October 10, 2024: Isaiah 49:11-12 - God will Make a Way for His People

“And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.” - Isaiah 49:11-12

In this passage of Scripture from the book of Isaiah, let us go back and read what is in verse one of this chapter of Isaiah: It is Jesus Christ Himself who is speaking to us, and He is specifically addressing the Gentile/non-Jewish nations, which are referred to as “isles” and “people from far.”. Let us read again what Jesus said in Isaiah 49:1:

“Listen, O isles, unto me: and hearken, ye people, from far; the LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.” (Isaiah 49:1)

In Isaiah 49:6, Jesus told us that God said unto Him:

“And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

Jesus also told us:

“And now saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him. Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.” (Isaiah 49:5)

The book of Isaiah prophesied that Judah, which was part of the southern kingdom when the twelve tribes of Israel, once a unified nation, was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, would be conquered by Babylon. Isaiah prophesied that not only would Judah be conquered, but its people would be taken into captivity to Babylon. The ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel had already been conquered by Assyria and its people taken captive, and now Judah, comprised of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, was about to suffer the same fate but by the ruling nation of Babylon and its king, Nebuchadnezzar. God allowed this to happen because of the people’s many terrible sins against Him. Both Israel and Judah had terribly bad kings who had ruled over them. Though Judah did have some good kings, most of their kings had committed many sins against God. Prior to the people of Judah being taken into captivity, instead of worshipping Almighty God, the one true God, the mighty One of Jacob, the people worshipped pagan idols and false gods, and they even sacrificed their own children to these false gods. Let us read of Isaiah’s prophecy to Hezekiah, the king of Judah at that time and who was one of the few good kings. This prophecy was given long before Judah would be invaded and conquered by Babylon:

“At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue [descend] from thee, which shou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good [just] is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.” (Isaiah 39)

This prophecy of Isaiah was later fulfilled with stunning accuracy. King Hezekiah, though once was filled with pride, had humbled himself before God when He sent His wrath upon him. Not only did Hezekiah humble himself, but so too did the people of Jerusalem. God rewarded Hezekiah, and he lived out the rest of his life in peace. Afterwards, Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh became king, and he was an evil king that led the people of Judah once again into the worship of false gods. Though the king eventually did repent, he had done too much damage to the people of Judah, and they themselves did not repent and stood steadfast in their sins against God. (See: https://www.gotquestions.org/King-Manasseh.html) Ultimately, just as Isaiah had prophesied, Judah was conquered by Babylon and its people were taken into captivity. There were several deportations of the people of Judah as they were taken from their land and brought into Babylon. Let us read of one of them:

“In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim [the king of Judah, five kings after Hezekiah] became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands [troops] of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh [king Hezekiah’s son], according to all that he did; and also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers [died]: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. And he carried out thence all the treasurers of the house [temple] of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel [the last king of Israel when it was a unified nation] had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. And he carried away [took into captivity] all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt [fit] for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.” (2 Kings 24:1-16)

The Jewish prophet Daniel and his three friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were likely teenagers at the time, were four of the Jewish young men who lived in Judah and were taken into captivity in Babylon. Daniel wrote about this in the book of Daniel. They were made eunuchs, meaning they would be castrated so that they would not pose a threat to the king, and they were chosen to serve the king. Let us read what Daniel wrote in his opening chapter of his book:

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house [temple] of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs [castrated males], that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed [descendants], and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat [food], and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before [serve] the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel [whose Hebrew name means “God is my judge"] the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” (Daniel 1:1-9)

Just as Isaiah had prophesied decades prior that not only would the material treasures of Judah be taken away from them and brought to Babylon, but so too would the human treasures, the descendants of Hezekiah, young men, be taken away and castrated and would serve the king as eunuchs in his palace. Except for a small remnant of the most poor people in Judah who remained in Judah, the rest of them were deported to Babylon, just as Isaiah had prophesied.

Another Jewish prophet, Jeremiah, prophesied to the people of Judah during the first year of the reign of king Nebuchadrezzar, which is another name for Nebuchadnezzar, that because they had not listened to the words of God’s prophets who had warned them repeatedly to stop doing evil things and return to the Lord their God, that they would suffer the consequences of their sins against God. However, the people did not repent and return to the Lord. Consequently, God sent Jeremiah to tell them that God would send the king of Babylon to take them out of their land and bring them into captivity in Babylon for a period of seventy years. After the seventy years, God would then punish the king and the nation of Babylon because of their own sins:

“The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; the which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened [listened]. And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: and go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” (Jeremiah 25:1-12)

As prophesied above by Jeremiah, the people of Judah were taken to Babylon, and they did return to their land after 70 years’ captivity. In chapter 2 of the book of Ezra, it describes in detail the people, by family name, who returned to Jerusalem and Judah. I have only included the summary verses below:

“Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city...” (Ezra 2:1)

“The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore.” (Ezra 2:64)

Time and time again, the Jews have rebelled against God, and He has brought punishment to them in order for them to see they needed to repent and to return to Him. Through their many punishments, God has always preserved a remnant of His people, including the people of Israel when it was a divided nation of ten of the twelve tribes and was split from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Though Israel had many bad kings who ruled it, God still promised through the prophet Isaiah that he would preserve a remnant of the Jews of the northern kingdom of Israel who were taken to Assyria and that remnant would return to their land:

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay [depend] upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption [destruction] shall overflow with righteousness. For the LORD God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined [a determined end], in the midst of all the land. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.” (Isaiah 10:20-25)

During the Babylonian captivity, God, through His prophet Ezekiel, proclaimed woe upon the shepherds of Israel and that their flocks - the Jewish people - were scattered because they had no shepherd to lead them. The shepherds were the religious leaders who were supposed to feed and protect the people and teach them the word of God. Instead of feeding the people, the shepherds had only fed themselves. Ezekiel prophesied that God Himself be the shepherd. It would be He who would seek out His people, gather them, and bring them back into their own land. Let us read some of what Ezekiel wrote about these false shepherds:

“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat [food] to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; as I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to [food for] every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat [rich] pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.” (Ezekiel 34:1-16)

In this prophecy, God had nothing good to say about the shepherds of Israel. They had not taken care of the sheep, the people of Israel, and had left them to fend for themselves, causing them to stray and wander. When they did, the shepherds did not go looking for their sheep to bring them back into the fold, but just left them. While the shepherds grew fat and happy, the sheep became weak and frail and also prone to sinning because their shepherds had not properly instructed them in the ways of God. Because they were poorly fed, both physically and spiritually, the sheep were subject to disease and sickness and were vulnerable. They became prey to other nations. However, as written in the Scriptures below, it is not just the shepherds that God will judge but also the sheep themselves. The sheep that were faithful to Him will be judged as sheep but the ones that were not faithful to Him will be judged as goats. Ezekiel 34:17-22 describes this as a judgment between “cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats,” which I believe in the King James Version, it is a mistranslation, for in the Hebrew it reads, “between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.” (See https://biblehub.com/text/ezekiel/34-17.htm). The sheep will be in God’s flock and the rest, the goats, will not be part of God’s flock; those who are part of His flock will be saved, and those who are not, will not be saved:

“And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, [sheep and sheep], between the rams and the he [male] goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle [sheep] and between the lean cattle [sheep],. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle [sheep] and cattle [sheep].” (Ezekiel 34:17=22)

Because the shepherds did not lead and care for God’s sheep, God then tells the shepherds of Israel to whom He has just pronounced woe upon, that He will set up one shepherd over His people:

“And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and thy places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them [enslaved them]. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen [for the nations], neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in their land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 34:23-31)

There are different viewpoints as to whom the “one shepherd” God is referring, is it Jesus Christ or is it David, resurrected from the dead, or both? I think it is both. It is Jesus Christ who only can bring eternal peace, and that is by faith in Him. God refers to Jesus Christ as the “Prince of Peace,” and tell us that He is from the line of David:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy that the Messiah would come from the lineage of David when the word of the LORD was given unto Nathan the prophet to speak to King David. The first part of the prophecy refers to David’s son Solomon, who would reign as king after his father King David died, and who would build the great first Jewish temple. However, the second part of the prophecy refers to the Messiah - Jesus Christ - who would come from the line of David and whose kingdom would be established forever:

“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep [die] with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He [Solomon, David’s son] shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

I think it may be that after the tribulation period, when Jesus comes the second time and reigns upon the earth in righteousness and with a rod of iron for 1,000 years, prior to Him creating a new heaven and a new earth, that His servant David will be the shepherd in Israel. That is just my thought, and I very well could be wrong. What matters is that God knows, and His will, will be done. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, will be the shepherd not only over the Jewish people but of all people, both Jews and Gentiles, all over the world. Jesus referred to Himself as the “good shepherd.” The apostle Peter said, Jesus is the “chief shepherd.” The author of Hebrews said, Jesus is the “great shepherd”:

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (Jesus Christ; John 10:11)

“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (Jesus Christ; John 14-16)

“And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away,” (1 Peter 5:4)

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant…” (Hebrews 13:20)

In the prophecy above from Ezekiel 34:1-16 I believe there is a clue as to the timing when this will happen. Let us read again what it says:

“As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.” (Ezekiel 34:12-13)

This Scripture is referring to the day of the Lord. The Scripture above is referenced to Ezekiel 30:3. Let us read what is written in Ezekiel 30:1-3:

“The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl [wail] ye, Woe worth [to] the day! For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heaven [Gentiles].” (Ezekiel 30:1-3)

The day of the Lord begins when Jesus opens the seven seals that starts the 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, and will end with His second coming to earth from heaven, when He will destroy all who come against Him. It will also be when the surviving remnant of the Jewish people will mourn for their sins against Him, finally believing that He IS their Messiah. Jesus will gather all His people from where they have been scattered and bring them back into their land. Jesus’ second coming will end the time of the Gentile reign upon the earth, and Jesus will reign in righteousness for 1,000 years. He will be their Shepherd.

Now, let us examine further the prophesied judgment of the sheep and the goats in Ezekiel 34:17-22. The prophesied judgment by the shepherd truly does seem to have a connection to what Jesus said to the shepherds of Israel who were living when Jesus came the first time. He was in the temple and had pronounced His woe judgments upon the shepherds of Israel at that time, who were the scribes and the Pharisees, who, just like the shepherds in the times when the prophet Ezekiel prophesied, were not leading God’s people. Seven times Jesus called them “hypocrites!” and He called them “blind guides.” Just as in the times of Ezekiel, Jesus had nothing good to say about the shepherds of Israel at that time. Not long after Jesus called them out and told them of the woes that would be upon them, Jesus left the temple and answered His disciples’ question as to what would be the sign indicating His second coming and of the end of the age. He told them the things that would happen prior to and during the 7-year tribulation, which is called the “time of Jacob’s trouble,” meaning Israel’s trouble. He also told them about the kingdom of heaven. He said there would be a time when He would judge between the sheep and the goats. All nations will be gathered before Him in judgment, which I believe includes the sheep and goats of Israel:

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred [hungry], and ye gave me meat [food]: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred [hungry], and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred [hungry], and ye gave me no meat [food]: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee, an hungred [hungry], or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 25:32-46)

Now, regarding today’s Scripture verses in Isaiah 49:11-12, I believe this is both a near and far prophecy. The near prophecy was when at the end of their 70-year captivity in Babylon, the people of both Israel and Judah were allowed to return to their land in Israel by proclamation of King Cyrus, king of Persia, who had conquered Babylon. Remember that Isaiah had prophesied that God would use King Cyrus to accomplish His will and made mention of him by name nearly 150 years before he was even born (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1). Let us read some of what Jeremiah spoke about this and why God allowed Babylon to be conquered by the Medo-Persian empire, led by King Cyrus, which is referred to below as “an assembly of great nations from the north country”:

“The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. Declare ye among the nations, and publish [proclaim], and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel [a Babylonian god], Merodach [or Marduk, a Babylonian god] is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded [humiliated], her images are broken in pieces. For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast. In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers. Remove [move] out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as he goats [rams] before the flocks. For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain. And Chaldea shall be a spoil [become plunder] all that spoil [plunder] her shall be satisfied, saith the LORD. Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls; your mother shall be sore confounded [deeply ashamed]: behold, the hindermost [least] of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished [horrified], and hiss at all her plagues. Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD. Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her. Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land. Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar [Nebuchadnezzar] king of Babylon hath broken his bones. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve [preserve].” (Jeremiah 50:1-20)

“For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of [by] his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.” (Jeremiah 51:5)

“The portion of Jacob is not like them [the people of Babylon]; for he [God] is the former [maker] of all things: and Israel is the rod [tribe] of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.” (Jeremiah 51:19)

The perpetual covenant that Jeremiah mentioned above in Jeremiah 50:1-20 (Jeremiah 50:5) is the same covenant Jeremiah wrote about in Jeremiah 31:31:

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

The new covenant was quoted in the New Testament book of Hebrews, Hebrews 8:8-12 when the author, possibly the apostle Paul, was speaking of Jesus Christ:

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum [main point]: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” (Hebrews 8:1-2)

“But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” (Hebrews 8:6-7)

No longer would the Jewish people need to follow the Law but would follow Jesus; they would worship Him with all their heart. The Law reveals sin and cannot save anyone from their sins; only Jesus can save:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 5:17-18)

I think it’s important to point out that in the Scriptures above from Jeremiah 31:31-34, God specifically says He will make a new covenant with both “the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.” This indicates that the ten tribes of Israel of the northern kingdom that had been taken to Assyria were not lost forever; no, God explicitly tells us that this covenant applies to both the tribes of Israel and Judah. For anyone who believes that the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel have been lost forever, I simply ask them: have they even read the Bible? If they were lost forever, then why would God say what He said? Are they smarter than God? I think not. If anyone thinks that God has forgotten about the Jews and has forsaken them forever, let us read what God Himself says about the Jews:

“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.” (Jeremiah 31:35-36)

For anyone who believes modern-day Israel is not the Israel that Jeremiah the prophet wrote about long ago, I ask you: have the sun, the moon, and the stars departed? The answer is clearly no, and neither have God’s people, the Jews. God, in His word, always tells us that He has always preserved a remnant of His people; they will never be wiped away from this earth. All the nations that come against Israel, including the USA, should do so cautiously, as they will suffer the same fate as all other nations that have come against it.

As I have written above and in previous devotionals in this study of Isaiah 49, this new and perpetual covenant is Jesus. Let us read again what God told Jesus in Isaiah 49:8

“Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages.” (Isaiah 49:8)

I believe the far fulfillment of the prophecy in today’s Scripture verse is when Jesus Christ will return to earth at His second coming and will reign with a rod of iron for 1,000 years. It is at His second coming that the surviving one-third remnant of Israel, who will have fled their land and endured their 7-year time of Jacob’s trouble, will be gathered a final time in their land. However, this time will be different than all the other times when God removed them from their land because of their sins against Him.

At the time of Jesus’ first coming, many Jews were scattered across the Roman Empire. On May 14, 1948 the Jewish State of Israel was declared, and Jews have returned to Israel ever since. Israel’s population has increased from nearly 1.3 million in 1950 to 9.3 million in 2024 (See: https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/ISR/israel/population). Though many Jews have returned from many nations to modern-day Israel, the majority are living in unbelief, in rejection of their Messiah. However, when Jesus comes again at His second coming, the surviving remnant’s eyes and ears will be opened, and they will finally see that Jesus IS their Messiah, that He IS their good Shepherd. They will finally put their faith and trust in Him alone, not in themselves, not in other nations, and not in their false gods, and they will believe on Him forever and ever, never turning from Him again.

Fast-forward to today, though many Jewish people have returned to Israel, at least part of the land that God gave them long ago when God made the unconditional covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, Israel is not living in obedience to God. Israel has unilaterally as a nation rejected God’s Son Jesus Christ, whom God sent first to the Jews so that they might be saved by Him, the King of kings, if they put their faith and trust in Him - not in themselves, or any earthly king or man or nation, or the Mosaic Law to save them from all their sin.

I do not know the exact timing of the events prophesied in the Bible, but God does; His word is true and sure, all that He said would happen, will happen. The Bible tells us that there is coming a day when Jerusalem will be “a cup of trembling unto all the people round about” and “a burdensome stone,” and God Himself will be their defender:

“The burden [oracle or prophecy] of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:2-3)

“In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.” (Zechariah 12:8-14)

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite [strike] the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” (Zechariah 13:8-9)

After Jesus came to earth the first time, Israel rejected their Shepherd and had Him crucified by the Roman Empire. In 70 AD, as Jesus said would happen, the Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem and the second Jewish temple. Subsequently, many Jews were killed and many were further scattered among the Roman Empire.

As the prophets Zechariah and Ezekiel prophesied, there is coming a time when God will gather all His people back in their land and will pour out His grace upon His people. They will look upon Jesus, the One whom they pierced, and will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only begotten son. No longer will they live in in their land in rebellion against Him, and they will put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ:

“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen [nations], whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” (Ezekiel 37:21-28)

The prophetic words of today’s Scriptures verses from Isaiah 49:11-12 are not just referring to the remnant of the Jewish people who will return to their land and will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, but it also includes believers in Christ from all the Gentile nations who will come to Israel. God Himself will make a way for all His people, all His children. We will read more about this in Isaiah 49:13-26. God sent Jesus for ALL the world to be saved, for the Jew first, and when they rejected their Messiah, God then turned His attention to the Gentile nations.

Let us read the words of the apostle Paul, who himself was a Jew and a Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul, who was also known as “Saul,” once persecuted the early Christians, but Jesus chose him to be His servant to preach the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ primarily to the Gentiles. Paul believed in Jesus Christ when he was literally blinded by the light of Jesus when he was traveling on a road to Damascus to persecute Christians. Paul clearly tells us that salvation was first given to the Jews, but also given to the Greek, meaning the non-Jews/Gentiles:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

The Bible tells us that God is the way maker; He will make a way - the only way - for His children, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:1-6)

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm [make firm] the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart [deer], and the tongue of the dumb [mute] sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons [jackals], where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way [road], and it shall be called The Way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein [go astray]. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: and the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35)

“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain [smooth]: and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:1-11)

“I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons [jackals] and owls [ostriches]: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen." (Isaiah 43:15-20)

“Then said they unto him [John the Baptist], Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He [John] said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah].” (John 1:22-23)

“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:1-3)

There is coming a day when Jesus Christ will return again and put an end to all wickedness. No more will people war against each other. No more will people curse the Jews, for they who cursed them will be destroyed by the mighty One of Jacob. Jesus will reign on earth for a thousand years, and afterward He will create a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. Jews and Gentiles will live together in true and everlasting peace, for they will have turned their hearts to Jesus and been saved by Him, the sinless, perfect Lamb of God. They will worship Him with their whole heart, and they will know Him as their Savior, as their Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. God will dwell with them, and they shall be His people:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Revelation 21:1-7)

“And I saw no temple there: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten [illuminate] it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:22-27) ✝️