Charles Spurgeon Commentary Isaiah 49

Listen, O isles, to me, and listen, you people from afar; The LORD has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother he has made mention of my name. And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he hid me; and said to me, You are my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Our Lord became. By his incarnation—by his very birth, so marvelous and mysterious—he became that servant of Jehovah by whom God would be glorified. He was, as it were, hidden away—like a sword in its master's scabbard—and concealed and protected—like an arrow hidden in its owner's quiver—until the time came for God to use him, and then God did use him both as a sharp sword and as a polished shaft.

Listen, O isles, to me; and listen, you people, from far;

It is very remarkable how constantly the isles are spoken of in this Book of Isaiah, as if it had been foreseen that, in these far-off islands of the sea, the name of Jesus would be greatly magnified.

"Listen," says the Messiah, "O isles, to me; and listen, you people, from far."

The LORD has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1)

Christ Jesus our Lord was spoken of by the spirit of prophecy from his very birth, and long before it. And when he came into the world and was born of the Virgin Mary, the stars of heaven spoke concerning him, and guided the wise men from the East to the place where the young child lay.

And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword;

There are no words anywhere so piercing as the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you are giving quotations from various authors, you need never write the name "Jesus" at the bottom of any of his words, for they proclaim their own origin. Never man spoke like this man.

In the shadow of his hand has he hid me, and made me polished shaft; in his quiver has he hid me;

The great weapon of God against sin is his Son Jesus Christ.

God has no such means of smiting evil, or effecting his purposes of love, as his own dear Son. This is the "polished shaft" which Jehovah delights to use.

Listen, O isles, to me; and listen, you people, from far; the Lord has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name. And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he hid me;

Our Lord Jesus, that great Prophet of the Church, was in a special manner the Lord's in the matter of His birth. A wondrous holy mystery hangs about His birth at Bethlehem—He was, in that respect, the Lord's in a very remarkable sense. he has made my mouth like a sharp sword. You know how our Lord's mouth, or the Word of His gospel that issues from His mouth, is like a sharp sword – how it conquers, – how it cuts its way, – how, wherever it comes, it pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. In the shadow of his hand has he hid me.

You know how the protecting hand of God always covered Christ, and how His gospel is always sheltered by the providence of God.

And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

It is wonderful condescension on Christ's part to take the name of his Church so that he himself is called "Israel" in this passage; and there is another passage, equally remarkable, where the Church is allowed to take one of the names of Christ: This is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness. Such an intermingling of interests, such a wonderful unit is there between Christ and his Church, that these two are truly one.