Isaiah 42 - God's Chosen Servant

Let’s grab a cup of coffee, jump into the Word, and talk to Jesus. I had a random generator choose a book and chapter of the Bible for me to dive into this morning. Today, it landed on Isaiah 42.  I decided to choose 3 verses that I wanted to decipher further, and then discussed my takeaways with the Lord. Before I share my takeaways, I would love it if you would join me in reading Isaiah 42. Go read Isaiah 42; choose 3 verses, and then meet back here!

Here is a little bit of a backstory of the chapter before we get into the 3 verses I chose for today. This chapter of Isaiah is the 1st of 4 Servant Songs fulfilled in Jesus. These songs describe the works of God’s servant that He has called and the unique characteristics that set him apart in order to accomplish God’s work. Let’s move on to the 3 verses the Lord placed on my heart today.

Isaiah 42:1, “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.” I love when you can so clearly see Old Testament scripture point directly to Jesus. Here he is described as a type of servant unlike any the world has ever seen. Jesus came not only to bring individual forgiveness, but to also establish perfect justice. We see in the New Testament that God loves His only son, but what is really amazing to me is that we can see it here in the Old Testament too before Jesus was even born. The way that the servant is described is a wonderful picture pointing to the greatness that is to come. While I believe this verse perfectly encapsulates Christ, I also see it as an example of how we should be molding ourselves in this life. If we were to continue reading past verse 1, we would read about how the servant is sustained by God and God alone. He can do nothing of his own strength. Yet, despite the strength and power he has from the Lord, the servant does not flaunt his strength. It truly sounds so simple, but it is ultimately something we all struggle with. Let’s move on to the next verse.

Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” There is no point in even trying to compare anything to God because there is nothing at all like Him that could ever compare. God can do what idols cannot and He should not have to share the glory with them. God mentions idols of various degrees and types all throughout the Bible. It is clear to us as readers that idols are against God. They are darkness and He is light. End of discussion. Seems like such a simple concept and yet one I struggle so deeply with. When I am craving just a little bit of alone time is my 1st thought to spend time with God or is it to watch tv? When I have had a really hard day and I am upset, is my 1st reaction to pray and seek guidance from my creator or is it to take a bath and eat a tub of ice cream? What about when I am joyful? Do I seek God and praise him for His promises, or do I call my husband or best friend? I know this may seem dramatic to some, and that is ok. I just came to realize that I have treated specific things in my life as idols and I did not even comprehend that this was what I was doing. - My family, husband, daughters, job, mental health, etc. ANYTHING I place before God first is an idol. Even if that “thing” is not inherently bad on its own. Now, all of a sudden, the concept of idolatry hits a lot closer to home for me. Let’s move on to the third and final verse.

Isaiah 42: 25, “So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.” What Israel did not understand then and what we tend to miss even now is that it is not our current situation, hardships, and grief that are devastating, it is our direct disobedience to God. It is human nature to only think of self. But when we shift our gaze to Christ then He completely alters our perspective. Even as God poured out His anger on His people, they remained ignorant, confused, and blind. This caused them to not recognize or respond to the works of God. Even when it was staring them dead in the face. This goes to show us that God’s own people need deliverance as much as non-believers do.

As we wrap up this chapter, it takes me back to being a lukewarm Christian. I used to think that some of the teachings in scripture were really bizarre and “out there.” I was walking as an outsider and did not even realize that was what I was doing. Then, it was as if a lens was removed from my eyes. I now see how desperately I need Christ. The heartbreaking truth is that I know God and His teachings and yet I still actively disobey Him daily. Talk about someone who desperately needs deliverance. How can I judge the non-believers for their actions when the world is teaching the opposite of Biblical truth. I can only hope to my but a glimmer of God's light and love.