God’s promises to His servants 41:1-42:9The intent of this unit of material was to assure Israel that God had both the power and the desire to deliver her and to bring salvation to the whole world. It contains three basic themes: the pagans’ inability to refute Yahweh’s sovereignty, the promise to deliver fearful Israel, and the divine plan to use an ideal servant as redeemer. read more
He would not serve the Lord ostentatiously, nor would He advertise Himself. His ministry would be quiet, non-aggressive, and unthreatening. Obviously Cyrus was not this Servant."In Isaiah 42:1 we met the quintessential servant; here is quintessential service. It was forecast by Isaiah, exemplified perfectly in the Lord Jesus Christ, and is to be reproduced in all who would serve the Lord with true service." [Note: Ibid., p. 320.] read more
The Lord’s Servant would be gracious and patient. He would not discard what seemed to others useless, and He would not extinguish what seemed to others too spent. His calling was to save, not destroy. He would be faithful to His calling to bring forth justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1; cf. Isaiah 11:3-4). read more
Not only would He not break or extinguish others, but the pressures and blows of others would not break or extinguish Him. This reflects the Spirit’s empowerment in His life (cf. Isaiah 42:1). He would complete His mission of establishing justice on the earth. The furthest reaches of the earth will, therefore, anticipate the coming of His law, as Israel did at the base of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19; cf. Isaiah 2:3). They would do so eager for justice to come to the earth, not necessarily eagerly... read more
The Ideal Servant1-9. The characteristics and functions of Israel as the ideal Servant of Jehovah. 10-17 A song of praise to Jehovah. 18-25. The deficiencies of the actual Israel, considered as Jehovah’s Servant.1. My servant] On the conception of these chapters see Intro. Judgment] or ’right.’ The Servant’s office is to teach the world true religion. 2, 3. He will not be ostentatious nor unduly severe. How Christ corresponded to the ideal is noted in Matthew 12:17-21; 3. Smoking flax] RM... read more
(2) He shall not cry . . .—Isaiah’s ideal of a teacher, but partly realised in himself, is that of one exempt from the violence of strong feelings, calm in the sereneness of authority, strong in his far-reaching and pitying sympathy. False prophets might rave as in orgiastic frenzy. We are reminded of Solon affecting the inspiration of a soothsayer in order to attract attention to his converts. Even true prophets might be stirred to vehement and incisive speech, but it should not be so with... read more
(3) A bruised reed shall he not break . . .—Physical, moral, spiritual weakness are all brought under the same similitude. In another context the image has met us in Isaiah 36:6. The simple negative “he shall not break” implies, as in the rhetoric of all times, the opposite extreme, the tender care that props and supports. The humanity of the servant of the Lord was to embody what had been already predicated of the Divine will (Psalms 51:17). The dimly burning flax, the wick of a lamp nearly... read more
(4) He shall not fail nor be discouraged . . .—Both verbs in the Hebrew point back to those of the previous verse, He shall not burn dimly nor be crushed, as if to teach that in helping others to strength and light, the servants of the Lord, after the pattern of the Servant, gain light and strength for themselves.The isles shall wait for his law.—The relation of “the servant” to the far off Gentile world is still dominant in the prophet’s mind. The LXX. Version, given in Matthew 12:21, “In His... read more
The Smoking Flax Isaiah 42:3 Let us try to gather up the thoughts contained in these two images. They are slightly different, but one thought underlies them both. The one refers chiefly to God, the other to man. I. The idea of the first is taken from one of the shepherd's pipes one of those little musical pipes crushed and trampled under foot. The other picture is taken from the lamp in the temple, burning feebly and dimly, giving forth black smoke rather than light. 1. The 'bruised reed'. A... read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 42:4
4. fail—faint; man in religion may become as the almost expiring flax-wick ( :-), but not so He in His purposes of grace. discouraged—literally, "broken," that is, checked in zeal by discouragements (compare Isaiah 49:4; Isaiah 49:5). ROSENMULLER not so well translates, "He shall not be too slow on the one hand, nor run too hastily on the other." judgment—His true religion, the canon of His judgments and righteous reign. isles . . . wait, c.—The distant lands beyond sea shall put their trust in... read more