ISAIAH - CHAPTER 42 - BEHOLD MY SERVANT
ISAIAH 42 - Behold My Servant
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
September 23, 2014, the Year of our Lord
In this beautiful book of comfort, this is the first of the Servant Songs. The Lord Jesus Christ is introduced as Messiah the Servant of Jehovah.
Those of you who know me have quickly discerned my lack of patience with ministers or ministries who feel they are elevated and promoted above the role of servant.
Jesus Christ is the Servant of Jehovah, chosen and sustained by Him. He does not recommend Himself by glamour, nor advertise His wares like some noisy marketer. Jesus is the Deliverer of the creation! The One endowed with the fullness of the Divine Spirit; meek, lowly, gentle and kind. He is unobtrusive and noiseless in His movements, yet securing the conquest of truth.
The Servant’s Introduction: 42:1-4
42:1: “BEHOLD MY servant, whom I uphold; My elect, in whom my soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon Him; He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.”
We have the absolute confirmation of the accuracy of this reference in Matthew 3:17 and Mark 1:11: “You are My beloved Son”, from the Father in Heaven; and Matthew 12:17, by Jesus.
Isaiah prophecies exactly the beloved features of Him to whom all prophecy points.
A Holy Being was to arise, --gentle, meek unostentatious, unobtrusive---
42: 2-4: “He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench. He shall bring forth judgment to truth. He shall not fail or be discouraged, till He has set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for His law.”
What precious words of comfort in this “Book of Comfort”. God has His strong ones in His Church---His oaks of Bashan and cedars of Lebanon; noble forest trees, spreading far and wide their branches of faith, love and holiness; ---those who are deeply rooted in the truth, able to wrestle with fierce tempests of unbelief, and to grapple with temptations.
But He also has His weaklings and His saplings---those that require to be tenderly shielded from the blast; who are liable to succumb to doubts, fears and unbelief; sensitive in times of trial; irresolute in times of difficulty and danger; and unstable in times of severe temptation.
“A bruised reed He will not break”--- The reed is a plant with a hollow stem, which grew by the side of lakes or rivers. The plant is here taken as an emblem of whatever is weak, fragile, or brittle. The wild beast trampled it to pieces. Its slender stalk bent or snapped under the weight of the bird. The wind and hail-storm laid the tubes prostrate on the ground. “A reed shaken by the wind,” was the rebuke spoken by Jesus concerning the question as to whether he was the Messiah.
A reed was placed in Jesus’ Hand on the Cross.
Once the fragile reed was broken, it was rendered of no use. Once shattered the reed became worthless.
‘Not such’ says Christ, ‘are my dealings with any of my people, who may be broken with convictions of sin, and wounded in conscience---“I will not break the bruised reed.” He will bind up the broken heart. He will cement the splintered stem of the hanging bulrush, endowing it with new life; strength and vigor; causing it to “spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses”. He will pardon, pity, comfort and relieve.
Look at David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, one who was a bruised reed. In his brokenness, God inspired his soul and made it a many-stringed instrument of praise.
Psalm 32:3: “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledge my sin unto you, and my iniquity, I have not hid. I said, I will confess my transgression unto the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
God did not desert him. He did not cast the broken reed away and seek to replace him by another, worthier and better. Jesus does not mock the cry of penitent sorrow. “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercy, blot out my transgression.”
David lifted His voice of praise, “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto you in a time when you may be found. Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come near unto him.”
The crushed soul sends forth the sweetest aroma of humility, gratitude and love.
Not only does Isaiah prophesy that Jesus will not break the bruised reed, but he added, “the smoking flax shall he not quench”.
This metaphor of “smoking flax” applies to those who hear the testimony of others as being “strong in faith”—but their faith is weak. They hear of those who are ardent in love---but they are not experiencing love to identify as their own. They read and hear of people who have had glowing and supernatural visitations---but they have never had such experiences. Perhaps like Samson, smoking flax” they are backsliding; or perhaps the fire of their first love has gone out.
Like the children of Israel once “carrying bows,” they have ‘turned faint in the day of battle.” Once under the palm-groves of Elam, they are now dwelling in the dark tents of Kadar. The joy of their relationship with the Lord seems to have departed. They are going through the motions, but can’t get it back. A smoking flax is an apt image to describe their feelings. Such a piece of smoking flax was the once hero-hearted Prophet, seated amid the savage rocks of Horeb. Even Elijah felt that God had forgotten him. Does the Lord crush the feeble spark, or leave the desert whirlwind to blow out the flickering, expiring flame?
No---“What are you doing here Elijah? Arise! Go anoint Jehu! Go anoint Hazael! Go back to duty! I will yet make you a burning and a shining light in Israel!
Peter was indeed a bruised reed and a smoking flax. In his case, it was not the gradual wasting and expiring of the flame, but his was a swift extinction—about to be quenched in sudden darkness. “Go your way, tell His disciples, and Peter”. The smoking flax burst into a fervent flame; and from the path of duty and of suffering he manfully trod in response to the call, “Follow me”. There was, from that day forward, no deflection.
Jesus will not reject faith because it is weak, nor love because it is feeble.
The Servant’s Work: 42: 5-9:
42:5-9: “Thus says God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which come out of it; He that gives breath to the people upon it, and Spirit to them that walk therein: I the Lord have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand. I will keep you, and give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. I am the Lord (Jehovah); that is My name; and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images; Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I will tell you of them”
Here are listed five requirements for ministry (not a conclusive list):
- He is anointed and committed to reach the unreached.
- Make himself of no reputation.
- Compassionate
- Will not fail – there is no defeat in Jesus
- Will not be discouraged.
In this chapter and up to chapter 53, this Servant is in the singular. After chapter 53, (his death and resurrection), the servant becomes plural. The Servant becomes servants. The seed multiplies.
The Gospel of Mark describes the ministry of the Jesus, the Servant.
Mark 1: 1-13: The Servant in preparation --- He submits to other ministries lesser than Himself ---we must always be willing to do that. We will always prefer one another in honor.
Mark 1: 14-7:23: The Servant in Galilee --- He is always inconvenienced, for there is always a crowd.
Mark 7:24-9:50: The Servant north and east of Galilee --- He serves everyone with a ministry without prejudice.
Mark 10: 1-52: The Servant on His way to Jerusalem – He ministers while under constant pressure.
Mark 11: 1-13:37: The Servant in Jerusalem - He ministers with authority and power.
Mark 14: 1-15:47 – The Servant in Death - He pays the price of being a servant; a life that is laid down and poured out.
Mark 16: 1-20: The Servant in Resurrection and Ascension – The Servant of all becomes Lord of all! The Servant becomes an army of servants.
The Servant’s Song- 42: 10:13:
42:10-14: “Sing to the Lord a new song and His praise from the end of the earth, you that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kadar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of the rock sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the islands.”
When Isaiah announces a new manifestation of Jehovah’s power, he follows it with a hymn of thanksgiving. He has just prophesied that the Kingdom of Jesus is to spread throughout the whole world, to the Jew first, and then shore to shore.
The prophet calls on the nations to “sing a new song,” and glorify the name of the great Redeemer. It is to begin with the Jewish Alleluia, but it is to deepen into the Gentile Hosanna.
The islands are called upon to raise the notes; next, the wilderness and their cities; then Kadar, the land of Ishmael and Edom; the roaming Bedouins, as well as the inhabitants of the rock-crowned villages.
The Servant’s Passion – 42: 14-17:
10:14: The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man. He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war. He shall cry, yea, roar. He shall prevail against his enemies.
This is the triumphant march of Christ, like the crowned rider in Revelation with the bow in His hand, “conquering and to conquer”. His manifestation is announced. His mission is declared. His method is described. His might is affirmed. He is called, held, kept, and given. The ultimate purpose is the Glory of Jehovah.
10: 15-17: I have for a long time held my peace. I have been still, and refrained Myself. Now I will cry like a travailing woman. I will destroy and devour at once. I will make waste mountains and hills. I will dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands. I will dry up the pools. I will bring the blind by a way they knew not. I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness light before them and crooked thing straight. These things will I do to them, and not forsake them.
These precious words are like silver bells ringing their chimes of comfort. There are so many whose way is a way of mystery. By reason of unexpected earthly calamity; or sudden bereavement, the sun of their earthly joys has gone down. The darkness of night has all at once surrounded them.
Darkness is made light to God’s people.
Their idolatrous oppressors will be powerless to prevent their release from bondage.
(17) They shall be turned back. They shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images that say to the molten images, you are our gods.”
42:18-23: “Hear, you deaf; and you, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind, but My servant? or deaf, as My messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’ servant? Seeing many things but you observe not; opening the ears, but he hears not. The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honorable. But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses; they are for a prey, and none delivers; for a spoil, and none says, “Restore”. Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come.”
The Lord’s perfect Servant shall not be wrongly influenced and deflected from the will of God by what He sees. He will not be wrongly influenced by what he hears. He can only do what He sees His Father do, and He can only speak what He hears His Father say.
This passage is a vivid description of Judah held captive in Babylon; the church held captive by religious systems, traditions, and concepts; and the whole creation held captive by the law of sin and death.
The servant’s purpose is deliverance. His heart towards those in captivity is compassion.
The answer to this is Jesus Christ, Who was raised from the dead by the Spirit of Holiness. He magnified the Law and made it honorable. He fulfilled the Law.
The whole theme of Isaiah 40-66 centers in the upward sweep of recovery – “RESTORE”. Since the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s intent is on the upswing.
42: 24-25: Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, He against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, neither were they obedient to His law. Therefore He has poured upon him the fury of His anger and the strength of battle; and it has set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.”
The Lord reminds His people that they have deserved their afflictions and therefore have no just reason for complaint. It is His great mercy and compassion that He sends us a deliverer.
Through Jesus Christ, he is now reaching into the darkness of the souls of men and the dark bondage of religious systems to recover a people for Himself and to recover his own name within a people!
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V.
I entered into the labors of John Ross Mac Duff, Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye; Principles of Present Truth by: Kelly Varner; F. F. Bruce International Bible Commentary. Comments and conclusions are my own as revealed to me by the Holy Spirit and not meant to reflect the views of those who I enter into their labors.