, they preconceive that God could not have possibly have told Isaiah 150 years before Cyrus was born that Cyrus was going to live and that he was going to redeem the people. So what do they do? They come to him and say, well, then it must have been written in two different times. We're going to see when we get to Isaiah 51, he's going to talk directly about Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar didn't exist when this was written, supposedly. So they go, oh, that was written again. It must have been written at a different time. He's talking about Nebuchadnezzar as well. So again, we see this idea that we want to make our scenario kind of fit, and that's a problem. if you don't believe in a miraculous God. If you don't believe that God can do prophetic things, that God can speak before things ever happen, that's a problem. And that's really what, if you think about it, most people struggle with. What's up? I don't know. Orlando, are you there? I don't know. Can't hear you. Okay, no problem. We just want to make sure you're still there. So this incredible picture that he lays here, to the despised one, to the abhorred by the Gentiles, to the servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes shall also bow down, because the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, has chosen you. And of course, when Jesus was born, we saw that exact event take place, that these guys came out of the east, kings and so forth, and laid frankincense down to him and so forth. Verse eight, thus saith the Lord, in a favorable time I have answered you, in the day of salvation I have helped you, and I will keep you and give you for a covenant of the people to restore the earth, to make them inherit the desolate heritages." So again, we see this picture being played out that he's appointed at a particular time that God had all of this worked out. To me, I remember the first time I taught the book of Daniel, and I was teaching on the 70 weeks of Daniel. And I read an article where a guy actually took and broke down the 70 weeks of Daniel from the time that it was actually written, from the time that it was decreed, until the time that Jesus came, and it was precisely that amount of years. It was precisely the amount of years that Daniel had laid out. Incredible. And so we see those kinds of things that God at His timing and in His timing is going to do all of this. And then we see verses 9 through 12, really. Let's read that. Saying to those who are bound, actually the word there is just saying to those who are prisoners, actually, go forth. To those who are in darkness, show yourselves. Along the roads they will feed, and their pasture will be on barren heights. In other words, in the high places. I just think is fascinating because it's the complete opposite of the way it is in life. For the most part, God always brings us to a valley to feed, not to a place where we're at the highest heights. And he says, Neither will the scorching heat or sun strike them down, for he who has compassion on them will lead them and will guide them to the springs of water. So we look at this particular section and we see something really remarkable. We see exactly what Jesus talked about in John chapters 4 and 5 and 6. Go over to John chapter 6, it's a good example. And in verse 35, it says this, he says, I am the bread of life. He who has come to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. And of course, if we go over to chapter four, we see that Jesus, when he was talking to the woman at the well, said, you drink of water and you only get temporary quenching of your thirst. But if you drink of this water that I give, I will give you living water that will last forever. And to me, it's just such a fascinating thing. But here's what's interesting about this particular thing. He says, they will not hunger their thirst, neither will the scorching sun or heat strike them down, for he who has compassion on them will lead them and will guide them to springs of water. Go to Revelation chapter 7. Because in the Revelation, we see this exact thing play out. So in Revelation chapter seven, it says this, starting at verse, we'll start at verse 15. For this reason, they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple, and he who sits in the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them, and they shall no longer hunger, neither shall they thirst anymore, neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat, for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to the springs of the waters of life, and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes." Which is precisely what Isaiah said. So we see this beautiful combination of where there's prophetic words, and then there's the fulfillments of those prophetic words. So we see the prophetic word here in Isaiah. We see the fulfillment of Jesus in the Revelation. So again, coming back to each and every one of these things, he says, and I will make all of my mountains a road. That's an interesting expression because if you've ever been in the mountains, as many of you certainly have, Randy has a place up in the mountains. One of the things that's interesting about the mountains is that you have to kind of make the roads around the mountains. You can't, the mountains themselves don't make the roads, just the other way around. He says, you got to make the ways around it. He says, and I will make all of my mountains a road. In other words, I'm going to give you safe passage. I'm going to allow you to get through all of these. And my highways will be raised up. Behold, these shall come from afar and low. These will come from the north and from the west. And these from the land of Shinim. Most scholars believe the land of Shinim is Asia, by the way. I have no idea. That's what I'm told. I couldn't tell you. I couldn't find any place else in scripture where it talked about it, but that's what they claim. And then he says this, great verse, verse 13, he says, shout for joy. Shout for joy, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth. Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains, for the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted. Why? Because the Messiah is coming. because the Messiah is coming and he's going to do these great things. He's going to be born, as Isaiah prophesied at the beginning, he said he'll be born of a virgin. He says, and behold, a virgin shall conceive, and you shall call his name Immanuel, meaning God with us. And so we see this incredible picture here of this great promise. And then from 14 down through the end of this chapter, We see a whole change in disposition in the book. And the change of disposition is really very simple. Now, he again starts it off with the Chuck Morrison word, but, and he changes direction and now he's going to give a very specific promise to Israel. A very specific promise to Zion in particular. He says, but Zion said, the Lord has forsaken me. The Lord has forgotten me. If ever there is an expression which has become common within Judaism or amongst Jewish people, it is this idea that God has forgotten them. It, to me, is the most common thing. When I speak with Jewish people, especially when I talk to them about the Lord, almost the immediate response that you'll get from most Jewish people, even to this day, is, yeah, you know, but he could really pick somebody else. you know i really wish you know we were not the promise people like you know i i really would like him to promise it to somebody else because this is not been fun you know uh... and in fact it was interesting i was watching other news the other night and uh... there was a guy that They were remembering the massacre that happened up at the Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh five or six years ago now, and they were remembering that, and the reporter was talking to this guy from the Anti-Defamation League, and The reporter said to the guy from the Anti-Defamation League, he says, you know, both of us are Jews. A very rare reporter will make a statement, but you could see this was really a big deal to him. He says, both of us are Jews. Why does this happen to us? It was really an interesting, and it was asking a very honest and very straight forward way. Why does this kind of stuff happen to us? And a guy at the Anti-Defamation League had nothing to say. He's like, you know, I don't know. I mean, that was an honest answer, too. I have no idea. But there was no talk of the fact that God was even involved in any way, shape, or form, plus, minus, or otherwise. When you talk to Jewish people today, the whole idea that God is even involved, unless it's in a negative way, because you know you oftentimes you'll talk to people about the holocaust in the media said how could dot god of allowed something like that worldwide what you did you did well again yeah that's right now like to do in israel and you know but but again it's it's it's this you know this this root of anti-semitism, which has always existed. But the Jewish people, by and large, worry about the fact that God maybe has forsaken them. And so Isaiah asks, or God, basically, I'm sorry, this reporting of Isaiah, God says to them, you know, I hear you. I hear you saying, you know, the Lord has forsaken me. And he answers it. It was a rhetorical question, really, because he says, can a woman forget her nursing child? I want you to just think about that statement. Can a woman forget her nursing child? Anyone in this room who has ever nursed a child knows that you could forget about the child you nursed once he's become belligerent and 17 years old. But when he's seven or eight days old, you're not forgetting that child. Yes, you don't want anything to do with a belligerent 17-year-old. I get that. But he's not saying that. He says, can a woman forget her nursing child? They're not nursing at 17, but they are nursing at 7 days, and 10 days, and 20 days, and sometimes it's longer into a couple of years for some people. But can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? I mean, it's one of those statements that I can't even imagine anybody coming up with any other answer than, of course not. There's no way. It can't happen. By the way, did you notice he answered that so that no was the correct answer? That's between us. And so, just thought I'd point that out. A little sidebar between Summer and me. And he says, even those may forget, but I will not forget you. I will not forget you. Paul talks about this in Romans chapter 11. And in Romans chapter 11, he says, there's a reason that God will not forget them. He will never forget Israel. And the reason he will never forget them, two reasons, one is it's all by grace. It has never been by deeds. And he says, and if it's grace, then it has to be by grace. And if it's by works and it has to be by works and it can't be, it can't be any difference. So it's by grace. And then secondly, and this is the bigger issue, He says, and the gifts and the callings of God are without repentance. Meaning God does not change his mind. God is the same yesterday. God is the same today. God is the same forever. So this message that he's giving here is just so powerful. And so he says, Israel, I'm not gonna forget you. I have never forgotten you. I will do everything to redeem you. And just this incredible thing, but look at where he goes here. He says, behold, I have inscribed you on the palm, just actually of my hands is added there. He says, I have inscribed you on my palms. Why would he say that? Why would he say on my palms? Well, I believe he said that because when Jesus took and was nailed to that place of crucifixion, he inscribed that on his palms. When you read John and you read John chapter 20, for example, and it says that Jesus appeared to his disciples and he showed them his pierced side and his pierced hands. In Psalm 22, it tells us that this one who is the Messiah is going to be redeeming us, and it says, and they pierced my hands and my feet. And I love what it says in Zechariah, when talking about the messianic cope, and it says in Zechariah 12 and verse 10, and we shall look upon him whom we have pierced, and we shall mourn as one mourns for his only son. You see, he did inscribe the Jewish people on his hands. He did that for them. But what's interesting is, according to this chapter, he not only did it for them, but he did it for everyone. He did it for Jew. He did it for Gentile, all Gentiles. He did it for Palestinians. He did it for, you know, people in Morocco. He did it for people in Europe. He did it for people in America. He did it for people wherever. That's why he pierced his hands, not just for the Jewish people, but for all. In fact, Paul says it this way. He says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel. of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first, but also to the Gentile. And so this incredible picture here, he says, behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are continually before me. In other words, your cities, your places where you dwell are ever before me. He says, your builders hurry, your destroyers and devastators will depart from you. So they build these beautiful places and people go and knock them down. And they do all of this kind of stuff. He says, lift up your eyes and look around. All of them gather together. They will come to you as I live, declares the Lord. You shall surely put all of them as jewels and bind them on as a bride. And your waste and desolate places and your destroyed land, surely now you will be too cramped for the inhabitants. and those who swallow you will be far away. The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, the place is too cramped for me. Make room for me that I may live here. Isn't it interesting that Israel and its original borders was this huge place, but Israel never actually dwelt in its huge place. It always was put into cramped areas, even to this day. If you ever look at the nation of Israel, it's the most bizarre layout of a country that you could ever imagine, because the Palestinians are given the West Bank, and they were also given Gaza. And there's this gap, it's about an eight mile gap between, or actually it's about an 18 mile gap, excuse me. But an 18 mile gap between those two, that's where Israel actually is. So Israel is in this little thing. And so the people are saying, we need to expand our borders, we need to do all these kinds of things. Exactly what Isaiah said they were gonna say. Exactly what they said it would say. He says, then, verse 21, then you will say in your heart, who has begotten these for me since I have been bereaved of my children, I am barren and exile and a wanderer. And the Jewish people have been saying that literally for 2000 years now. No matter where they go, they're in exile. Think about it. Before Israel, and even in Israel, you could argue they're still in exile. But the fact of the matter is that once they were forced out of their native land, and they literally had to go anywhere, and wherever they went, they were always second-class citizens. Always. Didn't matter how wealthy they became, didn't matter how successful they became, they were always second-class citizens. I'll give you an interesting little piece of just trivia. Take it for what it's worth. Anybody have any idea how many Arab people have ever won a Nobel Peace Prize, or any Nobel Prize, for that matter? Any Nobel Prize? Anybody want to guess? Zero. It would be zero. Sadat? Zero. OK. Never once. But I can't even count how many Jewish people have won Nobel Peace Prizes, Nobel Science Prizes, Nobel awards. It's just incredible. Somebody Google that. I'm just curious. Google how many Jewish people have ever won a Nobel Prize. Just anybody, just while we're here, if you would. I'm really curious as to the number. And then Google how many Arab people have ever won such prizes. It's an incredible thought. 65. 965. OK. More than 900. That's an incredible amount for people that are considered outcasts. I don't know that there's any other cultural group that has ever been more prominent in that regard. 12 Muslims. 12 Muslims? OK. So the point of the matter is, so I apologize. I was wrong. I was told it was zero. But the fact is that this is an incredible, vast difference. Would you all agree? For a people that's pretty small in their population. 22, thus says the Lord God, behold, I will lift up my hands to the nations and set up my standard to the people. He's talking there about his flag. He's talking about putting his, So when he talks about his standard, he's talking about ensign, he's talking about the flag. And he says, behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set my flag or my standard or my ensign to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their bosom and their daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. The kings will be your guardians, and their princesses, your nurses, they will bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick the dust of your feet, and you will know that I am the Lord." So the promise to Israel is pretty amazing. He is going to one day not only vanquish their oppressors, but he's going to make them lick their feet. I mean, that's a pretty incredible thing. The idea there, by the way, is not lick in the sense with your tongue. It's the idea of cleaning their feet, you know, washing their feet, okay? And then he says this, and this is one I've circled in my Bible. This verse I've circled, it says, those who hopefully wait for me will not be put to shame. You know, this is the second time in Isaiah where he says that he wants us to wait upon the Lord. For it tells us, and I think it's Isaiah chapter 40, verse 31 says, that those that wait upon the Lord shall rise up with wings like eagles and they shall run and not grow tired. You know, to me, this is just an incredible picture. Verse 24, can the prey be taken from the mighty man or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? It's an interesting expression, isn't it? Can the captives of a tyrant be rescued? Surely, thus says the Lord, even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, and the prey of the tyrant will be rescued. For I will contend with the one who contends with you, and I will save your sons." You know, God said to Abraham, He says, I will bless those that bless you. I will curse those that curse you. To me, this is just such an incredible picture here of what God is going to do. He's going to rescue those who are taken by tyrants. And that's exactly what he's saying to Israel here. He says, look, we know that these people are tyrants, but I'm gonna rescue you. I'm not going to allow you to be taken down. Even though people have tried, Hitler is a good example of that God continues to rescue his people and he says I will save your sons I will feed your oppressors verse 26 with their own flesh they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine and All flesh will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob." Again, God reversed himself in that trying nature one more time. You know, we look at these sections of Scripture and, you know, at least in my case, I revel in them because it's like I look at these and I go, wow. I mean, this stuff, I've actually, in my own life, I've seen this stuff actually take place. I've actually seen this fulfilled. I've seen this happen. And so when we see these incidences that are occurring even now within Israel, and we see the fighting and the infighting and this, that, and the other thing, Israel thinks they can do it on their own. And as long as they think they can do it on their own, they're going to struggle. But there's coming a time when they're going to realize that they don't have to do it on their own. God is going to do it for them. God is going to rescue them. God is the one who is going to be the prevailer. And he's telling, Isaiah is telling them that right now. You know, to me, one of the great sadnesses of Judaism is that they spend all of their time in the first five books and very little of their time in the remainder of the Scripture. But I'll tell you something, it's amazing. When you start talking to Jewish people and you start sharing with them the truth of the prophets, sharing with them the truth that's written here in Zechariah and in Isaiah and in Jeremiah and so forth, this is when Jewish people started going, wow, whoa, there's something to this. There's something to be said here. Now, I'm not suggesting that the Jewish rabbis ever tell their people not to study the prophets. They don't ever do that. That's not true. Jewish people are not prohibited from reading their own Bible. That's ridiculous to even think that. But the truth is, it's been very little time in these areas and they miss the opportunity. But I'm telling you, when I sit and I visit with Jewish people and we talk about these things, And we spend our time outside of the first five books, outside of the law, and we go to these incredible works of prophecy, and these incredible statements that are made about how God is going to redeem his people, and how God is going to raise them up, and how God is going to bring a Messiah who is going to be a servant, that he's going to be an abad, that he's going to be that one who comes and lowers himself. You can then very easily flip over to a verse like this one that I'm going to read in Philippians, where it says this. It says, Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking upon the form of a bondservant, That's an ibad, by the way, that's what that word means. He says, taking on the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men and being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself, being obedient even to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him a name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, those things which are in heaven and those things which are earth and those things which are under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Messiah, He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. That's what Isaiah is telling us. That is precisely what Isaiah is referring to. He's referring to this one who is going to be highly exalted. He's referring to this one who is, There we go. And we're gonna see that played out. So, great section of scripture. Love this particular piece. And we're gonna get into Isaiah 50 next week. Next couple of weeks, we'll be getting through to Isaiah 53. And we'll see just the complete picture as it's laid out in that area as well. So, let's end on a word of prayer. If anybody wants to ask a couple questions or whatever, we can certainly do that. So God, we thank you so much for watching over us, for blessing us, for giving us this opportunity to share your word. Lord, just let us grow by it. Let us see Jesus in these words as we thank you for him and we pray in his name. Amen.