Isaiah 49:26, commentary and pictures

God Himself will contend with whoever contends with His people, delivering those who are opposed from powerful oppressors and bringing their deliverance to light. That deliverance includes saving their children and freeing those held by the mighty by taking away the captives of the mighty and delivering the prey of the terrible. He will cause those who oppress them to feed on their own flesh and to be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine. Through this deliverance all flesh shall know that the Lord is Saviour and Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob, so that His identity as Saviour and Redeemer is made known to all people. The closing assurance of the chapter is that all people will know the Lord as Saviour and Redeemer.

The chapter calls God's people to trust that He will carry forward their deliverance, requiring deep and earnest trust when facing difficult decisions in His work. It shows the way by which Christlike attributes of character may be obtained, for these things are true because God is true and righteous and does not tantalize His people. The chapter presents the Lord's messengers as carrying out His work in their own day, bringing salvation to the ends of the earth, freeing prisoners, and showing people in darkness the way forward.

The chapter foretells the great and solemn work of presenting the warning message to the world and giving people the reason for present faith. It means holding camp meetings to give the information the world desires and establishing sanitariums in different parts of the world as an educating power to reform the people and restore the moral image of God. It means bringing men through knowledge of the Word to conversion so they use their means and ability to extend truth. It means arousing slumbering senses to see departure from the Lord's ordinances by worldly policy and transgression against the law of God.