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Isaiah 42

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These are the original teaching notes from this passage.
  • Outline…
    • Isaiah 40-48 – Comfort: for a people CAPTIVE in Babylon…
    • Isaiah 49-55 – Redemption: for a people CAPTIVE to sin…
    • Isaiah 56-66 – Restoration: of Israel and the world
    • Comfort…
    • Isaiah told Hezekiah that Babylon would come and take everything – Isaiah 39:6-7
    • And as we come to the SECOND major division of the book – Isaiah jumps ahead over 100 years…
    • No longer writing about the DEFEATED Assyrian army of his day [700 B.C.]
    • He writes to the CAPTIVES of Judah who would be carried away to Babylon [586 B.C.]
    • And says to them COMFORT – COMFORT my people – Isaiah 40:1
    • Do Not Fear…
    • COMFORT – because God was with Israel – they had NO reason to be AFRAID – Isaiah 41:10
    • The Lord is the God who would raise up Cyrus – from the Medo-Persian Empire [539 B.C.]
    • God would use him to CONQUER and JUDGE the nation of Babylon…
    • Their ENEMIES [Babylon] would cease to EXIST [אִין]
    • Not because of the POWER of Israel – but because God who fought for them…
    • So FEAR not – worm Jacob – the King of Jacob would REDEEM Israel!
    • The Courtroom…
    • God then called all of the GENTILE nations [אִיִּים] into His COURTROOM…
    • The Lord is the God who calls generations BEFORE they are born [Cyrus]
    • What IDOL could do that – tell the future – do ANYTHING…
    • They are all NOTHING – and those who trust in them are also WORTHLESS…
    • In CONTRAST – the Lord presented His SERVANT!
  • 1st – The Servant… vs. 1-9
    • 1st – His Character… vs. 1-4
      • Chosen One… vs. 1
      • Behold! My Servant whom I uphold – My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
      • In light of the FAILURE of IDOLS to do ANYTHING…
      • False gods who KNOW nothing – and can help NO one…
      • The LORD said LOOK [הֵן] at His SERVANT [עֶבֶד] that He holds up [imperfect]
      • His CHOSEN one – that His soul is PLEASED with [perfect]!
      • In CONTRAST to USELESS idols that the Lord REJECTS and DESPISES…
      • Isaiah gives us the first of TWO servants in this chapter…
      • His SERVANT is CHOSEN because He PLEASES the LORD…
      • Who is this SERVANT – none other than Jesus Christ!
      • Matthew 20:28 – “The Son of Man [came] to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.”
      • The Spirit… vs. 1
      • I have put My Spirit upon Him. He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles!
      • The LORD put [perfect] His SPIRIT [רוּחַ] upon His SERVANT…
      • So the SERVANT could bring JUSTICE [מִשְׁפָּט] to the NATIONS [גּוֹיִם]
      • JUSTICE [מִשְׁפָּט] 421x in OT – the word is most often translated JUDGEMENT [296x]
      • But JUSTICE here carries the idea of CORRECTING something that is WRONG!
      • When Jesus began His Ministry in the city of Nazareth…
      • He read from the book of Isaiah on the Sabbath day – Isaiah 61:1
      • And said the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him – to PREACH the GOSPEL – Luke 4:18
      • God does NOT want to JUDGE the world – He desires to SAVE it – II Peter 3:9
      • Therefore Jesus [the Servant] – came to give us JUSTICE [correct what was wrong]
      • He came full of the SPIRIT – to give His life as a SACRIFICE [Gospel]
      • But God will bring JUDGEMENT to anyone who REJECTS that Gospel!
      • Gentle… vs. 2-3
      • 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!
      • The SERVANT [Jesus] would NOT come arguing to make His point [raise His voice]
      • He would NOT need stand in the streets yelling to get attention…
      • He would NOT need to prove who He was with WORDS – He would use ACTIONS…
      • He would [imperfect] NOT break a BRUISED reed [already broken]
      • He would [imperfect] NOT put out a SMOKING flax [already extinguished]
      • The SERVANT [Jesus] would NOT come to harm – He would come to HEAL!
      • After Jesus HEALED the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath…
      • He began to get a LOT of attention – the religious leaders were NOT happy with Him…
      • But the MULTITUDES followed Him – and He HEALED them all…
      • Yet He warned them NOT to make Him FAMOUS – to fulfill this VERSE – Matthew 12:16-21
      • If we are BRUISED – because of poor choices and sin…
      • Jesus will always take us in – He heals the broken hearted…
      • If we just have a wisp of smoke for God in us – barely a hint of a flame left…
      • Jesus does NOT put us out – He takes that little flame and fans it to a fire!
      • Justice… vs. 3-4
      • 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!
      • The SERVANT would cause [hiphil] JUSTICE [מִשְׁפָּט] to show us the TRUTH [אֱמֶת]
      • He would NOT stop [fail] – and would NOT lose heart [be discouraged]
      • Until he had established JUSTICE [מִשְׁפָּט] on the earth…
      • Even the farthest NATIONS [coastlands] would HOPE [piel] in His INSTRUCTIONS [תּוֹרָה]!
      • Matthew 12:21 – “Till He sends forth justice to victory and in His name Gentiles will trust.”
      • The TRUTH Jesus came to give – was that SIN had to be JUDGED [κρίσις]
      • There is only ONE way to pay for sin – the WAGES of SIN is death – Romans 6:23
      • But Jesus came to give us VICTORY [νῖκος] – by PAYING our debt for us…
      • And anyone [ἔθνος] who puts their HOPE [ἐλπίζω] in His name – will be SAVED!
      • Acts 4:12 – “There is no other name under heaven… by which we must be saved.”
    • 2nd – His Mission… vs. 5-9
      • The Introduction… vs. 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!
      • Thus says THE [הָ] God [אֵל] – who is the LORD [יְהֹוָה]
      • The CREATOR [participle] of the HEAVENS and the EARTH – Genesis 1:1
      • Including EVERYTHING that comes from the EARTH [plants – animals – mankind]
      • The GIVER [participle] of LIFE [breath] to the people on the EARTH…
      • The one who gives the SPIRIT [רוּחַ] to those walking [participle] on it!
      • When a guest SPEAKER comes up to share at an EVENT…
      • It is common to give an INTRODUCTION establishing their credentials…
      • God wants us to know WHO He is – before telling us WHAT He sent His SERVANT to do!
      • The Promise… vs. 6-7
      • 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 [אֲנִי] – I the LORD [emphasis] – am the one who CALLED [perfect] the SERVANT…
      • He called Him in [בְ] a JUST cause [צֶדֶק] – as God held His hand [supports Him]
      • He would GIVE Him for a New COVENANT [בְּרִית] to His people…
      • He would be a LIGHT to the GENTILES [גּוֹיִם] – Luke 2:32
      • He would OPEN the eyes that are BLIND [blinded by sin]
      • He would BRING out [hiphil] those who sat in a DARK prison [bound by sin]!
      • When Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday [tenth of Nissan]
      • The crowds shouted out HOSANNA – a Hebrew word that means SAVE us [יָשַׁע] now [נָא]
      • But the Jews were BLIND – they wanted a MESSIAH who would overthrow ROME…
      • Because they were looking for the WRONG kind of king…
      • FOUR days later this same crowd would cry out CRUCIFY – Luke 23:21
      • The Glory… vs. 8-9
      • 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!
      • I [אֲנִי] am the LORD – that is my NAME [שֵׁם]
      • He is NOT willing to give [imperfect] His GLORY [כָּבוֹד] to another…
      • God will NOT share His PRAISE with an IDOL [פָּסִיל]
      • Behold – what God had said BEFORE had happened [Cyrus] – Isaiah 41:2
      • And now the LORD was declaring something NEW before it happened [spring forth]
      • He was telling them about His SERVANT – Jesus – who was coming!
      • Israel was in BONDAGE to Baylon – and needed to be SAVED…
      • God would send the one He raised up [Cyrus] to deliver them – Isaiah 41:25
      • But there was a GREATER need that Israel did NOT see [blind]
      • God KEPT saving them – and they KEPT getting back into trouble…
      • Because they were in BONDAGE to their SIN – and needed to be set FREE…
      • That is why God gave them His SERVANT – to meet their GREATEST need!
      • We often PRAY to God to get us out of TROUBLE…
      • But if God gets us out of ONE problem – we just find ANOTHER…
      • What we are missing is the GREATER need to get us out of our SIN…
      • If we deal with the heart of the PROBLEM – our GREATEST need…
      • Then we will be FREE indeed – John 8:36
  • 2nd – The Choice… vs. 10-17
    • 1st – The Song… vs. 10-12
      • Sing to the LORD a new song and His praise from the ends of the earth.
      • You who go down to the sea and all that is in it. You coastlands and you inhabitants of them.
      • Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice. The villages that Kedar inhabits.
      • Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains.
      • Let them give glory to the LORD and declare His praise in the coastlands!
      • Because God would send His SERVANT – to set those in BONDAGE to sin FREE…
      • The one who would open BLIND eyes – and be a LIGHT to the GENTILES [גּוֹיִם]
      • People are commanded [imperative] to SING a NEW song…
      • It is followed by the jussives: LIFT up [imperfect] – SING [imperfect] – SHOUT [imperfect]
      • Not just Israel – EVERYWHERE – even to the ENDS of the EARTH…
      • This includes the SEA [הַיָּם] – the Islands [אִיִּים] – the Coastlands [יֹשְׁבֵיהֶם]
      • The wilderness [מִדְבָּר] – in Kedar [Arabic people] – in the Rock [Edom] – in the mountains [הָרִים]
      • They are ALL to give GLORY [imperfect] to the LORD…
      • Even the FARTHEST places [Islands] will DECLARE [hiphil] His praise!
      • When we read the Old Testament it can sometimes seem like a very JEWISH book…
      • From almost the beginning [Abraham] the focus is on ONE nation [Israel]
      • But we must NOT mistake the MEANS for the MOTIVE!
      • The Old Testament focuses on Israel because the SERVANT [Jesus] came through them [means]
      • But the MOTIVE has always been to bring the Gospel to the WHOLE world…
      • Jesus is NOT just the savior of the Jews – He is the ONLY way to be saved…
      • Therefore EVERYONE – EVERYWHERE must SING and give GLORY to Him!
      • Romans 14:11 – “Every knee shall bow to Me and every tongue shall confess to God.”
    • 2nd – Not Silent… vs. 13-17
      • The Warrior… vs. 13
      • The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man. He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war.
      • He shall cry out yes – shout aloud. He shall prevail against His enemies!
      • The SERVANT is sent to SAVE us from our SIN…
      • Yet there is a CHOICE – we do NOT have to receive the SERVANT [Jesus]
      • But if we do NOT – then the LORD will go out like [כְּ] a MIGHTY hero [גִּבּוֹר]
      • He will come out like [כְּ] a WARRIOR full of ZEAL [קִנְאָה] and ready for WAR…
      • He will SHOUT and ROAR as He defeats [imperfect] His ENEMIES!
      • The Judgement… vs. 14-15
      • I have held My peace a long time. I have been still and restrained Myself.
      • Now I will cry like a woman in labor. I will pant and gasp at once.
      • I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation.
      • I will make the rivers coastlands and I will dry up the pools!
      • The LORD had been QUIET for a LONG time – He held back [hithpael]
      • But NOW He would CRY out – PANT – and GASP like [כַּ] a woman in LABOR [intense]
      • He would cause [hiphil] the MOUNTAINS to be DESOLATE…
      • He would cause [hiphil] all the GRASS on the HILLS to dry up…
      • He would cause [hiphil] the RIVERS and SPRINGS [pools] to DRY up!
      • Too often we think we get away with SIN – because we do NOT drop dead…
      • But we must NOT mistake the PATIENCE of God for His ACCEPTANCE…
      • God is PATIENT – longsuffering – to give time to REPENT and turn back to Him – II Peter 3:9
      • But God will NOT hold back forever – we are running out of TIME…
      • And when He does CRY out – goes out like a WARRIOR – judgment comes!
      • Hebrews 10:31 – “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
      • The Guide… vs. 16
      • I will bring the blind by a way they did not know. I will lead them in paths they have not known.
      • I will make darkness light before them and crooked places straight.
      • These things I will do for them and not forsake them!
      • AND [sequential] – God would NOT just bring JUDGEMENT…
      • God would use their TRIALS to LEAD and GUIDE [hiphil] them…
      • He would bring [hiphil] the BLIND [spiritually] in a way they could NOT see [Gospel]
      • He would lead them [hiphil] on a PATH they did NOT known [יָדַע] – Matthew 7:14
      • Lighting the way that was DARK – straitening the path the was CROOKED…
      • These [הַ] WORDS [דְּבָרִים] God has DONE [perfect] – and had NOT forsaken them [perfect]!
      • The Shame… vs. 17
      • They shall be turned back. They shall be greatly ashamed who trust in carved images.
      • Who say to the molded images: You are our gods!
      • BUT [implied] – those who TURN back and TRUST [בָּטַח] in their IDOLS…
      • Those who SAY [participle] to the IMAGES they made – you are our gods [אֱלֹהִים]
      • Those who do NOT learn to walk down the PATH the Lord shows them…
      • Those who REJECT the SERVANT [Jesus] who would have set them FREE [from sin]
      • They will be ASHAMED [imperfect] and have SHAME [noun]!
      • Jesus was approached by a rich young ruler – Matthew 19:16
      • He asked Jesus what GOOD thing he must do to inherit eternal life…
      • Jesus challenged him on the meaning of GOOD – pointing to the TEN commandments…
      • The RULER said he had kept them ALL [Jesus did not argue]
      • But then Jesus told him he LACKED [λείπω] ONE thing – sell all you have and follow ME…
      • The RULER came to find out how to get to heaven…
      • So Jesus gave him a TRIAL [test] to SHOW him the right way!
      • James 1:3-4 – “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience – but let patience have its perfect work so you may be perfect and complete – lacking [λείπω] nothing.”
      • When [not if] the TRIALS come – how do we RESPOND…
      • Are we like the RICH man – and walk away from Jesus – LACKING…
      • Or do we OBEY – and let our TRIALS teach us to ABIDE in our LORD
      • So that He makes us PERFECT [spiritually] forgiven of all our sin – lacking NOTHING!
  • 3rd – The Problem… vs. 18-25
    • 1st – Blind Servant… vs. 18-20
      • Israel… vs. 18-19
      • Hear you deaf – and look you blind – that you may see.
      • Who is blind but My servant – or deaf as My messenger whom I send?
      • Who is blind as he who is perfect – and blind as the LORD’s servant?
      • Having presented the SERVANT – as the solution for SIN…
      • And the CHOICE – that the whole world has to make…
      • God commanded [imperative] those who are DEAF to listen [שָׁמַע]
      • And those who are BLIND – to LOOK [imperative] so they could SEE…
      • But who was BLIND and DEAF – the SERVANT and MESSENGER the LORD sent!
      • This is NOT talking about THE Servant [Jesus] – Isaiah 42:1-9
      • This is a SECOND servant – the nation of Israel – Isaiah 41:8
      • Not understanding… vs. 20
      • Seeing many things – but you do not observe. Opening the ears – but he does not hear!
      • Israel was a nation that SAW many things [whole OT] – but they did NOT retain it [שָׁמַר]
      • Their EARS were open – but they were NOT listening [imperfect]
      • This was NOT a surprise to Isaiah – because God had warned him!
      • Isaiah 6:9 – “Keep on hearing but do not understand. Keep on seeing but do not perceive.”
      • There is a DANGER to just sitting and LISTENING to the Word…
      • People sit in church week after week LISTENING to Bible studies…
      • But if we do NOT act on it – if we do NOT obey it – we become calloused to what it says…
      • We convince ourselves that we KNOW the truth…
      • But if that TRUTH is not lived out our daily lives – it has NO power!
      • James 1:22 – “Do not just listen to Gods word. [We] must do what it says!” [NLT]
    • 2nd – The result… vs. 21-22
      • Not ignorant… vs. 21
      • The LORD is well pleased for His righteousness sake. He will exalt the law and make it honorable!
      • The LORD delights because [מַעַן] He is RIGHTEOUS…
      • He will cause [hiphil] the LAW [תּוֹרָה] to be EXALTED and HONORED…
      • The POINT being God had given Israel instructions – and Israel had IGNORED them…
      • It was NOT a matter of being IGNORANT – it was REBELLION!
      • Not victims… vs. 22
      • But this is a people robbed and plundered – all of them are snared in holes.
      • And they are hidden in prison houses. They are for prey and no one delivers.
      • For plunder and no one says: Restore!
      • And therefore [וְ] Israel – the SERVANT who would NOT listen or see…
      • Were ROBBED [בָּזַז] – their possessions violently taken [שָׁסָה]
      • They ALL [כֹּל] ended up in HOLES – or hiding [hophal] like PRISONERS in their houses…
      • They were VICTIMS [prey] – and NO one [אִין] could rescue them…
      • They were PLUNDERED [מְשִׁסָּה] – and NO one [אִין] could bring them BACK [שׁוּב]!
      • We have the tendency to BLAME God when things go wrong…
      • We play the VICTIM card and act as if we had NO control over our circumstances…
      • But the truth is we CHOSE the path we are walking down…
      • And the ONLY person we have to BLAME is ourselves!
    • 3rd – Listen to the Lord… vs. 23-25
      • From the Lord… vs. 23-24
      • Who among you will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear for the time to come?
      • Who gave Jacob for plunder – and Israel to the robbers?
      • Was it not the LORD – He against whom we have sinned?
      • For they would not walk in His ways – nor were they obedient to His law!
      • WHO is willing to open their ears to the TRUTH…
      • Who will LISTEN [imperfect] to what will happen NEXT…
      • WHO gave [perfect] Jacob – Israel – over to be PLUNDERED and ROBBED by Babylon…
      • Was it NOT the LORD – because Israel SINNED against Him…
      • They did NOT walk [perfect] in His ways – they would NOT listen to His LAW [תּוֹרָה]!
      • II Kings 24:20 – “Because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah that He finally cast them out from His presence.”
      • For Rebellion… vs. 25
      • Therefore He has poured on him the fury of His anger and the strength of battle.
      • It has set him on fire all around – yet he did not know.
      • And it burned him – yet he did not take it to heart!
      • And therefore [וְ] – God poured out His RAGE and ANGER in the BATTLE [Babylon]
      • So that He set on FIRE [piel] everything around the BLIND Servant [Israel]
      • But he did NOT know [יָדַע] he was being BURNED…
      • And [וְ] He did NOT allow it to go [שׂוּם] into his HEART [לֵב]!
      • God allowed Babylon to invade – burn Jerusalem to the ground – II Kings 25:9
      • Which should immediately told them something was WRONG…
      • The God who made heaven and earth – who wiped out 185 thousand Assyrians…
      • Could have stopped Babylon – but it was the LORD who in effect burned down the TEMPLE…
      • Yet Israel REFUSED to see their greatest problem was their SIN!
      • The answer is RIGHT in front of us – the SERVANT who will save us…
      • The question is are we willing to LISTEN – are we willing to turn our heart to the LORD!