Mar. 23, 2025
Isaiah 42:1-9
“Singing About the Servant”
March 23, 2025 Dr. Don Bazal
Acts 8:26-39
Isaiah, 700 years before the birth of Jesus in the New Testament wrote about His coming and about His mission. Isaiah is the most quoted book in the New Testament. All but 25 out of the 260 chapters in New Testament quote him directly or indirectly. Isaiah is a large book consisting of 66 chapters. Taken as a whole Isaiah is a “symphony of salvation”.
As with all symphonies, there are different movements, but overall it is incomplete until all the movements come together into one unified theme. (Symphonic Theology, Vern Polythress). Symphonic = seeing together and hearing together. Salvation is the warp and the woof that weaves the garment into one unified piece. The centerpiece of Isaiah is the Servant Songs. The centerpiece of salvation is The Servant, our Lord Jesus.
(v.1) Behold – hineh – a call for attention
John 14:1-6 – “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Hosea 11:4 – I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love, and I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; and I bent down and fed them.
John 8:28-29 – So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
John 12:32 – “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
1. God’s Chosen Servant (v.1):
Eved is a willing bondslave.
Luke 22:41-42 – And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
John 4:34; 5:30 – Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. . . 30“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
2. God’s chosen sacrifice
I Peter 1:18-20 – knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.
“A Mighty Fortress is Our God”
3. God’s chosen stone
Isaiah 28:16 – Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. he who believes in it will not be disturbed.
I Peter 2:4-8 – And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,” 8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
4. God’s chosen Savior
Isaiah 43:10-11 – “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. “I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no savior besides Me.”
THE PRESENTATION OF THE SERVANT: vv 1-4
Israel as God’s servant
Isaiah 41:8-9 – “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend, 9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its remotest parts and said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
Psalm 67
Isaiah 49:3-4a – He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel, in Whom I will show My glory.” 4 But I said, “I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity;
Mark 10:32-34 – They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, 33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.”
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERVANT: vv 1-4
These verses introduce us to Jesus as to His (1) might, (2) ministry and (3) mission.
Isaiah 41:29 – Three times Israel’s gods are deemed worthless.
“Behold, all of them are false; their works are worthless, their molten images are wind and emptiness.”
- The Servant’s Might: v.1 – “My Servant”
Eved = bondslave
Exodus 21:5-6 – But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.
Deuteronomy 15:15-17 – You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today. 16 It shall come about if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you; 17 then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also you shall do likewise to your maidservant.
- “Whom I uphold” – shows divine support for His Servant
3. “My Chosen One” – note Jesus as our Cornerstone
Ephesians 2:19-20 – So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
I Peter 2:6-7 – For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,”
Isaiah 28:16 – Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.
- “In Whom My soul delights”: delight means to be =greatly pleased with or
drawn inclined toward
Matthew 3:16-17 - After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from
the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of
God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out
of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
- “I have put My Spirit upon Him” – specific empowerment from God to perform
His will.
Matthew 4:1 – Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Isaiah 61:1-2 – The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn,
- The Servant’s Mission: “He will bring forth justice to the nations”. His task is mispat or justice.
Psalm 67:4 – Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth. Selah.
Mispat/ justice means to judge fairly without partiality.
Isaiah 11:1-5 – Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; 4 but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about His waist.
(vv 2-3) The Servant’s Method
(v.2) Not a “showman” crying out for self-attention
Matthew 11:28-29 – “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I
will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 12:18-21 – “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in
whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall
proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 “He will not quarrel, nor cry out; nor will
anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 “A battered reed He will not break off,
and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory.
21 “And in His name the Gentiles will hope.”
John 18:36-37; 19:10-11 – Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.
If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that
I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this
realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered,
“You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I
have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth
hears My voice.”. . . 10 So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You
not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify
You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had
been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has
the greater sin.”
(v.3) Speaks to the Servant’s meekness and tenderness
Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who
are crushed in spirit.
Luke 4:17-18 – And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And
He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit
of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the
poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of
sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed,
John 8:5-11 – Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women;
what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they
might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His
finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He
straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let
him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote
on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one,
beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where
she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her,
“Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one,
Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no
more.”]
Ezekiel 37:1-5 – The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me
out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley;
and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about,
and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they
were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I
answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy over
these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ 5 Thus
says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you
that you may come to life.
Jesus, The Servant:
1. Will bring forth justice to the nations: v.1
2. With truth He will bring just forth
3. Will establish (or cause to endure) justice in the earth
TRUTH: What God establishes no man can remove: Isaiah 14:24,27. Jesus will fulfill Amos 5:24.
Isaiah 14:24,27 – 24 The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand,. . . 27 For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”
Amos 5:24 – “But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
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