Light for the Gentiles

January 23, 2011

Background Scripture: Isaiah 49:1 – 7
Lesson Passage: Isaiah 49:1 – 7

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:2-3; “And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” Genesis 18:17-18; “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Genesis 22:18; “And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of the heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Genesis 26:4-5

These passages all show that God extended His covenant with Abraham to include the potential for all people of every nationality to be included. The last passage is where God renewed the Abrahamic covenant with Isaac after the death of his father, Abraham. Note that the extension of the covenant was based on Abraham’s obedience or faith in God. Likewise, the invitation to all nations is also extended based on individual faith in God and hence it does not presuppose a universal brotherhood of mankind but it makes clear the invitation to all to accept the light that God sent into the world to provide guidance to those who were once in darkness and outside of the covenant of promise between God and Abraham. Again, I say that the invitation is extended and not that universal salvation is applied without the consent of the saved. The invitation is initiated through the light that God sent into the world to bring understanding to, or to enlighten, those who once walked in darkness. It is this light to whom Isaiah refers in our lesson passage today. The light would be the culmination of the promise God made to Abraham many generations prior. He would be born of Abraham’s seed through Isaac. From the very beginning of his earthly life in the womb, he would be anointed and called to do God’s bidding and to bring God glory. It is through him that men will praise and worship the one and true living God. He will turn the hearts of Abraham seed to God and also unite the Gentiles within a new covenant. All people of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, will turn to the same light for salvation. And through him shall all families of the earth be blessed. John the Baptist declared that he was not that light but he was sent to bear witness of the light. Jesus declared that he is the light of the world. This declaration was enough to drive some people away from Jesus because they preferred to be children of darkness because they loved the deeds of darkness. But all who turn to Jesus will have light and walk in the light and will not have to fear stumbling.


Robert C. Hudson
January 7, 2011