Read Isa. 40:18-31, Chapter by Chapter, Isaiah 42-47 (2)

In Isa. 40-66 there are 4 “Servant Songs” about the Messiah.  We have one of those at the beginning of Ch. 42.  In 41:8 the Lord speaks of His servant, but clearly it is His servant Israel.  But in 42:1-9 the Servant is a person, the Messiah. 

·       42:1-9: Servant Song #1.  God sends His Spirit-filled Servant. He will minister to the Gentiles.  He will come in meekness.  He will, in fact, be the LORD.

·       42:10-13: The coastlands/nations are called to praise because of the Servant.

·       42:14-20: God has been patient but He will act, judging idolators, both in the coastlands (nations) and among His people, His servant Israel.

·       42:21-25: For now (in the time of Isaiah) God gave Israel for plunder (the Northern Kingdom was deported by the Assyrians in the time of Hezekiah).

·       43:1-21: I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and you will be My witnesses to declare that there is no God like Me, no other savior.  And eventually, I will rescue you and will do a new thing in pouring out my blessing on you.  And you shall declare My praise.

·       43:22-28: You should have known My plan to judge you and then to rescue you.  Instead, you burdened Me with your sins.  So, judgment will continue.

·       44:1-5: But don’t be discouraged.  I will eventually pour out My Spirit on your descendents (the New Covenant promise).

·       44:6-8: Again, I will do this.  There is no other God like Me.  (This passage, and others in Isaiah, rely on Deut. 32, “The Song of Moses.”  Cf. 32:39,31,37.)

·       44:9-20: If you turn from Me to other gods, idols, you are turning to things that are literally “stupid.”  They are worthless.

·       44:21-23: Remember: I am the One who formed you and redeemed you.

·       44:24-28: I will restore you by Cyrus (after the Babylonian captivity when Cyrus the Persian permitted the Jews to return to the land).

·       45:1-13: I will do this through Cyrus to show that I alone am God.

·       45:14-19: And beyond Cyrus, I will provide for you eternal salvation.

·       45:20-25: So again, you who escaped the nations, seek Me and not idols.

·       46:1-13: The LORD continues in the context of the question, “to whom will you liken Me.”  The Babylonian deities (v1) are no match. Nebo (the prophet, a Babylonian ‘messenger’ deity) is no match for the LORD who declares the end from the beginning (v9-10) who will use the man from a far country (v11, Cyrus). 

·       47:1-15: Still Babylon, who did not understand what the LORD had said about her “end” (v7), in one day (v9) she will be made desolate.  All her religions/idols will not help.

Ideas for memorization: 42:1-4; 43:2, 10; 44:6; 45:6; 46:9-10.