The Servants Mission

THE SERVANTS MISSION

ISAIAH 2:1-4

CHAPTER 40 AND 41 OF ISAIAH- LEADING UP TO THIS WEEKS STUDY ARE FILLED WITH THEME AND VERSES RICH WITH PROPHECY.

WHAT T

HE JEWS WERE GOING THROUGH COULD HAVE SEEMED OVERWHELMING.

THESE PASSAGES REASSURED THEM THAT, REGARDLESS OF A CURRENT TURBULENT POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE, AND THE TERRIBLE AFFLICITIONS TO COME THEIR NATION WAS FIRMLY IN GOD’S HAND.

42:1--WHEN GOD SAID BEHOLD MY SERVANTS, WHOM I UPHOLD. HE WAS SPEAKING NOT ONLY OF HIS SERVANTS ISRAEL, BUT ALSO OF JESUS CHRIST WHO IS THE STANDARD TOWARD WHICH EVERYONE OF GOD’S SERVANTS IS TOSTRIVE. HE WAS CHOSEN BY GOD, PLEASING TO GOD AND DIVINELY EMPOWERED BY GOD TO TAKE HIS WORD TO A WORLD OF UNBELIEVERS.

42:2--ISAIAH WENT ON TO DESCRIBE HOW GOD’S SERVANT WOULD FULLFILL HIS CALL TO MINISTRY. (1) FIRST HE WOULD NOT YELL OR TALK LOUDLY IN PUBLIC. THAT IS HE WOULD NOT CALL ATTENTION TO HIMSELF WITH A LOUD VOICE OR FLASHY RHETORIC. HE WOULD BE HUMBLE.

42:3--GOD’S SERVANT WOULD NOT SNAP OFF A DAMAGED REED NOR SNUFF OUT A SMOLDERING FLAX WICK IN A LAMP. IN OTHER WORDS, HE WOULD NOT HARM PEOPLE WHO WERE HURTING OR DISCOURAGED. HE WOULD BE FILLED WITH TENDERNESS AND MERCY.

42:4--GOD’S SERVANT WOULD COULD TO ESTABLISH JUDGEMENT OR JUSTICE, ON THE EARTH HE WOULD CONTINUE WORKING UNTIL HE WOULD ACCOMPLISH THIS. HE WOULD BE FAITHFUL AND DILIGENT.

THE GENTILE NATIONS OR ISLES A WORD OFTEN USED FOR DISTANT NATIONS WAITED FOR THE SERVANTS TRUTH. THE ULTIMATE MISSION OF GOD’S SERVANT WOULD NOT BE COMPLETED UNTIO THEY HAD RECIEVED GOD’D LAW.

CALLED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS TO SERVE.

42:5-7

IN THIS PASSAGE GOD IS NO LONGER PRESENTIING HIS SERVANT. RATHER HE IS SPEAKING TO HIS SERVANT, TELLING WHAT HE WOULD ENABLE THE SERVANT TO DO.

VERSE 5--CONTAINS ISAIAH’S IDENTIFICATION OF THE ONE WHO WOULD BE SPEAKING TO THE SERVANT. (THIS IDENTIFICATION LENT WEIGHT TO WHAT GOD WOULD SAY) GOD WAS THE CREATOR AND SUSTAINER OF ALL THINGS. HE WAS THE ONE WHO MADE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH AND ALL THE PLANT LIFE OF THE EARTH. HE WAS THE ONE WHO GIVES BREATH AND A LIVING SPIRIT TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH.

VERSE 6-- IT WAS THIS LORD WHO CALLED HIS SERVANT AND AS HE DID SO, HE EXERCISED HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS JUSTICE.

GOD WOULD SUSTAIN AND PROTECT HIS SERVANT.

THE PURPOSE OF HIS SERVANT WAS TO BE A COVENANT AND A LIGHT TO BOTH JEWISH AND GENTILE BELIEVERS GOD’S REVELATION WOULD WIDEN FROM THE JEWS TO THE GENTILES THROUGH HIS SERVANT.