Now Jacob gets to the part of Isaiah which spoke of the assistance of the gentiles. The definition of this type of gentile who would be the salvation of Israel is that they “repent and fight not against Zion.” While still using the imagery of the things which are to come, Jacob is focusing on the requirements of the things that are.
There are those in his congregation that are gentiles by birth. If they repent, and if they do not fight against Jehovah’s commandments, by implication they will be the salvation of Israel, or the salvation of the Old World lineage which is a much smaller part of their population. Jacob issues a thinly veiled call to repentance.
What is important for those who arrived with Lehi is that they accept the assistance of these indigenous gentiles. Thus, Jacob notes that “the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed.” It would be natural for those who were lineal descendants of Israel to assume a superior position to the newly converted. Jacob reminds them that this is not the correct relationship to those who could be their literal saviors. Jacob has niftily recast Isaiah’s words to have the covenant people licking the dust of the feet of their saviors and not being ashamed. That is a reversal of Isaiah who indicates that it would be the gentiles licking the dust of the feet of Israel. It is an intentional reversal, a reversal pointed at the things which are, the social interactions in the current Nephite community.
Jacob closes with Isaiah’s affirmation that none need be ashamed to wait for Jehovah. This is another slight shift in meaning, as Jacob’s context does not have the people attending, or waiting upon Jehovah, but awaiting his coming. Jacob’s context is the coming Messiah, and he notes that all who accept the Nephite religion and believe in the coming of the atoning Messiah need not be ashamed of their unified belief in Jehovah.