Isaiah 42:1-13
Isa 42:1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom
my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles.
This verse is about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in
whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew
judgment to the Gentiles. (Matthew 12:18)
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the
form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:7)
The Lord Jesus Christ although he is eternal God, took
upon himself the form of a servant when he became in the likeness of men when he
was here on earth. He is also
called “mine elect” who was destined to become the lamb of God to die for the
sins of all the Elect. This was in
fulfillment of the promise that God made to Abraham.
And Abraham said, My son, God will
provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
(Genesis 22:8) As you can see
that God will provide himself a lamb and that is exactly what he did.
He himself became the lamb of God.
The next day John seeth Jesus
coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of
the world. (John 1:29)
God’s soul delighted in the Lord Jesus Christ because he
was the one who would die for the sins of the elect by fulfilling the demands of
the law. Then he was given the Holy
Spirit to perform the three offices that he would hold which was prophet,
priest, and king. It was not that
Christ needed the Holy Spirit because he was divinity in the flesh but it was
for the purpose of performing the three offices but is still a great mystery.
And John bare record, saying, I
saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. (John
1:32) Then he shall bring forth
judgment to the Gentiles which means he will rule in truth among the Gentile
nations when the true gospel is sent forth to the entire world.
Those who are his elect will be judged on Calvary and found not guilty
because their sins were paid for by Christ but those who are not the elect will
pay for their sins on Judgment Day.
The heathen or Gentiles were and are given to Christ.
Ask of me, and I shall give
thee the heathen
for thine inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth for
thy possession. (Psalm 2:8)
Isa 42:2
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be
heard in the street.
There will be a great difference between the Lord Jesus
Christ and worldly conquerors. To
cry means to proclaim as someone cries out to call an assembly.
He will have a meek and mild spirit causing him to have a gentle demeanor
even when confronted by the enemy.
He will not lift up his voice nor cause his voice to be heard in the street as
many worldly conquerors do when they conquer a city.
They will normally gather the people in a city square and declare their
intentions as conqueror. This the
Lord Jesus would not do as he chose many times to be in the background.
He didn’t have to lift up his voice because his enemies would pursue him
even without any fanfare.
Isa 42:3
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax
shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
What is in view here is the wick in a lamp which is
normally made of linen and the allusion is a flame ready to expire because of
lack of oil in the lamp. This means
that the flame would be very feeble and that is showing how gentle the Lord
Jesus would be that he would not even extinguish a flame ready to go out.
Then the flax which is within a candle and that is easy to put out would
not even be extinguished. These
pictures are showing how gentle the Lord Jesus Christ was with people and did
not lord it over them as if they were of no value or were nothing but rubbish.
He will deal with the wicked, unrepentant sinners in true judgment who
will receive the due penalty of their lifestyle on Judgment day.
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it
not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider
it? and he that keepeth thy
soul, doth not he know
it? and shall
not he render to
every man according to his
works? (Proverbs 24:12)
Isa 42:4
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set
judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
His mission shall be completed when he pays for the sins
of all the elect upon Calvary. He
will also not suffer discouragement either especially when he is opposed by the
Jews and then ultimately crucified by the Romans in concert with the Jews.
Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith; who for
the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
He knows that what would come after the weekend of his suffering would
come a new era of light bringing forth the gospel to the entire world.
Once he has gone to the cross then the Judgment of God will have been
fully satisfied as the sins of his people would have been fully paid.
Then the world will begin to wait for the gospel of grace as it continues
to go forth into the world being waited for by the elect of God.
But they that wait upon the LORD
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not
faint. (Isaiah 40:31) The law
would be the law of righteousness in Christ and not the ceremonial law of Moses
which was to be abolished as the way to God.
Salvation was now through Christ and him alone.
Isa 42:5
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and
stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of
it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk
therein:
Then Isaiah brings a message about the creation which was
Ex Nihilo which means “out of nothing.”
God first created the heavens and stretched them out.
All one has to do is look through a telescope and see the vastness of the
universe. Even a low power
telescope will yield the vastness of the universe.
Then he speaks about God creating the earth and made it vast so even when
the earth seems to be over-populated there are still vast amount of places where
people can live. Then not only the
creation of the earth is in view but also the fact that the products which come
from the earth namely food and water to sustain the population which would come
into existence which is spoken of as giving breath to the people upon it.
The trees would turn carbon dioxide into oxygen for the people to live
and breathe. Then human beings are
given a spirit which will live on into eternity.
The spirit in people is the difference between us and the animals who
upon death just cease to exist.
Isa 42:6
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will
hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people,
for a light of the Gentiles;
Then the Father continues in his addressing of the
Messiah when he comes upon the scene.
The Lord Jesus Christ was called in righteousness to the task which he
was to complete upon Calvary.
Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now
come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me
alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. (John 16:32)
In the times when he was left alone like in the Garden of Gethsemane when
he asked the Father if it was possible that the cup could be passed from him but
nevertheless, he did not forsake his mission.
He went away again the second
time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me,
except I drink it, thy will be done. (Matthew 26:42)
Then when that time of suffering will be completed according to the
demands of the law, then the covenant of grace would be given to the elect in
the world.
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of
Judah: (Jeremiah 31:31) Then
the light of the true gospel will be given to the Gentiles as they too see the
futility of the false gods and will come into the kingdom of God.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy
light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (Isaiah 60:3)
For many years the pagan nations walked in the darkness of false
religions but now the true gospel now shines through to them.
The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death,
upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)
Isa 42:7
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from
the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Then the nations who receive the true gospel will have
their spiritual eyes opened and no longer will they walk in spiritual blindness
of false religion.
He answered and said, Whether he be a
sinner or no, I know not: one
thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. (John 9:25)
As Jesus physically healed the blind man
in John 9, he spiritually heals the blindness that this world system causes.
A person may stand before statues thinking that the idol may do something
for him and when he becomes saved he then has spiritual sight to realize that
the idol is nothing and was absolutely meaningless.
Now he realizes that only the true God can act on his behalf.
Then the prisoners are freed from the prison.
This does not mean a physical prison where prisoners are kept for
committing crimes but is speaking of the spiritual prison.
That made the world as a
wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof;
that opened not the house of
his prisoners? (Isaiah 14:17) It is
the prison of the kingdom of Satan where people are kept under sin until God
plunders the house by saving his elect out of that prison and transferring them
into the kingdom of God in Christ.
They sat in darkness under the law having no way to escape from it since no one
can be saved by the law. Those in
the prison of sin are also void of any knowledge of how to be saved and just
continue to exist until the light of the gospel is given to them.
Isa 42:8
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my
glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Then the LORD gives a solemn declaration that he declares
his name and the glory which he rightfully deserves is not to be given to
another human being or to a false idol.
He also declares that his people shall praise him and not the graven
images which were numerous around Israel before they were taken to Assyria and
the groves which were in Judah that contained false gods and their images.
There are many that accept glory such as the Pope where he is venerated
by the people or cult leaders who take all the credit for coming up with their
false religions and rituals.
Isa 42:9
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new
things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
The former things which will come to pass is the Mosaic
law which will eventually be overtaken by the covenant of grace.
It is called the new covenant which we just read in Jeremiah 31.
In that he saith, A new
covenant, he hath made the
first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old
is ready to vanish away.
(Hebrews 8:13) Here God is
informing his people that when the Lord Jesus Christ comes on the scene, the
ceremonial law of Moses will be done away with and will be replaced by grace as
the only way a person can become saved.
Here the Lord is informing them 700 years before it will physically come
to pass. Even though grace had
already been active in the world, Pentecost will be the beginning of the final
evangelization of the world.
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but
he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)
Isa 42:10
Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from
the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the
isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
The new song will be the new covenant of grace which will
be embedded in the Lord Jesus Christ and will be further outlined in the 27
books of the New Testament. Only
the true believers can sing the new song as all the others are still in the
prison of darkness.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou
art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain,
and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9)
The new song with the true praise of God will now be heard all over the
world as the true gospel will be sent to every country in the world.
The time we live in with the Internet is bringing the true gospel to
every country instantly and no longer do people have to wait for books and
literature to be mailed, they now have instant access to the truth.
Then in ancient times those who went down to the seas in ships brought
the gospel to foreign lands and all the lands which the seas contained unto all
the inhabitants of those islands and nations would hear the true gospel.
Just like the Pilgrims in 1620 brought the gospel to America and made it
their intent to propagate the true gospel of Christ.
Then in the great missionary movements of the 18th and 19th
centuries, missionaries went by ship to many nations to bring the gospel.
If you want an excellent book on Missions, purchase the book “From
Jerusalem to Irian Jaya” by Ruth Tucker.
Isa 42:11
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up
their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the
inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Not only will the isles sing that is brought the gospel
but the wilderness and the cities of the wilderness will also be lifting up
their voices. Physically this would be
speaking of the eastern part of Arabia where the Kedar tribe lives or the
Kedarenes who were very heathenish people.
The wilderness also points to the world that is void of the grace of God
and when they receive it, they too will lift up their voices in praise.
The inhabitants of the rock would be pointing to Petra.
The barbarous people who have been hardened by their lives in the desert
of sin will hear the true gospel and will shout it from the mountain tops making
it known to the rest of the world.
Isa 42:12
Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise
in the islands.
Let all those who have received the grace of God in
salvation give glory unto the LORD and not to the graven images and false
religions they came out of. Those
who are around the Mediterranean will give praises in all the islands where the
gospel went such as Cyprus or Crete.
This would also apply to the true believer everywhere in the world that
they are to give glory unto the LORD and to proclaim his word throughout all the
world.
Isa 42:13
The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up
jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against
his enemies.