Isaiah 49:8-10

8-10. In an acceptable time Better, in a time of favour; that is, in the far future times, when Providence shall guide to changes in favour of men’s hearing, pondering, and accepting the Gospel. The same idea is in the parallel expression, in a day of salvation. Then God is the infinite helper; then he restores to infinite honour for the endured humiliation.

Covenant of the people In Isaiah 49:7 Israel has the name goi, as if Gentiles not in God’s covenant; here the Church, though composed mainly of Gentiles, has the name am, people, usually given to Israel. Gentiles, once not a people, are to become the people of God. Romans 9:24-26; 1 Peter 2:10. Messiah is to seal his covenant with this new people.

Desolate Explained in the next verse. This verse shows that the “desolate” places are not waste places in Judea, but the moral wastes of the heathen world. Isaiah 43:6-7.

In a day of salvation it shall avail for God’s Anointed to say to all feeling themselves captives:

Go forth From your prison house; come out from your darkness. Feed in all fresh pastures, in valleys, and on every height. Easy will it be, as the Shepherd of souls, for Messiah to gather to his fold every one hitherto straying, and bare hills shall then afford abundant pasturage. Spiritual manna and living waters shall be everywhere at hand, together with protection from all heat and cold. The figures here so common with our prophet furnish a full storehouse of illustrations in the New Testament (see especially Revelation 7:16-17) as applied to practical religion. The promises of Psalms 23:0 are here made universal to Christian believers.