Ch 42 opens with 1st of 4 servant songs – 42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, and 52:13-53:12
Berhard Duhm coined the term "servant songs" in his German commentary on Isaiah published in 1892
This whole passage talks of the servant – his purpose on earth and the source of his power in heaven
Read Isaiah 42:1-9
1. The Servant’s Purpose
42:1 Relationship to God
Able to carry out his God given ministry because God’s spirit is with him
Mission was not to deliver Israel from captivity and exile but rather to deliver justice to the nations
42:2 2-3 = Unique manner of the servant’s ministry to bring justice to the nations. Not an obnoxious loud conqueror.
He won’t come in shouting orders, he will be gentle and meek
42:3 He will exercise his power in such a way that he doesn’t damage the hurting (reeds) or disenfranchised (flax)
Didn’t understand this verse to mean anything more than the Servant would be gentle until I ran across a message by a preacher named Larry Brincefield then it made a lot more since.
Reeds have hollow stems. They are quite fragile.
In fact, many times when you see reeds by the waterside many of them are knocked over.
They can be knocked over by the wind... rough waters... by animals that come to the water’s edge to drink... by people
In marshy areas, you may see some reeds standing tall... but you will also find many broken down.
Once a reed is broken, it can’t be fixed.
Other plants can repair themselves and spring forth fresh growth but not reeds.
In our text, Isaiah isn’t talking about reeds... he is talking about people.
He is telling us that people can become bruised... hurt... knocked over...
In our world, there are many hurting people.
They can be knocked over by the forces of living... by other people... by disease and sickness... by the thoughtlessness and carelessness of other people.
There are many people that are bruised... broken... and hurting...
they are all around us...
they live next door to us...
they shop where we shop...
they play where we play...
they are even here tonight.
Have any of you ever let a candle burn all the way down. I have. I remember one time one burned all the way down and caught the wood shelf of our headboard on fire. When a candle gets almost down its flame flutters and it gives off more smoke than normal. This is kind of what Isaiah is talking about with the smoking flax
Flax was used as a wick for an oil lamp...
the message communicated by this phrase is a little different than the bruised reed.
Suppose you were in your home during the evening hours... before the days of electricity...
your only source of light came from oil lamps.
As the day grew dark, you would light the oil lamps scattered around the house
If you forgot to fill one with enough oil to last the night you’d notice it begins to flicker
The light begins to grow dim.
Before it goes out it starts to smolder... and with that smoke would be a bad odor
If you were close enough the smoke and smell might bother your eyes and nose.
Most people put out the light, and just use the other ones that are still burning or go on to bed.
But not the servant he will do what he can to keep it burning.
Like the reeds, the smoking flax represents people too.
These are people who started out well in spiritual things. Their lives were burning brightly...
At one time, they had a good relationship with the Lord.
At one time, they were on fire for God.
But over time... the oil begins to go out... the light begins to flicker... the joy of salvation is lost...
and their relationship with the Lord dies down to dim flickering little flame… threatened by the slightest of winds
There is some spiritual life left... but not much... it is just about to go out.
It definitely doesn’t have the strength to endure any hardships
The servant is not going to just put out the light and go to bed...
It is not His desire to destroy what little faith is left in us.
It is His desire to... trim the wick... to add oil to the lamp... fan the flame...
not to quench the light... but to bring it back to greater strength than ever before.
There are different ways that our relationship with the Lord may begin to flicker...
Maybe sin creeps into our lives....
maybe pride or selfishness creeps in...
maybe people begin to hang around with the wrong crowd...
Maybe it is neglect of spiritual duties like prayer...Bible Study...and Church attendance.
But for whatever reason that our spiritual life begins to flutter,
The servant can restore to us the joy of our salvation
The servant will succeed in his mission
42:4 He will administer God’s justice to all the world
42:6 God will help the servant accomplish his work
Servant will be a covenant to his own people and a light to the nations
42:8 God will get the credit not idols
42:9 Old way using Israel to glorify God before nations
New way using the servant
God no longer uses a nation to reach people but now he uses people to reach the nations
2. The Servant’s Identity
Who is the servant?
• Nation of Israel
o Abrahamic covenant – Genesis 22:18 Israel will be source of blessing for nations
o 2 Samuel 7:23 – "And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name…"
o Israel was to be a servant for God to bring glory to his name
o Failed time after time to be the Servant that would heal the nations and bring glory to God. V18-down refers to them as a blind deaf failed servant. They themselves are imprisoned in need of being freed
o Israel was supposed to help bring the world to a knowledge of God but it kept going astray and was more for the world than of God
o Later prophet Ezekiel would say in Ezekiel 36:20 - "When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name…"
o But God’s will wouldn’t be stopped by Israel’s failures
He would send a new servant to fulfill his purpose
• Jesus
o Matt 12:15-21 quotes this servant song and applies it to Jesus
o Also notice similarity to statement by God after baptism (Matthew 3:17 – "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.")
o Simeon’s word in Luke 2:32 – "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."
o Jesus came as a servant Philippians 2:7 – "but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men."
Jesus came to have an impact – not on reeds – but on people.
He did not come to break a person who was already broken.
Jesus did not come to knock down a person who was already bent low with the difficulties of life.
Jesus did not come to hurt you...
Unlike a reed, Jesus is able to bind up our broken lives.
He is able to give us new strength...
He is able to apply a healing salve to our damaged lives.
He did not come loud and obnoxious...
He came softly and gently to mend the broken reeds of the world.
The leper was a bruised reed...
The demon-possessed man was a bruised reed...
The woman caught in adultery was a bruised reed...
The woman with the flow of blood was a bruised reed...
Jesus is the answer for the bruised reeds in our world...
He is the answer for those who are bruised... broken... hurting... cast aside by society...
He is in the life-changing business
Jesus didn’t come to snuff out faint flickering flames.
He wants to fan them and feed them until they are burning bright once more
He wants to give us more oil... in the form of His Holy Spirit....
He wants the light to come back burning brighter than ever!
He wants to bring revival for our soul.
• Believers
o John 20:21-22 – "So Jesus said to them again, ’Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ’Receive the Holy Spirit.’"
Let’s read those verses again this time putting us into them
1 “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. God holds us up
We are chosen by him (John 15:16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you.")
(John 20:22 and Acts 1:8 – "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.")
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
We ought not yell at people on street corners
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth. We are to be gentle with the broken
We are to help our backslidden brothers
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” We will not fail in accomplishing his mission for us
Philippians 4:13 – "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. "
5 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:
6 “ 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,
He will hold our hand
We are a light as he is a light
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
His ministry is ours to help people see and free them from sin’s shackles
8 I am the LORD, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
The glory for all we do goes to God
If you are a reed (broken or nearly broken), let Jesus mend you. Seek his help in prayer.
If you are a smoldering wick, ask Jesus to replenish the oil of the Holy Spirit so you can burn brighter.
Just as he is a servant we too are to be servants
As we pray maybe you’ve never recognized your role as a servant and you need to surrender everything to him.
Maybe you know a broken reed or a dying flame and you want to pray for them.
Let’s pray together to our Lord
