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The Servant Songs of

Isaiah 42-53—Part 1: :1-9

Introduction

- In the last several weeks, we have taken a look at the first part of Isaiah in some detail, as Isaiah warned the people of of the consequences of their sin.

- He predicted the destruction of both the northern kingdom of , which occurred several years into his prophetic ministry, and Judah, which occurred more than a century after Isaiah’s ministry ended.

- Isaiah also prophesied the eventual restoration of God’s chosen people to their land and gave remarkable details about the who would come and provide the perfect atonement for sin.

- Isaiah’s prophecies of the Messiah have in view both the Messiah’s first advent to suffer and die as that perfect atonement and the Messiah’s second coming and future kingdom on earth, which we know as His second advent.

- So far, our study has been pretty detailed about the social conditions and sin in Judah and the reasons for the judgment that would be delivered as we have looked at the text.

- Today, as I said a couple of weeks ago, we are going to take a different tack. For the rest of our study of Isaiah, we will back up from the details a bit and look more at the big picture.

- Today, I want to begin a look at what are known as the “Servant Songs.” There are four of these in Isaiah chapters 42 through 53. They are prophetic in nature and give details about the character and purpose of the Messiah.

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- Read 42:1-9

The Servant of the Lord

1. He is “My Servant” (1)

A. Designation for several of Israel’s faithful spiritual leaders over the preceding centuries: , Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Job, and Zerubbabel; and even used of Nebuchadnezzar, king of , whom God used to invade Judah as His instrument of judgment in 586 B.C.

B. “My Elect One”—chosen to serve the Father.

C. “I have put My Spirit upon Him”—We find the visible representation of this at ’ baptism (Read Matthew 3:16)

D. “He will bring forth justice to the ”—a look forward to the Messiah’s second coming, when He will establish and rule over a kingdom in which justice prevails throughout the world.

1) Even though it is prophesied that the Messiah will rule from , the millennial kingdom is not for Israel alone. All the world will experience the righteousness and justice of the Messiah King.

2. A quiet and patient demeanor (2)

A. “He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street”—a reference to Jesus’ quiet and patient demeanor that largely characterized His ministry during His first advent.

B. Even when confronting, and being confronted by, the scribes and Pharisees, He did not lose His cool, though He spoke hard, confrontational truths.

3. He will comfort for the weak and oppressed (3)

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A. “A bruised reed He will not break”—a reference to the Messiah’s compassion even for the people which the culture may regard as the least among them.

1) The reed grows by the water and is hollow, easily bent (“bruised”) when leaning under the pressure of the wind or pushed aside by an animal coming to drink. Shepherds used reeds to make a small whistle-like musical instrument.

2) Once creased, the reed was useless. If it was still in the ground, it died. If the shepherd’s reed instrument was bent and creased, it soon cracked and splintered and was no longer of use.

3) The reference is to people living under the pressures of poverty and oppression. He would not come to reinforce the oppression they suffered in the culture, but to give them comfort, to give them hope and faith.

a. This one line of the verse could be a whole sermon. The Messiah’s purpose is to give hope, to deliver the promise of joy and eternal life, the hope that Paul writes so much about; the hope and certainty of living in His presence eternally regardless of current circumstances of suffering and pain.

B. “And a smoking flax He will not quench”

1) A “smoking flax” is a smoldering wick in a lamp. The fire is still alive, but dying.

2) Once more, the metaphor is about the low and suffering. They are beaten down by social structures, unemployment, severe poverty and suffering.

3) The Messiah would not come to add to their suffering, but to revive them with the message of salvation and a bright future in His presence.

C. Instead, “He will bring forth justice and truth”

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1) Rather than coming to add to the oppression and suffering, He would bring the new light of justice and truth.

2) This look into the future has been fulfilled beginning with His first advent in the Spirit of tenderness and compassion in every authentic Christian. We about the less fortunate and the Spirit in us urges us to reach out to help. The Spirit in us also instills a God-given sense of justice. No one hates oppression and injustice like the true Christian does, not just because of the unfairness, but also because it is contrary to the character of the one true God.

4. He will bring truth and justice (4)

A. “He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth”—The Messiah will not fail in bringing truth and justice to mankind.

1) Fulfilled in part in His first advent by the hope and character in the hearts of those who have trusted Him as Lord and Savior and who have been changed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

2) To be fulfilled universally at His second advent, when He will establish His government of righteousness and justice throughout the world.

B. “And the coastlands shall wait for His law”—Isaiah’s way of saying that the truth and justice the Messiah shall bring will be throughout the world.

5. The Messiah will be a light to the gentiles (5-6)

A. In v. 5, the word of God given through Isaiah reinforces that the prophesy is reliable: “Thus says the Lord God”

1) The promise is from the Creator, who created the heavens, the earth, all life on earth

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2) “Who gives breath to the people on it and the spirit to those who walk on it”—God created humans not only as living, breathing beings, but also, He created in us our spirit, or self-awareness. Unlike other biological life, human beings alone are self-aware—we know our past, we are capable of knowing God and His holiness, and we can know for sure the certainty of His promises.

B. After reminding us of these certainties in v. 5, in v. 6 the word of the Lord given to Isaiah reminds His people of His promises to them

1) He sends the Messiah in righteousness. There may be a double entendre in this statement. On the one hand, God the Father is perfectly righteous and holy. On the other hand, the Messiah also will be perfectly righteous and holy.

2) “And (I) will hold Your hand”—refers to the common purpose of the Father and the Messiah. The picture is of support, walking together as one. Throughout the Bible, we often find references to the perfect unity of purpose of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3) “I will keep you and give You as a covenant to the people”—a promise of salvation and future eternity with Him. In His first advent, Jesus announced the “new covenant”

a. In instituting the practice of the bread and cup, Jesus refers to this new covenant, saying, “this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 27:27).

i. “My blood of the new covenant” alludes to a middle eastern cultural practice that had existed for millennia. Upon making a treaty or contract, a sacrifice was made, and the blood of the sacrifice was meant do seal the promise.

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ii. “which is shed for many for the remission of sins” refers to the purpose of His death, as the atonement for our sins.

4) “As a light to the gentiles”—one of the many occasions in Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah’s purpose of not saving just the Israelites, but all mankind.

6. He will open mankind’s eyes (7)

A. “To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house”

1) V. 7 refers to the Messiah as the light of the world.

2) The Messiah as light is a frequent metaphor in the Bible: the “light of the world.”

3) In his gospel’s first chapter, John establishes Jesus not only as Creator and Truth, but describes Him as “the light of men” and “the true Light.”

4) Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5)

5) Numerous times, God’s people are referred to as “in the light” and admonished to “walk in the light.”

B. V. 7 paints a picture consistently found in scripture.

1) Mankind is blind, in spiritual darkness, imprisoned by slavery to its sinful, self-centered nature and desires.

2) The Messiah came to open our spiritually blind eyes, to release us from our spiritual prison. Without Him, we see only what is, in truth, spiritual darkness.

7. His advent is sure (8-9)

A. As He does numerous times in Isaiah and the other , God reminds His people that this prophecy is dependable. He establishes this truth with two arguments:

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1) I am the Lord

a. “I am ”—the one and only, all-powerful, self- existing God.

b. The name Yahweh was loaded with spiritual truth for the Israelites. The name to them signified the One who created the heavens and the earth; the Creator of life; the One who cared for their needs, rescued them time and time again; the One who is truth and righteousness; the one and only God, who sets the standards for worship, sinlessness, and judgment.

c. “My glory I will not give to another, nor my praise to carved images”—He is infinitely greater than the false gods and idols that had so tempted them and turned them away for centuries as they struggled with the cultural pressures of the pagan nations around them.

i. A stinging reminder. Most of Isaiah’s ministry up to this point consisted of warning the Israelites of the impending judgment because they had turned away from the true God and toward the idols of the pagans.

2) The other argument to establish the truth of the Messianic prophecy is in v. 9: “Former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

a. They can take comfort in all of the prophetic messages of Isaiah. God had a perfect track record. All He had promised had come to pass.

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