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Isaiah 42: 18-25

In this chapter we see two ‘servants’. There is the perfect Messiah (1-9); but we also encounter the imperfect Israel (18-25). We are reminded of the church’s perennial failure to live up to her calling, and we are challenged as to what kind of servants we will be. Will we seek, with God’s help, to be more like Jesus, and spread His light in the world?

Privilege brings responsibility (18-20). Preachers in particular must feel the challenge of these words for if we do not see and hear clearly, what message can we give? But the passage is pertinent to us all. We can attend church services and go through the motions of personal devotion, but be distracted and inattentive; not really seeing or hearing: ‘’You’re my servant, and you’re not looking! You’re my messenger, and you’re not listening!…You’ve seen a lot, but looked at nothing. You’ve heard everything, but listened to nothing.’’ The Message. John Ortberg, in his wonderful book about spiritual disciplines, ‘The life you always wanted’, has a chapter on ‘The practice of deliberate slowing.’ He tells how a spiritual advisor, after reviewing John’s patterns, said just one thing to him, ‘You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.’ Someone else John quotes said, ‘Hurry is not of the devil; it is the devil!’ At my junior school we learned about the poet, William Davies, and his poem, ‘What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?’ The sheer pace at which we live can adversely affect our spiritual focus, if we are not careful. We need to know how to depress the brake, and slow down our lives, in order to really see and hear God’s truth. Surely we get most from prayer and the Bible when we reduce our speed and are fully present in what we are doing. I heard a great sermon many years ago on the theme: ‘Don’t just do something; stand there!’

But in the case of Israel before the exile, it wasn’t merely a case of carelessness about hearing and seeing. They refused to do either. There was unwillingness to ‘’listen’’…or pay close attention… (23), and refusal to ‘’follow his ways’’ (24b). This was outright rebellion. So God would ‘’make His law great and glorious’’ by punishing His people for their disobedience (21, 22). ‘’If people do not honour God’s law by obeying it, God will honour His law by punishing them!’’ Tom Hale: ‘The applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.1041.

In (23-25) Isaiah warns Judah about the punishment to come (in the form of the exile.) Although it hasn’t yet happened, he speaks in the past tense, as if it had taken place. For what God says is certain to come about!

‘’How sad it is when God disciplines us and we do not understand what He is doing or take it to heart (v.25). Israel’s captivity in Babylon cured the nation of their idolatry, but it did not create within them a desire to please God and glorify Him.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, p.1187.

The last words of this chapter are true of so many people today: ‘’Their whole world collapsed but they still didn’t get it; their life is in ruins but they don’t take it to heart.’’ The Message.

Prayer: Lord God, I believe I need to live in such a way that I am always ‘tuned in’ to your voice. I cannot afford to miss anything you may want me to see or hear. Please enable me to stay alert.

Isaiah 42:10-17

A ‘new thing’ calls forth a ‘’new song’’ (1). The description of the Lord’s servant (1-9) evokes this song of praise, envisioning new blessings still to come. God is going to do something great, and the call to sing to Him goes out to people everywhere. The choir will be formed from all peoples and all creatures. Isaiah hands out song sheets all round! He doesn’t want anyone not joining in. They’re written in every language. It has been pointed out that outbursts of singing are a feature of these chapters (see 44:23; 49:13; 52:9 etc.), as they are of chapters 24-27. They are closely akin to Psalms 93, and 95-100 in theme and language. In (13) Isaiah sees the Lord leading His people in triumph; He will lead them out of bondage in Babylon. Ultimately, in the day when the Messiah comes, He will bring them out of the biggest bondage, which is slavery to sin. Here is a magnificent theme for a worldwide song. (The mention of Israel’s bitter rivals, ‘Kedar’ and ‘Sela’, demonstrate the breadth of God’s grace. Former enemies of God and His people will experience His great salvation.)

‘’…sing his praises all over the world! Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, with all the far-flung islands joining in. Let the desert and its camps raise a tune, calling the Kedar nomads to join in. Let the villagers in Sela round up a choir and perform from the tops of the mountains. Make GOD’s glory resound; echo his praises from coast to coast. The Message.

In (14-17) the Lord again speaks. He has ‘’kept silent’’ during Israel’s exile, but now He will act (14). The time has come for Israel to be ‘delivered’ from captivity, just as the time comes for a baby to be delivered: ‘’But now I’m letting loose, letting go, like a woman who’s having a baby –‘’ The Message. The Lord will level the mountains and dry up the rivers so that His people can travel home the more easily (15, 16). There will be a new exodus. The people will have a personal guide: ‘’But I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way, who can’t see where they’re going. I’ll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don’t fall into the ditch.’’ The Message.

God may seem to be silent and inactive for a long time (14). However, there will come a ‘’But now’’ moment when ‘’GOD steps out like he means business…’’ The Message (13). Don’t lose patience with the Lord. His time to act will come. That means your time will come too!

The folly of idolatry is a major theme in the second part of Isaiah, and here we have another reference to it in (17): ‘’But those who invested in the no-gods are bankrupt – dead broke.’’ The Message. But if our hope and trust is in the living God, we need not doubt in His unfailing power and ultimate triumph.

Prayer: Lord please guide me through all life. I need you to lead me through dark situations and rough places (16b) to the glorious destination you have planned for me at journey’s end

 Isaiah 42: 1-9

In the last chapter, God called Israel His ‘’servant’’. But gradually this ‘servant’ emerges out of the mass of Israel as an individual: ‘’him’’ / ‘’He’’. In the New Testament, the gospel writer Matthew applied these words to Christ (Matthew 12:15-21). God says in Isaiah 42 that He ‘delights’ in the Messiah (1), and this reminds us of words used at Jesus’ baptism (Mark 1:10, 11). He also says, ‘’I will put my Spirit on him…’’ (1), and that is precisely what happened with Jesus (Isaiah 11:2; Mark 1:10; John 3:34). God describes His servant as a gentle person and not a rabble-rouser (2). ‘’He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant…’’ The Message. Without faltering or turning back, he will establish justice on the earth (Isaiah 9:6, 7), and in His ‘’law’’ (His Word, His Gospel) the ‘’islands’’ (the remotest nations on earth) will place their hope (4). There is a breath-taking breadth of vision in these few verses: …’he’ll steadily and firmly set things right. He won’t tire out and quit. He won’t be stopped until he’s finished his work – to set things right on earth.’’ The Message. We can feel discouraged as we witness something of the mass of injustice in the world.                                                                                                                                                                                          But Jesus never becomes downcast as He works unfalteringly to establish justice everywhere (1b, 3b and 4).

In (5-7) the Lord addresses His servant directly. How these words have been fulfilled (and are still being) in Jesus. He came as ‘’a light for the Gentiles’’ (6b; see Luke 2:28-32; John 1:9; 8:12) He did (and He is still doing) the work described in (7; see Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18). Note particularly the words ‘’I…have made you to be a covenant for the people…’ (6). Only Jesus could be a ‘covenant’, uniting God and mankind (1 Timothy 2:5). His own blood sealed the covenant (Mark 14:23, 24). By His death on the cross He brought in the new covenant (see Jer.31:31-34; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:8-13). ‘’I have set you among my people to bind them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations…’’ The Message.

There would be a ‘’new’’ thing happening in the coming of Jesus (8, 9). Long before He came, God said that this would happen. Here is something that no idol could ever do (41:21-29), and to God alone be all the glory! Jesus appeared on earth in fulfilment of many prophecies. In chapter 42 we have one of them. ‘’Verse 3…has been a great comfort to believers down through the centuries. We often face times in our lives when we feel bruised, when our spirits are smouldering, almost burnt out, times when we feel that just one more blow would break us completely. If we will but turn to Christ at such times, we can be sure that He will not allow us to suffer more than we can endure. We can be sure that whatever we experience will be for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).’’ Tom Hale: ‘The applied Old Testament Commentary; p.1041.

‘’Weakness, weariness, and sin, never fail to draw forth the deepest sympathy from the Lord Jesus. Nothing lays a stronger hold upon Him, or brings Him more swiftly to our side. At home our mother was always sweet but sweetest when we were ill or weary…those who are most bruised and struggling get the tenderest manifestations of his love. He resembles the strong man, with muscles like iron, and who stands like a rock, but who will bend in tears and tenderness over his cripple-child.’’ F.B. Meyer: ‘Great verses through the Bible’; p.285

Prayer: Thank you Lord that justice will triumph in this world because of Jesus; and thank you for your love for even me!

Isaiah 41:21-29

In (21-24) the courtroom scene of (1) resumes, but now it is the idols of the nations who are on trial. God challenges them to explain the past or accurately predict the future (22, 23). Let them at least ‘’Do something’’ to show that they exist. But they can’t because they are not real. ‘’Ask them, ‘If you are gods, explain what the past means – or, failing that, tell us what will happen in the future. Can’t do that? How about doing something – anything! Good or bad – whatever. Can you hurt us or help us? Do we need to be afraid?’ They say nothing, because they are nothing – sham gods, no-gods, fool-making gods.’’ The Message. The word ‘’detestable’’ (24) was usually kept for heathen rites or idols (e.g.44:19). Transferred to the worshipper it shows how serious an issue it is to choose a lie for your ultimate allegiance. This point is followed through in Romans 1: 18-32. As someone said, a religion can only be as good as its gods. We will take on the character of what we bow down to

God could do what no idol was able to do (25-29). He could predict the future. This chapter is proof of it. God’s mention of Cyrus a century before his birth shows that He can do what no idol can. He is omniscient – all-knowing. These verses would touch the pagan world on a sore spot since divination was a major concern (see 47:13). The reference is again to Cyrus king of Persia in (25). Compare this with (2) where he is referred to as ‘’one from the east.’’ Cyrus originally entered the Babylonian Empire from the East. However, before invading Babylon itself, he conquered the kingdoms of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), and only then turned south towards Babylon. So there is no contradiction. It is accurate to say that he came from both ‘’the east’’ and ‘’the north’’. In all of this we must not miss the all-important point about the sovereignty of God. It was the Lord who ‘’stirred’’ him ‘’up’’ (2, 25). ‘’History is His story!’’

‘’…who calls on my name’’ (25) must be taken with (45:4). Cyrus would invoke the Lord’s name (Ezra 1:2, 3), but not as a genuine convert. This is indirectly supported by his inscriptions, which diplomatically attribute his victories to the gods of the peoples he conquered. There’s nothing new about politicians using religion to win over a crowd!

Prayer: Thank you Lord that we have a God who does things. You are alive and you show yourself to be real.

Isaiah 41: 8-20

‘’But you, O Israel, my servant…’’ (8a). There is a sharp contrast drawn between God’s people and the other nations (1-7). Israel did not have to fear Cyrus or Babylon, for Cyrus was working for God and Babylon would be no more. God was going to deal with the enemies of His people. The nations being attacked by Cyrus did have cause to fear, but God’s chosen people had no reason to feel afraid or ‘’dismayed’’ for God would ‘’strengthen’’ and ‘’help’’ and ‘’uphold’’ them (8-10). (By the way, the reference in verse 9 is probably to the call Abraham received when he was in Ur. At that time it seemed like the ‘’farthest’’ corner of the earth.) This morning a friend of mine posted a prayer request on ‘Facebook’ for persecuted Christians in Baghdad. He expressed a desire that God would deliver them, just as He did for Israel at the Red Sea. I could only say a hearty ‘Amen’ to that! Here is another passage in the Bible in which God assures His people that He will defeat their enemies (11-16): ‘’I myself will help you’’ He says (14) See how God transforms people and places (14-20):

• God transforms people (14-16). Israel could be described as a ‘’worm’’ because of her lowly and depressed state in exile. But God will take His weak and helpless people and turn them into instruments of judgment against the nations who oppose them. (In the Bible, threshing and winnowing are pictures of judgment.) Warren Wiersnbe says that ‘’servant’’ defined what they were by God’s grace and calling, but ‘’worm’’ speaks of what they were in themselves. It was what they saw when they looked in the mirror: ‘’Imagine a worm getting teeth and threshing mountains into dust like chaff! As the nation marched ahead by faith, every mountain and hill would be brought low (40:4), and the Lord would turn mountains into molehills!’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (Old Testament), p.1186. God uses small things to accomplish great tasks (1 Corinthians 1:26-27).
• God transforms places (17-20): These verses call to mind God’s supernatural provision for Israel in the desert. We see God changing the desert into a place of overflowing fertility. This is a totally unexpected scenario. When God does things that people obviously could not do, the glory goes to Him (20).

God can still speak to us in personal ways through these ancient words. They are ‘ever new’. I remember sitting in a house in Bristol early one Sunday morning in 1978. I was in my last year at Bible cottage and had been sent as part of a small team to lead the service at one of my denomination’s largest and most renowned churches. It was my responsibility to speak at the morning service, to a bigger crowd than I had ever stood before previously. I rose early to finalise my preparations, and as I sat on that sofa in a home where I was a guest, I saw a ‘worm’ reflected in the mirror. But as I recall it the words in (13, 14) brought encouragement to me, and I truly did know God’s help.

‘’All this stands against a realistic background of an Israel cowed (e.g. vs 10-11) and puny (e.g. v 14), a fit starting point for God’s grace. A threshing-sledge, by contrast, was the most solid of objects, being made of heavy boards, flint-studded; it was dragged over the reaped corn to break open the ears, which were then winnowed by tossing them to allow the husks to be blown away (16). The huge scale of the metaphor must have seemed belied by the ‘day of small things’ that followed the return from Babylon, yet it does not exaggerate the importance of God’s people on the world, past and to come.’’ Derek Kidner: The ‘New Bible Commentary’, pp.656, 657.

Prayer: Lord I need your help today. I am nothing without you. Make me your sharp instrument.

Isaiah 41:1-7

‘’Silence in court!’’

The chapter opens with God calling the ‘’nations’’ together at ‘’the place of judgment’’ (1). He summons them to an imaginary courtroom and challenges them to speak in their defence. These are the nations who are hostile to His people. They will need ‘’strength’’ because, as we will see, He is going to challenge them to display the power and knowledge that He Himself possesses (21-29). They will not be up to this encounter with the awesome God who dominates the chapter, and the book as a whole. It will be a formidable meeting. Who can stand before His Holy presence, apart from being clothed in the righteousness of Christ?

The ‘’one from the east’’ is Cyrus king of Persia (2-4). Isaiah later identifies him by name (44:28). It would be another hundred years before Cyrus’ birth. Yet God (and Isaiah, because of God) knew that this man would be called into God’s service to free the Jewish exiles from captivity and restore them to their land (Ezra 1:1-4). When it says that God called him ‘’in righteousness to his service’’ (2), it doesn’t mean that Cyrus was himself righteous, but that God would use him to fulfil a righteous purpose, namely the restoration of His people. God will be with Cyrus, just as He has been (and will be) with every generation in history (4), from ‘’first’’ to the ‘’last’’ (see Revelation 22:13). He is the Lord of history; the eternal God. It’s not surprising, then, that He could foretell the coming of Cyrus. ‘’Who did this? Who made it happen? Who always gets things started? I did. GOD. I’m first on the scene. I’m also the last to leave.’’ The Message. From a human perspective, Cyrus was a political giant; a great, and even terrifying, leader: ‘’…pulverizing nations into dust, leaving only stubble and chaff in his wake.’’ The Message. But we get to see the larger perspective that he was in fact an instrument in God’s Hand to get His work done.

The people of the world will see Cyrus coming and ‘’tremble’’ (5). They will attempt to form alliances against him, but all to no avail (6). Their leaders will try to strengthen morale, even while their craftsmen attempt to build better idols (7). But Cyrus will prove unstoppable. ‘’Far-flung ocean islands see it and panic. The ends of the earth are shaken. Fearfully they huddle together. They try to help each other out, making up stories in the dark. The godmakers in the workshops go into overtime production, crafting new models of no-gods, Urging one another on – ‘Good job!’ ‘Great design!’ – pounding nails in at the base so that the things won’t tip over.’’ The Message.

The reference to Cyrus being called ‘’to his service’’ (4) is literally ‘to his foot’, i.e. to follow at His heels (see Judges 4:10). The true Commander here is the great ‘’I am’’, the Lord of history (4; see 45:2, 4).

Perhaps, today, we need this reminder that no frighteningly powerful individuals are in control of the world. There may be those who are permitted to cause mayhem for a time. But the Sovereign Lord of history is in ultimate control. Ultimately, we all have a date booked to appear in His courtroom.

Prayer: Lord God Almighty, help me to lift my eyes to your throne, and know that you are in control of all things.