That You May Believe - Study Guide

Week 8 - February 21st, 2021

Isaiah 49:14-16

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me;

my Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should

have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.

16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are continually before me."

Context: The Lord has promised to send His servant who will restore Israel. Through this servant the LORD will redeem the land, free the prisoners, care for the poor, and bring comfort to His people. The chapter closes with a long promise that those who oppressed Israel will be overthrown.

Meaning:This passage finds its fullest fulfillment in Jesus, the true and better Servant of the LORD. In this passage the LORD invokes the imagery of a nursing woman to describe His love for His people. Just as a woman will not abandon her baby, even more will God remember His people and the promises He has made.

Life Application: How comforting these words must have been when Israel felt abandoned by their God. We, too, can receive the same comfort, knowing that God has not forgotten us, nor has He forgotten the promises He made to us through His Servant Jesus!

For Further Study: Although God has clearly revealed Himself through male identity and imagery, the Bible is not afraid to use feminine and especially maternal language to describe God. Consider the words of Isaiah 42:14 and Hosea 11:3-4. How does the feminine imagery used in these passages help us understand God’s care and concern for His people?