Isaiah 40-66 - Servant Songs

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253.874.4265 -- Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*




   *ISAIAH 40-66 - OVERVIEW - T2901R *

* SALVATION THROUGH GRACE*


 *1. 41:4 (40-41, ASV, 1901) JEHOVAH SUPREME IN ATTRIBUTES. “Who has worked
and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the
first, and with the last, I am he.” *We listen to Your reasoning, O Father,
as Job listened to You in chastened spirit, abhorred himself, and repented
in sackcloth and ashes. By this revelation we are absolutely assured of Who
You are. *Hallowed be your :name.*


 *2. 43:1 (42-45) JEHOVAH SUPREME IN REDEMPTION. “But now thus says Jehovah
that created you, O Jacob, and he that formed you, O Israel; Fear not, for I
have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine.” *This is
the way You see us, O Father. And because of Your grace, we are motivated to
pray. *Your :kingdom come.*


 *3. 47:6 (46-48) JEHOVAH SUPREME IN REDEMPTION. “I was angry with my
people, I profaned my inheritance, and gave them into your hand (Babylon):
you did show them no mercy; upon the aged you have very heavily laid your
yoke.” *Thank You, Father, for Your justice, righteousness and holiness. We
depend upon Your faithfulness. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on
earth.*


 *4. 49:5 (49-53) ISRAEL THE TYPE: MESSIAH THE FULFILLMENT. “And now says
Jehovah that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again
to him, and that Israel be gathered unto him (for I am honorable in the eyes
of Jehovah, and my God is become my strength).” *Father, You formed
*Jesus*to be our Savior, our Redeemer our Reconciler, our Justifier,
our Friend!
You have done so much for us in Christ! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.
*


 *5. 55:4 (54-55) ISRAEL RESTORED: MESSIAH REIGNS. “Behold, I have given him
for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples.” *Blessed
be Your Name, Father, for giving us Jesus, Jehovah the Savior. You in Jesus
worked out plenteous *redemption* for us, and *reconciled* us to Yourself. *And
forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.*


 *6. 57:15 (56-57) WHERE GOD DWELLS. “For thus says the high and lofty One
that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy
place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the
spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” *Father, You
reveal Your heart, and purpose and desire to us. If we truly want to please
You, *humility* is Your word for us, and we choose to walk in it. *And bring
us not into temptation.*


 *7. 66:2 (58-66) THE CHALLENGE OF JEHOVAH. “For all these thing has my hand
made, and so all these things came to be, says Jehovah: but to this man will
I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembles
at my word.” *Father, You have shown us what You require: Humility,
Contrition and Tremblers at Your Word. You have the right to demand these
conditions. *But deliver us from the evil one.*


 *NOTE**: *Isaiah 66:2 became one of Ivan Panin's favorite verses. See the
importance of its ingredients. Beatitude number one of Matthew 5:1-12 is a
true parallel to Isaiah's first revelation here. And trembling at His word
is a fitting conclusion.


 But in this section of our “overview”, four outstanding passages appear,
that have been called “The Servant Songs.” Each of the 4 are Messianic
Prophecies - looking forward to the coming of Jesus, who is called “The
Covenant” of God for the people.


 Isaiah 42:1-9 is the first of these 4, and in verse 6 we find the Father
declaring His coming Son to be *The Covenant* of the people. It is not
revealed in these 4 passages that the coming Messiah will be the Head of
“The One New Man” composed of both Jews and Gentiles. That “Mystery” was
perhaps the chief of the NT Mysteries that was reserved by God for the
apostle Paul to reveal.


 Isaiah 49:1-13 is the second Servant Song, and in verse 8 - for the second
time Jehovah points out the coming Messiah as a covenant to the people.
Oftentimes it is difficult to separate Israel as God's chosen people from
the Messiah as His chosen servant. The Holy Spirit can help us to see this
division, far better than most commentaries.


 I graduated from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary of Chicago in 1952
with a B.D. degree. A decade or so later they offered those in that category
the opportunity to take a special course on the “4 Servant Songs of Isaiah”
and update this degree to an M. Div. (Master of Divinity) I opted for this,
but found our professor an extreme “Modernist.” I volunteered in class that
the Catholic Theologians have a doctrine they called the “Sensus Plenior” -
the “fuller sense.” This enables one to see various layers of truth in
Scripture. Israel can be seen as a basic layer as God's servant. But in the
“Servant Songs” Jesus can be seen as a deeper layer looking forward to the
Coming Messiah.


 My professor was very upset with me, and wouldn't permit me to read my
final paper to the class, lest I contaminate its members.


 The final class was held in his home near Wheaton, Illinois, where he
promised to give his own personal insights on the “Servant Songs.” He there
and then posed a question: “What would you think of a man who entered Russia
with a suitcase containing a false bottom, in which he hid Bibles to
distribute to the Russians?” “Why, that would be a good thing,” said one
student, “for they would be getting the Word of God.” “*Not at all*,”
snapped the professor, “It would be like the 'Sensus Plenior' - bringing in
something under false pretenses!”


 So - so much for the openness of a “Liberal” to allow expression of all
truth!


 Isaiah 50:4-9 is the third Servant Song. I love this insight in the Coming
Messiah, Jesus. Jesus was full 'son of man' through Mary, and as a boy of 12
had His Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem, and dialogued with the Pharisees of His
day, answering their question and in turn asking such thoughtful questions
that they were amazed! He was about His Father's business! But, as one
conceived of the Holy Spirit, not man, He was fully Son of God, too! He
said, “*Before Abraham was, I AM*.” This is no problem to one truly born
from above, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and loving God with all his heart.
He like Jesus meditates on God's Word, and can accept the straight-forward
statements of God's Word, and not argue them away like the “Modernists and
Liberals!”


 Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is the fourth “Servant Song,” and perhaps the greatest
of all. We almost learn more about Jesus through this Prophecy, than is even
revealed in the Gospels! No wonder the Pharisees, who reject that their
Messiah has already come - seek to ignore this passage - that so patently
puts the lie to their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. Soon He will come
again - and this time Zechariah 12:10-14 will be fulfilled, and the remnant
of Israel will acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah they rejected at His first
coming 2000 years ago. Remember, it is the *death* of Jesus the Bible
emphasizes (¼ to 1/3 of all 4 Gospels) not His birth (only 4 chapters).
Jesus was born to *die*! He came to make Redemption by His blood on our
behalf, and make Reconciliation between lost mankind, Jew and Gentile, and
bring us back into fellowship with God!



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