This passage is one of many "Servant Songs" in Isaiah. Let no one forget the original intention was for Israel to be the good servant of Jehovah, bringing His Laws to men with a clarity otherwise not possible. The Covenant of Moses was the clearest revelation yet of what God requires of mankind, and in Israel alone would any find such a clear example of what it meant for a nation to be lawful before the Lord.
Thus, we see a symbolic servant whom God has chosen and empowered. The image is symbolic simply because, for too much of its history, Israel refused to be that servant. So through Isaiah, God holds forth the image of what could be. He would reveal what justice means to the Gentile nations. He won't be pushy or demanding, because it's not necessary. Truth makes its own path, so the servant of God can simply walk in purity and obedience. He will bother nothing, and nothing will bother him.
Foreseeing Israel would finally fail to be this servant, God must prepare a Servant who will fulfill the Law. Jehovah, even as He allowed the nation of Israel to choose death, preserved her long enough to give birth to His Son. Because the Covenant of the Law would fail because of no takers, His own Son would fulfill the Law, seal it up and end it. Then He would Himself become a New Covenant for all humanity. He would change everything. Since Israel kept returning to idols, both the standard man-made religious shrines, and the idols of the mind and heart, so these things will pass away, and something entirely new would come.
We should understand even the most bracing translation of praise into English is a poor substitute for Isaiah's soaring image drawn in the Hebrew tongue. People all over the world would begin praising the Name of God. For a long time, He would wait until that praise can be born. When the time was due, it would be painful for Him indeed. He would have to destroy so much of what He hoped to offer Israel. Instead, it would be one long disaster, trailing off into history, as the nation is destroyed who prefers strange, man-made gods.
The Lord's first servant, Israel, is so much like those idols. They cannot see the truth, cannot hear the Word. Isaiah pictures Jehovah as One who almost can't wait to bring forth His True Servant. He would restore the true meaning of the Law, restore the Law to its proper place in the Created order. As for Isaiah's days, the people seemed to have never even understood what treasures they held, what freedom was theirs, how powerful they could have been. No, they are robbed, in prison, and chased as prey. No one can deliver, for it was they who were supposed to deliver others.
Would Israel hear the warning? Do they not know they have forced God's hand to turn them over to Satan for torture? Their safety was the Law, but they chose the slavery of disobedience. Still, with all the prophesied punishments, He knew the nation would never respond -- not really. Superficial changes may come from time to time, but it would never stick. Set a fire all around the nation, but the people would hardly know until their own flesh was smoking.
Return to Isaiah Index
[<-- Previous]
[Next -->]
By Ed Hurst
22 April 2009
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: People of honor need no copyright laws; they are only too happy to give credit where credit is due. Others will ignore copyright laws whenever they please. If you are of the latter, please note what Moses said about dishonorable behavior -- "be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23)