Isaiah 41 "Israel, My Servant"

Last week we heard three voices calling Jerusalem and Judah to listen to the LORD.

God has decreed that Jerusalem shall fall to the hand of Babylon,

but he has also promised that the exiles shall return.

God himself will come to Jerusalem.

The glory of Yahweh will be revealed as he comes down the highway in the wilderness.

And those who trust in him-those who wait for him-

shall have the strength to walk with him to Zion.

Chapter 41 continues this theme,

but now no longer are the heralds speaking to Jerusalem.

No longer does Jerusalem speak to the cities of Judah.

Now Yahweh himself speaks.

This is the message that the heralds insisted that Jerusalem and Judah must hear.

What is the word of our God that stands forever?

What has the mouth of the LORD spoken?

He has spoken of his purposes for his servant.

Isaiah 38-55 focuses on the theme of the Servant of the LORD.

The servant theme is introduced in verse 8 for the first time,

and will continue as the dominant theme for the next fifteen chapters.

Who is the servant of Yahweh?

How should we understand this?

Isaiah 41:1-20 has four sections:

first a statement of who God is, followed by three statements about the servant.

Verses 1-7 explain who God is.

God has been set forth in chapter 40 as the "creator of the ends of the earth"

Now he reveals himself as the ruler of history.

He calls for the coastlands (or islands) to listen in silence.

41:1 is echoed by 49:1 "Listen to me, O coastlands,"

We will look more at the structure of Isaiah 38-55 another time,

but suffice it to say that Isaiah has very carefully structured this section.

Chapter 41 calls the coastlands together for judgment.

Chapter 49 calls the coastlands together for blessing.

The peoples-the nations-are called to renew their strength-

precisely the thing that those who wait for the LORD will do in 40:31.

God calls the Gentiles to his counsel.

You may recall 1:18-"Come let us reason together."

At the beginning of the first section of Isaiah,

God called for a judgment day for Judah and Jerusalem.

Now he calls for a judgment day for the Gentiles.

But then in verses 2-4 Isaiah speaks of the great king who destroys his enemies.

Who is "he"?

The Rabbis said Abraham or Joshua,

but that is unlikely, given that the context is the nations.

Others have said Cyrus-but he is not introduced until chapter 44.

I am inclined to leave him unnamed.

The point is that God directs the steps of generals and conquerors.

Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step?

All military campaigns started in the east among the powers.

Damascus, Assyria, Babylon-all the great nations came from the east.

But all of these armies-all of these generals-must acknowledge

that God is the author of their victories.

Who has performed and done this?

calling the generations from the beginning?

I, Yahweh, the first and with the last; I am he.

He is the Lord of history-the ruler of the nations of the earth.

The coastlands have seen this.

The coastlands-such as Tyre and Philistia-

tremble at the coming of the armies of the king.

But rather than turn to Yahweh for deliverance, they turn to idols.

(Read 41:6-7)

There is a people that is not like the nations.

Israel, the servant of the LORD.

Let me give you a brief outline of what Isaiah is doing here in chapters 41-42.

After calling for the day of judgment for the nations, we hear:

First, God's blessing to "my servant Israel" (41:8-20)

Twice in this section God says "fear not...behold"

Concluding with six "I will's" in verses 17-20

Second, we hear God's challenge to the idols (41:21-42:4),

with another three "beholds"

Concluding with eleven "he will's" in 42:1-4.

And finally we hear God's promise in 42:5-17,

opening with two declarations of I am the LORD (42:6-9),

a call to praise him (42:10-13),

concluding with fourteen "I will's" in verses 14-17.

Isaiah 40 has called Jerusalem and Judah to listen to Yahweh.

This is what Yahweh has to say.

This is God's introduction to the Servant who will bring forth justice to the nations.

Tonight, however, we must content ourselves with looking merely at the first part of this:

God's blessing to "my servant Israel" (41:8-20)

Twice in this section God says "fear not...behold"

Concluding with five "I will's" in verses 17-20

Isaiah provides three pictures of God's blessing and care for his servant.

Verses 8-9 sets forth the picture of Israel as the chosen servant of Yahweh.

God took Abraham from the ends of the earth and brought him to himself.

Israel is declared to be "my servant"

"I have chosen you and not cast you off."

Verses 10-13 then sets forth the first picture of God's care for his servant.

"Fear not, for I am with you."

God is present with his servant.

Herald Jerusalem had proclaimed in 40:10

"Behold, the Lord Yahweh comes with might, and his arm rules for him."

Now God declares "I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Do not be afraid.

Babylon is coming-and they will take you captive.

But fear not.

Your children will be exiles in a foreign land.

But fear not.

Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

This first "fear not" finds its comfort in the "behold" of verse 11.

(Read 11-13)

Yahweh your God, the one with the righteous right hand (verse 10),

is the one who holds your right hand (verse 13-forming an inclusio).

Israel, my servant, may have confidence because his right hand

is upheld by God's right hand.

Verses 14-16 set forth the second picture of God's care for his servant.

"Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel!"

From servant to worm!

Does that startle you?

That is because you are thinking of the Servant of the Lord in noble terms.

But the Servant is a worm.

David had spoken of himself as a "worm-and not a man." (Ps 22:6)

The Servant of the LORD is such a worm.

Israel is a soft, feeble worm, with no strength of his own.

"I am the one who helps you, declares Yahweh;

Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Fear not, you worm!

Because God has great plans for you.

This is one heck of a worm!

As the first "fear not" ended in a behold,

so also the second.

Behold (verses 15-16).

The worm who had no strength

is the threshing sledge that threshes the mountains.

the winnowing fork that winnows the nations-

as the wind/Spirit carries them away.

Chapter 40 had spoken of the breath of Yahweh blasting the grass-

and the nations are but grass: "he blows on them, and they wither"

And also here, the Holy One of Israel who helps you (verse 14)

is the Holy One of Israel whom you shall glory in (verse 16-another inclusio)

Thirdly verses 17-20 set forth the final picture of God's care for his people.

But this time Isaiah does not follow the "fear not....behold" pattern.

Throughout chapters 41-42 Isaiah concludes each section

with a rapid fire series of verbs

stating what he and his servant will or will not do.

Verse 17 sets the stage.

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none,

and their tongue is parched with thirst,

I Yahweh will answer them;

I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

(If you just heard echoes of last Sunday morning's sermon, "I thirst,"

you are right on track!)

When the Servant is parched,

God will open rivers on the bare heights,

and fountains in the midst of the valleys.

God sets forth four ways he will do this in verses 18-19 (read)

Verse 18 emphasizes water.

Verse 19 emphasizes shelter.

God will provide water and shelter in the desert

for those who journey back to Zion.

And as the first two sections conclude with "behold,"

this third section concludes, "that they may see and know."

There is no noun here.

It is simply that "they" may see and know.

Who may see and know?

The poor and needy from verse 17, which connects back to the worm Jacob,

who is the servant Israel.

To sum up,

God is faithful to his servant.

Israel is surrounded by enemies, but God is righteous,

and therefore he will be faithful to his promises (10-13).

Israel is also weak and helpless, but Yahweh is also redeemer,

and therefore he will blow away their enemies by his Spirit/wind (14-16)

And Israel is parched with thirst, but Yawheh is the Holy One,

and therefore he will provide all that his Servant needs (17-20).

Isaiah 41 first introduces the Servant of the Lord.

Who is the servant of Yahweh?

41:8 plainly states that the servant is Israel.

There is no question that Isaiah is saying that Israel is the Servant of the LORD.

Israel is the chosen one-the elect Servant whom God has called and redeemed.

But Isaiah is not finished teaching about the Servant of the LORD.

This is only the introduction.

But already we are seeing how the Servant of the LORD

is the agent of God in bringing judgment to the nations.

Babylon is coming.

Exile is coming.

But God is not finished with Israel yet.

He is faithful and just,

and he will bring his servant through exile to glory.

Take heart, O servants of the Lord,

because the Servant has come,

and though he endured exile and death,

he has been raised to glory at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Therefore you may rest assured that God has indeed opened a highway in the wilderness,

where only the redeemed may travel.

He has made the wilderness of pool of water.

Yes, there are times when you may feel as though you are in the wilderness-in the desert-

and you may feel parched with spiritual thirst.

But rest assured, dear congregation,

that our Lord Jesus Christ has brought forth fountains in the midst of the valleys.

The river that flows from our Savior is living water to sustain you in all times and places.

Drink deeply of him, because from his heart flows the river of the water of life

that can quench the most powerful thirst.