Isaiah 29:22, commentary and pictures

The Lord who redeemed Abraham speaks concerning the house of Jacob to promise that He will also redeem and restore His people. Jacob shall no longer be disgraced and put to shame, nor be afraid and dismayed and made pale with fear. The hope is fulfilled when he sees his children as the Lord's own work and handiwork, sanctifying His name and revering the Holy One of Jacob and of Israel, with the poor rejoicing in God. The restoration includes the removal of oppressors, when those who erred in spirit come to understanding and those who murmured learn doctrine and His teaching. This brings salvation to Jewish people and to sinners who hear God's message, when they recognize Christ as their Redeemer and by conversion become His children honoring Him. In its wider setting the prophecy warns those who reject known truth and trust people who disobey divine warnings that their false refuges will fail under God's judgment upon cities.

Promise to Jacob's House

The word is the Lord's own word, spoken as the One who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, and it pledges that He will likewise redeem and restore Jacob's people. Jacob shall not now be ashamed, and his face shall not now wax pale, means his household will no longer be disgraced or put to shame. It means they will no longer be afraid or dismayed or made pale with fear. The ground of this confidence is that the same Lord who redeemed Abraham will redeem Jacob.

The hope is fulfilled when Jacob sees his children as the Lord's own work and handiwork. Then they sanctify His name and honor God, revering the Holy One of Jacob and of Israel and fearing the God of Israel. In that restoration the poor rejoice in God. As they come to see those who are God's work among them, they honor Him and recognize His holiness.

The restoration includes the removal of oppressors, when the people are restored and shame and fear are taken from the house of Jacob. Then those who had been mistaken, gone astray, or erred in spirit come to understanding. Those who murmured or misunderstood spiritual truth learn doctrine and His teaching.

Prophetic Warnings and Applications

The promise that Jacob shall no longer be ashamed nor grow pale with fear reaches to the salvation of the Jewish people, when many will recognize Christ as their Redeemer. As they come to see His work among them in those who are His own handiwork, they will honor Him and revere the Holy One of Jacob and of Israel. Those who had misunderstood spiritual truth will then come to understanding and learn doctrine and His teaching. The same prophecy belongs to sinners who hear and accept God's message, and to those who heard Christ and were converted, believed, and acknowledged Him. By that conversion they become His children and honor His name, and their change itself displays the Lord's redeeming work among His people as the One who redeemed Abraham.

The verse stands inside a prophecy repeated and fulfilled in connection with coming destruction upon cities. There it serves as a warning to God's people to stop trusting those who disobey divine warnings and despise reproof. In its wider chapter it portrays the true conditions of the world, especially the peril of those who reject known truth and are deceived by persuasive error. It warns that their false refuges will fail under God's judgment.

The passage from verse 9 to verse 24 describes the course pursued at Battle Creek by men supposed to be trustworthy. Their course violated the principles of the ten commandments through failure in supreme love to God and love to fellow men as self. They heartily disliked and despised anyone who questioned the course they thought wise, treated without respect the very men entrusted with a message for His people, and rejected not only the message but the messengers sent, with bitter feelings against them waiting for revival. If the mouths of those messengers were stopped and their voices silenced, God would raise up others to do the work, and if no human voice could be heard He could give tongue to the stones to proclaim the message He would have come to men. That word of the Lord in verses 9 to 24 will be fulfilled to all who claim to be teachers yet act out its principles, with eyes greatly blinded so they do not see, weakening the Lord's work and dishonoring truth of heavenly origin.