Isaiah 49:8 - Exposition

In an acceptable time ; literally, in a time of good pleasure; i.e. the time fixed by my good pleasure from the creation of the world. Heard thee … helped thee. The Father "heard" and "helped" the only begotten Son through the whole period of his earthly ministry ( Luke 2:40 , Luke 2:52 ; John 3:2 ; John 8:28 ; John 12:28 ; John 14:10 , etc.). I will give thee for a Covenant of the people (comp. Isaiah 42:6 , and the comment, ad loc. ) . To establish the earth; rather, as in Isaiah 49:6 , to raise up the earth , to lift it out of its existing condition of meanness and degradation. To cause to inherit the desolate heritages; i.e. to cause the desolate heritages of the earth—the places devoid of trite religion—to be possessed, and as it were "inherited," by those who would introduce into them the true knowledge of God. As Israel inherited Canaan ( Deuteronomy 3:28 ; Joshua 1:6 ), so would Christian nations inherit many "desolate heritages," where ignorance and sin prevailed, with the result that light would penetrate into the dark regions, and, ultimately, all flesh see the salvation of God.