Isaiah 50:4
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
The Lord GOD
This phrase in Hebrew is "Adonai Yahweh," emphasizing both the sovereignty and the covenantal nature of God. "Adonai" signifies the Lord as Master, highlighting His authority and power, while "Yahweh" is the personal name of God, reflecting His eternal presence and faithfulness. In the context of Isaiah, this dual title underscores God's supreme authority and His intimate relationship with His people, reminding us of His control over all circumstances and His commitment to His promises.

has given Me
The phrase indicates a divine bestowal, suggesting that what follows is a gift from God. In the prophetic context, it implies that the speaker, often understood as the Servant of the Lord, receives something directly from God, emphasizing the divine origin and purpose of the gift. This highlights the idea that God equips His servants with what they need to fulfill their mission.

the tongue of the learned
This expression suggests the ability to speak wisely and effectively. The Hebrew word for "learned" is "limmud," which can also mean "disciple" or "instructed one." It implies that the speaker has been taught by God Himself, possessing wisdom that comes from divine instruction. This is a reminder of the importance of being spiritually educated and guided by God to speak truth and wisdom into the lives of others.

that I should know how to speak a word in season
This phrase emphasizes the importance of timely and appropriate speech. The ability to speak "a word in season" suggests discernment and sensitivity to the needs of others, knowing when and how to offer encouragement or guidance. It reflects the wisdom that comes from God, enabling His servants to provide the right words at the right time, which can bring comfort and hope to those who hear.

to him who is weary
The focus here is on those who are exhausted or burdened, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. The Hebrew word "ya'ef" conveys a sense of fatigue and weariness. This highlights the compassionate nature of the Servant's mission, to bring relief and encouragement to those who are struggling. It serves as a reminder of God's care for the weary and His desire to provide rest and renewal through His word.

He awakens Me morning by morning
This phrase suggests a continual, daily renewal and instruction from God. The imagery of being awakened each morning implies a fresh start and a new opportunity to receive guidance and strength from God. It underscores the importance of daily communion with God, seeking His presence and wisdom to face each day's challenges.

He awakens My ear to listen as one being instructed
The emphasis here is on the posture of a learner, one who is attentive and ready to receive instruction. The Hebrew word for "instructed" is again "limmud," reinforcing the idea of being a disciple. This highlights the importance of having a teachable spirit, being open to God's voice and willing to learn from Him continually. It serves as a model for believers to cultivate a listening heart, eager to hear and obey God's word.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Lord GOD (Yahweh)
The sovereign and covenant-keeping God of Israel, who empowers and instructs His servant.

2. The Servant
Often interpreted as the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who embodies the perfect disciple and teacher.

3. The Weary
Those who are burdened, tired, or in need of encouragement and strength.

4. Discipleship
The process of learning and following the teachings of a master, in this context, the teachings of God.

5. Morning by Morning
A phrase indicating regular, daily communication and renewal with God.
Teaching Points
The Power of the Word
God equips His servants with words that can uplift and sustain those who are weary. As followers of Christ, we are called to speak life-giving words to others.

Daily Renewal
Just as the servant is awakened morning by morning, believers should seek daily renewal and instruction from God through prayer and scripture.

Listening as a Disciple
True discipleship involves listening attentively to God's voice. We should cultivate a heart that is open and responsive to His guidance.

Empathy and Encouragement
Understanding the needs of the weary requires empathy. We should strive to be sensitive to the struggles of others and offer encouragement.

Christ as Our Example
Jesus, the ultimate servant, models perfect discipleship. We should follow His example in obedience, humility, and service.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of "the tongue of discipleship" challenge you in your daily interactions with others?

2. In what ways can you incorporate a "morning by morning" routine to listen to God more effectively?

3. How can you identify and support the weary individuals in your community or church?

4. Reflect on a time when a timely word from someone encouraged you. How can you be that source of encouragement for others?

5. How does Jesus' example of discipleship in the Gospels inspire you to deepen your relationship with God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus invites the weary to come to Him for rest, echoing the sustaining word mentioned in Isaiah 50:4.

Mark 1:35
Jesus rises early to pray, illustrating the "morning by morning" awakening to listen to God.

Philippians 2:5-8
Describes Christ's humility and obedience, aligning with the servant's role in Isaiah 50:4.

Proverbs 15:23
Highlights the joy and appropriateness of a timely word, similar to sustaining the weary.

James 1:19
Encourages believers to be quick to listen, reflecting the servant's attentive ear.
Deepening ShadowsS. D. (Samuel Dickey) GordonIsaiah 50:4
The Hearing Ear and the Helpful TongueW. Clarkson Isaiah 50:4
The Servant's Words to the WearyAlexander MaclarenIsaiah 50:4
Words in SeasonR. Tuck Isaiah 50:4
The Mediator: Divine and HumanC. Stanford, D. D.Isaiah 50:2-6
The Redeemer Described by HimselfIsaiah 50:2-6
Jehovah and His ServantE. Johnson Isaiah 50:4-9
A Word in Season to the WearyE. Johnson, M.A.Isaiah 50:4-11
A Word to the WearyJ. Parker, D.D.Isaiah 50:4-11
A Word to the WearyE. Mellor, D. D.Isaiah 50:4-11
A Word to the WearyJ. Hamilton, D.D.Isaiah 50:4-11
Christ Speaking a Word in Season to the WearyJ. Matheson.Isaiah 50:4-11
God's Day SchoolH. C. Leonard, M.A.Isaiah 50:4-11
God's Voice Heard in StillnessIsaiah 50:4-11
Morning Communion with GodIsaiah 50:4-11
Noble Gifts for Lowly UsesW. Baxendale.Isaiah 50:4-11
The Gift of ConsolationF. Delitzsch, D.D.Isaiah 50:4-11
The Inspiration of Noble IdeasC. S. Robinson, D.D.Isaiah 50:4-11
The Lord's Servant Made Perfect Through SufferingsProf. J. Skinner, D.D.Isaiah 50:4-11
The Messiah an Instructed TeacherR. Macculloch.Isaiah 50:4-11
The Ministry of PreachingR, Roberts.Isaiah 50:4-11
The Tongue of the LearnedC. Ross M. A.Isaiah 50:4-11
The WearyF. B. Meyer, B.A.Isaiah 50:4-11
The Weary World and the Refreshing MinistryHomilistIsaiah 50:4-11
WearinessE. Mellor, D. D.Isaiah 50:4-11
Weary SoulsW.Birch.Isaiah 50:4-11
Words in Season for the WearyF. B. Meyer, B.A.Isaiah 50:4-11
Words to the WearyE. Mellor, D. D.Isaiah 50:4-11
People
Isaiah
Places
Zion
Topics
Able, Aid, Awakens, Disciple, Disciples, Ear, Experienced, Feeble, Instructed, Learned, Listen, Morning, Ones, Open, Season, Sense, Speak, Special, Succour, Sustain, Sustains, Taught, Teaching, Tongue, Wakeneth, Wakens, Waketh, Weary
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 50:4

     1443   revelation, OT
     4954   morning
     5193   tongue
     5531   skill
     5547   speech, power of
     5582   tiredness
     8135   knowing God, nature of
     8359   weakness, spiritual

Isaiah 50:4-5

     5148   ear
     8330   receptiveness
     8351   teachableness

Isaiah 50:4-6

     2036   Christ, humility

Isaiah 50:4-7

     8422   equipping, spiritual

Isaiah 50:4-9

     2230   Messiah, coming of
     2327   Christ, as servant
     7160   servants of the Lord

Library
September 14. "For the Lord God Will Help Me, Therefore Shall I not be Confounded; Therefore, have I Set My Face Like a Flint, and I Know I Shall not be Ashamed" (Isa. L. 7).
"For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore, have I set my face like a flint, and I know I shall not be ashamed" (Isa. l. 7). This is the language of trust and victory, and it was through this faith, as we are told in a passage in Hebrews, that in His last agony, "Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame." His life was a life of faith, His death was a victory of faith, His resurrection was a triumph of faith, His mediatorial
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Name of God
ISAIAH l. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. To some persons it may seem strange advice to tell them, that in the hour of darkness, doubt, and sorrow, they will find no comfort like that of meditating on the Name of the Ever-blessed Trinity. Yet there is not a prophet or psalmist of the Old Testament who does not speak of 'The Name of the Lord,'
Charles Kingsley—Discipline and Other Sermons

Dying Fires
'Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that gird yourselves about with firebrands: walk ye in the flame of your fire, and among the brands that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.'--ISAIAH l. 11. The scene brought before us in these words is that of a company of belated travellers in some desert, lighting a little fire that glimmers ineffectual in the darkness of the eerie waste. They huddle round its dying embers for a little warmth and company, and they
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Servant's Words to the Weary
'The Lord God hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I should know how to sustain with words him that is weary; he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught.'--ISAIAH l. 4. In chapter xlix. 1-6, the beginning of the continuous section of which these verses are part, a transition is made from Israel as collectively the ideal servant of the Lord, to a personal Servant, whose office it is 'to bring Jacob again to Him.' We see the ideal in the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Servant's Obedience
'I was not rebellious, neither turned away back'--ISAIAH l. 5. I. The secret of Christ's life, filial obedience. The fact is attested by Scripture. By His own words: 'My meat is to do the will of My Father'; 'For thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness'; 'I came down from heaven not to do My own will.' By His servant's words: 'Obedient unto death'; 'Made under the law'; 'He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.' It is involved in the belief of His righteous manhood. It is essential
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Servant's Inflexible Resolve
'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Servant's Triumph
'He is near that justifieth Me; who will contend with Me? let us stand together: who is Mine adversary? let him come near to Me. 9. Behold, the Lord God will help Me; who is he that shall condemn Me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.'--ISAIAH l. 8, 9. We have reached the final words of this prophecy, and we hear in them a tone of lofty confidence and triumph. While the former ones sounded plaintive like soft flute music, this rings out clear like the note of a
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Great Shepherd
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Voluntary Suffering
I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. T hat which often passes amongst men for resolution, and the proof of a noble, courageous spirit, is, in reality, the effect of a weak and little mind. At least, it is chiefly owing to the presence of certain circumstances, which have a greater influence upon the conduct, than any inherent principle. Thus may persons who appear to set death and danger at defiance in the hour
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Deepening Shadows.
We shall perhaps understand better some of the remaining prayer incidents if we remember that Jesus is now in the last year of His ministry, the acute state of His experiences with the national leaders preceding the final break. The awful shadow of the cross grows deeper and darker across His path. The hatred of the opposition leader gets constantly intenser. The conditions of discipleship are more sharply put. The inability of the crowds, of the disciples, and others to understand Him grows more
S. D. (Samuel Dickey) Gordon—Quiet Talks on Prayer

The Shame and Spitting
Of whom else, let me ask, could you conceive the prophet to have spoken if you read the whole chapter? Of whom else could he say in the same breath, "I clothe the heavens with blackness and I make sackcloth their covering. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair" (vv. 3, 6). What a descent from the omnipotence which veils the heavens with clouds to the gracious condescension which does not veil its own face, but permits it to be spat upon! No other could thus
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 25: 1879

Ninth Day. Prayerfulness.
"He continued all night in prayer to God."--Luke, vi. 12. We speak of this Christian and that Christian as "a man of prayer." Jesus was emphatically so. The Spirit was "poured upon Him without measure," yet--He prayed! He was incarnate wisdom, "needing not that any should teach Him." He was infinite in His power, and boundless in His resources, yet--He prayed! How deeply sacred the prayerful memories that hover around the solitudes of Olivet and the shores of Tiberias! He seemed often to
John R. Macduff—The Mind of Jesus

The Mat
Heinrich Suso Is. l. 6 It was on a winter's morning In the days of old, In his cell sat Father Henry, Sorrowful and cold. "O my Lord, I am aweary," In his heart he spake, "For my brethren scorn and hate me For Thy blessed sake. "If I had but one to love me That were joyful cheer-- One small word to make me sunshine Through the darksome year! "But they mock me and despise me Till my heart is stung-- Then my words are wild and bitter, Tameless is my tongue." Then the Lord said, "I am with thee;
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

Truth Hidden when not Sought After.
"They shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."--2 Tim. iv. 4. From these words of the blessed Apostle, written shortly before he suffered martyrdom, we learn, that there is such a thing as religious truth, and therefore there is such a thing as religious error. We learn that religious truth is one--and therefore that all views of religion but one are wrong. And we learn, moreover, that so it was to be (for his words are a prophecy) that professed Christians,
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

A Composite Picture.
It may be helpful to make the following summary of these allusions. 1. His times of prayer: His regular habit seems plainly to have been to devote the early morning hour to communion with His Father, and to depend upon that for constant guidance and instruction. This is suggested especially by Mark 1:35; and also by Isaiah 50:4-6 coupled with John 7:16 l.c., 8:28, and 12:49. In addition to this regular appointment, He sought other opportunities for secret prayer as special need arose; late at night
S. D. (Samuel Dickey) Gordon—Quiet Talks on Prayer

The Wilderness State
"Ye now have sorrow: But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." John 16:22. 1. After God had wrought a great deliverance for Israel, by bringing them out of the house of bondage, they did not immediately enter into the land which he had promised to their fathers; but "wandered out of the way in the wilderness," and were variously tempted and distressed. In like manner, after God has delivered them that fear him from the bondage of sin and Satan;
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Humility is the Root of Charity, and Meekness the Fruit of Both. ...
Humility is the root of charity, and meekness the fruit of both. There is no solid and pure ground of love to others, except the rubbish of self-love be first cast out of the soul; and when that superfluity of naughtiness is cast out, then charity hath a solid and deep foundation: "The end of the command is charity out of a pure heart," 1 Tim. i. 5. It is only such a purified heart, cleansed from that poison and contagion of pride and self-estimation, that can send out such a sweet and wholesome
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Twenty-Second Lesson. My Words in You. '
My words in you.' Or, The Word and Prayer. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.'--John xv. 7. THE vital connection between the word and prayer is one of the simplest and earliest lessons of the Christian life. As that newly-converted heathen put it: I pray--I speak to my father; I read--my Father speaks to me. Before prayer, it is God's word that prepares me for it by revealing what the Father has bid me ask. In prayer, it is
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested into English Verse
viz., I. The Book of Ruth II. The History of Samson III. Christ's Sermon on the Mount IV. The Prophecy of Jonah V. The Life of Joseph VI. The Epistle of James BY JOHN BUNYAN Licensed According to Order. London: Printed for J. Blare, at the Looking Glass, on London Bridge, 1701. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This very interesting little volume of poems, we believe, has not been reprinted since the year 1701, nor has it ever been inserted in any edition or catalogue of Bunyan's works. This may have
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Pastor in Parish (I. ).
Master, to the flock I speed, In Thy presence, in Thy name; Show me how to guide, to feed, How aright to cheer and blame; With me knock at every door; Enter with me, I implore. We have talked together about the young Clergyman's secret life, and private life, and his life in (so to speak) non-clerical intercourse with others, and now lastly of his life as it stands related to his immediate leader in the Ministry. In this latter topic we have already touched the great matter which comes now at
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place."--2 Kings
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

Its Meaning
Deliverance from the condemning sentence of the Divine Law is the fundamental blessing in Divine salvation: so long as we continue under the curse, we can neither be holy nor happy. But as to the precise nature of that deliverance, as to exactly what it consists of, as to the ground on which it is obtained, and as to the means whereby it is secured, much confusion now obtains. Most of the errors which have been prevalent on this subject arose from the lack of a clear view of the thing itself, and
Arthur W. Pink—The Doctrine of Justification

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