COMMENTARY

Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7
The prophet of second Isaiah shares his strong sense of being called by the Lord; he was set aside for his prophetic/servant role while he was still in his mother's womb. He was called to relay some painful truths and feels as if his efforts have met with futility, but then the Spirit of God gives him hope and strength for his mission of restoring the wounded and scattered sheep of the defeated flock of Israel. The Spirit gently chides him for his constricted view of his mission and announces that his task is not merely to restore his fallen people to what they were but to challenge them with a glorious calling to be a light for all the nations on earth, that all nations might acknowledge the Lordship of God. At a time of great darkness, God renews…