Isaiah 49:8-16a

     

God-forsaken in Captivity
During the Babylonian captivity the voice of Isaiah must have sounded like balm to the remnant of Israel. The feeling of God-forsakenness which this passage alludes to was real and painful. The temple at Jerusalem was in ruins (which at that time carried the implicit message that the god of the captors, Marduk, was the mightiest of gods), the southern kingdom of Judah was destroyed, the people were in captivity to serve their new overlords.

God Has Not Forgotten God's Own
"the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones (V9)"

There are two dimensions to this statement, past and future. God has shown Godself  faithful to the people by freeing them from Egypt and leading them into the promised land.  And God promises to have compassion on the suffering of the people once again in the future.

God Truly Cares
"But, says God, I will not forget thee (V14)" Note, God’s compassion to God's people is greater than that of the most caring mother towards her children. This metaphor speaks for itself.

 Matthew Henry (on the engraving or our names upon God's hand):  
"I have engraven thee upon the palms of my hands." This does not allude to the foolish art of palmistry, which imagines every man’s fate to be engraved in the palms of his hands and to be legible in the lines there, but to the custom of those who tie a string upon their hands or fingers to put them in mind of things which they are afraid they shall forget. (1)

Discussion:

1. What does God's covenant faithfulness mean to us? 

2. Why does God allow God's children to go through trouble and even defeat?

3. Is this consistent with God's promise to have compassion on us and save us?

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(1) Matthew Henry, online commentary on isaiah 49, http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/isaiah/49.html