THE LORD SPOKE (October 3)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Isaiah 41-43

Isaiah 42:1-13

We don’t think much about servants in our culture. Since few of us have them we don’t really give it much consideration. But, we also don’t think too highly of servants in our culture. It may be okay for the foreigner at entry level but we don’t give much value to the position. Even our “public servants” don’t really fit that description too well - in fact, that’s almost a joke. Public servants??

There are four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah which speak of the Messiah. There has been some confusion (even in evangelical circles) and various attempts to make the servant out to be the nation of Israel. But when it comes to the servant being a covenant for Israel (Is. 42:6), or the servant restoring Israel (Is. 49:6), or the servant dying for Israel (Is. 53:5,8,9), all such identifications fall apart. Israel dies for Israel? No, these are clearly messianic texts that speak of the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah. Isaiah uses the term “servant” (eved) twenty times. Eight of them appear in these passages:

Is. 42:1-9 - the Call of the Servant
Is. 49:1-13 - the Commission of the Servant
Is. 50:4-11 - the Commitment of the Servant
Is. 52:13 - 53:12 - the Career of the Servant

The full term “servant of the Lord” appears 22 times in the Old Testament. It refers to Moses 17 times, to Joshua and to David 2 times each, and once to national Israel. The similar phrase, “servant of God”, appears a few more times.

Some of the difficulty in identifying who exactly is the servant in each passage comes from what immediately follows in each one. For instance, both the section in chapter 42 and in chapter 49 closes with a statement about being “a light for the Gentiles”. It is true that Israel’s task is to be a light to the Gentiles but this is also the function of the Messiah, so the two converge at that point. The nation of Israel was to be a kingdom of priests and the Messiah would be the High Priest. But He did more than just officiate - He was, in fact, the Atonement for our sin. He was the actual “covenant for the people” (Is. 42:6) that brought salvation.

This first of the Servant Songs (Is. 42:1-9) speaks very little of the suffering the Servant would have to endure before accomplishing His mission. It speaks more of His second advent and the successful completion of the task and the righteousness that will ultimately prevail upon the earth. Jews and Gentiles will together benefit from the worldwide blessings of Messiah’s kingdom and the fulfillment of God’s covenant. What follows in the other Servant Songs will portray more of the Messiah’s suffering in His first advent.

Our Lord is a servant. Let us be thankful for all that this Servant suffered for us. His death accomplished our salvation. There is much we can learn from Him, as Paul tells us, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...” (Phil. 2:5).


Psalms 33-34

“I am Sir Oracle, and when I ope my lips, let no dog bark.” So said Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice (by William Shakespeare). We like to think, especially we men, that when we open our mouth, things should happen. Whether it’s the kids or wife or the people at work something should move when we speak. At least the dog or cat!

But the power of our word is puny. Even the most powerful among us. Not a one can compare to the explosive power of the word of the Lord. When He spoke, the universe happened. He said words, and they “came to be”. At His command, matter formed and stayed in formation.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
Their starry host by the breath of his mouth....
For he spoke and it came to be;
He commanded, and it stood firm. (Ps. 33:6,9)

From the vastness of space, right down to the heart of every individual He placed there to inhabit it, God “considers everything they do” (Ps. 33:15). His eyes are “on those who fear him” (Ps. 33:18) and He “loves righteousness and justice” (Ps. 33:5). He “foils plans” and “thwarts purposes” that are contrary to His. But He sees and rewards those who delight in Him.

Structurally, the psalm has a three-verse introduction that is a Call to Praise (Ps. 33:1-3) and a three-verse conclusion that is a Declaration of Praise (Ps. 33:20-22). The body of the psalm is made up of two stanzas of eight verses each (vs. 4-11 and 12-19) which give the Reasons for Praise. They describe God’s faithfulness and “unfailing love” (hesed in Hebrew - see vs. 5,18,22). Tucked in the middle (vs. 12) is a thought worth thinking: “Happy is the goy (translated “nation” but usually used for non-Jews) whose god is Yahweh.”

The conclusion resounds with hope (4x in NIV), but three different Hebrew words are used:

vs. 17 - don’t hope in a horse (teshuah, from the root for “rescue” or “salvation”)
vs. 18 - hope in God’s hesed (yahal, from a word for “wait”, “be patient”, “trust”)
vs. 20 - wait in hope for the Lord (hikat, from “await”, “long for”)
vs. 22 - put your hope in him (yahal again)

Do you have hope? Upon what is it based?