If you work hard enough and long enough, you begin to feel trapped. Perhaps it seems like vacations will never come, or when they do, you cram in so many activities that you wish you could have really had a vacation. It’s easy to feel trapped by obligations, debts, workload, and expectations.
The prophecies of Isaiah 42 were written after 701 B.C. from the standpoint of the latter part of the Babylonian captivity, when Babylon was the great enemy of Judah. Isaiah, in these prophecies, projects himself over 150 years into the future and writes from the standpoint of a prophet living in Babylon at that later date; The prophecies were addressed to the captives in Babylon, but by double reference and by projection, these prophecies are addressed to the Jewish remnant who will be in spiritual Babylon at “the time of the end. They are prophecies of consolation. They promise pardon, restoration, and glory to the Jewish remnant. They portray the present wickedness against the final overthrow of the wicked and the present sufferings with the final blessedness of the just. (Gingrich, R. E. (1993). The Book of Isaiah (45). Memphis, TN.: Riverside Printing.)
After the death of Christ, the disciples of Christ in Jerusalem were scared and demoralized. They felt defeated by the opposition. When the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 2) they began to understand what the world saw as a defeat was actually a victory. They realized that they were not to see things and fight like the world did. The understanding and power from the Holy Spirit took an immobilized fearful group, and revolutionalized their lives.
Those who the Spirit changes and uses are those who no longer see themselves as being able to change their circumstances by their own power. They do not see hope in the ways and systems of this world but see the servant of God, Jesus Christ as the only source of hope and life.
Isaiah 42 introduces the first of the “servant songs,” (cf. Isaiah 49:1-6, 50:4-9, 52:13-53:12) (Briley, T. R. (2000-). Isaiah. The College Press NIV commentary. (130–131). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.).
Isaiah 42:1-9 shows the Spirit empowered ministry of Jesus Christ. We see: 1) The Messiah’s Anointing (Isaiah 42:1), 2) The Messiah’s Achievements (Isaiah 42:2–4) 3) The Messiah’s Assurance (Isaiah 42:5–9)
1) The Messiah’s Anointing (Isaiah 42:1)
Isaiah 42:1 [42:1]Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. (ESV)
With the word Behold calls attention to the greatest of all themes, the work of the Lord’s servant. All to whom the message comes are to turn their thoughts away from the idols of vanity to the One who can bring ultimate salvation and deliverance to His people. We see all this happening through the filling by the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah had already identified Israel as God’s servant (41:8). Yet it would seem that the word is here used in a different sense from 41:8, and is not merely an identification of Israel. The servant is the Messiah, the deliverer.
God the father acts to uphold/hold him fast. The verb simply means “to sustain,” and here refers to the divine aid to the servant. The fact that God thus sustains the servant shows that God holds him in the deepest affection.
The very atmosphere of the passage suggests something distinctive about this servant. He belongs to God, and God willingly acknowledges him. The designation is one of honor, as is shown by the parallel word chosen/elect. He who is the servant, is also the elect of God; and he whom God has chosen is also God’s servant. The term points to one who stands in a peculiar relationship to God. The servant’s work is not such that anyone can perform it. He who is to carry it out must be chosen of God Himself.
Please turn to Matthew 3
The one whom God has chosen is also one in whom God delights with the fullness of His being. God has so found acceptance in him that even His soul delights in him. The word is employed in the Mosaic law of God’s delight in the sacrifices. The perfect verb refers the continued delight God finds in His servant. The New Testament uses this expression of Christ Himself (cf. Matt. 17:5).
Matthew 3:13-17 [13]Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. [14]John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" [15]But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. [16]And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; [17]and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (ESV)
• Jesus ’ baptism inaugurates his ministry and fulfills God’s saving activity prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Although He needed no repentance or cleansing, Jesus identifies with the sinful people he came to save through His substitutionary life and death (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21). The Spirit of God anoints Jesus as Israel’s King and Messiah and commissions Him as God’s righteous "servant" (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (1315). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Linking Matthew 3, with the picture of the servant in Isaiah 42, God has placed His Spirit upon him. My Spirit is the Lord’s personal presence (Ps. 139:7) in action (40:7; Ps. 33:6), endowing for leadership (Num. 11:16ff.; 1 Sam. 16:13; cf. 11:1–2; 61:1–2) (Motyer, J. A. (1999). Vol. 20: Isaiah: An introduction and commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (293). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
The Spirit is the third person of the Godhead who equips the recipient to perform his task The Spirit is said to come upon him, as coming down from heaven to rest upon the servant. The endowment has taken place, for God has anointed him to preach good tidings. God has fully equipped the servant for his mission.
In the present verse the mission is stated simply that he will bring forth/cause justice/judgment to the nations. Justice (miðpâṭ) connotes much more than judicial equity. In its broadest sense it involves societal order in which the concerns of all are addressed. A society in which there is no justice (miðpâṭ) is one in which the only rule is brute force used to aggrandize the few. Thus the divine justice (miðpâṭ) is where the Servant will establish is nothing less than the salvation of God defined in its broadest sense. We are not merely speaking of a privatistic forgiveness of sins, or of the imposition of a humanly designed system for redistribution of goods. It is that life-giving order which exists when the creation is functioning in accordance with the design of its Lord (Oswalt, J. N. (1998). The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 40-66. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (110). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Illustration: ("Form of a Servant")
The genetics of history continue to play a remarkable role in human groupings and responses. Primitive people found it necessary to band together for survival, and so do certain interest groups today. Ours is a self-serving society. We send our youth, if possible, to prestigious schools with the hope such an identity will automatically send them to the head of the class in the real world. We specialize in management training, not in servanthood. In such a highly calibrated, competitive society, how are we to articulate, let alone emulate, the freedom, faith, and courage of Jesus? How are we to penetrate the tribal customs of the modern world with the gospel?
Knowing the difficulties involved in living not only in the secular world, but also in the community of faith, Paul rose to great literary and spiritual heights in writing to the prosperous Philippians. Aware of their sin and personal problems, the noble Christian articulated a gentle rebuff by recapitulating the nature and mission of Christ:
Philippians 2:5-7 [5]Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6]who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7]but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (ESV) ( Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (355). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
2) The Messiah’s Achievements (Isaiah 42:2–4)
Isaiah 42:2-4 [2]He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; [3]a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.[4]He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. (ESV)
Verse two consists of three negative verbs, which describe the merciful working of the servant. He stands in sharp contrast to the loud worldly conqueror who proclaims to all his deeds. In ancient times when a new religion was presented to a people it was introduced by their conqueror, who forced it upon them. The servant does not act like such a conqueror, nor does he seek to force upon anyone a particular program. It is simply because of his own great confidence in God and his quiet manner of working that he succeeds in the most difficult of all missions.
With what is the contrast actually intended? Some think that a definite contrast with Cyrus is in view; others that the contrast is with the type of prophet who engaged in frenzied behavior and ecstasy. It has also been held that the contrast is with the great preaching prophets who proclaimed judgment and thundered forth the wrath of God upon an evil nation. Indeed, the quiet manner of the servant sets him forth in contrast to all who call attention to themselves. His demeanor is different from that of ordinary men. He will not cry aloud, either against oppression, as some of the prophets had done, or for revenge. Nor is his cry for help or of lament. Possibly the verb suggests the cry of one ready to proclaim a message, for the Gospel of Matthew interprets, he will not strive. Our Lord fulfilled this prophecy in that He did not enter into a violent dispute with the Pharisees, and He furthermore charged the masses to keep silence. In the bringing out of judgment to the nations, the servant will not cry out in strife, but he will proclaim his words of truth softly.
That he will not lift up his voice (cf. 3:7; 1 Sam. 20:16; Jer. 3:5, etc)simply means that He will speak with calmness and quiet, for he has no need to raise his voice in strife or argument.
Lastly, he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street. This verb is parallel in thought to the first two, and simply means that while he is in the street, he will not raise his voice. Those who gather about him to hear his teaching will discover that he spoke as never man spoke. His teaching was not accomplished through loud proclamation but by quiet instruction.
The description is continued in verse three, pointing out how the servant acts with respect to the weak and oppressed. His mission is to bring blessing and not to destroy. The figures employed are themselves easy to understand, but it is not clear precisely what they signify. Obviously, these figures are to be taken as symbolical.The reed grows in the marsh or on the river bank. In itself it is weak, but it has in addition been bruised or broken, probably by the wind. The reed would seem to refer to people who are weak, whatever their nationality may be. Furthermore, these people are bruised, a word that seems to refer to oppression (cf. the pl retzutzim = oppressed). Just as the bruised reed cannot withstand any force that might soon break it, so weak people, broken in power and strength because of oppression they are suffering, and will collapse under violent force. The servant does not destroy such weak people. Rather, he takes pity upon their low estate. His actions are in strong contrast to those of earthly conquerors.
• Those who the Spirit changes and uses are those who under the oppression of sin realize that they cannot make themselves better but go to Jesus, the servant who forgives and cleanses of sin.
Likewise, the faintly burning wick/smoking flax is simply the wick that is burning and is practically extinguished. Lamp wicks were made of linen, and the allusion is to a wick that is burning with feeble flame from lack of oil and is about to expire (Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. (1998). Manners & customs of the Bible (Rev. ed.].) (361). North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers.).
The faintly burning wick/smoking flax is a phrase parallel in force to broken reed, and so represents those who have almost lost their faith and hope in the Lord. The Servant will come to restore the poor and needy and encourage people in the faith (Matt. 11:5) (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (Is 42:3). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.).
Please turn back to Isaiah 11
In accordance with the demands of the truth, the servant will bring forth justice/judgment. This phrase strengthens the contrast with the false way of oppression and violence that characterizes human conquerors. If judgment is brought forth in accordance with the truth, it is therefore brought forth in a true manner. And it is well to note that the repetition of the phrase, bring forth justice/judgment again emphasizes the fact that the servant will be successful in his mission. Furthermore it will be seen from this verse that violence and oppression are not justifiable means of accomplishing an end. It is the truth that conquers, and the servant acts only in accordance with the dictates of truth. The instrument of justice is the Gospel. The Gospel has a discriminating judicial effect: saving to penitents; condemnatory to Satan, the enemy (Jn 12:31; 16:11), and the wilfully impenitent (Jn 9:39). (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Is 42:1). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
Isaiah 11:1-4 [11:1]There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. [2]And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. [3]And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, [4]but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.(ESV)
• The Holy Spirit shows us the way of truth. He shows us the way of righteousness and justice. He does not just convict us of sin, but calls and leads us in the way of truth that is liberating. Yet for those who reject His conviction and leading to truth, Christ will return in judgement
In Isaiah 42, verses 2 and 3 five negative verbs described the manner of the servant’s work. Two more negative verbs now continue that description in verse four. In verse 2 there were three negative verbs and no mention of the completion of the servant’s work. In verse 3 there are two negative verbs and a statement of the successful outcome of the servant’s task. The present verse also contains two negative verbs and a statement of the completion of the servant’s work, together with an additional statement expressing the expectancy of the isles for the teaching of the servant.It expresses the magnitude of the work that lies before him as not adversely affecting him. As in the first verb there is reflection upon the kehah (the faintly burning wick/smoking flax) of verse 3, so also in the second there is a reflection upon the ratzutz (bruised) reed. The servant will not go faint/be crushed; and this would perhaps be similar to our saying, “he will not go to pieces,” until the successful completion of his mission (cf. Ezek. 24:11. Eccl. 12:6. ).
Implicit in both the verbs is the thought of difficulty. There is a possibility of the servant’s growing weak so that he cannot fulfill his task, and also of his being broken by outside forces so that he will fail. Nevertheless, he will successfully carry through his task to its completion, namely, till he has established justice/ judgment in the earth cf. also Gen. 11:6; 15:4; Isa. 7:23; 53:10). In this connection earth points up the universality of the servant’s work. Furthermore, the servant will actually place justice/ judgment in the earth. When he completes his work, justice/ judgment will be found in all the earth. Isaiah looked beyond the first coming of Christ to His second coming. Jesus fulfilled vv. 1a,2,3 at His first coming and will fulfill vv. 1b,4 at His second coming, when He rules the earth in perfect justice with “a rod of iron” (Ps. 2:8,9; Rev. 2:27) (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Is 42:4). Nashville: Word Pub.).
• When the Holy Spirit works through a people, there is a sense of fairness and righteousness that results.
For this law the coastlands/isles await with yearning expectation. It expresses a condition existing at the time when the servant engages in his work. Using the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea as the image, this designates the remotest peoples of the earth (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (1315). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
In His strange providence God brought it about that at the time of Christ there was present an expectation coupled with a dissatisfaction with the religion of the ancient pagan world. And yet this is not simply a waiting for something better but an actual waiting for the truth itself. As an example of what is meant we may refer to the God-fearers of the book of Acts and also to Isaiah 2:1–4.
• When the Holy Spirit reveals truth and changes a person, He does not simply improve their situation, but completely changes a person. The one who was previously dead in trespasses and sins, is made alive and lives to newness of life.
Quote: In describing our lifes which come from the life-giving Holy Spirit, Henry Drummond said: "The pearl diver lives at the bottom of the ocean by means of the pure air conveyed to him from above. His life is entirely dependent on the breath from above him. We are down here, like the diver, to gather pearls for our Master’s crown" (Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (161). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
3) The Messiah’s Assurance (Isaiah 42:5–9)
Isaiah 42:5-9 [5]Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: [6]"I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, [7]to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. [8]I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. [9]Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them." (ESV)
The magnitude of the message is now strengthened and confirmed in verse five, by an appeal to God the Creator. One who was to execute justice/judgment in the earth must be supported by God the Creator. He who has spoken and now speaks through the prophet is ’el, the absolutely Mighty One; God, in distinction from humanity. He is also the LORD, Israel’s covenant God. God has created the heavens and, having created them, has stretched them out. This latter word sets things forth from the standpoint of an earth dweller. To one living upon this globe the heavens, reaching from one end of the horizon to the other, appear to be stretched out. The two participles taken together simply state that the heavens owe their existence and present condition to the God who is their Creator. At the same time, the participles express not only the original act of creation but also the creative power of God as exercised in the continued existence of His works.
That God also has stretched out the earth, the participle, based upon the same root as the word translated expanse or firmament in Genesis 1, suggests that the earth is a flat surface, spread out by God. The word is poetic, and merely pictures the earth as it appears to the human eye. The picture is that of the wide expanse of the earth covered with the greenness of grass. Like a tapestry, greenness covers the wide earth. Possibly the prophet was thinking of Palestine during the winter time, when the bare hills are covered with green.
Isaiah had remarked in 2:22 that man’s breath was in his nostrils. Now he affirms that it is from God that the peoples receive their breath, the vital principle of life without which people cannot live. Here, the word spirit is more or less synonymous, and it. The word people points to the unity of the human race, whereas the participle walk/going pictures these people pursuing their appointed courses of life.
• Flowing from life and wisdom, the Holy Spirit directs the affairs of the redeemed. He leads them in the path of righteousness, and corrects them as they stray to keep them on track in the will of God.
The speaker now identifies Himself in verse six, and places the pronoun I in the position of emphasis. He who speaks is the God of Israel’s covenant, who, when presenting His covenant to Israel at Sinai, made known to the people the significance of His glorious Name (Ex. 3:15; 6:3). He in whose hands lies the origin, formation, and sovereign dispensation of the covenant has also called the servant through whom the bestowal of the gracious provisions of the covenant will be administered and in whom the covenant will realize its full and true embodiment.
The calling involved a selection, designation, and providential preparation for the task of being a servant. God rejected all others, including the false servants in the previous chapter, that He might designate this particular one as His servant. In the nature of the case, vocation involves election. In similar manner God had also called Cyrus (41:9).
Not arbitrarily, however, did God call the servant, but in righteousness. In the act of calling God exercised His own righteousness. Thus the servant’s mission is rooted and grounded in God’s righteousness.
• To determine if a particular direction if from God, or mistaken human sinfulness, the standard of God’s righteousness is the benchmark. No one can legitimately say that they are a peace in sin or the feel God leading them down a path of sin. God does not temp anyone to sin, and the Holy Spirit never leads people into sin.
What, however, is this righteousness? The root suggests conformity to a fixed norm or standard. A weight, for example, is said to be righteous (tzedeq) because it conforms to the standard (cf. Deut. 25:15). To act in righteousness, therefore, is to act in accordance with what is right, that is, with absolute justice. Not that there is some abstract standard of absolute justice independent of God, to which He must conform, but in and of Himself God is absolute justice. He acts in accordance with His will, and His will is just. The act of calling was in accord with strict righteousness, but so also are the servant’s preparation and mission. In the carrying out of His mission this righteousness will manifest itself in love and salvation to those of His good pleasure, and in wrath and eternal punishment, however, to those who perish. In both instances the calling and mission are in accord with perfect righteousness. In contrast to Cyrus, who brought political deliverance (41:2), the Servant in righteousness will deliver Israel from sin (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Is 42:6). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.).
• The is one independent standard of truth to which all must conform. The Holy Spirit does not point out something true for one person that is false for another. If anything is true, it is true for all. There is one truth, one righteousness that is from God.
That he will take you by the hand (cf. also Ex. 19:3; Num. 22:19; 1 Sam. 14:36; 1 Kings 8:1 and 2 Chron. 5:2. The reference is to an inner, tender, personal, enduring relationship ) is a beautiful and tender expression which stresses the fact that the mission of the servant is one in which God will sustain him (keep you). The clause calls attention to the fact that the servant’s task is difficult and that great obstacles will stand in the way. That the servant is kept (keep you)., reflects God’s protecting the servant so that he may best be able to perform his task (cf. Jer. 1:5).
As the preceding phrase refers to the divine preparation, that God will give you as a covenant for the people, refers to the purpose for which the servant was appointed. To “give a person” means to “set” or “appoint” him, and the purpose for which the appointing occurs is stated in the words a covenant for/of the people. The language is striking, for the servant is actually identified as a covenant. A covenant, however, in this instance is not a pact or agreement between two equal parties. From the parallel word light (i.e. salvation), we learn that it is actually a divine bestowal of grace. God sovereignly dispenses to His people, His blessings of salvation, and it is this sovereign dispensation that is called a covenant (Ps. 45:7; 109:4; 120:7; 119:172, and possibly Num. 12:6.). To say that the servant is a covenant is to say that all the blessings of the covenant are embodied in, have their root and origin in, and are dispensed by him. At the same time he is himself at the center of all these blessings, and to receive them is to receive him, for without him there can be no blessings. The Servant is a covenant in that He personifies and provides the blessings of salvation to God’s people. He is the Mediator of a better covenant than the one with Moses, i.e., the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34; Heb. 8:6,10–12) (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Is 42:6). Nashville: Word Pub.).
Not merely does the servant bring light or lead into light, but he is himself the light. Light is a figurative designation of salvation (49:6). The nations are as yet in darkness, i.e. the bondage that sin places upon people, and from this darkness there is no deliverance until the Light of the world shines upon them. Christ the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5) brings light to the nations (John 12:32; Acts 26:18, 23), fulfilling the promise to Abraham of blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:3) (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (1315). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Please turn to Acts 26
Verse seven sets forth the purpose of the servant’s appearance upon earth and indicates how the covenant will be administered. Here is prophesied the shining of the Light of the world upon those who walked in darkness. Here is seen the administration of the covenant of grace to those who lie in bondage. This deliverance is set forth in figurative terms. To open the eyes that are blind is to the condition of blindness that is the result of sin. All sinners are blind in that they cannot see reality as it is. What they need is an opening of the eyes. Christ also spoke of Himself as the Light of the world, i.e. the bringer of light to those who are blind. In the light of Paul’s usage of this passage in Acts 26:17, 18 it would seem that the reference is universal. Christ is the Light of the world. Jesus fulfilled these words (9:1,2; Matt. 4:13–16) when He applied them to miracles of physical healing and freedom from spiritual bondage during His incarnation (Matt. 11:5; Luke 4:18) (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Is 42:7). Nashville: Word Pub.).
The Apostle Paul, who was known as Saul the persecutor, spoke of these words:
Acts 26:12-18 [12]"In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. [13]At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. [14]And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ’Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ [15]And I said, ’Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ’I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. [16]But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, [17]delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles--to whom I am sending you [18]to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (ESV)
The need of the world is described as deliverance from prison. Because of sin, people are bound and not free. Freedom comes only when the servant sets people free. Those who are in prison are regarded as those who sit in darkness. Deliverance from darkness is a work that people cannot of themselves perform, for they do not of themselves possess the light to find their way out. Only the servant has the light and He alone can lead them out of darkness. The metaphorical language here is drawn from the Babylonian captivity; it indicates spiritual sight and salvation from sin’s bondage (6:9, 10; 29:18, 24; 32:3; 35:5, 10; 61:1). Christ gave sight to the blind to show that He had the power to give everyone spiritual insight (v. 16) (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (Is 42:7). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.).
Again the declaration I am the Lord, in verse eight follows naturally after verse 7. The phrase that is my name means simply that God’s Name is Yahweh. The certainty, expressed in verse 7, that the servant will not leave God’s people in darkness, lies in the fact that God’s Name is LORD. This does not mean that the Name of God is simply the vocable Yahweh, but rather that what is expressed by the word Yahweh is God’s Name. In the Semitic languages the name expresses the nature of a person. God is Yahweh, and when we understand what is signified by that word, we know what is the Name of God. There is obvious reflection upon the revelation of the name at Sinai. Until the time of the exodus God was known to His people as El Shaddai. At the time of the exodus, however, He gave to them a further revelation of His nature, which found expression in the word Yahweh. From a reading of Exodus 3 we learn that this word has to do with the eternity or aseity of God, and that it reveals this eternal God as the One who sovereignly chooses His people and performs for them an act of redemption. This covenant name is Yahweh, who has chosen the servant. Therefore, because God is the eternal One who has entered into covenant with His people, the truth stands unchangeable that the servant in whom the Lord delights will come to bring salvation to this people and to deliver them from their bondage. There is the assurance that He will see to it that the servant faithfully carries out His work.
Inasmuch as the Name of the Lord is Yahweh, He says that : "my glory I give to no other". The reference here is to His essential glory, which He possesses in and of Himself. Were God to give His glory to another, He would be denying Himself, negating His own nature. God will not deny Himself by refusing to do what He has promised. There is no hint that another could take the glory from the Lord. Parallel is the assertion that He will not give His praise to carved idols. The praise belongs to Him, just as the glory is His. He alone has rightful claim upon them, and He is jealous for them. Idolatry may be tolerant of other religions, but the LORD is not tolerant. Worship and praise must be given to the LORD alone; it cannot be shared with idols.
• For those controlled by the Holy Spirit there will be a controlling and overarching God glorifying purpose. Regardless if we are dealing with our own private thoughts, outward speech, our friends, family, co-workers, or complete strangers, a Spirit controlled life will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in whatever we do.
Finally, in verse nine, God is carrying out His purposes of deliverance with the servant. These former things are probably prophecies already uttered. When Isaiah composed these lines, he, living in the 8th century or in the very early 7th century, was looking ahead through the Spirit of prophecy to behold the deliverance of his people from exile. In announcing the coming of the servant he characterizes the whole future deliverance as the things to come. Now, he declares, the former things are occurring. The prophet sees the first approach of God to His people to set them free from captivity through Cyrus. Inasmuch as these former things are taking place, he can also declare that the new things (the great salvation through the servant) will also come to pass. They are compared to plants whose seed is still in the earth and has not yet appeared above ground. These “new things” include renewal of the covenant, restoration to the land, the messianic kingdom, inclusion of the Gentiles, and the new heaven and earth (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). Reformation study Bible, the : Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture : New King James Version (Is 42:9). Nashville: T. Nelson.)
(Format Note: Outline from Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (Is 42:1–9). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers. Some base text from Young, E. (1972). The Book of Isaiah: Volume 3, Chapters 40-66 (108–124). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
