This is what the Lord says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” (NIV)
Isaiah 49:7
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:9-17
Upon the first coming of Jesus, Israel despised him. He came as the Suffering Servant and was crucified by those he sought to save. However, a day is coming when kings will rise and princes will bow down to Jesus. The specific naming of kings and princes is generally understood to indicate that Gentile nations will worship the Messiah.
The New English Translation says, “Kings will see and rise with respect.” Just as Jesus was “raised up” on a cross for all to see, and just as Jesus was “raised up” from the grave to prove he was God in the flesh, all kings will one day rise up to honor him.
Princes will also bow down to Jesus. This is the customary method of showing reverence in the East. We see this greeting many times in Scripture such as when Joseph’s brothers greeted him as the governor of Egypt: “So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground” (Gen 42:6).
Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians:
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11).
And why will all this happen? How do we know this will come to pass? “Because of the Lord, who is faithful” (vs 7). Because the LORD, the Great I AM is faithful and He chose Jesus for this mission. God will ultimately fulfill every promise through Jesus.
Paul wrote, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Cor 1:20). Peter also emphasized that Jesus was God’s chosen instrument. Even though he was despised, he is God’s chosen: “The living Stone [Jesus]—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him” (1 Pet 2:4).
Peter would go on to also explain that just as Jesus was chosen and precious to Him, we are also chosen: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet 2:9-10).
And in response to being chosen by God, just like Jesus we are to “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Pet 2:12). Therefore, “let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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