God’s Healing Touch

God’s Healing Touch

Isaiah 42:1-9

Watch at: https://youtu.be/9XDXked3KvY

Unfortunately, I have been hearing a lot today about how Christians are beginning to abandon their faith in higher numbers than we have seen before, at least in my lifetime and since I’ve been a Christian over the last 40 years. And the main reason is because they are unable to connect what is happening in this world to their own concept of God. And it’s disheartening to say the least. And so I’d like to address this by looking at the true nature and character of God.

In the passage we’ll be looking at, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to the Jews who are in Babylonian captivity and are seeking justice for the tremendous wrongs done to them by their captors.

They knew eventually God would deliver them, but what about the injustice they’ve had to endure over all these years. The idols they’ve fashioned for themselves and that they have been praying to and hoping would intervene are worthless, and God makes sure to let them know that in the preceding chapter. But living amongst the Gentiles, and not following God’s word, their memories as to the nature and character of God are beginning to fade.

And understanding that gives us an understanding of what is happening today.

Now I’ve seen some people, and heard of even more, who have grown up in the church, or have been leaders within the church, from pastors to worship leaders, that have been lured away by sin, or have opted out because they believe God has let them down. In other words, God is not who they thought He should be, because He is not acting like the God they want.

This is the way the Israelites felt there in Babylon. Why hasn’t God come to their rescue? Why hasn’t He delivered them? Why has He allowed such injustice to prevail? And so they were questioning who God is, and here Isaiah reminds them about the identity and character of God.

Who is this God, the God of the Israelites, and the Creator King of the Universe?

• Well, let me begin where Isaiah begins, and that is He is the One who will send His righteous servant, the Messiah, to deal directly with the issue of humanity’s sin, which is the root cause of all the injustice in the world

• And, He is none other than the One who will not break a reed that has been bent to the point of breaking.

• He’s is also the One who will not snuff out a candle whose wick is now just a nub and can barely hold a flame.

• In other words, He is the God who will faithfully bring forth justice the right way, His way, the true way, the way that will redeem, and not annihilate.

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law.” Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:1-9 NKJV)

Our text clearly speaks of the coming Messiah who will come, not as a conquering hero, but as God’s righteous servant doing God’s bidding, and not His own. Remember Jesus’s prayer in the Garden where He said, “Not My will, but Your will be done,” speaking to the Father. And so He won’t be arrogant or proud, but with great humility He’ll be a Servant to God’s people.

We see this when Matthew used this passage to describe Jesus by saying that this passage from Isaiah has now been fulfilled.