Free group study handout
Isaiah 49: Group Study Handout
How to use: read Isaiah 49 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.
Overview
Yahweh calls to the distant islands and peoples. He has chosen a servant from the womb, giving him a sharp mouth and strength (vv. 1-3).
Key verse
“He said to me, “You are my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
Isaiah 49:3 (WEB)
Outline
- Isaiah 49:1–3 The Call of the Servant
- Isaiah 49:4–6 The Servant's Vain Labor
- Isaiah 49:7–8 The Importance of the Servant
- Isaiah 49:9–12 Promise of Restoration
- Isaiah 49:13–21 Zion's Assurance
- Isaiah 49:22–26 Gathering and Salvation
Discussion questions
- In v2, what metaphor describes how the Servant's mouth is prepared for his mission?
- What does Yahweh promise to do in v8 regarding the people and the land?
- In v4, why does the Servant feel like he has 'labored in vain' despite his calling?
- In v23, what implications arise from the idea of kings becoming 'foster fathers' to Israel?
- When have you felt forgotten like Zion does in v14, and how did you cope?
Go deeper
Passages that echo Isaiah 49: Isaiah 44, Isaiah 60, Isaiah 45.
Before next time: read Isaiah 50.