Isaiah 49:10, commentary and pictures

They shall not hunger or thirst, and heat and sun shall not strike them, because the One who has mercy on them shall lead them like a shepherd and guide them by springs of water to provision, refreshment, protection and sustaining care. It was given as a promise to Christ in His mission of mercy, on which He rests amid apparent failure and opposition, trusting that God will complete His saving work and still bring people to God from faraway lands. In its setting it belongs with raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring Israel, being a light to the Gentiles and salvation to the end of the earth, and calling prisoners and those in darkness to come forth to be fed in the ways with pastures in all high places. It will be fully realized on the new earth, where the meek who inherit it shall suffer no hunger, thirst, or harm from heat or sun as God leads them to springs of water, where there is peace with no sorrow, sickness, or death. Today it shows the work of God's messengers and people in gathering, feeding, supplying and protecting others and calling those in darkness to come forth, and it applies to all who come to Jesus in need, pray in faith, and are willing to be taught, whom God will teach and lead to fountains of living waters.

Guidance, Provision and Protection

Those who are gathered shall not go hungry or thirsty, and neither scorching heat nor sun shall strike them, for the One who has mercy on them shall lead them and guide them beside springs of water into provision, refreshment, protection and sustaining care. That leading is merciful and shepherd-like, supplying need and shielding from hardship and harm while bringing His people forward. Those summoned to come forth from prison and out of darkness shall be fed in the ways, with pastures provided in all high places, as they journey out of darkness toward restoration and safe passage. Their feeding, leading and guiding belong to deliverance with provision and safe passage for a people not left to want or to be smitten on the way.

In its setting this assurance belongs with promises to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of Israel, to give a light to the Gentiles and salvation to the end of the earth, to hear in an acceptable time and help in a day of salvation, to preserve and give for a covenant to establish the earth and cause to inherit desolate heritages, and to say to the prisoners to go forth and to those in darkness to show themselves. It stands with the assurance that Zion is not forgotten. It is part of God's assurance that He hears and helps His people, frees those in darkness, comforts the afflicted, and brings deliverance with provision and safe passage. The promise is true because God is true and righteous and does not tantalize His people.

Fulfillment Through Christ's Mission

The verse is a promise given to Christ in His mission of mercy. It stands together with the promises to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore Israel, to give Him as a light to the Gentiles and as salvation to the end of the earth, to hear in an acceptable time and help in a day of salvation, to preserve and give Him for a covenant of the people to establish the earth and cause to inherit desolate heritages, and to say to the prisoners, Go forth, and to those in darkness, Show yourselves. It means that those He gathers will not hunger nor thirst and heat nor sun will not strike them, because He who has mercy on them will lead them and will guide them by springs of water, mercifully leading and guiding those He delivers to provide for their needs and protect them from harm. On this Christ rests despite apparent failure and opposition, trusting that God will complete His saving work.

It belongs to the assurance that the work of the rejected Messiah will still bring people to God, including those gathered from faraway lands. This gathering is part of the salvation offered to all nations, fulfilled as the gospel is carried to every people. In that fulfillment He exercises merciful care over those He leads, feeding them and guiding them to springs of water and keeping them from hunger and thirst and from scorching heat and the sun's heat.

It also describes the promised new earth, where the meek who inherit it will suffer no hunger and no thirst and no harm from heat or sun. There God, who has mercy on them, will lead them and guide them to springs of water. There will be peace, with no sorrow and no sickness and no death.

Work and Experience Today

The verse shows the work of God's messengers and people today in gathering, feeding, supplying and protecting others. Those gathered will be fed in the ways with pastures in all high places, will not hunger nor thirst, and heat nor sun will not smite them, for He who has mercy on them will lead them and guide them by the springs of water. This feeding and leading belongs to the same work of raising up the tribes of Jacob, restoring the preserved of Israel, being a light to the Gentiles and God's salvation unto the end of the earth, and saying to the prisoners, Go forth, and to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. Ministers are to read the forty-eighth and forty-ninth chapters prayerfully to understand what it means to keep the lamp trimmed and burning.

As part of the prophecy in chapters 41, 42, 43, 49, and 55 through 58, it foretells the great and solemn work of presenting the warning message to the world now. That work gives people the reason for belief through camp meetings. It uses means to establish sanitariums in different parts of the world as an educating power to reform people and restore in them the moral image of God. It leads people through knowledge of the Word to conversion and to use their means and ability to extend truth, and it arouses slumbering senses to see how far they have departed from the Lord's ordinances into transgression against the law of God.

The verse shows part of the way by which Christlike attributes of character may be obtained. Those whom God calls to come forth from prison and darkness shall be fed in the ways with pastures in all high places, shall not hunger nor thirst, and neither heat nor sun shall smite them, for He that has mercy on them shall lead them and guide them by the springs of water. This promise is true because God is true and righteous and does not tantalize His people. Its promise applies to those who come to Jesus in need, pray in faith, and are willing to be taught, whom God will teach and lead to fountains of living waters.