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Isaiah, the Bowman Behind the Arrow
The Verse:
Listen to Me, O islands,
And pay attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called Me from the womb;
From the body of My mother He named Me.
He has made My mouth like a sharp sword,
In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me;
And He has also made Me a select arrow,
He has hidden Me in His quiver.
Isaiah 49:1-2 (NASB Version)
The Story:
Isaiah, son of Amoz, husband of a prophet, father of Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz, and available to God. It was the year Uzziah, king of Judah, died. Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
And the angels called, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”
Oh, Isaiah felt unworthy of being in the presence of the King, the Lord of hosts. But then he heard the Lord’s voice saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”
Isaiah didn’t hesitate. He responded, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah went. For the next sixty years he called the people of Judah to turn from their lives of sin. To stop serving their false gods, made by the work of their hands. He warned them of God’s judgement.
But he also brought the message of hope. The promised Son.
We know little about Isaiah, the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. But through his ministry we know a whole lot about God and His character. We know God judges sin. Yet, through the prophesied Son, God would make a way to restore us to Himself.
Isaiah's message of judgement and comfort made some people angry, including King Manasseh. For during his reign, he put Isaiah to death.
That didn't change Isaiah's message: God is holy, and God is just, but take comfort, because God is love.
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
Isaiah was the bowman behind the select arrow, Jesus, the Messiah. Isaiah didn't point people to himself or his accomplishments. He pointed them toward the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.
Do you want to be great like Isaiah? Then say, "Here am I, Lord. Send me"! And go tell all the earth about Jesus, the suffering Servant. He saved all who believe in Him from the judgement of a Holy God.
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