The Servant of the Lord
Study note
This is the first of Isaiah's four 'Servant Songs' (also found in 49:1-6, 50:4-9, and 52:13-53:12). God presents his chosen Servant, on whom he has placed his Spirit. Unlike earthly conquerors, this Servant will not shout in the streets or use force. He will be gentle with the weak, like someone who does not break a bruised reed or snuff out a flickering candle. Yet he will not give up until justice is established on the earth. Christians see this fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
1 'Here is my Servant. I hold him up. He is the one I chose, and I am delighted with him. I have placed my Spirit on him, and he will bring true justice to the nations.' Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
2 He will not yell or shout or make a big scene in the streets. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A reed that is already bent, he will not snap in two. A candle that is barely flickering, he will not blow out. He will faithfully carry justice through to the finish. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 He will not give up or lose heart until he has planted justice firmly on the earth. Even the faraway coastlands will look to his teaching with hope. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
A Light for the Nations
Study note
God, who created the heavens and the earth and gives breath to all people, calls his Servant in righteousness. The Servant will be a covenant for the people and a light for the nations. He will open the eyes of the blind and free prisoners from their dark dungeons. God declares that he is the Lord, and he will not share his glory with idols. The things he predicted before have come true, and now he announces new things before they happen.
5 This is what the Lord God says. He is the one who created the heavens and spread them wide. He rolled out the earth and everything growing on it. He breathes life into every person on it. He gives the breath of life to everyone walking on it. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
6 'I, the Lord, have called you to do what is right. I will grip your hand tightly. I will watch over you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light that shines for the nations,' I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
7 'to give sight to the blind, to set prisoners free from their cells, and to release from dark dungeons those who sit in shadows.' To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
8 'I am the Lord — that is my name! I refuse to let anyone else take my glory, and I will not let carved idols have my praise.' I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
9 'Look — the things I predicted before have already come true, and now I am announcing new things. Before they even start to happen, I am telling you about them.' Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
A New Song of Praise
Study note
Isaiah calls for a new song to the Lord from every corner of the earth: from those who sail the sea, from the desert villages, from the rocky mountains. God, who has been silent for a long time, now declares that he will act. He will lead the blind along unfamiliar paths, turning their darkness into light and making rough places smooth. He will never abandon them.
10 Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing his praise from every corner of the earth — you who travel the seas and everything living in them, you islands and everyone who calls them home. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
11 Let the wilderness and its towns shout! Let the villages where Kedar lives raise a cheer! Let the people living among the rocky cliffs sing out! Let them shout from the mountaintops! Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give the Lord the glory he deserves and announce his praise even in the distant islands. Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.
13 The Lord will charge out like a mighty warrior. He will stir up his fighting spirit like a soldier going to battle. He will shout his war cry and overpower his enemies. The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.
14 'For a long time I have kept quiet. I held back and said nothing. But now I am going to cry out like a woman in labor, gasping and panting for breath.' I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
15 'I will flatten mountains and hills and dry up every plant on them. I will turn rivers into barren ground and drain every pool dry.' I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
16 'I will lead blind people down roads they have never traveled. I will guide them along paths they have never known. I will change the darkness in front of them into light and smooth out every rough spot in their way. These are the things I will do, and I will not let them down.' And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
Israel: The Blind Servant
Study note
The tone shifts as Isaiah addresses Israel's spiritual blindness. Those who trust in idols will be put to shame. Ironically, God's own servant Israel is the most blind and deaf of all. They have seen many things but pay no attention. God wanted to honor his law, but the people have been robbed and plundered because of their disobedience. God poured out his anger on them, but they still did not understand.
17 But those who put their faith in carved idols, who say to metal statues, 'You are our gods,' will retreat in total disgrace. They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
18 Pay attention, you who are deaf! Open your eyes and see, you who are blind! Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
19 Who is more blind than my own servant? Who is more deaf than the messenger I send? Who is more blind than the one I made my partner, more blind than the servant of the Lord? Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD's servant?
20 You have seen plenty of things but do not pay attention. Your ears are wide open, but you do not hear. Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
21 It pleased the Lord, for the sake of doing what is right, to make his law great and magnificent. The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
22 But these are people who have been robbed and looted. They are all trapped in holes and locked away in prisons. They have been seized as prey, and nobody comes to their rescue. They have been carried off as plunder, and nobody says, 'Give them back!' But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
23 Which of you will listen to this? Who will pay attention to what is coming down the road? Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to be robbed, and Israel to the looters? Was it not the Lord, the one we sinned against? They would not walk in his ways and would not follow his law. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.
25 So he unleashed his blazing anger on them, along with the fury of war. It set them on fire from every side, but they did not get the message. It burned them, but they refused to take it seriously. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.