Jesus was a covenant for the people

JESUS WAS A COVENANT FOR THE PEOPLE
AND A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Isaiah42:6 6"I, the LORD, have called you in
righteousness;I will take hold of your hand. I will
keep you and will make you to be a covenantfor the
people and a light for the Gentiles,
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
MissionOf Jehovah's Servant
Isaiah42:5-9
E. Johnson
A new revelation defines the mission of the Servant with greaterprecision.
The plan of the missionrequires an exhibition of the Divine wisdom and
poweron as large a scale as in creationand preservation(cf. Zechariah 12:1)
(Cheyne).
I. THE RELATION OF GOD To THE WORLD. He is the God- the only God
(cf. Psalm85:9). He canadmit no rival; he stands in a unique relation to the
world - is alone to be worshipped. He is the Creator:his work is the heaven
and the earth, and the people. The breath of life is by him breathed into his

creatures. The universe is entirely subject to him, and he has the right to
appoint whom he will to be the minister and channel of his favours to men. To
the appointed Messiah, then, due reverence is to be paid.
II. HIS COVENANT WITH ISRAEL AND MANKIND. There is a covenant
with the chosenpeople, and through them all nations are to own him as God.
Generally the righteousness ofGod stands for the goodness ofGod,
manifested to his world in the whole scheme and agencyofsalvation. "I have
done this as a righteous and just God, and in accomplishmentof my righteous
purposes. I am the just moral Governor of the universe, and have designated
thee to this work, in the accomplishment of those purposes."
III. THE MEDIATOR OF THE COVENANT. God holds his hand in his.
What strength, then; what grace and Divine communication must there not be
with the Mediator, who will be guided and guarded, will be visibly in the
enjoyment of the Divine favour! And so the Mediatorhimself is calleda
Covenant- the personalrealization of God's thought and purpose to the
people - the embodiment of that spiritual relation announced in vers. 30, 31,
etc. Another of his names is Light. Being Intelligence in himself, the Wisdom
of God, he will diffuse it among the nations: bringing men out of their
spiritual blindness and the prison-house and confinement of spiritual distress
(Psalm 107:10;Job 36:8). "Suchis the freedom the gospelimparts; nor can
there be a more striking descriptionof its happy effects onthe minds and
hearts of darkenedand wretchedmen" (1 Peter2:9).
IV. THE SOLEMN ASSURANCE. Jehovahnow turns to the people, and
assures them that he is the only true God, and jealouslyclaims a sole and
undivided homage. He is "the Eternal." The name includes "the unique
reality, and powerto conferreality, of the Divine Being." His glory he will not
give to another; for were such a God's prediction to fail, he would sink to a
lowerlevel than the imaginary deities, who have, at any rate, not deluded

their worshippers. But the earlier predictions have been fulfilled -those
againstthe Babylonians or Assyrians; and the new things, later and more
splendid - the deliverances ofthe Jews - will in like manner be fulfilled. The
plant is contained in the seed;the event in the mind; the fulfilment in the
Word of Jehovah(Isaiah9:8; Isaiah 55:10, 11;Amos 3:7). - J.
Biblical Illustrator
I the Lord have calledthee in righteousness.
Isaiah42:6
God's covenant with man
R. H. Davies, B. A.
We are apt to understand that there are two covenants, respectivelycalledthe
covenantof works and the covenant of grace.
1. Let us define what a covenantis. In its primary sense it signifies a mutual
compactor agreementbetweentwo parties. The covenantis kept on the one

side by those conditions being ratified in a full and faithful observance of
them; on the other side by the conferment of the benefit upon the completion
of the conditions.
2. When viewing God and man as the two parties betweenwhom a covenant
has been made, we perceive that there have been two covenants enteredinto;
in eachthe benefit offered by the Father has been the same, viz., eternallife,
but the terms or conditions are different.(1) In the covenantof works, the
condition to be acceptedand ratified by man was single, that is, obedience to
the moral law of God, which law contains within its sanctions not merely an
obedience to any positive commands or implied wishes, but an inward heart-
observance ofa complete holiness, this complete holiness being in fact itself
the law, and any deviation whateverfrom the prescription of a complete
holiness being an infraction of the law, and consequently that flaw in the
covenantedobedience on man's part, which destroys the covenantaltogether,
and thus, annulling it, renders it nugatory.(2)The conditions in the covenant
of grace are twofold, repentance and faith, obedience to the law constituting
no part of the terms on which God will conferthe promised boon, though
according to this, He will regulate the degrees ofglory to be knownand
shared in and through the heavenly immortality. For the law of God has never
been repealed, and never can be; neither does the covenant of grace atall
make void the law, nay, as the apostle says, "it establishes it."
3. An ordinary attention to the constitution of these two covenants will show
us that there is betweenGod and man, now (the "now" taking in the position
and history of man from the fall, to the finished and ultimate recoveryof
redemption) but this one covenant of grace. Consider, andthis partly by
contrasting the two, in what this secondor new covenantconsists.(1)It agrees
with the first in this,
(a)that the ultimate object is the same, viz., everlasting life for man;

(b)that in God's part of the contractthe promise attachedto it is the same.(2)
It differs from the other in these respects. Thata third party is introduced —
the MediatorChrist Jesus, the Son of God. That on man's part the conditions
are different, repentance and faith being in the steadof obedience.
4. See the vital importance of understanding the truth with respectto the two
covenants. There are not two covenants. There never have been two co-
existing covenants. Whenman broke the first, it was at an end. Morally
speaking, it could not be re-instituted; because, the nature of man having
become sinful, and this sinfulness a necessaryentailment on all his children, it
was rendered impossible for man to keepa covenant of works. And a
covenantbroken is no longera covenant. God, then, in His mercy and love,
instituted another covenant, the same as to intent, but differing in its
conditions for man, prescribing conditions which he could observe, because of
the new provision made in the MediatorChrist Jesus, by whom the law should
be inviolably kept, and so a justifying righteousness procured, and by whom a
full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice shouldbe made in the offering of His own
spotless body for the sins of the whole world. See how this strikes at the root of
all man's pride and self-dependence, andattempts at working out a self-
righteousness forhis justification. See, too, the surpassing considerationof
God for the pour, condemned helpless, sinner. See also the wondrousforce of
our text. It was to the dearly-beloved Son that God said, "I, the Lord, have
calledThee in righteousness," etc. Because onHim devolved the work of
rescue, becauseHe is the Mediator, because He will ensure the final victory,
because in Him the new covenant was opened, in Him established, by Him
maintained, Himself is calledthe covenant. To rejectHim is to rejectthe
covenant;to look anywhere else for salvation, to attempt any other way to
God's favour than by Him, to try any other terms than those of His Gospel, is
to rejectHim; and that is to rejectthe covenant of God and to enter into
covenantwith death.

(R. H. Davies, B. A.)
God's calling
J. A. Alexander.
The actof calling here implies —
1. Selection.
2. Designation.
3. Providential introduction to God's service.
(J. A. Alexander.)
Called in righteousness
Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.
in accordancewith a steadfastand consistentpurpose.
(Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.)
And give Thee for a covenant of the people
Israela Mediator
J. A. Alexander., J. A. Alexander.
Not only the Messiah, but the Israelof God was sentto be a mediator or
connecting link betweenJehovahand the nations.

(J. A. Alexander.)
The new covenantof free grace
T. Crisp, D. D.
I. WHO IT IS THAT SPEAKS THIS GRACIOUS LANGUAGE. The Lord.
II. THE PERSON TO WHOM THIS GRACIOUS LANGUAGE IS
DIRECTED AND SPOKEN. CHRIST.
III. WHAT HE SPEAKS UNTO CHRIST HERE, even gracious language in
respectof us. "He will give Him for a covenant."
IV. UNTO WHOM THE FATHER GIVES CHRIST FOR A COVENANT.
"Unto the people, and unto the Gentiles";that is, to Jews and to Gentiles, to
all sorts of people.
V. THE END AND PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE FATHER GIVES HIM
TO BE A COVENANT UNTO THE PEOPLE. "To openthe blind eyes, to
bring the prisoners out of prison."
(T. Crisp, D. D.)
Christ a covenantto open blind eyes
T. Crisp, D. D.
I. WHAT IT IS FOR CHRIST TO BE A COVENANT, OR, THE
COVENANT.

II. WHAT IT IS FOR CHRIST TO BE GIVEN TO BE A COVENANT.
III. WHAT IT IS FOR CHRIST TO BE A COVENANT TO OPEN THE
BLIND EYES.
IV. TO WHOM THIS CHRIST IS GIVEN TO BE A COVENANT.
(T. Crisp, D. D.)
"A covenantof the people
Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.
The idea must be something like this: the Divine ideal representedby the
Servant of the Lord becomes the basis of a new national life, inasmuch as it
expresses thatfor the sake ofwhich Jehovahenters into a new covenant
relation with His people.
(Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.)
A word to go home on
Christian Budget
The saintly Miss Frances Ridley Havergalliterally lived and moved in the
Word of God. It was her constantsolace,delight, and inspiration. It is related
of her that, on the last day of her life, she askeda friend to read to her the
forty-secondchapter of Isaiah. When the friend read the sixth verse, "I the
Lord have called thee in righteousness andwill hold thine hand, and will keep
thee," Miss Havergalstopped her. "Called — held — kept — used," she
whispered. "Well, I will just go home on that." And she did "go home on

that," as on a celestialchariot, and the home-going was a triumph, with an
abundant entrance into the city of God.
(Christian Budget)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(6) Have calledthee in righteousness . . .—The words apply to the personal
servant. His call was in accordancewith the absolute righteousness ofGod,
manifesting itself in love.
A covenantof the people.—The contextlimits the “people” to Israel. The
“servantof the Lord” is to be in Himself not only the mediator of the
covenant, but the covenant, the meeting-point betweenGod and man, just as
He is the “peace”as wellas the peacemaker(Micah5:5; Ephesians 2:14). The
words may well have furnished a starting-point for the “new covenant” of
Jeremiah31:31, and the whole series ofthoughts that have grownout of it.
A light of the Gentiles.—Re-echoedin Luke 2:32.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
42:5-12 The work of redemption brings back man to the obedience he owes to
God as his Maker. Christis the light of the world. And by his grace he opens
the understandings Satanhas blinded, and sets at liberty from the bondage of
sin. The Lord has supported his church. And now he makes new promises,
which shall as certainly be fulfilled as the old ones were. When the Gentiles

are brought into the church, he is glorified in them and by them. Let us give to
God those things which are his, taking heed that we do not serve the creature
more than the Creator.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
I the Lord have calledthee in righteousness - The phrase 'in righteousness'
has been very differently understood by different expositors (see the note at
Isaiah41:10). The most probable meaning may be, 'I have done it as a
righteous and just God, or in the accomplishmentof my righteous purposes. I
am the just moral governor of the universe, and to accomplishmy purposes of
justice and fidelity, I have designatedthee to this work.'Lowth has well
rendered it, 'For a righteous purpose.' In this work all was righteousness. God
was righteous, who appointed him; it was because he was righteous, and could
not save without a mediator and an atonement, that he sent him into the
world; he selectedone who was eminently righteous to accomplishhis
purpose; and he came that he might establishrighteousness onthe earth, and
confirm the just government of God (see Isaiah42:21).
And will hold thine hand - I will take thee by the hand, as one does who guides
and leads another. The phrase denotes the same as to guard, or keep - as we
protect a child by taking him by the hand.
And give thee for a covenant - This is evidently an abbreviated form of
expression, and the meaning is, 'I will give or appoint thee as the medium, or
means by which a covenant shall be made with the people;or a mediator of
the new covenant which God is about to establishwith men' (see Isaiah49:8).
A similar expressionoccurs in Micah 5:5, where it is said of the Messiah, 'and
this man shall be the peace;' that is, he shall be the source of peace, orpeace
shall be establishedand maintained by him. So in Ephesians 2:14, it is said of
him, 'he is our peace.'
Of the people - It has been doubted whether this means the Jewishpeople, or
the Gentiles. Grotius, Hengstenberg, Vitringa, and others understand it of the

Jews;Rosenmuller and others, of the Gentiles. It is not easyto determine
which is the correctinterpretation. But the meaning, as I apprehend, is, not
that he would confirm the ancient covenantwith the descendants ofAbraham,
as Hengstenberg and Vitringa suppose, but that his covenant would be
establishedwith all, with both Jews and Gentiles. According to this, it will
refer to the Jews, notas Jews, oras already interestedin the covenant, but as
constituting one portion of the world; and the whole expressionwill mean,
that his religion will be extended to Jews and Gentiles:that is, to the whole
world.
For a light of the Gentiles - (See Luke 2:32). 'Light' is the emblem of
knowledge, instruction, and of the true religion. The Messiahis often called
'light,' and the 'light of the world' (see Matthew 4:16; compare the note at
Isaiah9:2; John 1:4, John 1:7, John 1:9; John 3:19; John 8:12; John 9:5; John
12:35, John 12:46;Revelation21:23). This is one of the numerous declarations
which occur in Isaiah, that the religion of the Messiahwould be extended to
the paganworld; and that they, as well as the Jews, wouldbe brought to
partake of its privileges.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
6. in righteousness—rather, "fora righteous purpose" [Lowth]. (See Isa
42:21). God "setforth" His Son "to be a propitiation (so as) to declare His
(God's) righteousness,that God might be just, and (yet) the justifier of him
which believeth in Jesus" (Ro 3:25, 26;compare see on [784]Isa 41:2; Isa
45:13;50:8, 9).
hold … hand—compare as to Israel, the type of Messiah, Ho 11:3.
covenant—the medium of the covenant, originally made betweenGod and
Abraham (Isa 49:8). "The mediator of a better covenant" (Heb 8:6) than the

law (see Isa 49:8; Jer 31:33;50:5). So the abstract"peace,"forpeace-maker
(Mic 5:5; Eph 2:14).
the people—Israel;as Isa 49:8, compared with Isa 42:6, proves (Lu 2:32).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Have called thee in righteousness;to declare my righteousness, as is said,
Romans 3:26, or my faithfulness, which is frequently called righteousness in
Scripture; according to my promise long since made, and oft-renewed. As the
former verse assertedGod’s power, so this clause declares his will and firm
purpose and obligationto effectthis work, and both togetherevince the
certainty and necessityofit.
Will hold thine hand; will give thee counseland strength for thy high and
hard work.
Will keepthee, that thou shalt not fail in, nor be hindered by, thine enemies
from the accomplishmentof thy work.
Give thee for a covenant; to be the Angel of the covenant, as Christ is called,
Malachi3:1; or the Mediator, in and by whom my covenantof grace is made
and confirmed with mankind.
Of the people; either of my people, the Jews;or, indefinitely or universally, of
all people, not only Jews, but Gentiles also, as it follows.

For a light of the Gentiles; to enlighten them with true and saving knowledge,
and to direct them in the right way to true happiness, from which they had
miserably wandered. He alludes to God’s fiery pillar, which enlightened and
directed the Israelites in the wilderness.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
I the Lord have calledthee in righteousness,....Notthe Prophet Isaiah, as
Jarchiand Aben Ezra interpret it; nor the people of Israel, as Kimchi; but the
Messiah, whomJehovahcalled to the office of Mediator, in a righteous way
and manner, consistentwith his own perfections;and not againstthe will of
Christ, but with his full consent:or, "unto righteousness",as some (n); so the
Arabic version; to fulfil his righteous purposes, concerning the welfare and
salvationof his people; to perform his righteous promises of his coming, and
of goodthings by him; to show his strict vindictive justice againstsin, in the
punishment of it; and to bring in an everlasting righteousnessforhis people:
or it may be rendered, "I have calledthee with righteousness (o)";Christ
came a righteous Person, holy in his nature, harmless in his life, and truly
deservedthe characterofJesus Christ the righteous:
and will hold thine hand: denoting his presence with him, and nearness unto
him; his favour and affectionfor him; his counsel and direction of him; the
support and assistance he gave him; and the strength he receivedfrom him as
man, to go through his work:
and will keepthee; as the apple of his eye, being dear unto him; from being
hurt by his enemies till the time came to be delivered into their hands; and
from miscarrying in his work;and from the powerof the grave, so as to be
long detained in it:
and give thee for a covenantof the people; Christ is a covenantee, a party
concernedin the covenant of grace;the representative of his people in it; the
surety, Mediator, messenger, andratifier of it; the greatblessing in it; the sum
and substance of it; all the blessings and promises of it are in him, and as such

he is "given"; it is of God's free grace that he was appointed and intrusted
with all this in eternity, and was sentin time to confirm and secure it for "the
people";given him of his Father, redeemed by him and to whom the Spirit
applies the blessings and promises of the covenant; even the electof God, both
among Jews andGentiles, especiallythe latter, as follows:
for a light of the Gentiles; who were in the dark as to the true knowledge of
God and Jesus Christ, and the way of righteousness and salvationby him, and
of all divine and spiritual things; now Christ, through the ministry of the
word by his Spirit, was a light unto them; by which they were enlightened into
their own state and condition by nature, and into the knowledge ofhimself,
and the mysteries of grace.
(n) "Ad, sive in justitiam", Sanctius. (o) "cum justitia", Piscator, Forerius,
Cocceius.
Geneva Study Bible
I the LORD have calledthee in {l} righteousness, andwill hold {m} thy hand,
and will keepthee, and give thee for a {n} covenantof the people, for a light of
the Gentiles;
(l) Meaning, to a lawful and just calling.
(m) To assistand guide you.
(n) As him, by whom the promise made to all nations in Abraham will be
fulfilled.

EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
6. calledthee in righteousness]i.e. in accordancewith a stedfastand consistent
purpose. See Appendix, Note II, and cf. ch. Isaiah45:13.
and will keepthee] R.V. marg. (“form thee”)derives the verb from a different
root; if this sense be taken, it is necessaryto read the words in close connexion
with what follows:“I will form and appoint thee for a covenant&c.”
for a covenantof the people]The expressionoccurs againin ch. Isaiah49:8,
and is one of the most difficult in this prophecy. The idea is necessarilya
pregnant one, and it is nowhere developedin such a waythat we canbe sure
of the exactmeaning. The notion of a “national league” must be dismissed,
because the Heb. běrîth, unlike the German “Bund,” nowhere means
“confederation.”To take “people” in the sense of “humanity” is also
unsuitable because ofIsaiah49:8, which clearly limits the reference to Israel.
Looking at the phrase by itself two constructions are grammatically possible:
(a) We may render it, “a covenantof a people,” or “a covenant people,” after
the analogyof Genesis 16:12, where Ishmaelis called“a wild ass ofa man”
(cf. “Wonderof a Counsellor” in ch. Isaiah 9:6). This, however, is somewhat
strained. (b) The most natural, and on the whole probably the most
satisfactoryrendering is, “a nation’s covenant,” i.e. the covenantupon which
a nation is constituted, the conceptionimplied being that Israel’s future
national existence must be basedon a new covenant betweenit and Jehovah
(ch. Isaiah 55:3; Jeremiah31:30-32). The difficulty is thus reduced to the
pregnancy of the statement that the Servant is or shall be this covenant. It is
probably to be explained in accordancewithsuch expressions as “thou shalt
be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). As “blessing” there means “cause ofblessing,”
so here “covenant” may be equivalent to the ground or (as most
commentators explain) the mediator of a national covenant. The idea at all
events must be something like this: the Divine ideal representedby the

Servant of the Lord becomes the basis of a new national life, inasmuch as it
expresses thatfor the sake ofwhich Jehovahenters into a new covenant
relation with His people.
for a light of the nations] The ultimate destiny of the Servant; see on Isaiah
42:1.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 6. - I the Lord have calledthee in righteousness. The "Servantof
Jehovah" is addressed. Godhas "called" him; i.e. appointed him to his
mediatorial office "in righteousness," in accordancewith the righteous
purpose which he has entertained towards his fallen creatures from the
beginning of the world. And will give thee for a Covenant of the people (comp.
Isaiah49:8). The covenantbetweenGod and his people being in Christ, it is
quite consistentwith Hebrew usage to transfer the term to Christ himself, in
whom the covenantwas, as it were, embodied. So Christ is called"our
Salvation" and "our Peace,"and again, "our Redemption" and "our Life."
This is the ordinary tone of Hebrew poetry, which rejoices in personification
and embodiment. A prose writer would have said that the Servant of the Lord
would be given as the Mediatorof a covenant betweenJehovahand his
people. For a light of the Gentiles (comp. Isaiah49:6; Isaiah 51:4).
Keil and DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament
This closing declarationof Jehovahterminates with similar words of wrath
and contempt to those with which the judicial process ended in Isaiah 41:24.
"See them all, vanity; nothingness are their productions, wind and desolation
their molten images." ‫םהיׂשעמ‬ are notthe works of the idols, but, as the
parallel shows, the productions (plural, as in Ezekiel 6:6; Jeremiah1:16) of
the idolaters - in other words, the idols themselves - a parallel expressionto
‫םהיׂשעמ‬ (from ‫,םהנ‬ as in Isaiah 48:5 equals massēkhâh, Isaiah42:17). ‫הפא‬ ‫ןוא‬ is
an emotional asyndeton (Ges. 155, 1, a). The address is thus rounded off by
returning to the idolaters, with whom it first started. The first part, vv. 1-24,

contains the judicial pleadings;the secondpart, Isaiah41:25., recapitulates
the evidence and the verdict.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Isaiah42:1-9 -- Servant Song #1 - Justice on Earth is Coming
BIG IDEA:
THE PREDICTEDSUCCESSFULMISSION OF THE IDEAL SERVANT
OF THE LORD REINFORCES THE PROVEN SUPERIORITYOF THE
TRUE GOD TO IDOLS
INTRODUCTION:
Remember the Messianic prophecythat Isaiah had delivered in 9:1-7, chap.
11. What a tremendous prospect to look forward to: the advent of a Messiah
who would rule on the earth in justice and righteousness . . . Who would
deliver God’s chosenpeople from their oppressionand affliction.
In order to comfort Israelas they face the approaching hardship of the
Babylonian Captivity, Isaiah focuses theirhopes back on this same promise.
No matter how bleak things get, no matter how much injustice reigns around
you, God will ultimately send His servant Messiahto triumphantly usher in
this reign of justice on earth.

Look at current events that cause us to cry out for justice on earth:
- ISIS beheading of Japanesehostage
- Yemen coup
- Etc.
The false idols exposedin chapter 41 are powerless to callthe shots. But God
always calls the shots and He will fulfill all of His promises as He intervenes in
history to accomplishsomething totally new and wonderful.
David Thompson:
GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE COMFORTED BYKNOWING THAT EVEN
THOUGH ISRAEL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOD’S SERVANT, WHO
FAILED TO BRING TRUE KNOWLEDGE AND WORSHIP OF GOD TO
THIS WORLD, GOD WILL SEND HIS MESSIAH/SAVIOR/SERVANT
INTO THIS WORLD WHO WILL ACCOMPLISHEVERYTHING GOD
HAS PLANNED FOR ISRAEL AND THE WORLD.
Servant Songs:Isa 42:1-7; 49:1-9a;50:4-11;52:13-53:12;[61:1-4 ??]-- the
appointment and empowerment of God’s Servant; His characteristics;His
mission; His suffering; His victorious accomplishment

Parunak:Vv. 1-4 speak of the servant in the third person, while in 5-7, the
Lord addresses him directly. This passageis quoted of our Lord in the NT,
and also understood Messianicallyin Jewishtradition.
Constable:Earlier(41:8-16) the servant was Israel, so the readers would
naturally assume that Israelis the servant here too. Other references to Israel
as the servant of the Lord are verse 19; 43:10;44:1-2, 21; 45:4; and 48:20.
Only later does it become clearthat this Servantmust be an individual,
namely: Messiah. The contextand the characteristics ascribedto the servant
in eachreference to him dictate his identity. That the Servant is not Cyrus is
clearfrom the contrasts betweenthem. He will be the ideal representative of
Israelwho will accomplishfor the Lord what Israeldid not regarding the
world (cf. Gen. 12:3). Matthew quoted 42:1-4 as finding fulfillment in Jesus
Christ (Matt. 12:18-21).
THE PREDICTEDSUCCESSFULMISSION OF THE IDEAL SERVANT
OF THE LORD REINFORCES THE PROVEN SUPERIORITYOF THE
TRUE GOD TO IDOLS
F. Duane Lindsey: The emphasis of the passage is on the introduction of the
servant and the outcome of His completed task. The servant is calledto
accomplishHis work. The poem thus predicts the servant's faithfulness in
fulfilling the mission for which He was designated.
I. (:1-4) THE PREDICTED SUCCESSFULMISSION OF THE CHOSEN
SERVANT OF THE LORD
5 Reasonsfor the SuccessfulMissionof Bringing Justice to Earth

A. (:1a) Divinely Appointed with Approbation
“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
My chosenone in whom My soul delights.”
Approbation: commendation, praise
Emphasizing more the mission of God’s Servant rather than His identity at
this point
Young: turn their thoughts awayfrom the idols of vanity to the One who can
bring salvation to His people
“uphold” - grasp by the hand, grasping securelye.g., Exod. 17:12 (Aaron and
Hur supporting the hands of Moses during the battle with the Amalekites)
God delights in His chosenservant – Matt. 3:17; 17:5 – testimony of the
Father at His baptism and on the mountain of Transfiguration
F. Duane Lindsey: Electionby Yahweh made a person His servant (cf. 1 Kings
11:13, 32-34;Ps. 105:26;Hag. 2:23). The servant's task cannotbe performed
by just anyone—it can be accomplishedonly by Yahweh's “chosenone.”
Electionand service go hand in hand (43:10-12, 21;cf. 41:8-9). The expression
“my servant” is not only a title of honor, but also, since Yahweh is viewed as
the King of Israelin the immediate context(41:21; cf. 43:15;44:6), a

description implying royal characteristics. . . Not only is the literary genre of
the passage similarto a royal designationoracle (as alreadyindicated), but the
task of establishing (“a just order”)is a characteristicallyroyalresponsibility.
. . The entire expression(“my servantwhom I uphold”) is tantamount to
saying, “He's mine— no powercan overcome Him!”23 How can He not
succeedin His task of causing a just order to prevail in the earth?
[Source:BIBLIOTHECA SACRA 139 (553)(Jan. 1982):12-31.]
ScottGrant: Verse 1 contains echoes of1 Samuel 16:13, where David was
anointed by Samueland the Spirit came upon him. The links to David in verse
1 show that when Isaiah speaks ofthe Servant of the Lord, he's also speaking
of a king.
B. (:1b) Divinely Anointed to Execute Justice
“I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.”
Young: To endue the servant for his work, God has placedHis Spirit upon
him. The Spirit is a divine force and supernatural power who equips the
recipient to perform his task.
Spirit descendedupon Jesus at His baptism in the form of a dove

(cf. 11:2-4; Num. 11:16-25;1 Sam. 16:13; Ps. 33:6; 139:7; Matt. 3:16; Luke
4:18-19, 21).
Cf. 61:1-3
Does He primarily proclaim judgment or execute judgment?
Matt. 12:18ffthis passageis quoted in the NT – sense of proclaiming justice
Calvin: Christ was sent in order to bring the whole world under the authority
of God and under obedience to him.
The primary meaning of the noun “justice” is that of a judicial decisionor
sentence
Motyer -- “Justice” – mispat -- In the light of the foregoing courtscene it must
retain its meaning of “judgment at law” .. also a righting of wrongs, the
establishment of a just order – a prospectassociatedwith the Lord’s own
coming to reign (Pss. 96:11-13;98:7-9).
Constable:connotes societalorderas well as legalequity.
Oswalt:This is that life-giving order which exists when the creationis
functioning in accordancewith the designof its Lord. . . It is through the
Servant that the lordship of God will be made effectivelyavailable to
everyone.

Parunak:In the most common idiom, bringing “judgment” refers to the
statute itself, rather than the resulting action, and the idea is that God
provides his righteous laws to people. This meaning fits the contextwell. The
Psalmistrecognizedthat the knowledge ofGod's judgments was a privilege
for Israel, not originally accessible to the Gentiles:
Psa 147:19fHe shewethhis word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments
unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments,
they have not knownthem.
The Servant extends this knowledge to all nations, as prophesied in the
Messianic visionof ch. 11,
Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth
shall be full of the knowledge ofthe LORD, as the waters coverthe sea.
F. Duane Lindsey: The servant's task is to make right within history all
aspects and phases ofhuman existence -whether moral, religious, spiritual,
political, social, economic, andso forth -so that the prayer will be fulfilled,
“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt.
6:10). . . the kind of life that will prevail on earth when all nations are brought
under God's rule, to be accomplishedthrough the instrumentality of God's
servant
Fits best with a premill interpretation where there is a millennial kingdom on
earth

C. (:2) Divinely Dependentwith Meeknessand Humility
“He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.”
Young: He stands in sharp contrastto the loud worldly conqueror who
proclaims to all his deeds.
Motyer: Such service is first unostentatious and unself-advertising.
Parunak:This verse explains why “he … chargedthem that they should not
make him known.” The Saviordid not promote himself, or try to generate
“buzz.” He did not come to promote himself:
David Thompson: God’s Servant came an entirely different way than the
world’s political leaders. He had no pomp or circumstance to His first coming.
Think of how opposite this is to our world. When some major political leader
goes anywhere, they travel in a fleetof limousines and in a caravanthat
announce their presence to the whole world. Even actors and actresses love
the limelight of red carpettreatment. Here was God in the world and what a
contrast.
Jesus Christ would not initially come as some boisterous world conqueror the
first time, which is what Israelwanted, instead He came quietly and
unobtrusively. He did not try to make a public spectacleofhimself. He did not
seek notorietyor prominence. He was not here to make a big name for

Himself, even though this was the greatestPersonto ever walk on the face of
this earth.
He was here to save sinners.
* * * * * * * * * *
Illustration: Harry Ironsides:PersonallyI was so under the powerof legality
that I felt guilty if I rode in a streetcar without immediately rising to give my
testimony.
As soonas we left the corner I would get to my feetand say, “Friends, I want
to give my testimony for Jesus Christ, and I want to tell you how God saved
me.”
The conductorwould come and say, “Sit down. We didn’t ask you to come in
here to conduct a church service.”
Then I was rather rude to him. I said, “Well, I’ll sit down if you sayso, but
you’ll have to answerat the judgment-bar of God for preventing these people
from hearing the gospel.”
I would do the same thing in a railroad train. As soonas we gotaway from the
station, I facedthe passengersand beganto give my testimony. I felt I had to
do it, or be responsible for their souls. I did not realize that this was rude. . .

The devil either tries to keepyou quiet or makes you think you must do what
is unreasonable. What delivered me at lastand showedme there was a golden
mean betweenindifference and rudeness was this very passage.
* * * * * * * * * *
F. Duane Lindsey: The more probable interpretation of these verbs indicates
that the servant will not seek publicity (v. 2) or promote violence toward the
oppressed(v. 3a). An alternate view that the servant will not utter lamentation
in His distress is a definite possibility and merits some attention. . . the
statements may simply be the figure of speechcalledlitotes (a negative,
minimizing statementused to emphasize its opposite), thus indicating the
meek, humble, gentle characterofthe servant (cf. Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:5).
He not only shall come quietly but he shall deal gently.
D. (:3a) Divinely Compassionatewith Gentleness andMercy
“A bruised reed He will not break,
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;”
Young: refers to broken men, whose hope is extinguished because ofoutward
oppressionand perhaps also because ofinward disillusionment with the life of
this world.

Alan Carr: When Jesus comes,His faithful people will be weak and their
flame nearly extinguished. He will not break them down or snuff them out. He
will heal their weaknesses. He will bind them up and restore their usefulness.
He will rekindle their flame so their light shines bright again. The Messiah
will not fail in His mission to redeem and restore His people. . . flax threads
were used as wicks in oil lamps. A piece of thread would be placed in the oil.
After the thread had been thoroughly soakedwith the oil, it would be lit and
would serve as a wick, drawing the oil from the lamp, producing light. . . The
“bruised reed” has lost its strength, its stability and its soundness. A “bruised
reed” is unreliable and unusable. . . The “smoking flax” has lost its light and
its glory. A “smoking flax” has become unusable. . . The Lord sees the
weakness andthe uselessnessofthe “bruised reed” but He does not reachout
in anger to finish it off. He does not come to the “bruised reed” to destroy it,
but to mend it, to repair it, reinforce it and to restore it. . . The Lord does not
snuff out that smoldering wick. He does not finish it off without a care.
Instead, He comes to rekindle its weak flame. He comes to make it useful
again. He comes cause it to shine its light one more time.
Brian Bell: They used a simple oil lamp to light their homes. It was a small
clay vesselwith the front end pinched together to form an opening. A piece of
flax, serving as the wick, was insertedthrough the small hole until part of it
was submerged in the oil. When the flax was saturated, it could be lighted. It
would then burn with a soft, warm glow. But when the oil in the lamp was
consumed, the flax would dry out. If it was ignited again, it would give off an
acrid, dirty smoke, making the vesseloffensive and useless.
Oswalt:God’s answerto the oppressors ofthe world is not more oppression,
nor is his answerto arrogance more arrogance;rather, in quietness, humility,
and simplicity, he will take all of the evil into himself and return only grace.
That is power.

E. (:3b-4) Divinely Focusedon Executing Justice – Persevering Through
Difficulty
“He will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not be disheartened or crushed, Until He has establishedjustice in the
earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”
Parunak:In a derivative meaning of bringing judgment to somebody, the
recipient is often a poor or oppressedperson. Bringing judgment to such a one
means to exercise the law on their behalf, to vindicate them.
Ps 103:6 The LORD executethrighteousness and judgment for all that are
oppressed.
II. (:5-9) THE PROVEN SUPERIORITYOF THE TRUE GOD TO IDOLS
Motyer: the Lord confirms the world-wide task of his servant and pledges its
outcome
3 stanzas – eachintroduced by a statement of self-identification
A. (:5) Superior as the Creatorof Heaven and Earth and Mankind

“Thus says Godthe LORD, Who createdthe heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on
it, And spirit to those who walk in it,”
B. (:6-7) Superior as the Faithful Promise Keeper and Saviorof All
1. Sovereign
“I am the LORD,”
2. Righteous
“I have called you in righteousness,”
3. Powerful
“I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you,”
F. Duane Lindsey: Yahweh's actionon behalf of the servant emphasizes
strengthening guidance and securing protection. The language and concepts
are similar to that promised to the servant Israel in 41:9-10, especiallythe
clauses “Itook you…, I calledyou…, I will strengthen you and help you; I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

4. Purposeful
a. Faithful Promise Keeper to Israel
“And I will appoint you as a covenantto the people,”
Young: He in whose hands lies the origin, formation, and sovereign
dispensationof the covenanthas also calledthe servant through whom the
bestowalofthe gracious provisions of the covenantwill be administered and
in whom the covenantwill realize its full and true embodiment.
Motyer: The covenantwas Israel’s distinctive privilege, from its inception in
Abram (Gn. 15, 17) to its climax in Moses (Ex. 2:24; 24:7-8). It is God’s free
decisionto take and keepa people for his ownpossession, drawing them to
himself (Ex. 6:2-7), constituting himself as their God and Redeemer(Ex. 20:1-
2) and bringing them into a life of freedom and obedience (Ex. 20:3ff).
F. Duane Lindsey: He is the mediator of the New covenantwith Israel,
elaboratedin Jeremiah31:31-34 and referred to in numerous other prophetic
texts (cf. Isa. 54:10; 55:3; 59:20-21;61:8; Ezek. 16:60-63).
ScottGrant: Jesus became the "mediator of a better covenant" (Hebrews
8:6), a new covenant that offers God's salvationto all people. In essence,Jesus
himself is the covenant, with his body and blood being central (Matthew
26:26-30). We relate to God through Jesus Christ, but Jesus is himself God
(John 1:1).

b. Light of All Gentile Nations (Acts 26:17-18)
“As a light to the nations,”
Parunak:Usually, when Isaiah associates“people” with“nations” or
“Gentiles”, bothare plural, and refer to all of the world's population, with
“people” emphasizing their cultural and ethnic identities and “nations” their
political organization.
This passageis one of only three places where Isaiahuses singular “people”
alongside plural “nations.” Whenthis happens, it is reasonable to understand
“people” ofan individual nation, in contrastwith the rest of the nations.
Noting this contrast, we recognize this prophecy behind the words of
righteous Simeon in the temple, when he saw the infant Messiah,
Luk 2:28-32 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessedGod, and said, 29
Lord, now lettestthou thy servantdepart in peace, according to thy word: 30
For mine eyes have seenthy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before
the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy
people Israel.
Simeon understands the singular “people” to refer specificallyto the covenant
nation, in contrastto the Gentiles. Basedon Isaiah's prophecy, he realizes that
the Messiahcomesfor both.
c. Savior of Both Jews and Gentiles

“to open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon,
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”
C. (:8-9) Superior as the Only One Worthy of Worship –
the Predictor/Controllerofthe Future
1. Majestic by Virtue of Who He Is
“I am the LORD, that is My name;”
Parunak:We may paraphrase:
“I am the Lord. That was the name by which I brought Abraham out of Ur to
the land (Gen. 15:7). That was the name by which I brought Jacobhome from
Haran (Gen. 28:13). That was the name by which I brought Israelout of
Egypt (Ex. 6:2-8), and that is the name by which I shall bring you back from
dispersion.”
2. Majestic by Virtue of What He Demands

“I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”
F. Duane Lindsey: Yahweh first directs glory to Himself by asserting His
uniqueness. He affirms His name—“I am the LORD; that is my name!” Then
He asserts His refusalto share His glory—“Iwill not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols” (cf. 48:9-11). Yahweh's intolerance of all rivals is
absolute. He will put an end to all idolatry.68 The glory of which Yahweh is so
jealous is that of being recognizedand worshipedas sovereignRulerand
righteous Deliverer.
3. Predictor/Controllerof the Future
“Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
Constable:"Behold" concludes this passage as it beganit, forming an
inclusion
Remember the bona fides of deity that had been put forth earlier
“former things” = prophecies related to God’s judgment and captivity in
Babylon

“new things” = prophecies related to deliverance from Babylonian Captivity
and return to the PromisedLand in the near term with the ultimate
fulfillment in the salvationthe Messiahwill bring and ultimate restorationin
the millennial kingdom
CONCLUSION:
Oswalt:These two verses (8-9)confirm that this “Servantsong” is intended to
be read in the context of the previous two chapters. God’s glory lies in his
capacityto do all the things the idols cannot. Becausehe alone transcends the
cosmos he alone can explain the course of history; he alone canturn that
course in a whole new direction and tell the world in advance that he is going
to do it. Whatever and whoeverthis Servant is, his ministry will be a
confirmation that God, whose characteris epitomized in the name Yahweh, is
the only God and only Savior.
https://www.bibleoutlines.com/blog/isaiah-421-9-servant-song-1-justice-on-
earth-is-coming
BRIAN BELL
Isaiah42 5-12-05
“The Servant, the Song, the Sight, & the Sin!”
1. Intro:
1.1. Outline: The Servant; The Song; The Sight; The Sin.
1.2. Open with Mt.12:14-21.
2. The Servant; The Song; The Sight; The Sin! (1-12)

2.1. THE SERVANT!(1-9)
2.2. My Servant! (1) – Jesus.
2.2.1. This is the 1st of 4 Servant Songs in Isaiah(referring to Messiah).
2.2.2. Contextdenotes if it is Messiah, Israel, orthe Remnant.
2.2.3. Vs.1-4 show the Messiah’s manifestation, mission, method, & His
might.
2.3. What he doesn’t do! (2-4)
2.3.1. Doesn’tcry out, nor raise his voice, nor is heard in public! (2)
2.3.1.1. Mt.12:16
2.3.2. Doesn’tcrush the weak!(3a)
2.3.2.1. He’s so patient & merciful!
2.3.2.2. Neveranexcuse to kick a man when he is down.
Rather, we are to extend the hand of mercy to anyone who
is in trouble.
2.3.3. A “smoking flax” applies to Christ but has a lessonfor all believers.
They used a simple oil lamp to light their homes. It was a small clay
vesselwith the front end pinched togetherto form an opening. A
piece of flax, serving as the wick, was inserted through the small
hole until part of it was submerged in the oil. When the flax was
saturated, it could be lighted. It would then burn with a soft, warm
glow. But when the oil in the lamp was consumed, the flax would
dry out. If it was ignited again, it would give off an acrid, dirty
smoke, making the vesseloffensive and useless. Now,you might

think that the only thing to do would be to crush and discard the
wick. But that would accomplishnothing. If you simply refill the
lamp, the wick could burn brightly again.
OccasionallyGod’s people temporarily “run out of oil.” They
become like the smoking flax because they are ill-tempered and
offensive. But fellow believers should not abandon them or become
angry and impatient with them. Rather, they should seek to restore
them by being merciful and understanding. By supporting them
with prayer and expressions of concern, they can help them
burn againwith the soft, warm glow of Christian love.
2.3.4. Q:Has your love become like a smoldering wick, going out?
2
2.3.5. Q:Is it difficult to getyour heart ignited again?
2.3.6. Q:Is it hard to keepit aglow?
2.3.7. Q:And how do you respond to those whose wick is going out?
2.3.8. Its’a note of Gentleness here like – 2 Tim.2:24-26 “a servant of the
Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in
humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will
grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that
they may come to their senses andescape the snare of the devil...”
2.3.8.1. As Christians, we should always have Bold Gentleness &
Gentle Boldness!
2.3.9. A Bruised Reed– you want to prop up, support it, till it regains

strength.
2.3.9.1. Example flowering plant in my backyard. (cagedit in &
propped it up)
2.3.9.2. Your heart might be a bruised Reedbecause ofunkindness
of another,…orby a sense ofsin in your life.
2.3.10.Q:Has God led anybody to you lately that needs propping up?
2.3.11.Doesn’tfail, & isn’t discouraged!(4a)
2.3.12.Fail – He will not fail, the church will not fail, nor shall we!
2.3.13.Norbe Discouraged – A certainsocietyin South Africa once wrote
to David Livingstone, "Have you found a goodroad to where you
are? If so, we want to send other men to join you."
Livingstone replied, "If you have men who will come ONLY if they
know there is a goodroad, I don't want them."
2.3.14.Doesn’tstop until truth & righteousness prevail! (3b)
2.4. What he does do! (2-4)
2.4.1. Doesactwith gentleness!(2,3)
2.4.2. Doesbring Justice to all! (3b)
2.4.2.1. Justice & liberation do go together!
2.4.3. Doesbring in a reign of righteousness!(4b)
2.5. The Messiah’s Assurance!(5-9)
2.5.1. (5)God the FatherHimself guarantees allof the above!
2.5.2. (6)He is called, held, kept, & given…& all for the purposes of
deliverance!

2.5.3. (7)Jesus never releasedanyone from a literal prison in his ministry,
and even allowedJohn the Baptist to suffer in one!
2.5.3.1. Butthere was much spiritual liberation & people released
from many prisons.
2.5.4. (8)Ultimate purpose?…the Glory of Yahweh!
3
2.6. THE SONG!(10-12)
2.7. The Singers! (10-12)
2.7.1. All creatures on earth all calledto praise God.
2.8. The Song! (13-17)
2.8.1. PraiseHim for what? 2 things:
2.8.2. [1]Defeating His enemies(13-15)
2.8.2.1. The silent God will finally break the silence to become a
shouting conqueror.
2.8.2.2. The Masteris a Servant & the Servant is a Master!
2.8.2.3. In (Rev.5:5,6)we have a Lamb that is a Lion;
in (7:17) we have a Lamb that is a Shepherd;
& in between(6:16) we have the Wrath of the Lamb.
2.8.3. [2]Delivering His people(16,17).
2.8.3.1. A Seeing Eye God!
2.8.3.2. The Father’s holding the Son’s hand, & He’s holding ours!
2.8.3.3. At times when: the Lord is silent; the world around you is
evil; bad men prosper; societylies under the spell of vice;

you need to remember…it is only temporary!
2.8.3.4. Then, Godcomes forth out of the silence, & shows Himself
strong on behalf of those whose heartis perfecttoward Him.
2.8.3.5. He brings the blind, “by a way they did not know”.
2.8.3.6. He makes “crookedpaths straight.”
2.9. THE SIGHT! (18-20)
2.10. Sightless!(18-20)
2.10.1.The “servant” in these verses is Israel(see 41:8), blind to their own
sins & deaf to God’s voice.
2.10.1.1.Theywould not listen or see what God does.
2.10.1.2.Thus theywere incapable of being God’s light to the nations.
2.10.2.The famous blind songwriterFanny Crosby wrote more than
8,000 songs. WhenFanny was only 6 weeks olda minor eye
inflammation developed. The doctorwho treated the case was
careless, though, and she became totally and permanently blind.
Fanny Crosbyharbored no bitterness againstthe physician. She
once said of him, "If I could meet him now, I would say thank you,
over and over againfor making me blind." She felt that her
blindness was a gift from God to help her write the hymns that
flowed from her pen. According to those who knew her, Miss
Crosby probably would have refusedtreatment even if it could have
assuredthe restorationof her sight.
2.10.3.It was said of blind hymnwriter, George Matheson, that God made

him blind so he could see clearlyin other ways and become a
guide to men.
4
2.11. James Packer, in his excellentbook, Knowing God, writes:
Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives.
As it would be cruel to an Amazonian tribesman to fly him to London, put
him down without explanation in TrafalgarSquare and leave him, as one
who knew nothing of English or England, to fend for himself, so we are
cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the
God whose world it is and who runs it. The world becomes a strange,
mad, painful place, and life with it a disappointing and unpleasant
business, for those who do not know God. Disregardthe study of God and
you sentence yourselfto stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as
it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds
you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.
2.12. THE SIN! (21-25)
2.13. Theywere robbed, enslaved, & imprisoned.
2.14. (25)How sadit is when God disciplines us & we do not understand
what he is doing or even take it to heart!
2.14.1.The children of Israelwere cured from idolatry, but it did not
create w/in them a desire to please Godor glorify Him.
2.14.2.That’s why so many have gotten so defeatedat Christianity. We
often have portrayed it as giving up sins!

2.14.2.1.Theygave it up & viola…nothing happened!
2.14.2.2.Giving up sins is a result of true salvation, but not the
reason!
2.14.2.3.Painting the outside of a waterhand pump doesn’t make the
dirty waterany sweeter!
JIM BOMKAMP
ISAIAH 42: “The Lord Says, “BeholdMy Servant!”
By
Jim Bomkamp
Back Bible Studies Home Page
1. INTRO
1.1. In our last study we lookedat chapter 41 of Isaiahand how that
Isaiahhad begun to build upon his theme of focusing the eyes of a generation
not yet born and living 100+ years future of him of the hope that they have in
the Lord fulfilling His promises and providing deliverance from their

captivity which they would be in, as he has already announced prophetically,
in Babylon
1.1.1. We saw that the whole of chapter 41 unfolded as a court room scene in
which the Lord as judge asks the nations and it’s leaders to come before His
bench and present their case that they in fact have powers like the Lord to call
things into being that did not exist and to declare the future before it happens
1.1.1.1.Wesaw thatthe Lord stands alone among men and gods in His ability
to do these things
1.1.2. We saw also in this chapterthat Isaiah beganto point us to a world
ruler who would come into power in the future and who would conquer the
nations and return captive Judea from Babylon. We saw that in the next few
chapters Isaiah refers againto this man and his being calledby God, and even
later in Isaiah he is called, ‘Cyrus’, by name. This is a verifiable prophesy
that was fulfilled in history some 170+ years afterIsaiah wrote this chapter
when Cyrus the Persianconquered the nations, including Babylon, and freed
all of the captive peoples in Babylon allowing them to return to their native
lands
1.2. In our study today, we are going to look at how Isaiahnow
introduces us to God’s “idealservant”
1.2.1. Isaiahhas alreadymentioned others as being the servantof the Lord,
howevernow we are going to see God’s perfect servant begin to be portrayed

1.2.2. Isaiahis going to continue to develop this theme of the “idealservant”
throughout the restof his book
1.2.3. Againwe will see also that Isaiah is writing to encourage a generation
of yet unborn Judeans who are living in Babylonian captivity
2. VS 42:1 - “1 ”Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen
one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring
forth justice to the nations.” - The Lord tells us to behold His “ideal servant”
2.1. In this chapter, we read that Isaiahbegins to build upon his theme of
the ‘servant’ of Jehovah. Here, in the description of the ‘servant’ we see that
the one referred to must be God’s “ideal servant”, for the description Isaiah
provides does not fit with the reality of how Israelserved the Lord. The
Messiahto come can only fill the role of this “idealservant.”
2.2. The title of God’s ‘servant’ is not just applied by Isaiah to the
Messiahwho is to come.
2.2.1. SometimesIsaiahuses the title of ‘servant’ in reference to Israel.
2.2.1.1.Wesaw alreadyin Isaiah41:8, that the Lord calledIsrael His servant,
“8 “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacobwhom I have chosen, Descendantof
Abraham My friend.”
2.2.1.2.Likewise,in Isaiah 49:3-6, Isaiahagainuses the ‘servant’ motif in
reference to Israel, “3 And He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel, In

Whom I will show My glory.” 4 But I said, “I have toiled in vain, I have spent
My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with
the Lord, And My reward with My God.” 5 And now says the Lord, who
formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacobback to Him, in
order that Israelmight be gatheredto Him (For I am honored in the sight of
the Lord, And My God is My strength), 6 He says, “It is too small a thing that
You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the
preservedones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that
My salvationmay reachto the end of the earth.””
2.2.2. We readin Isaiah 20:3 that Isaiah uses the title of ‘servant’ to refer to
himself, “3 And the Lord said, “Evenas My servant Isaiah has gone naked
and barefootthree years as a sign and tokenagainstEgypt and Cush.”
2.2.3. In Isaiah22:20, Isaiah uses the title of ‘servant’ for faithful Eliakim,
“20 “Thenit will come about in that day,ThatI will summon My servant
Eliakim the sonof Hilkiah.”
2.3. Outside of the book of Isaiah, the title of ‘servant’ of Jehovahwas
given to various of God’s people, for example:
2.3.1. David: 2 Samuel3:18.
2.3.2. Moses: Num. 12:7.
2.3.3. Jeremiah: Jer. 7:25.

2.4. Barry G. Webb writes about how that Israelcannot be consideredto
be this ‘servant’ described by Isaiah in this chapter, “…the servantis far too
ideal a figure to representIsrael in any direct sense. He fills God with delight,
he is quiet and gentle, faithful and persevering; he does not falter or become
discouraged(1-4). Israel, by contrast, is resentful and complaining (40:27),
fearful and dismayed (41:10), blind, deaf (42:18-19)and disobedient (42:23-
24)…In short, the servant in this passageseems to be a figure who embodies
all that Israel ought to be but is not. He is God’s perfect servant.”
2.5. The ‘servant’ of Jehovahdescribed in this chapter must be Jesus.
2.5.1. In Matt. 12:15-29, we read that Matthew, under inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, writes that Jesus did in fact fulfill these first four verses of Isaiah42,
“15 But Jesus, aware ofthis, withdrew from there. And many followedHim,
and He healed them all,16 and warned them not to make Him known,17 in
order that what was spokenthrough Isaiahthe prophet, might be fulfilled,
saying, 18 “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Belovedin whom
My soulis well -pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall
proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 “He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor
will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 “A battered reed He will not
break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to
victory. 21 “And in His name the Gentiles will hope.” 22 Then there was
brought to Him a demon-possessedman who was blind and dumb, and He
healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw.23 And all the multitudes
were amazed, and began to say, “This man cannotbe the Son of David, can
he?”24 Butwhen the Pharisees heardit, they said, “This man casts out
demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”25 And knowing their
thoughts He said to them, “Any kingdom divided againstitself is laid waste;
and any city or house divided againstitselfshall not stand.26 “And if Satan
casts out Satan, he is divided againsthimself; how then shall his kingdom
stand?27 “And if I by Beelzebulcastout demons, by whom do your sons cast
them out? Consequently they shall be your judges.28 “Butif I castout demons

by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.29 “Or how
can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he
first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.”
2.5.2. In Heb. 3:1-3, we read about how Jesus was perfectin faithful
obedience to the Lord, “1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly
calling, considerJesus, the Apostle and High Priestof our confession.2 He was
faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.3 For
He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the
builder of the house has more honor than the house.”
2.5.3. In John 8:29, Jesus testified of Himself that He always did the things
that were pleasing to the Father, “29 “And He who sent Me is with Me; He
has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.””
2.5.4. In John 15:10, Jesus testifiedthat He always kept the Lord’s
commandments, and thus He always was abiding in God’s love, “10 “If you
keepMy commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My
Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.”
2.5.5. We will see laterin chapter 52 and 53 when Isaiahreveals to us more
about this “idealservant” that He is the suffering servant who is the Lord
Himself come in human form who takes on the sins of the world and who is
crushed for the iniquities of man.
2.6. Isaiahtestifies in this verse the following about God’s “ideal
servant”:

2.6.1. The Lord always upholds Him.
2.6.1.1.Godthe Fatherwas always giving Jesus the strength to perform the
work that He called Him to do. His hand was always upon Jesus.
2.6.2. He is the ‘chosenone:
2.6.2.1.InRev. 3:18, Jesus is calledthe Lamb chosenbefore the foundation of
the world, “8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose
names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world.”
2.6.2.2.Peterwrote in 1 Peter1:18-21 that Jesus and what He would come and
do in dying for the sins of the world was foreknownbefore the foundation of
the world, “18 knowing that you were not redeemedwith perishable things
like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your
forefathers,19but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless,
the blood of Christ.20 For He was foreknownbefore the foundation of the
world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake ofyou21 who through
Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.”
2.6.3. The Lord testifies that His soulalways ‘delights’ in Him.
2.6.3.1.Atboth Jesus’baptism as well as His transfiguration, God the Father
testified during Jesus’earthly life that Jesus was His beloved Sonwith whom
He was well pleased. See. Matt. 3:17, Matt. 17:5.

2.6.4. The Lord testifies that He will put His Spirit upon him.
2.6.4.1.Wereadof Jesus that He was anointed with the oil of gladness above
His fellows, Heb. 1:9, Isaiah61:3.
2.6.4.2.Weofcourse readin the gospelaccounts that it was after Jesus’
baptism in water by John the Baptistthat the Holy Spirit came upon Him in
powerin preparation for His public ministry.
2.6.5. He will bring justice to the nations.
2.6.5.1.Justicewas accomplishedagainstthe sins of mankind upon the cross of
Calvary.
2.6.5.2.WhenChrist establishes His kingdom, He will judge the world in
justice and righteousness, andthen He will establish His kingdom basedupon
righteousness.
3. VS 42:2 - “2 “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His
voice heard in the street.” - The Lord declares that His “idealservant” to
come will not make His coming known in the most visible way
3.1. The coming of Jesus was by God’s designperformed in obscurity:
3.1.1. He was born in Bethlehem, not Jerusalem.

3.1.2. He was born in a manger (horse stall), not the temple.
3.1.3. His mother and Joseph, though descendants ofDavid, were of the lower
class ofpeople and of meagermeans.
3.1.4. The announcementof the birth of Jesus by the angels came to just a
handful of men who were shepherds, not to the hundreds of Levitical priests,
and shepherds were known and consideredto be men of poor reputation, at
best.
3.2. Jesus was not obnoxious in His proclamation of the gospelof the
kingdom of Heaven being at hand. He didn’t stand on the street corners and
preach loud and wide to everyone who passedby. Rather, Jesus’evangelism
and training of His disciples was very low-keyed, and we could say that Jesus
tended to use more of a “back doorapproach” to evangelism. He healedand
castdemons out of all who came to Him for help and mercy, and this then led
to their coming to believe in Him.
4. VS 42:3 - “3 “A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly
burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.” -
The Lord declares that His “ideal servant” will not damage the most tender
and delicate reed nor extinguish the wick whose flame burns most dimly
4.1. Isaiahprophesies that Jesus, the “idealservant” to come, will
encourage whatlittle faith any person may have in Him. Nor will He turn
awayany who believe in Him yet who also possessgreatweaknessesin their
characterand faith. Yet in doing these things, the “idealservant” will also not
compromise one iota of His righteousness and justice.

4.1.1. This is really an impossible thing to do, that is unless you have divine
enabling, to look beyond the failings and weaknessesofsinners who deny you
and turn their back on you often and yet to continue to encourage them in the
midst of their failings.
4.1.2. It is only the “agape love” ofGod that is up for this task. We
Christians need to realize that we need to trust by faith God to love people
through us when they sometimes can be so difficult to love.
4.1.3. In my many years as a Christians I have met only a few people who
were gifted by God and His love in such a way that they seemedalways to be
able to perform the delicate task of effectivelyadmonishing and correcting the
most difficult of people to love in such a way that the person was able to
receive their correctionas from the Lord. We Christians should pray for God
to fill us with His love to such an extent that we could be used in such a great
way. This is the way Jesus works in people’s lives, and I am convinced that
He can empowerus to do the same if we will just ask in faith.
5. VS 42:4 - “4 “He will not be disheartened or crushed, Until He
has establishedjustice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly
for His law.”” - The Lord proclaims that the “idealservant” will persevere in
establishing justice in the earth
5.1. Jesus is the example for all time of one who perseveredto the end in
doing what is right, or living justly.
5.1.1. The author of the book of Hebrews wrote to us in Heb. 12:2-3 about
how when we are being tested and persecutedthat we ought to continually

look to Jesus as our example and for strength and guidance, “2 fixing our eyes
on Jesus, the author and perfecterof faith, who for the joy setbefore Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has satdown at the right hand of
the throne of God.3 For considerHim who has endured such hostility by
sinners againstHimself, so that you may not grow wearyand lose heart.”
5.1.2. Peterwrote in 1 Peter2:21-23 about how that Christ is our example in
suffering since He continued steadfastin doing what was right in God’s sight
without resorting to taking vengeance in His own hands, “21 For you have
been calledfor this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an
example for you to follow in His steps,22 who committed no sin, nor was any
deceitfound in His mouth;23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in
return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but keptentrusting Himself to
Him who judges righteously.”
5.2. Isaiahwrites that the ‘coastlands’, whichis to saythe ends of the
earth, will eagerlywaitfor the “ideal servant’s” law or “instruction”. This
then is to say that when the Messiahbegins to reign in His kingdom that He
will establishrighteousness andjustice in all of the earth.
5.2.1. In 2 Peter3:13, we read about how that when Jesus returns to the earth
that His kingdom will be establishedin righteousness, “13But according to
His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which
righteousness dwells.”
6. VS 42:6-7 - “6 “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I will also hold you by the hand and watchover you, And I will appoint you as
a covenantto the people, As a light to the nations, 7 To open blind eyes, To
bring out prisoners from the dungeon, And those who dwell in darkness from

the prison.” - The Lord speaks to the “idealservant” telling him and
encouraging him in the calling He has for him
6.1. These are very interesting words, for these words were written by the
Lord for Jesus, who is Godthe Son for all eternity, to read and be encouraged
by. They speak ofthe fact that the Lord will indeed fulfill the calling and
purpose in Jesus’life which was foreordainedfor Him before the world was
created.
6.2. Isaiahtells us that Jesus was called‘in righteousness’, and the hand
of the Lord watchedover Him day and night.
6.3. Isaiahalso tells us that Jesus Himself was appointed ‘as a covenantto
the people’.
6.3.1. In Luke 22:19-20, Jesustold His disciples on the night in which He was
betrayed as He observedwith them their last supper that the cup symbolized
the New Covenantin His blood, for it was the body and blood of Jesus shed
for the sins of mankind which became the means by which men and women
may enter into the New Covenant of Grace with God, “19 And when He had
takensome bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
“This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”20
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup
which is poured out for you is the new covenantin My blood.”
6.3.2. Jesus is ‘a light to the nations’ as He reveals to the world the means by
which a person may come to personally have relationship with the God of the
universe.

6.4. Verse 7 refers to the blessings that salvationthrough Christ bring to
a person, for when Christ brings a person to acceptHim as his Lord and
Savior, He:
6.4.1. Opens blind eyes.
6.4.2. Brings out prisoners from the dungeon.
6.4.3. Brings out those who dwell in a prison of darkness.
7. VS 42:8-9 - “8 “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give
My glory to another, NorMy praise to gravenimages. 9 “Behold, the former
things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth
I proclaim them to you.”” - The Lord declares that He is the Lord and that
He will not give His glory to another, and that He is going to bring a new thing
to pass and tells us about it before it happens
7.1. The previous chapter of Isaiah (chapter 31)was a courtroom scene in
which the Lord who was the judge askedallof the nations to come before Him
and to present their case that they were like the Lord in that they were able to
bring into being that which did not exist and to accuratelyforetellthe future
before it came to pass. We saw then that the Bible stands alone among all of
the scriptures of the world religions in that it has verifiable prophesies that it
has foretold. And there aren’t just a few prophesies that have been fulfilled,
but literally severalhundreds of these. The Lord has given us His word which
proves itself to be completely accurate and reliable because ofall of the
verifiable prophesies it contains. The only prophesies in it which are
unfulfilled relate to events which remain yet future of us here today.

7.1.1. In these verses, the Lord relates to us that by His telling us of events to
occurbefore they come to pass that He is demonstrating that He alone is to
receive glory. He tells us specificallyalso that He will not give His glory to
another! Any man or nation that seeks to getsome of the Lord’s glory shall in
due time be brought down so that for all eternity it shall be the Lord and Him
alone who is glorified!
7.2. Here againwe are brought face to face with the Lord againdeclaring
that He stands alone in that He is able to accuratelyforetellthe future. The
first sevenverses of this chapter relate prophetically to the “idealservant”,
and the things that he will accomplish, and yet standing from our vantage
point in history we know that Jesus Christliterally fulfilled eachof those
things prophesied.
7.3. Isaiahhowever is also going to return to the prophetic word
concerning his calling of Cyprus to be the world leader that will be used by
Him to bring captive Judea out of Babylonian captivity. We saw lastweek
that in chapter 45 that Isaiah names this man 170+ years in advance, and this
prophetic word we can likewise hold to be verifiable proof that the Lord is
God and that we can rely completely upon His the accuracyand infallibility of
His word, the Bible.
8. VS 42:10-13 - “10 Sing to the Lord a new song, Sing His praise
from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it.
You islands and those who dwell on them. 11 Let the wilderness and its cities
lift up their voices, The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants
of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. 12
Let them give glory to the Lord, And declare His praise in the coastlands. 13
The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of
war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail
againstHis enemies.” - Isaiahadmonishes to sing to the Lord a new song and

for all of the earth to praise the Lord because in time ‘He will prevail against
His enemies’
8.1. We do not want to lose track of the factthat in this chapter that
Isaiahis continuing, as He had begun in chapter 40, to give encouragementto
a generationyet unborn who would live 100+ years after his writing and who
would be captive in Babylon, having been given up by the Lord to be
conquered because ofthe sins of the nation in turning awayfrom the Lord.
The encouragementthat Isaiahthen gives in these verses is encouragementto
know that the Lord has promised that He will in fact prevail againstHis
enemies, and thus againstBabylon, as He moves to bring His people out of
captivity back into their land to rebuild and restore the city, temple, and wall
of the city.
8.2. Isaiahcalls upon all of the ends of the earth to sing a new song to the
Lord in worship because He promises that He will prevail over His enemies.
Then, Isaiahspecificallycalls the settlements of Kedar and Sela specificallyto
sing in worship to the Lord.
8.2.1. The New Bible Dictionary has the following entry defining who ‘Kedar’
is, which is told by Isaiahto lift up their voices to the Lord, “Nomadic
tribesfolk of the Syro-Arabian desertfrom Palestine to Mesopotamia.In 8th
century bc, known in S Babylonia (I. EphÔal, JAOS 94, 1974, p. 112), Isaiah
prophesying their downfall (Is. 21:16-17). Theydeveloped‘villages’ (Is.
42:11), possibly simple encampments (H. M. Orlinsky, JAOS 59, 1939, pp.
22ff.), living in black tents (Ct. 1:5). As keepers oflarge flocks (Is. 60:7), they
traded over to Tyre (Ezk. 27:21). Geographically, Kittim (Cyprus) W in the
Mediterraneanand Kedar E into the desertwere like opposite poles (Je. 2:10).
Dwelling with the Kedarites was like a barbaric exile to one psalmist (Ps.
120:5).”

8.2.2. The New Bible Dictionary has the following entry defining who ‘Sela’
is, which is likewise told by Isaiah to lift up their voices and sing aloud to the
Lord, “Etymologicallythe Heb. word (has-)selaÔ, means ‘(the) rock’or ‘cliff
and may be used of any rockyplace. The name occurs severaltimes in the
Bible. A fortress city of Moab, conquered by Amaziah king of Judah and
renamed Joktheel(2 Ki. 14:7; 2 Ch. 25:12). Obadiah, in condemning Edom,
refers to those who dwelt in the clefts of the rock (Sela, Ob. 3). Is. 42:11 may
refer to the same place. Forcenturies the site has been identified with a rocky
outcrop behind Petra, an identification which goes back to the lxx, Josephus
and Eusebius. The massive rockyplateau Umm el-Biyara towers 300 m above
the level of Petra (the Gk. translation of Sela), and 1,130 m above sea level. It
was investigatedby NelsonGlueck in 1933 and W. H. Mortonin 1955.”
8.3. The peoples of all nations are calledupon to sing to the Lord a new
song, a song of joy, and to bring the Lord praise and glory because He will
conquer every one of His enemies.
8.3.1. The wilderness areasas wellas Kedar and Sela are possibly mentioned
because the Lord knew that some of the people of Judea would be relocated
by Babylon to these areas, andthat this encouragementto worship the Lord
was given to them to see and know that even their very locationwas known
beforehand by the Lord.
9. VS 42:14-16 - “14 “I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept
still and restrainedMyself. Now like a woman in labor I will groan, I will
both gaspand pant. 15 “I will lay waste the mountains and hills, And wither
all their vegetation; I will make the rivers into coastlands,And dry up the
ponds. 16 “And I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they
do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them
And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not
leave them undone.”” - The Lord tells captive Judea that though He has kept

silent and not actedon their behalf as of yet, He is not going to restrain
Himself any longer, He will come and lead them out of Babylon back to their
own land
9.1. The people of captive Judea would need encouragementthat the
Lord would guide them in their trek back to their land from Babylon.
Depending upon the route chosenthe trip from Babylon to Jerusalemcould
have been from 500 – 1,000 miles. The trip itself could be treacherous since it
could traverse desert as well as mountains.
10. VS 42:17-20 - “17 Theyshall be turned back and be utterly put to
shame, Who trust in idols, Who say to molten images, “Youare our gods.” 18
Hear, you deaf! And look, you blind, that you may see. 19 Who is blind but
My servant, Or so deaf as My messengerwhom I send? Who is so blind as he
that is at peace with Me, Or so blind as the servant of the Lord? 20 You have
seenmany things, but you do not observe them; Your ears are open, but none
hears.” - The Lord chides those who are spiritually blind to the truth because
of their idolatry
10.1. Isaiahtells us that the idolater shall be put to shame, for in time they
will see that the Lord is God and that there is none like Him in all of the earth.
10.2. Israelwas a servant of the Lord, yet they were blind and deaf
concerning the truth and hearing from the Lord.
10.2.1.TheLord asks them the rhetoricalquestion of, “Who is spiritually blind
yet His servant?”

10.2.1.1.Theassumedansweris that a servant of the Lord could never be
spiritually blind, for that would be an inconsistentstatement for the Lord
opens the eyes of the blind.
10.2.2.TheLord asks them the rhetoricalquestion of, “Who is so spiritually
blind that he is at peace with the Lord?”
10.2.2.1.Being spiritually blind and being at peace with the Lord are
incongruous concepts because itis seeing the truth for what it is that brings a
person to be at peace with God.
10.2.3.TheLord asks them the rhetoricalquestion of, “Who is so spiritually
blind as the servant of the Lord?”
10.2.3.1.Againthese are mutually exclusive concepts. The servantof the Lord
has to see things as they truly are in order to know the Lord and be calledto
serve Him, therefore that personcannot be spiritually blind.
10.2.4.Isaiahtells the Judeans that they have seenthings that the Lord has
done and yet they have not really caredto pay attention to those things and
thus they are spiritually blind. They had heard the Lord’s word and what He
promised to do and yet they had not really paid attention to that message,
therefore they were ignorant of the things of the Lord, for the most part.
11. VS 42:21-25 - “21 The Lord was pleasedfor His righteousness’sake
To make the law greatand glorious. 22 But this is a people plundered and
despoiled; All of them are trapped in caves, Orare hidden awayin prisons;
They have become a prey with none to deliver them, And a spoil, with none to

say, “Give them back!” 23 Who among you will give ear to this? Who will
give heed and listen hereafter? 24 Who gave Jacobup for spoil, and Israel to
plunderers? Was it not the Lord, againstwhom we have sinned, And in
whose ways they were not willing to walk, And whose law they did not obey?
25 So He poured out on him the heat of His angerAnd the fierceness ofbattle;
And it sethim aflame all around, Yet he did not recognize it; And it burned
him, but he paid no attention.” - Isaiahtells us that the Lord was pleasedto
make His law greatand glorious, howeverbecause oftheir sin He has given
Jacobto plunderers
11.1. Again we see that the Lord is using Isaiah to speak to a generationof
Judeans who would live 100+ years after the time of his writing and that He is
seeking to encourage them that the Lord knows their condition and that He is
fulfilling His purposes through the things that they are going through.
11.2. Isaiahknew that captive Judea would be crying out and asking the
question of, “Why God would allow this to happen to them?” It is this
question which Isaiahattempts to answerin these verses. It was because of
their sin that these things happened, they were suffering only the
consequencesoftheir own sin.
11.2.1.Inour day when the terrorists bombed the World Trade Centerand
our Pentagonbuilding on 9/11/2001using fuel-laden jet liners, people in our
country were asking why the Lord had allowedthis horrible thing to happen
to our nation. This was a wake up call for our nation and for the church. The
response that I believe is correctin regardto their questions was that the
Lord had not abandonedour nation, but rather we had abandoned Him. He
had in history-past so blessedour nation, but in those days He blessedus
because we as a nation honored Him in large part. However, in our day we
have kickedGod out of our schools, ourlegislatures, and our lives that being
the gentlemanthat He is, He left us. We as a nation should really have

wondered why the Lord had protectedus and blessedus for such a long time
after we had in large part walkedawayfrom Him. In other words, why
hadn’t something like this happened much sooner?
11.3. The people of Jerusalemand Judea will be ‘plundered and despoiled’
says Isaiah. Isaiahforeseesthat the captives will be fleeing Jerusalemwhen
Babylon attacks and conquers the city and that some will be trapped in caves,
others will be takenas prisoners and put into prisons.
11.4. Isaiahtells us that Jacobwas given up for spoil to it’s plunderers
because they had sinned and not walkedin the ways of the Lord. They had
disobeyed the law of God, and thus the Lord poured out upon them the ‘heat
of His angerand the fiercenessofbattle’.
11.5. Even though they had been takencaptive by the Babylonians, just as
the Lord had promised through Isaiahwould happen, yet initially they still
did not recognize that this had happened because they had sinned againstthe
Lord going their own way and not paying attention to Him and His word.
11.6. Isaiahwrites these things to Israelso that as they sat captive in
Babylon that they might considerwhy it was that these things had happened
to their nation, and nation for whom the Lord once mightily delivered and
protected.
GENE BROOKS
DO NOT EMBRACE BLINDNESS – EMBRACE MYSERVANT! (Isaiah42)

a. 42:1-9 – Here is the first of the famous “servantsongs” (others are 49:1-6;
50:4-9; 52:13-53:12). Onthe face, the servant is Cyrus (42:6; 45:13), but he is
a type of a king who will come suddenly with greatpower in the future. The
perfect, coming servant is neither Cyrus nor Israel, but the Messiah, through
whom God will establishjustice on earth (42:1-8).
b. How do we know? Matthew 12:18-21 specificallyapplies 42:1-9 to Christ.
i. This Servant is chosenby God (42:1; Mark 1:9-11).
ii. He will bring justice to the nations, even the far distant islands
(42:1, 2-3, 4).
iii. He is a light for the Gentiles (42:6-7; Matthew 28:19;Acts 10:28).
iv. He will not falter, but is faithful (42:4; 53:7)
v. He represents the Creator(42:5-6; language similar to Genesis
1:1; 2:7)
vi. He represents YHWH (42:8-9;Exodus 3:14-15;Jesus claimedthis
John 14:6-7).
c. 42:1-3 – My Spirit. These opening verses emphasize servanthood and the
endowment with the Holy Spirit. He is so humble and sensitive that even those
whom societyhas rejectedas of no value (bruised reeds and flax) are worth
saving for Him.
d. APPLICATION: Anyone who serves God must (a) have a desire to do so,
(b) remain humble before others and dependent on the Lord, (c) be committed
to winning others release fromsin’s grip, (d) acceptpersonalsuffering, and (e)
rely completely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength.
e. 42:1 – These servantsongs clearlydepict the Messiah, who will bring
salvationand righteousness to this world. The servant songs emphasize
Messiah’s humility and his being set aside for a specialmission. In Israel, it is
linked with the high priesthood and the king, the son of David who will take
His throne at the end of history and rule and eternal kingdom (Psalm 2:2;
18:50;84:9; 89:38, 51;132:10, 17;Isaiah9:7; 11:1-5).

f. APPLICATION:How awesome thatthe greatestofall stoopeddown and
suffered for us. He setaside his crown for a cross so that when he takes up the
crownagain we might rule and reign with him.
g. 42:9-13 – ProperResponse to The Servant: Praise. He stimulates God’s
people to praise (42:9-13). He is about to act (42:13). After a time of silence
(such as the Exile) the Lord will intervene on behalf of his people (42:14-15).
He will heal the blindness and deafness (42:16-20;6:10; 29:18). God is like a
pregnant woman in labor (42:14-17)while Israel is blind and deaf to God’s
purposes, unable to fulfill the role of servant(42:18-25). But because Godis
faithful, they will come to know the Messiahas their Saviorand Redeemer
because Godloves them (43:1-7).
h. 42:21-25 – Pay close attention– Isaiah recognizes thatIsraelbrought their
coming discipline and judgment on themselves through their sin. These
sufferings are to teach them to pay close attentionin the future when God
speaks (42:23). Theyneed to hear the messageofredemption which is coming
in chapter 43.
i. APPLICATION: Are you paying attention to what is going on? Are you
paying attention to what God is doing in our nation? Are you paying attention
to what God is doing in your church? Are you paying attention to what God is
doing in your family? Are you paying attention to what God is doing in you?
What exactly is he doing in you?
Invitation:
Perhaps he is doing something in you that needs a response from you. We
don’t offer invitations to make the preacherfeel goodor for the congregation
to gauge how good the sermon or service was. We give invitations so that you
can respond to the Word that has been planted in you in the last half hour.
The question is, are you going to respond to what the Holy Spirit’s work in
you right now? Or will you be disobedient to his tender leading? What will
you do?

RICH CATHERS
5-9 Messageto the Messiah
:6 for a light of the Gentiles;
This would be something that the Jews wouldhave a hard time with. They
consideredthe Gentile nations as nothing more than fuel for the fires of hell.
But God said the Messiahwould be a light even for us Gentiles.
:7 To open the blind eyes
Though Jesus would fulfill this in a literal sense by healing blind people (John
9:6-7), this is meant primarily in a spiritual sense, those who are blind
spiritually (John 9:39).
:7 to bring out the prisoners from the prison
Jesus came to setus free from the prison of sin and death.
The Bible says that without Jesus, we are dead –
(Eph 2:1-5 NLT) Once you were dead, doomed forever because ofyour many
sins. {2} You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying
Satan, the mighty prince of the powerof the air. He is the spirit at work in the

hearts of those who refuse to obey God. {3} All of us used to live that way,
following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an
evil nature, and we were under God's angerjust like everyone else. {4} But
God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, {5} that even while we
were dead because ofour sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the
dead. (It is only by God's specialfavor that you have been saved!)
Jesus cansetyou free. He died on a cross to take your place in prison.
JAMIESON, FAUSSET, BROWN
Verse 6
in righteousness — rather, “for a righteous purpose” [Lowth]. (See Isaiah
42:21). God “setforth” His Son “to be a propitiation (so as) to declare His
(God‘s) righteousness,that God might be just, and (yet) the justifier of him
which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:25, Romans 3:26;compare see on Isaiah
41:2; Isaiah 45:13;Isaiah50:8, Isaiah 50:9).
hold … hand — compare as to Israel, the type of Messiah, Hosea 11:3.
covenant— the medium of the covenant, originally made betweenGod and
Abraham (Isaiah 49:8). “The mediator of a better covenant” (Hebrews 8:6)
than the law (see Isaiah49:8; Jeremiah31:33;Jeremiah 50:5). So the abstract
“peace,”forpeace-maker(Micah5:5; Ephesians 2:14).
the people — Israel; as Isaiah 49:8, compared with Isaiah42:6, proves (Luke
2:32).

THOMAS CONSTABLE
Verse 6
Yahweh not only calledan invader in harmony with His righteous purposes
for humankind ( Isaiah 41:2), but He alone also calledthis Servant at the right
time, in the right place, and for the right purpose.
"The righteousness ofGod is the stringencywith which He Acts , in
accordancewith the will of His holiness." [Note:Delitzsch, 2:178.]
Cyrus would destroy, but Messiahwould build. The Lord promised againto
uphold His Servant (cf. Isaiah 42:1). The Servant would fulfill the covenant
requirements and promises that God had given His people, becoming a
covenantto them in that sense, andso bring them into intimate fellowship
with Himself (cf. Isaiah49:6-8). Thus this Servant cannotbe all of Israelor
even savedIsrael or the prophets. Some commentators view this covenantas
the New Covenant( Jeremiah31:31-34), which Christ would ratify with His
blood. [Note:See Ibid, 179-80;Grogan, p255;and Chisholm, Handbook on ...,
p100-101.]Still others view it as the "covenantof grace" that Christ made
available to people by dying on the Cross. [Note:See Young, 3:120-21.]The
coming conquerorwould drive the nations further into idolatry ( Isaiah41:5-
7), but the Servant would lead them to God by serving as a light to the nations
who sit in darkness (cf. Luke 2:32; John 14:6). The Lord Himself would do all
this through His Servant (cf. Exodus 3:15; Exodus 6:3).
Verse 7

As light, the Servant would heal disabilities (physical and spiritual), end
restrictions that others imposed, and transform individual circumstances (cf.
Luke 1:79; John 1:4; John 8:12; John 9:5; John 9:39-41;John 12:46;Acts
26:18). He would bring people out of bondage, including their bondage to sin
(cf. Isaiah 61:1; John 8:32; Colossians 1:13).
Dr. D.L. CooperCommentary On Isaiah
Biblical ResearchMonthly-April 1945
MESSIANIC TIMES ACCORDING TO ISAIAH 42:1-43:13
The Prophet's impersonation of God the Fatherin calling Israel's attention to
the Son(42:1-4).
The Prophet as the Father's representative delivers specialmessageto the Son
when He is in the shadow of the cross (vss. 5-8).
Announcement of fulfillment of the "former things"--first coming and man's
redemption--and the coming of "new things"--world revival (vss. 9-13).
The secondcoming of Christ (vss. 14-17).

Call to Israelas a nation to repent (vss. 18-22).
Call to individual Hebrews to repent (vss. 23-24).
Promise to the faithful remnant (Isa. 43:1-13).
I. THE PROPHET'S IMPERSONATIONOF GOD THE FATHER
IN CALLING ISRAEL'S ATTENTION TO THE SON (Isa. 42:1-4)
IN ISAIAH 42:1--43:13 we have one of the grand panoramic views of
Messianic Times whichbegin with the first coming and ministry of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Hebrew Messiah, andwhich run throughout the
greatMillennial Age, when the glory of God shall encircle the earth as the
waters coverthe sea. By a careful study of this block of scripture we see that
this period of time naturally falls into four sections which are the personal
ministry of our Lord, the Christian Dispensation, the Tribulation Period, and
the greatMillennial Era. This period of time is properly calledmessianic,
because it gives the outline of Messiah'sredemptive career.
Verses 1 to 4 of this prophecy constitute an impersonation by Isaiah of the
Almighty. Thus as he played the role of God the Father in this vision, he was
transported by the Spirit to the first century of the Christian Era. In this view
of the future he saw King Messiahafter His baptism and cried out to the
people, "Behold, my servant... I have put my Spirit upon him." This was a
graphic way which the prophet adopted in forecasting forIsrael the beginning
of Messiah's public ministry--the descentof the Holy Spirit at His baptism

upon Him in the presence ofthe public. When this passage, especiallyverse 1,
is read in the light of Matthew 3:13-17, it becomes evident that that event was
the fulfillment of the prediction.
Messiahstarts out with an objective in view, establishing justice in the earth.
The old version says "judgment." While the Hebrew term does have that
significance, its primary meaning is that of justice. The facts of this context
demand this latter meaning. Thus the prophet declared that Messiah, when
He begins His personalministry, will have as His objective the establishment
of justice and righteousnessin the world.
In verse 2 we see that Messiahwill not be a streetpreacher. He will avoid all
possibilities of clashing publicly with His opponents. When one reads Matthew
12:18-21, one sees thatthis prediction was applied by Matthew to the personal
ministry of our Lord.
As Isaiah saw in the vision and as we learn from the Jewishhistorian
Josephus, there were many political agitators in Palestine in the times of our
Lord. Jesus refusedto engage in a public open-air ministry lestHe should be
identified as one of these revolutionists and should inevitably clashwith the
authorities. No one is to understand by this prediction that in our Lord's
refraining from open-air work He opposedstreet preaching. He has in a
marvelous wayduring the centuries blessedsuch a public testimony to the
salvationof myriads of souls.
According to verse 4 Messiahwill not fail nor be discourageduntil He reaches
His objective. We are not to infer that He will become discouragedafterHe is
successful. No one would do that. This prediction simply means that He will
press on in His work until He reaches His objective, and then, of course, He
will continue to do the greatwork which He alone can accomplish. The fact

that He will not fail nor be discouragedimplies that the work which He
launches will seemoutwardly, to those who do not have spiritual insight and
who do not know the plans of God, to be a complete failure; but we are
assuredthat men are not to look at circumstances and judge from
appearances.
Without question, this verse refers to the personalministry of our Lord which
at times seemedto be a failure. It also refers to the movement which He
inaugurated, namely, historic Christianity. This prediction implies that to the
men of the world the church will appear to be a failure. But God is emphatic
and says that it shall not fail.
The successofan enterprise is to be judged by the objective in view. Before
one canpass sentence upon Christianity, one must know first the methods to
be adopted and the objective to be reached. Many have thought that
Christianity is to convertthe world. This is a sad mistake. The preaching of
the cross is a testimony to the world. It is the throwing out of the lifeline to
drowning, dying men. Those who wish may take hold of it and be pulled
ashore. Godnever forces nor coerces anyone but permits everyone to exercise
his ownvolition and choice. On this point James atthe Jerusalemconference
statedthe case this way: "Symeonhath rehearsedhow first God visited the
Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name." Then Peterspoke of the
gospelministry of the present age. James saidthat this program of preaching
the gospelis to take out of the nations a people for God's name. Let no one
think that Christianity is a failure. It is not. It is a grand successandwill
continue to accomplishthat for which it was intended. The prophet, therefore,
was simply warning us againstdrawing an incorrectconclusionfrom outward
appearances during the personal ministry of Christ and during the preaching
of the gospelin the present age.

This movement (historicalChristianity) launched by Christ and continued by
his followers during the present dispensation, being not a failure but a success,
will ultimately blossomforth into a grand consummation--at the second
coming of Christ when He will establishjustice and righteousness in the earth.
The prophet hastens to inform us that Messiah, whenHe makes His
appearance afterthe Spirit has come upon Him, will not give His law to the
isles. On the contrary, they will have to wait for it. In this connectionwe shall
have to make a clear distinction betweenlaw and gospel. Law is a system of
statutes for the regulation of the life and conduct of a people, which threatens
punishment for every infraction of its legalrequirements. On the contrary,
grace is a manifestation of God's goodnessin offering His blessings, the
greatestofwhich is salvation, to men upon the condition of faith. The gospel
was first preachedby our Lord and by His apostles afterHim. We are plainly
told that the isles, that is, the nations, will not receive the Law of Messiahat
the time of His first coming, but that they will have to wait for it. The period
of their waiting for it is that which is known as the Christian Dispensation
during which the gospelmessageis being proclaimed to all nations.
The present Christian Age, as we learn from many passagesofScripture, will
be brought to a conclusionby the rapture of the church. By this term we mean
that event which is spokenof by the Apostle Paul and which occurs when the
Lord Jesus Christ descends from heaven to the air. At that time, He will raise
the dead in Christ and catchup the living saints to be with Him for ever and
ever. According to I Thessalonians, chapters 4 and 5, this event occurs before
the period that is known as the greatTribulation. Believers, having been
translated out of the kingdom of darkness, have been brought into the
kingdom of the Son of God's love. They are therefore not appointed unto
wrath--in the Tribulation--but unto the obtaining of salvation, deliverance
from the period of wrath. We, therefore, place the rapture of the church
before the Tribulation.

II. THE PROPHET AS THE FATHER'S REPRESENTATIVE DELIVERS
SPECIAL MESSAGE TO THE SON WHEN
HE IS IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS (vss. 5-8)
In Isaiah 42:5-8 we have a specialmessage whichJehovahthe Father sends to
Jehovahthe Sonwhen He is in the darkesthour of His earthly career. In these
verses the prophet is no longer impersonating God but is presenting himself
before his audience as an ambassadorofJehovahthe Father to Jehovahthe
Son with words of encouragement.
God the Father, the prophet says, is the creatorofall things and is the one
who puts the spirit of man within him (vs. 5). The Father in one sense is the
creatorof the universe, but in another sense--as the immediate agent--Godthe
Son is the creator. (For proof of this position see John 1:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-4.)
That this messageis given to Messiahin His darkesthour is seenin the
assuring words found in verse 6: "I, Jehovah, have called thee in
righteousness, andwill hold thy hand, and will keepthee" ... Evidently there is
a need for this message ofencouragement, otherwise it would not be given.
Messiah's ministry consists ofHis becoming a bond uniting the people of
Israelto Jehovahand His becoming a light to the Gentiles. He becomes,
according to this program, the bond uniting Israelto God first; then He
becomes God's light to the Gentiles. It is true that He has been a light to the
Gentiles through the entire Christian Dispensation;nevertheless He has never
been the light to them that He will be after Israel has been united to God. In
other words, this prophecy yet awaits its complete fulfillment. When Messiah
thus becomes the light of the Gentiles, He will open the blind eyes and bring
out the prisoners from the dungeon and them that sit in darkness out of
prison-houses (vs. 7). This prophecy will be fulfilled in Messiah's bringing life,

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