The Servant Saves (Isaiah 42)

Theme: Man's hope is that the Servant proclaims justice by gently and persevearingly serving the weak, blind and deaf. God's heart is always for the weak, blind and deaf.

1. What the Servant does (1-9): Proclaims justice to the nations.
2. How the world responds (10-12): Praise the Lord!
3. What God does (13-17): Zealously accomplish his purpose.
4. Who we truly are (18-25): Blind and deaf.

The "servant of God" theme is one of the richest strands of Isaiah's thought, and it lies right at the heart of his message as it moves to its climax in this second half of the book. 42:1-9 is the first of four "Servant Songs" (49:1-13; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12), the first of a remarkable series in which the servant theme is developed in a quite distinctive way and brought to a resounding climax. 61:1-3 could be regarded as fifth and final Song which brings the whole series to a (another) climax.

Justice (Isaiah 42:1,3,4)

Bring Justice to the Nations (Isaiah 42)

"I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth" (Isa 42:1,3,4).

This is the first of Isaiah's four Servant Songs, fulfilled in Christ. He is the servant of the Lord. He is God's alternative to our idols (Isa 41:22). He is not an abomination but a delight (Isa 42:1). He also stands in contrast with Cyprus the conqueror who "steps on people" (Isa 41:25b). But Jesus did not break a bruised reed nor snuff out a smoldering wick (Isa 42:3; Mt 12:15-21).

Isaiah 31 and 32 questions

Trusting Egypt Doesn't Work (Isaiah 31:1-9); Woe Against Reliance on Egypt rather than God

1. Why does God pronounce a woe (Isa 31:1; 22:11)? Why was it foolish for the people to trust in Egypt and her chariots (1-2; Ps 20:7; 33:17; Prov 21:31)? Why could Egypt not be trusted (3)?
2. Who would fight for Zion and defend her? How is He described (4; Am 1:2; 3:8)? To what is God's defense compared (5)?
3. How should the people respond to God's promise of deliverance (Isa 31:6-7; 2:20; 30:22)? Is repentance and returning to God and forsaking idols a prerequisite of divine deliverance?
4. What would happen to Assyria, and what would the people learn (8-9)? How would Assyria fall (Isa 31:8; 37:36-38; 14:24-27; 29:5-8; 30:27-33)?
5. What lessons should we learn from the mistake the people made in trusting Egypt without consulting God (Isa 2:22; 51:12-13; Jer 17:5; Ps 146:3)?

Good Leaders Rule With Justice (Isaiah 32:1-8)

Isaiah 32-33 (32:1-8; 9-20; 33:1-16; 17-24)

"See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice" (Isa 32:1, NIV).

• Isaiah 28-29 spoke of false leaders.
• Isaiah 30-31 spoke of false counsel.
• Isaiah 32-33 speak of the true leader and the characteristics of his reign. This section can be divided into:
1. The nature of true leadership (32:1-8). His reign is characterized by righteousness and justice (Isa 32:1).
2. The Spirit as being necessary for true leadership (32:9-20).
3. The necessity of divine intervention on Judah's behalf explained (33:1-16).
4. A graphic illustration of the rule of the King (33:17-24).

Let's Talk (Isaiah 1:1-31): Bible Study Questions

Isaiah 1:1-9, 10-20, 21-31; Key Verses Isa 1:18, 3, 13, 23

"Come now let us reason together" (1:18a, ESV). "Let us settle the matter" (NIV). "Let us discuss this" (HCSB).

Most scholars regard Isaiah 1–5 as an introduction to at least chapters 1–39 if not to the entire book of 66 chapters.

1:1-31	2:1-5	2:6-4:1	4:2-6	5:1-30	6:1-13

How Stupid Can You Be (1.1-9)	Stop Your Church Activities (1:10-20)	Care For Whom I Care For (1:21-31)
1. God's broken heart (1:2-3)	1. What displeases God (1:10-15)	1. Judgment (21-23)
2. Our broken life (1:4-8)	2. What pleases God (1:16-17)	2. Purification (24-26)
3. God's unbroken grace (1:9)	3. How to please God (1:18-20)	3. Redemption or ..... (27-31)

Questions: 1:1-9 (national failure): Sin. "The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger, but...my people do not understand." (1:3).

The Servant of God (Isaiah 42)

Isaiah 42:1-25; 1

"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations" (Isa 42:1, NIV).

The "servant of God" theme is one of the richest strands of Isaiah's thought. It lies at the heart of his message as it moves to its climax in the 2nd part of the book (ch. 40-66). Isa 42:1-9 is the first of four "Servant Songs" (Isa 49:1-13; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12).

What does Isaiah say about the servant of the Lord (Isa 42:1-4, 5-9)?

The Servant's Ministry is Justice

Isaiah 42:1, 3, 4

The servant's ministry is justice (Isa 42:1, 3, 4).

• It is justice to the nations (1): worldwide justice.
• It is in faithfulness (3): genuine justice.
• It is justice on earth (4).

Authoritative pronouncement and decision. We naturally think of justice as implying a fair, unbiased, pure and just society, with no prejudice or favoritism. The Hebrew word מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) does cater to this -- but only derivatively. The parallel in Isa 42:4 between "justice" and "law" provides a clue that in this passage Isaiah is using the word to express one aspect of divinely revealed truth. "Law" means "teaching" (Isa 1:10). Mishpat occurs (421 times in the OT) nearly 30 times in Psalm 119 (Ps 119:7, 13, 20, etc) and nearly 20 times in Deuteronomy (Dt 4:1; 5:1; etc) as one aspect of what we would call "the word of God." The verb behind the noun means "to give judgment," the authoritative pronouncement of king or judge. Just as the Lord's law is his teaching, so his justice (judgment) is what he has pronounced to be true, the decision he has reached.

Justice Will Prevail (Psalm 9-10)

Psalm 9:1-10:18; 7-8

"But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice" (Ps 9:7, ESV). "He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness" (Ps 9:8, NLT).

The Greek and Latin versions have combined Psalm 9-10 as a single psalm (with a broken or incomplete acrostic with several letters of the alphabet missing or out of order). Both psalms refer to God's interest in "the oppressed" (Ps 9:9; 10:18), both mention "times of trouble" (Ps 9:9; 10:1), both call on God to "arise" (Ps 9:19; 10:12), and both are sure that God will not "forget the afflicted" (Ps 9:12; 10:12). [On the other hand, there are enough differences to justify finding two Psalms here: the tone of Psalm 9 is predominantly praise and thanks, while that of Psalm 10 is largely lament.] Noting much overlap between both psalms, Derek Kidner titles Psalm 9 as "God: King and Judge," and Psalm 10 as "Man: Predator and Prey." Man is also both the oppressor and the oppressed. Consider Psalm 9-10 in three parts:

1. God is King and Judge on His Throne (Ps 9:1-12).
2. God Seems Far Away Because Present Troubles Are Near and Real (Ps 9:13-10:6).
3. God Listens to the Afflicted and the Oppressed (Ps 10:7-18); God's Justice Will Prevail.

Through God's Chosen Servant, God Glorifies Himself and Heals the World (Isaiah 42,43)

Isa 42:1-25 Don Carson's Daily Devotional. This servant song is divided into three parts.

1. In Isa 42:1-4 God addresses Israel and introduces the Servant, who will bring “justice” to the nations.
2. In Isa 42:5-7, the Servant himself is addressed (note Isa 42:6: “I the LORD, have called you [sing.] in righteousness”), and Israel is allowed to overhear what is said. Here the God who gives breath to all people (Isa 42:5) now makes this Servant “to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles” (Isa 42:6), undoing all the degrading effects of sin (Isa 42:7).
3. In Isa 42:8-9, the Lord again addresses Israel, once again summarizing the mission of the ideal Servant and insisting that these are “new things” graciously announced in advance.

Isa 42:1-9 is the first of 4 Servant Songs, fulfilled in Christ (Isa 49:1-13; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12). "The servant of the Lord," sprinkled through out ch. 40-55, is a title for the people as a whole (Israel, the church), but at times the servant is a specific person who is distinct from the whole.

God's Chosen Servant (Isa 42:1-9; 10-17; 18-25)

God's Servant is the only Savior of the world (Isa 42:1; Mt 12:18-21). The key word "justice" (Isa 42:1,3,4) means fulfilling mutual obligations (forgiveness) consistent with God's moral law to individuals and the world. Unlike human rulers, like Cyrus (Isa 41:2-4,25-29), the Lord's quiet servant will not crush but defend the weak (Isa 42:2,3; 11:4; 40:11). God will fulfill his covenant promise to his people and heal the nations (Isa 42:4,6,7), for he is the Creator and Sustainer God (Isa 42:5), who will glorify himself (Isa 42:8,9). Because of the Servant's work of redemption, the world will sing a new song, with unprecedented praise to God (Isa 42:10-17; 1 Pe 2:9). Though Israel is God's chosen instrument and servant, they, like the blind (Isa 42:18-20) on account of their disobedience (Isa 42:22-25), need God's word (Isa 42:21), and God's salvation themselves (Isa 42:6-9).

Israel's Only Savior (Isa 43:1-28)

For his own glory, God reassures his people that he, their Savior (Isa 43:3,11), Redeemer, Creator and King (Isa 43:14,15), will ransom and restore them from their enemies (Isa 43:1-7) through a new exodus (Isa 43:16-21). Why would God save them? In order to be witnesses to God's exclusive reality as God to the world (Isa 43:8-13). Yet they failed to honor God, and burdened God with their sins (Isa 43:22-28).
Memorable Verses: "A bruised reed he will not break" (Isa 42:3); "I will not yield my glory to another" (Isa 42:8); "Sing to the Lord a new song" (Isa 42:10); "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you" (Isa 43:2); "I created for my glory" (Isa 43:7); "I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior" (Isa 43:11); "See, I am doing a new thing" (Isa 43:19).


Application Verse: "The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to maginify his law and make it glorious" (Isa 42:21).

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