Isaiah 49 or 1 Nephi 21
By
Jeffrey Bushman Aug. 2017
Chapter 21
The
Messiah will be a light to the Gentiles and will free the prisoners—Israel will
be gathered with power in the last days—Kings will be their nursing
fathers—Compare Isaiah 49.
About 588–570 B.C.
This chapter will relate,
according to Pres. Wilford Woodruff, to the predictions, visions and revelations about the last
dispensation and what is going to come to pass, he also is addressing scattered
Israel who will be gathered at the last days.
This chapter seems to be
patterned after a court case, with 4 steps!
1. The Summons vs 1-6
Also these 6 verses
comprise one of the four recognized servant song of Isaiah, the other three are
in chapters 42:1-4; 50:4-9; and 52:13-53:12 see pp 358-60
See note after v 6
1 aAnd again: Hearken, O ye house of
Israel, all ye that are broken off and are driven out because of the wickedness
of the pastors of my people; yea, all ye that are broken off, that are
scattered abroad, who are of my people, O house of Israel. Listen, O bisles, unto me, and hearken ye people
from cfar; the Lord hath called me from the
womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. Jeremiah 1:5 Prophets
foreordained to do their calling! Here
the Lord is talking to the remnants of Israel who have been scattered because
of their sins. It also seems to
reference Isaiah as a servant in his role with Israel. Many believe that these verses could refer to
Christ and some even see Joseph Smith or Isaiah mentioned in here, also others
see that this is Israel as a people, who were foreordained to be his lineage
for priesthood blessings.
2 And he hath made my mouth like a
sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished
shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; Servants comes from a
chosen lineage that has been hid from the world. Joseph Smith said this verse refers to
himself. (HC 5:401) See D&C 86:9
Christ or Jehovah was hidden from men generally, as most did not see him
as their Savior or Messiah.
3 And said unto me: Thou art my aservant, O Israel, in whom I will be
glorified. Israel
is also his servant
4 Then I said, I have labored in avain, I have spent my strength for
naught and in vain; surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my
God. May sometimes feel like he has labored in vain. From Jesus being
rejected by his own people (John 1:11), to Joseph Smith in Carthage to Isaiah
having no one who would listen, to Israel who felt they weren’t being heard.
5 And now, saith the Lord—that aformed me from the womb that I should 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 bstrength. . He will
assist in the gathering of Israel, each group fits this verse also.
6 And he said: It is a light thing
that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the atribes of Jacob, and to restore the
preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a blight to the cGentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation
unto the ends of the earth. The
four groups mentioned after verse 1 may all play a role in the gathering of
Israel and an invitation for the gentiles to come to the Lord, The tribe of Ephraim given the charge to
gather scattered Israel in the last great gathering, may actually be the main
focus of the servant song of these 1st 6 verses.
The Plaintiff’s Charge vs
7-13
The Lord accusations to
Israel, he is reminding her of the
actions that fulfilled his obligations in their contract or covenant.
7 Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer
of Israel, his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nations
abhorreth, to servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall
worship, because of the Lord that is faithful. The time will come when
those despised and abhorred, servant or slaves of rulers, will finally have their
heavenly king and the mighty of the earth
be humbled and worship the Holy One of Israel who chose Israel. They will then not be despised. These verses may still focus on Ephriam
in the last days
8 Thus saith the Lord: In an
acceptable time have I heard thee, O isles of the sea, and in a day of
salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee amy servant for a
covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the
desolate heritages; Referring
to covenant Israel including the Kingdom of Judah, who will come back to the
Lord in the Last days.
9 That thou mayest say to the aprisoners: Go forth; to them that sit in bdarkness: Show yourselves. They shall feed
in the ways, and their cpastures shall be in all high places. Will teach them how to
get out of bondage to sin so they can enjoy the blessing the Lord has for those
who love him. Also may refer to those in
Spirit Prison, promising freedom to those who repent, and freedom through the
resurrection.
10 They
shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for
he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall
he guide them. Living water, and blessed by the presence of the Son.
11 And I will make all my mountains
a way, and my ahighways shall be exalted. This
may be referencing temples or mountains and those who follow these high ways
will be exalted.
12 And then, O house of Israel,
behold, athese shall come from far; and lo, these
from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. A large group of people
will be gathered. Sinim is unknown but
some scholars believe it may refer to China, but if not it will be a large
group of people who will come. Whether
Sinim is near or far from Jerusalem, the fact the Israelties gather from there
seems to be an unexpected miracle.
13 aSing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth;
for the feet of those who are in the east shall be established; and bbreak forth into
singing, O mountains; for they shall be smitten no more; for the Lord hath
comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his cafflicted.
Blessings of the gathering.
The Defendant’s Plea vs 14, 21, 24
Zion will give three
complaints after the Lord has talked about their breaking their covenants and
being scattered.
14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The
Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he
hath not. . Zion’s complaint, you have forgotten me. 1st
complaint, or plea!
The Judge’s Indictment
vs. 15-20, 22-23, 25-26
15 For can a awoman forget her sucking child, that she
should not have bcompassion on the
son of her womb? Yea, they may cforget, yet will I not forget thee, O
house of Israel. Response of the Lord to this complaint! A mother may forget here child,
but I will not.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon
the apalms of my hands; thy walls are
continually before me. The wounds in his hands
and feet, and the walls referencing the successful work of the Lord that he has
done for his people. A workman’s hands
demonstrate their occupation.
The future restoration of
Israel
17 Thy children shall make haste
against thy destroyers; and they that made thee awaste shall go forth of thee. Swiftly your children
shall come against those who took from you, and those who ruined you shall
leave you. NJV 17 Swiftly your children are coming against those who
ravaged yea, and those who have ruined you shall leave you.
18 Lift up thine eyes round about
and behold; all these agather themselves together, and they shall
come to thee. And as I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with
them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on even as a bride. . Sounds like covenant
Israel or his church shall gather the righteous to her and prepare herself and
them for the coming of the bride groom. (the Lord)
19 For thy waste and thy desolate
places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason
of the inhabitants; and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The number of righteous
will be so great they will hardly have room to live there.
20 The children whom thou shalt
have, after thou hast lost the first, shall aagain in thine ears say: The place is too
strait (or tight, or narrow) for me; give
place to me that I may dwell. . It will be a great
multitude after the gathering who will replace those who were lost in the
scattering.
Second complaint Verse 21
21 Then shalt thou say in thine
heart: Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am adesolate, a captive, and removing to and
fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where have
they been? When
the gathering starts she complains that she is childless.
2nd Indictment
from the Lord V22-23
22 Thus saith the Lord God: Behold,
I will lift up mine hand to the aGentiles, and set up my bstandard to the people; and they shall bring
thy sons in their carms, and thy daughters shall be carried
upon their shoulders. The Lord promises that as the gospel is
preached to the gentiles that Israel’s children will be gathered out from them
and helped by gentile nations. Shes
grows so fast she is shocked with the growth.
She 1830 with just 7,000 Jews lived in Israel to over 3 Million in 1982.
23 And akings shall be thy bnursing fathers, and
their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face
towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I
am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that cwait for me. Many nations have helped
the Jews return to the land of Israel after WWI, Britian helped establish the
country of Israel in 1947 along with U.S. and Russia, Holland and Denmark help
protect Jews during the holocaust. The United States and France help with
military equipment so Israel could defend herself. German reparation payments and large
contribution from the United States and other countries have helped Israel
financially. Zion also being established in America and the
gathering of the 10 tribes.
3rd complaint.
Israel is robbed,
or a question, how can all this happen by our
former adversaries?
24 For shall the prey be taken from
the mighty, or the alawful captives
delivered? Also
quoted by Jacob: in 2 Nephi 6:16 NJV 24 Can
spoil be taken from a warrior or captives retrieved from a victor?
3rd Indictment from the Lord v 25-26
25 But thus saith the Lord, even the
captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall
be delivered; (2 Nephi 6:17 for the Mighty God shall
deliver his covenant people: For thus saith the Lord: Jacob them drops the end of the verse “and I
will save thy children” )for I will contend with him that contendeth
with thee, and I will save thy children.
. The
Lord has power to save his people NJV (New Jewish Version) 25 Yet thus said the Lord: Captives shall be
taken from a warrior, and spoil shall be retrieved from a tyrant: For I will contend with your adversaries,
(And I will deliver your children.) The
words of Jacob change ‘my Covenant people’ for ‘thy children’! God’s children are those who are his covenant
people through baptism, where they are born again.
26 And I will afeed them that oppress thee with their
own flesh; they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine; and
all flesh shall bknow that I, the Lord, am thy cSavior and thy Redeemer, the dMighty One of Jacob. Also in 2 Nephi
6:18 NJV I will make your oppressors eat their own
flesh, They shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. And all mankind shall know That I the Lord am
your Savior, The Mighty One of Jacob, your Redeemer.
Nephi in 1 Nephi 22 verses 3,6,11- 12 summarizes what the Lord is
saying about this chapter
1 Nephi 22:3 Wherefore, the things of
which I have read are things pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual:
for it appears that the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be scattered
upon all the face of the earth, and also among all nations.
6 Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed
by the gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set
them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their arms, and
their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of
which are spoken are temporal: for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our
fathers: and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who
are of the house of Israel.
11 Wherefore the Lord will proceed to make
bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants
and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.
12 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they
shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be
brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord
is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel
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