Healing in His Wings – Isaiah 42:1-9

In Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Aragorn, the returned king of Gondor, is not only victorious on the battle field.  As befits the prophecies about him, he brings healing to his people (see video clip).  He is powerful, yet gentle.  He brings justice with the sword, yet healing with his touch.  This is an apt description of the servant of Yahweh in this second of five songs of the Servant of Yahweh.

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.  He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.  He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:

“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.  I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.  Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”  (Isaiah 42:1-9 ESV)

Though Israel is Yahweh’s servant and Cyrus and Babylon will be too, Yahweh here begins to describe an individual servant He has chosen to restore Israel and all nations to righteousness.

Yahweh delights in this servant and so gives him His Spirit to uphold him.  Though Yahweh will use him to bring justice to all the nations, he will not be a domineering or intimidating presence.  He will walk in gentleness, but he will not be weak.  In fact, he will not stop working until justice is established in the earth.

God will “give” this servant to all people as a covenant, God’s agreement with the world for restoring it to original obedience (Genesis 3:15).  The servant will be a light that brings sight to the blind (and all are blind without knowledge of Yahweh), and freedom from prison (we are all bound in sin).

Yahweh declares His name and asserts that He gives His glory to no one else.  That is, He alone is God, predicting restoration and how it will be accomplished.  And yet, can it be more clear that His servant in this case is the Messiah?  And when Messiah came, Jesus, he claimed to have glory with the Father before the world existed and that eternal life was found in knowing him and the Father (John 17:1-4). 

So the Servant is Jesus and he is God, the second person of the Trinity.  There is only one God, who has not and does not share His glory with any other being, yet He Himself is made up of three persons.  And Jesus fulfilled this prophecy perfectly.

Discussion Questions

1. Who is someone who has delighted in you and how did that feel?
2. Yahweh delights in His servant, the Messiah.  Why?
3. In bringing forth justice, how did Jesus show tenderness to the “bruised reed” and the “faintly burning wick”?  Can you think of examples?
4. Jesus was not tender with the Pharisees.  Why not?
5. Jesus has become not only a light for “the people” (Israel) but for all “the nations.”  Has God finished making good on His promise, then?
6. Give glory in prayer together to the one and only God.