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Main Point Summary

Christ is the LORD's Servant-King who brings salvation for the world

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OT

Isaiah 42:1-4

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e Behold f my servant, whom I uphold,

Behold my servant, whom I uphold;

1 “Here is my servant whom I support,

הֵן עַבְדִּי אֶתְמָךְ ־בּוֹ

“Behold! ('Pay attention!) My Servant whom I uphold,

my chosen, g in whom my soul delights;

mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;

my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.

בְּחִירִי רָצְתָה נַפְשִׁי

My Elect One in whom My soul delights !

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h I have put my Spirit upon him;

I have put my spirit upon him:

I have placed my spirit on him;

נָתַתִּי רוּחִי עָלָיו

I have put My Spirit upon Him;

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i he will bring forth justice to the nations.

he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

he will make just decrees 2 for the nations. 3

מִשְׁפָּט לַגּוֹיִם יוֹצִיא׃

He will bring forth (Hiphil - causal) justice (equity) to the Gentiles.

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He will not cry aloud

He shall not cry,

He will not cry out

לֹא יִצְעַק

2 He will not cry out,

or lift up his voice,

nor lift up,

or shout;

וְלֹא יִשָּׂא

nor raise His voice,

or make it heard in the street;

nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

he will not publicize himself in the streets. 4

וְלֹא־יַשְׁמִיעַ בַּחוּץ קוֹלוֹ׃

Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.

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j a bruised reed he will not break,

A bruised reed shall he not break,

A crushed reed he will not break,

קָנֶה רָצוּץ לֹא יִשְׁבּוֹר

3 A bruised reed He will not break,

and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

and the smoking flax shall he not quench:

a dim wick he will not extinguish; 5

וּפִשְׁתָּה כֵהָה לֹא יְכַבֶּנָּה

And [b]smoking flax He will not [c]quench;

k he will faithfully bring forth justice.

he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

he will faithfully make just decrees. 6

לֶאֱמֶת יוֹצִיא מִשְׁפָּט׃

He will bring forth justice for truth.

He will not grow faint

He shall not fail

He will not grow dim

לֹא יִכְהֶה

He will not fail

or be discouraged 1 till he has established justice in the earth;

nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth:

or be crushed 7 before establishing justice on the earth;

וְלֹא יָרוּץ עַד־יָשִׂים בָּאָרֶץ מִשְׁפָּט

nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth;

and l the coastlands wait for his law.

and the isles shall wait for his law.

the coastlands 8 will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” 9

וּלְתוֹרָתוֹ אִיִּים יְיַחֵילוּ׃פ

And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

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Notes

v.1: Text Cited in Matt 12:17-21 - read Matt 12:15-32 “Behold! ('Pay attention!) My Servant (special focus on this word - hanging case) -- 'my servant' - title of honor (relationship + responsibility) - highlights the work of Christ as obedience to the Father's will (Ps 40:6-8; Mark 14:36; John 4:34; John 6:38; Phil 2:8) Calvin - Though this name is ascribed to the person, yet it belongs to human nature; for since his divine nature is eternal, and since he has always possessed in it a glory equal and perfectly similar to that of the Father, it was necessary that he should assume flesh in order that he might submit to obedience. Hence also Paul says, "Though he was in the form of God, he accounted it not robbery to make himself equal to God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant," etc. ( Philippians 2:6 .) That he was a servant was a voluntary act, so that we must not think that it detracted anything from his rank. The ancient writers of the Church expressed this by the word "Dispensation," by which it was brought about, they tell us, that he was subject to all our infirmities. It was by a voluntary determination that he subjected himself to God, and subjected himself in such a manner as to become also of service to us; and yet that exceedingly low condition does not hinder him from still continuing to possess supreme majesty. Hence also the Apostle says that he was "exalted above every name." ( Philippians 2:9 .) he employs the demonstrative particle Behold, in order to lead the Jews to regard the event as having actually taken place; for the objects which were before their eyes might have led them to despair, and therefore he bids them turn away their eyes from the actual condition of things and look to Christ. whom I uphold, (I will uphold Him) = Is 41:10 - held ('firmly upheld' -- Moses hands lifted up in prayer) Calvin - In the former clause, therefore, he says, I will uphold him, and afterwards describes the manner of "upholding," that he will direct him by his Spirit, meaning by this phrase that he will assist Christ in all things, and will not permit him to be overcome by any difficulties. Now, it was necessary that Christ should he endued with the Spirit of God, in order to execute that divine office, and be the Mediator between God and men; for so great a work could not be performed by human power. My [a]Elect One in whom My soul delights! (1 Chron 28:4 - (David 'accepted' as king) - 'delights; pleasure' -- He's the Beloved (Eph 1:6) + the way to be accepted w God my elect one — Son of God is elected to be the only mediator of God’s elect — this is the first election - can’t understand any other election apart from His election — theologically charged word - important!) “I have set my Spirit upon Him” ( trinitarian — Spirit on X — empowering of Spirit is always ministry oriented — X is baptized and ministry begins) -- "The divine anointing to empower Christ in His human nature for service ( 11:2 ; 61:1 ; Ps 45:7 ), fulfilled at His baptism ( Matt 3:16 ) and again at His ascension to overflow to His people (Is 32:2,15; John 1:33; Acts 2:32-33) My Spirit is the Lord’s personal presence (Ps. 139:7) in action (40:7; Ps. 33:6), endowing for leadership (Num. 11:16ff.; 1 Sam. 16:13; cf. 11:1–2; 61:1–2). As a consequence of this divine enduement, the Servant will perform the universal task of bringing divine truth (justice) to the nations , the Gentiles worldwide. Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, p. 293). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press “he will bring forth justice to the nations.” (Promise of messiah in OT was never a uniquely Jewish promise — always universal promise; Jews became channel through which, in which Messiah would come - but implications of his work is always universal — significant that at the beginning we have the goyim) — hiphil makes the word transitive (not go out, but make go out) His Mission -- establishing justice for the Gentiles (v.3 +v.4 -- repeated) -- He is bringing perfect equity (He will be king overall) -- good mission! -- something our world is crying for (we want justice; 'social justice; racial justice; woman's rights' - these are the cries of the day -- but how much division exists -- a day is coming in which there is perfect equity) justice - We naturally think of justice as implying a fair and pure society, and of course the word mišpāṭ caters for this—but only derivatively. The parallel in verse 4bc between justice and law provides us with the clue that in this passage Isaiah is using the word to express one aspect of divinely revealed truth. Law means ‘teaching’ (1:10): mišpāṭ —to mention no other examples—occurs nearly thirty times in Psalm 119 (7, 13, 20, etc.) and nearly twenty times in Deuteronomy (4:1; 5:1; etc.) as one aspect of what we would call ‘the word of God’. The verb behind the noun (√ šāpaṭ ) means ‘to give judgment’, the authoritative pronouncement of king or judge. Just as the Lord’s law is his teaching, so his justice (‘judgment’) is what he has pronounced to be true, the decision he has reached. The Servant comes, then, as the bearer to the nations of what they have hitherto lacked: a veritable word from God, the answer to their needs as exposed in 41:24, 28–29. Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, p. 292). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Calvin opposes this interpretation -- Christ was sent in order to bring the whole world under the authority of God and obedience to him; and this shows that without him everything is confused and disordered. v.2 - The King's Surprising Manner of accomplishing His mission No fanfare -- think of Hamaan going before Mordacai proclaiming all the great things he'd done -- this is how kings were recognized -- put on a big show -- still true today-- President Trump shows up with a big fanfare -- not this King! -- coming in humility -- almost unnoticed!-- average person wouldn't look twice at this King - not much to see here... or so they'd think v.3 -- Gentleness + Truth - these things don't normally go together (pit the one against the other; they combine perfectly in this Servant King) 1+2 - 'crushed reed' he will not break + dim flax, he will not quench -- He has a gentle touch; cares for the weak (He knows the fragility + weakness of men (Heb 4:15-16) The negative statements imply their positive equivalents: he can mend the broken reed, fan into flame the smouldering wick. The former has been internally damaged, the latter lacks the external nourishment of oil. The Servant is competent both to cure and to supply. Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, p. 293). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. He lifts up, supports the weak + broken! Calvin -- Isaiah ascribes to Christ that forbearance by which he bears with our weakness, which we find to be actually fulfilled by him; for wherever any spark of piety is seen, he strengthens and kindles it, and if he were to act towards us with the utmost rigor, we should be reduced to nothing. Although men therefore totter and stumble, although they are even shaken or out of joint, yet he does not at once cast them off as utterly useless, but bears long, till he makes them stronger and more steadfast. 3 - He will bring forth justice (equity) in reference to truth -- truthful justice (right justice - no justice in this world -- this King will establish justice) -- He is Gentle, yet Strong! He will establish justice v.4 -- King's Success 'He will not fail' - 'grow dim' or 'be dim' (connection w v.3) 'He will not be crushed' - discouraged (overburdened) -- He won't burn out ('grow dim') He won't be crushed (discouraged) until he establishes justice in the earth (again His kingly mission) + the coast lands (furthest ends of the earth- gentiles) shall wait (hope in) for His law (teaching/instruction) -- X will have a kingdom - he will gather in His ppl from all nations -- He is still doing this through His church --- Matt 28:18-20 Having accomplished His mission as Servant-King, X commissions us -- "And Jesus came and said to them, “ All authority(king) in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (world-wide mission) , baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you ('waiting for His teaching') . And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age ." ----- My Structure: The Servant-King 1) The King's Credentials A) Divinely Commended B) Divinely Consecrated -- set apart for a divine purpose -- Empowered; Equipped C) Divinely Commissioned: - world-wide scope, just as Abraham was called to be a blessing to the nations 2) The King's Work A) Humble B) Gentle C) Successful Christ is our King!