“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.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 49:6 Mean?
God speaks to his servant — the Messiah figure in Isaiah's servant songs — and declares that restoring Israel alone is too small a task. The servant will also be a light to the Gentiles, bringing salvation to the ends of the earth.
"It is a light thing" means it is too easy, too small. God's ambition for his servant is not limited to one nation. The scope is global — every nation, every people, to the uttermost parts of the earth.
This verse revolutionized the understanding of Israel's purpose. Israel was not chosen for its own sake. It was chosen to be a channel of blessing to the entire world. The Messiah would not come for Israel alone but for everyone.
Paul and Barnabas quoted this verse in Acts 13:47 when they turned to the Gentiles after being rejected by the Jewish synagogue. The verse became the theological justification for the global mission of the church.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does God calling Israel's restoration 'a light thing' reshape your understanding of his ambitions?
- 2.What does it mean to you personally that this verse extends salvation beyond one nation to the whole world?
- 3.Where might God be doing something larger than what you have been praying for?
- 4.How does being a 'light to the Gentiles' affect how you understand the church's mission today?
Devotional
It is a light thing. God looks at the restoration of Israel — which was already an enormous act of redemption — and says: that is too small for what I have in mind.
I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles. The rescue is not just for one nation. It is for every nation. The light is not contained. It reaches the ends of the earth.
That means you. If you are not Jewish — if you come from any other nation, culture, or ethnic background — this verse is why the gospel reached you. The servant of God was given as a light not just to Israel but to the world. Your salvation was in God's plan from the beginning.
My salvation unto the end of the earth. There is no geographic limit. No cultural barrier. No people group beyond reach. The light goes everywhere.
God's plans are always bigger than our expectations. When you think you know the scope of what he is doing, he says: that is a light thing. I have something larger in mind.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And he said,.... Or "even he said"; namely, the Lord his God, that called, appointed, and strengthened him for his…
And he said - That is, Yahweh said in his promise to the Messiah. It is a light thing - Margin, ‘Art thou lighter than…
Here, I. An auditory is summoned together and attention demanded. The sermon in the foregoing chapter was directed to…
And he said resuming the sentence begun in Isa 49:49. R.V. "Yea, he saith."
It is a light thing &c. Better as R.V. It is…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture