The nation was given a mission to serve God, to be a custodian of His word and to be a light to the gentile nations. Because of sin and rebellion, they failed. What did God do? He sent His Son as Messiah to fulfil that mission on earth.
Several people in the Old Testament are called ‘The Lord’s Servant’ but in chapters 40-55 of Isaiah, the Lord’s Servant has a special meaning. Chapter 42:1-9 is one of the four passages referred to as “The Servant Song.”
The chosen servant reveals a character of:
- Gentleness
- Encouragement
- Justice
- Truth
The Messiah, Jesus, would fulfil this task and show God to the world. God’s loving attributes are desperately needed in the world today! Through Christ, all people have the opportunity to share in His mission. God has called all of us to be servants of His Son. What a privilege!
v.10-17 are a wonderful outpouring of Praise to God. How do you Praise God? There are so many ways that express our love and thankfulness. The Christian songwriter Chris Tomlinson encourages us to “Praise God with reckless abandon.” Listen, if you can, to his song “Holy Roar.”
v.19-20: How could Israel and Judah be God’s servants and yet be so blind?
How could they be so close to God and see so little?
Jesus condemned the religious leaders of His day for the same disregard of God (John 9:39-41) and yet…. Do we not fail in the same way?
- Seeing, but not understanding?
- Knowing what is right, but not doing it?
Let us ask God today to be woken from spiritual blindness, so that we can better understand who God is. Spiritual insight in to what is going on around us, helps God to instil in us His loving attribute and then use us.
v.23-25: We may condemn our predecessors for their failures, but we are also guilty if we repeat the same mistakes that we recognise as failures. We need to make sure that we are willing to take our own advice.
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Father God, Thank you for sending your Son Jesus Christ to fulfil Your mission on earth. Show us how to be true servants of Christ, so that your mission on earth can be worked out through us, who strive to be faithful. Open our eyes. Amen.