2nd Sunday After Epiphany, Year A. Series

Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-11, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42.

A). A LIGHT FOR THE NATIONS.

Isaiah 49:1-7 - Second Servant Song.

1. The universality of His mission (Isaiah 49:1).

The Servant’s appeal to the islands (or coastlands) and “far off people” ultimately embraces the whole world (Revelation 7:9; Revelation 14:6). Yet He never loses sight of His call to restore Jacob (Isaiah 49:5).

2. The Servant presents His credentials (Isaiah 49:1; Isaiah 49:3).

The Servant was called from the womb (cf. Jeremiah 1:5), and named before He was born (Matthew 1:21). In Isaiah 49:3 He is named as Israel, yet the New Testament identifies the Servant as Jesus (Matthew 12:14-21; Acts 8:32-35). Our Lord is the ideal which Israel typologically represented.

3. A sharp sword and a polished arrow (Isaiah 49:2).

The Spirit of God endowed the Servant (Isaiah 42:1) with a “sword” which proceeds from His mouth (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:15; Revelation 19:21). When Isaiah wrote this passage the words of Jesus were still hidden with God, like a sword which rests in the sheath with His hand upon the handle. Like polished arrows ready in a quiver upon a man’s back, the final word of God was yet to be revealed (Hebrews 1:1-2).

4. The call of the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:4-6).

Christ Jesus was formed to be a servant (Philippians 2:7) to bring Jacob back to God. Yet His work with Israel seemed to be in vain. Salvation must first reach the ends of the earth, but God has not forgotten His ancient people (Romans 11:12; Romans 11:15; Romans 11:25-26). They shall behold the one whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10), but meantime our Lord is given as a light to lighten the Gentiles (Luke 2:32).

5. The vindication of God’s servants (Isaiah 49:7).

In Isaiah 49:7 there are two voices: the LORD, and His Holy One. The words are addressed to the faithful remnant who, like Jesus, are despised of men (Isaiah 53:3), and abhorred by the nation. They are chosen of God, but for now they are in servitude to the rulers of this earth. Yet, in time, Kings and princes shall arise and worship because of the faithfulness of Israel’s covenant God.

When we (like Jesus) rest in the LORD (Isaiah 49:4), we too shall be exalted (Isaiah 49:5).

B). WAITING FOR GOD.

Psalm 40:1-11.

“Waiting I waited” (Psalm 40:1) begins the Hebrew of this familiar and much loved Psalm. This gives rise to the Latin title, itself a dynamic equivalent, which translates “Expectantly I expected.” This appears to be not so much anxious hope, as some have suggested, but eager anticipation.

We may well imagine that there is cause enough for anxiety, for those of us who are in the “awesome pit” and "miry clay” (Psalm 40:2). Like Joseph in the pit, and then the dungeon; Job on the slag heap; Jonah in the fish; the three Hebrew children in the burning fiery furnace; Daniel in the lion’s den. Or Jeremiah in the waterless, miry, deep dungeon (see Jeremiah 38:6).

However, each of these men - along with David whose name is found in the Greek heading to this Psalm - knew well, as we also know, from whence their help would come (cf. Psalm 121:2). Furthermore, the LORD “sets our feet upon a Rock” (Psalm 40:2) - ‘and that Rock was (is) Christ’ (1 Corinthians 10:4). He it is who guides us in our going out and coming in, and in all that we put our hand to.

No wonder the book of Psalms abounds so much in the “new song” (Psalm 40:3; e.g. Psalm 30:3-4; Psalm 96:1; Psalm 98;1). The ‘new song’ is heard from the lips of Moses and the children of Israel (Exodus 15:1-2). It also became a motif in the last book of the Bible (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3).

We may feel, as with the exiles in Babylon, ‘How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?’ (Psalm 137:4) - but we know that, when God turns away our captivity, our tongues will be filled with melody (Psalm 126:1-2). Perhaps we could therefore be more like Paul and Silas, and sing praises at midnight, even before the deliverance comes (Acts 16:25) - for we know that ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning’ (Psalm 30:5).

The key to all this lies in where we place our trust (Psalm 40:4). Do we trust in the LORD, or in “the proud” who will ultimately let us down? [‘Rahab’ is the Hebrew word for “the proud” - but also a name for Egypt, who would eventually fail Israel in their hour of need (Isaiah 30:7).]

The Psalmist is at great pains to demonstrate how “numberless” are the proofs of the LORD’s goodness (Psalm 40:5). What the LORD has done for us ‘hitherto’ (cf. 1 Samuel 7:12) becomes more and more difficult to enumerate: His mercies are ‘new every morning’ (Lamentations 3:22-23). As one songwriter put it: ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.’