Isaiah 49:13 - Meaning and Application

The purpose of these verses is to show that God’s people would have great reason for joy when they returned from captivity, and that this was a picture of the greater rescue Christ would bring. That earlier rescue pointed forward to eternal redemption through Christ, and both show how deeply God cares for his church.

Nothing gives us better reason for praise and thanksgiving than this, Isaiah 49:13. Let all creation join in the song of joy, because it shares in the blessings of redemption. Even so, all creation can only give back a small part of what it has received, as Psalm 96:11 says. Let there be joy in heaven, and let the angels praise the great Redeemer. Let the earth and the mountains, especially the great and powerful of the earth, sing out as well, because the eager hope of creation for the freedom of God’s children is now answered (Romans 8:19, Romans 8:21). God’s people are a blessing and honor to the world, so there should be joy everywhere, because God has comforted his grieving people and will show mercy to the afflicted because of his compassion and his covenant.

These verses also give strong proof of God’s tender care for his church and for her good. The troubles of the church sometimes lead people to wonder whether God still cares, Isaiah 49:14. In her distress, Zion said, “The Lord has left me, and my Lord has forgotten me.” At times God’s people may feel so low that they seem abandoned and forgotten, and those thoughts can become very strong. Unbelievers proudly say that God has left the earth (Ezekiel 8:12), and that he has forgotten their sins (Psalm 10:11). Weak believers, in times of sadness, are tempted to say that God has left his church and forgotten the sorrows of his people. But we have no more reason to doubt his promise and grace than we do his providence and justice. He is as sure to reward as he is to punish. So we should put away these doubts and suspicions, which destroy friendship.

The church’s later triumphs, after her troubles, will in time settle the matter. What God will do for Zion is described in Isaiah 49:17. Her children, who had been scattered or had turned away, will gather to her and help her with eagerness and joy. Converts to the faith of Christ are children of the church. They will gladly join the fellowship of believers, like doves flying to their windows. Some read it, “Your builders shall hurry.” Then the meaning is that those who build her houses, walls, and especially her temple, will do their work quickly. Church work is often slow, but when God’s time comes, it will be done suddenly. Her destroyers, those who had threatened her and laid her waste, will leave her. By Christ, the prince of this world, the great destroyer, is cast out, pushed out, and his power is broken.

This shows that Zion’s fears were groundless. God has not left her, forgotten her, or ever will. He has a deep love for his church and his people, Isaiah 49:15. In answer to Zion’s fear, God speaks as one concerned for his own honor, because such a complaint reflects on him. He also speaks for his people’s comfort, since he does not want them to sink into sadness and discouragement. “You think I have forgotten you,” he says. “Can a woman forget her nursing child?” It is not likely that she would. A woman, who is known for tenderness, cannot help feeling compassion for a child, since the child is harmless and helpless. A mother especially cannot forget her own child, because it is hers, a part of herself. A nursing mother is even more likely to remember her child, because her own body keeps reminding her of it. Yet even a woman may forget. She may be so sick or dying that she cannot remember her child, or she may become so unnatural that she has no pity for the child of her own body, as some did in terrible times (Lamentations 4:10; Deuteronomy 28:57). But God says, “I will not forget you.” His mercy toward his people is far greater than the love of the tenderest parent.

God also gives a picture of his constant care, Isaiah 49:16: “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” This does not refer to palmistry, the foolish idea that a person’s fate can be read in the lines of the hand. It points instead to the practice of tying a string on the hand or finger to help someone remember something important. It also brings to mind signet rings or keepsakes worn in memory of a beloved friend. By saying this, God shows that he keeps his people always before him, like a seal on his arm, and never forgets them or their needs (Song of Songs 8:6). If we bind God’s law on our hand as a sign (Deuteronomy 6:8, Deuteronomy 6:11, Deuteronomy 6:18), he will, in a way, engrave our interests on his hand and remember his covenant when he looks upon us. He also says, “Your walls are always before me.” Even Zion’s ruined walls, though sad to see, are in his thoughts of mercy. Do Zion’s friends care about her dust? (Psalm 102:14) So does her God. Or it may mean that the plan for rebuilding her walls is always before him, and they will surely be rebuilt according to that plan. Or it may mean that her walls, that is, her safety, are always his care, just as watchmen are on the walls. Some also take this as a picture of the wounds in Christ’s hands when he was crucified. God will look on those marks and remember those for whom Christ suffered and died.