The speaker introduces the concept of the servant songs in Isaiah and their significance, sharing a personal story that leads into a discussion about the Jewish understanding of the Messiah.

Introduction to Isaiah's Servant Songs

A conversation about the identity of the Messiah, differing Jewish interpretations of the servant in Isaiah, and a reading and analysis of the second servant song from Isaiah 49, focusing on the servant's call.

Discussion on the Messiah's Identity and Isaiah 49

An outline of the book of Isaiah, highlighting the themes and the role of the servant, alongside a discussion on Israel's mission and God's purpose for the servant as a reflection of His character.

Overview of Isaiah's Structure and God's Purpose for His Servant

Elaboration on the servant's role and how it contrasts with Israel's failures, addressing the issue of sin within Israel and God's need for judgment and redemption.

The Servant's Mandate and Israel's Sin

Exploration of the servant's feelings of discouragement and how it relates to Christ's human experience, followed by a discussion on how the servant responds to discouragement, emphasizing reliance on God.

The Servant's Discouragement and God's Response

Highlighting the servant's mission to restore Israel and bring salvation to the nations, culminating in a focus on his exaltation and the joy it brings to creation.

The Servant's Victory and Exaltation

Reflection on God's promise to never forget His people, despite their feelings of abandonment, and a wrap-up discussing the universal experience of discouragement and the hope found in God.

God's Assurance and Conclusion on Discouragement

A prayerful reflection on Jesus as a servant and an example for believers.

Worship and Reflection

# Weekly Newsletter: Exploring the Servant Songs of Isaiah

## Introduction

Welcome to this week's newsletter! We continue our journey through the profound teachings of the Book of Isaiah, focusing on the "Servant Songs." These passages reveal the nature and mission of the Lord's servant, a mysterious figure central to the message of hope in the Old Testament.

## The Servant's Mandate

In Isaiah chapter 49, we delve into the second of the Servant Songs, which outlines the servant's mandate. The passage emphasizes:

- **Divine Calling**: The servant is called from the womb, indicating a purpose that predates their birth.
- **Powerful Imagery**: The servant's mouth is likened to a sharp sword and a polished arrow, symbolizing effectiveness in delivering God's message.
- **Identity**: God declares, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified," highlighting the servant's role in embodying Israel's mission.

### Israel's Historical Context

Isaiah's narrative contrasts the unfaithfulness of Israel with the faithfulness of the servant. The servant is tasked with:

- **Restoration**: Bringing Jacob (Israel) back to God.
- **Universal Salvation**: Being a light for the nations, ensuring God's salvation reaches the ends of the earth.

## The Servant's Discouragement

Despite the high calling, the servant expresses feelings of discouragement:

- **Laboring in Vain**: "I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing."
- **Human Experience**: This sentiment resonates with the struggles many face, including feelings of isolation and futility.

### A Reflection on Discouragement

- **Historical Figures**: Notable leaders like Abraham Lincoln and renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon experienced profound discouragement, illustrating that no one is immune to these feelings.
- **God's Assurance**: Even in despondency, the servant holds onto the truth that "my right is with the Lord," affirming trust in God's ultimate plan.

## The Servant's Victory

The passage transitions from discouragement to victory:

- **Calling Back the Lost**: The servant will call Jacob back to the Lord and restore Israel.
- **Divine Recognition**: Kings and rulers will recognize the servant's significance, demonstrating that God's plan will triumph despite challenges.

### The Ultimate Hope

- **God's Compassion**: The Lord reassures His people that He will not forget them, likening His commitment to that of a nurturing mother.
- **Future Promise**: Those who wait for the Lord will not be put to shame, emphasizing the hope that comes from trusting in God.

## Worship and Reflection

As we bow before the Lord and worship His Son, Jesus, we are reminded of His marvelous example as the perfect servant. He endured suffering and rejection for our sake, showing us the path of servanthood we aspire to follow. Next week, we will explore the fourth Servant Song, where He takes on our sins, embodying the ultimate act of love and sacrifice.

### Key Takeaways

- The servant's mandate is to restore Israel and bring hope to the nations.
- Discouragement is a common struggle, but we can find solace in God's promises.
- The ultimate victory belongs to the Lord, and His compassion for His people endures.

Thank you for joining us this week. We look forward to continuing our exploration of Isaiah and the profound truths it holds for us today!

"Discover Hope in Isaiah's Servant Songs: A Journey of Faith"

- The speaker discusses Isaiah chapter 49 and the "servant songs" that describe the servant of the Lord.
- Shares a personal story about a Caribbean cruise with family, where he engaged a Jewish vendor in a conversation about the Messiah.
- The vendor acknowledged the traditional Jewish view of the servant as the Messiah but expressed confusion about the suffering aspect.
- The speaker outlines the themes of the second servant song, emphasizing the servant's calling, discouragement, victory, and exaltation.
- Highlights the structure of Isaiah, contrasting Israel's unfaithfulness with the faithful servant introduced in chapters 40-66.
- Emphasizes that God's plan includes not only the salvation of Israel but also the entire world.

- Isaiah emphasizes God's plan to save not only Israel but the entire world.
- The servant in Isaiah's songs faces persecution and rejection but ultimately serves as a vicarious sacrifice and achieves victory.
- Israel was called to reflect God's holiness and attract all nations to Him, but they failed in this mission.
- God's servant, representing a new Israel, will fulfill what Israel could not, and His purpose was established before His birth.
- The servant's effectiveness is illustrated through powerful imagery of a sword and arrow.
- Despite Israel's wickedness, God promises forgiveness and restoration, which is resolved through the servant's role.
- The servant expresses discouragement, paralleling Jesus' experiences, revealing His human emotions amidst divine purpose.
- The incarnation of Christ is highlighted as a union of full divinity and humanity.

- The incarnation of Christ is a mystery where His humanity is added to His deity without subtraction.
- The speaker expresses a deep love for theology but admits struggles in understanding the incarnation.
- Discouragement is highlighted as a powerful tool used by the devil to influence people.
- God's response to discouragement involves recognizing His strength and honor rather than earthly validation.
- The importance of focusing on eternity rather than temporary life struggles is emphasized.
- The speaker reflects on biblical themes of restoration and God's unwavering compassion for His people.
- Historical examples, such as Abraham Lincoln and Charles Spurgeon, illustrate that even prominent figures experience deep discouragement.
- Ultimately, there is hope and encouragement to trust in God's love and future plans.

- Trust in the Lord for an unimaginable future.
- Worship the Lord and Jesus as the perfect servant.
- Jesus exemplifies servitude and endured suffering for humanity.
- Upcoming focus on Jesus as the bearer of our sins.
- Gratitude for eternal bliss prepared by God.
- Prayer for a positive response to discouragement.

- Discussion of Isaiah chapter 49 and the "servant songs."
- Personal story about a conversation with a Jewish vendor regarding the Messiah.
- Vendor acknowledges the Messiah but is confused about the suffering aspect.
- Overview of the second servant song's themes: calling, discouragement, victory, and exaltation.
- Contrast between Israel's unfaithfulness and the faithful servant in Isaiah 40-66.
- God's plan includes salvation for both Israel and the world.
- The servant faces persecution but serves as a vicarious sacrifice.
- Israel's failure to reflect God's holiness and attract nations.
- The new servant fulfills Israel's mission, established before His birth.
- Imagery of sword and arrow illustrates the servant's effectiveness.
- God's promise of forgiveness and restoration through the servant.
- The servant's discouragement parallels Jesus' experiences.
- Emphasis on the mystery of Christ's incarnation: full divinity and humanity.
- Acknowledgment of struggles in understanding the incarnation.
- Discouragement as a tool used by the devil.
- Focus on God's strength and eternal perspective in response to discouragement.
- Reflection on restoration and God's compassion.
- Historical examples of prominent figures facing discouragement.
- Encouragement to trust in God's love and future plans.
- Call to worship Jesus as the perfect servant.
- Anticipation of Jesus bearing humanity's sins.
- Gratitude for God's prepared eternal bliss.
- Prayer for positive responses to discouragement.

Will you open the Bible to Isaiah chapter 49, please?

At the end of the book about Isaiah, there are 4 beautiful poems we call them servant songs, which speak about the servant of the Lord, this mysterious person.

About 3 years ago, my 2 brother-in-laws and my sister-in-law, my wife's brothers and sisters, decided that The 4 couples should get together for a cruise.

So I got rained into a cruise in the Caribbean.

And we came to an island, which belongs as I understand it to the cruise company.

And we visited this island, and I put some money aside.

We've been married for, well, 50 years, and I wanted to buy something for my wife, a little ring or something.

And my brother-in-law, who is fairly well off, is very good at bargaining.

He says that if someone on 1 of those islands is trying to sell something for $1, 000, you pay 100%, 10%.

And I've seen him walk out and see the owner of the store walk out after him and get what he wants.

So my wife was looking at this little ring, 10 something, and it was about a thousand dollars and she was doing pretty well.

And I figured I was going to buy a ring from him that he was going to hear the gospel a little bit.

And I've had some experience with his people.

So I said to him, have you ever read the book of Isaiah?

Now, I realize he would have said anything to me because he wanted to sell that ring.

But he was probably fairly knowledgeable.

I said, who is the servant in the servant songs?

He knew, as well as I knew, that for the 200 or 300 years before the birth of our Lord, every Jewish writer, every Jewish rabbi who wrote the great theologians said he was Messiah.

And it troubled him that this Messiah would suffer because that wasn't part of their theology.

And naturally, many of them saw 2 messiahs.

1 messiah who would descend from Joseph, who would suffer, and another messiah who would descend from David or from Judah, who would reign eternally.

And the messiah who descended from Joseph would be a warrior who would die and Would be placed by the Southerners of the Messiah.

That was the theology So he knew that and he knew that after the birth of Christ, after the death of Christ, Jewish theologians changed their mind.

The servant was not Jesus, it was not the Messiah.

So we talked a little bit about who this Messiah was, and as I say, he said, oh, you must be a pastor.

Well, I'm not much in titles, but anyway.

And he said, I have 2 brothers who are evangelical pastors.

Well, maybe you know I mean he wanted to sell me that ring But we talked about the Messiah we talked about the Lord's servant Not sure how far we got but I did what I wanted to do.

So I want to look at the second of these servant songs.

Last week, Louis helped us look at the first 1 in Isaiah chapter 42, where the theme is how much this Messiah will give hope.

And this week we have the Lord's servant, his call.

Let's read the first 13 verses of Isaiah chapter 49.

Listen to me, O coastlands, give attention, you peoples from afar.

The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother He named my name.

He made my mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of his hand he hid me.

And he said to me, You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

I have spent my strength for nothing in vanity or emptiness.

Yet surely my right is with the Lord, And my recompense is with my God.

And now the Lord says, He who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength." He says, it is too light a thing, he being God the Father, Yahweh.

He says, it is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel, I will make you as a light for the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy 1, to 1 deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers, King shall see and arise princes and they shall prostrate themselves because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy 1 of Israel who has chosen you.

Thus says the Lord, in a time of favor I've answered you, in a day of salvation I've helped you.

I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people to establish the land to a portion of the desolate heresies.

Saying to the prisoners come out, to those who are darkness appear.

They shall feed along the ways on all bare heights and all bare heights shall be their pasture.

They shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them.

For he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

And I will make up all my mountains, I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up.

Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sien.

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exalt O earth.

Bring forth O mountains into singing, for the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted." We'll do a short introduction.

We'll look at the servant's mandate in the first 3 verses.

We'll look at the servant's discouragement in verses 4 and 5.

We'll look at the servant's victory in verses 6 and 7 and the servant's exaltation in verse 7.

And you can outline Isaiah this way, the first 35 chapters of Isaiah, Israel is Yahweh's Jehovah's servant, and he's unfaithful.

He's a failure and God is weeping, distressed over his servant.

From verses chapter 36 to 39 we have a historical interlude.

The story of King Hezekiah, Yahweh's servant.

And he was a good king in many ways, but he ended so badly.

The Lord had saved him from Assyria miraculously, killing tens of thousands of soldiers before the gates of Jerusalem so they couldn't take the capital of the country.

The king of Assyria was assassinated by his own sons.

But as he grew older in pride, when he was visited by the representatives of the nation of Babylon, he put his trust in Babylon rather than the Lord.

And in his pride he showed off all he had, not realizing or not admitting that it was a gift from the Lord, not his own.

Chapters 40 to 66, Yahweh's servant is introduced in 4 poems, 4 psalms.

These 4 psalms, Isaiah 42, which Louis did such a great job last week introducing to us, this servant gives hope.

And Yahweh, God the Father, delights in him.

In the second song which we'll see this week, Isaiah 49, The servant listens and he obeys.

And he will restore both Israel and the whole world to Yahweh.

1 of the things that comes out so clearly in Isaiah, more than any other book in the Old Testament, is God is not only going to save Israel, he's going to save the whole world.

The third song, which we will not have time to see in this series, the servant accepts persecution and suffering, but he will be vindicated.

The fourth song, I'll have the privilege of sharing with you next week, Isaiah 52.13 through 53.12.

The fourth song, Isaiah 52-13-53-12, the servant is rejected.

He suffers terribly, but he is the vicarious sacrifice for sinners, and he is victorious.

Now God's purpose for his servant Israel, he was called to reflect the character and the holiness of God.

That when people saw Israel, that they would be attracted to their God.

Remember how the nations of the world came to visit Solomon because of his wisdom and because of the glory of Israel and the Temple of Israel.

This was a little bit of what God had reasoned for calling Israel.

Israel was called to attract all nations to Yahweh's.

He was called to redeem the earth, to restore all the earth to a Garden of Eden condition.

But 1 of the themes in the Bible is the Garden of Eden, which was the place where God started off with Abed-Niv, but Abed-Niv's mission was to reach out from the Garden of Eden and turn all the earth into a Garden of Eden.

The temple was God's presence and Israel's mission was that what was true of the temple, God building the temple, would be true throughout the whole world.

Israel was called to be in communion with Yahweh, with the Lord.

Much as Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden, and in the evening God came and was in communion with them.

This was God's goal for Israel, but Israel decided to be in communion with idols instead.

And Israel failed in all these vocations, failed badly.

Let's look at the servant's mandate in the first 3 verses.

This servant will call out Israel's mandate.

God always accomplishes what he wants to accomplish.

What God's servant in the first 39 chapters did not accomplish, God's servant in the last 4 chapters, in the last, and these 4 servant songs, will accomplish.

God's will, his plans, his decrees, they're going to come to place.

This passage which you read tells us that his birth and ministry were decided before he was born.

From his mother's womb, from his mother's body.

It always amazes me that we learn so very little about the first 30 or 29 years of our life, of our Lord's birth, of his life.

We read that when he was 12 years old, he went to the temple.

It was that tabet for young Jewish boys when they became really a Jewish person, a person of faith.

And sometimes certain groups of Christians will try to invent Jesus doing miracles and healing birds and that type of thing.

There's not the inscription about that, not revealed to us.

But he is called and he has a clear mandate.

Even before he is born you should call his name Jesus.

And he will faithfully use his mouth to declare God's word.

The arrow is smooth, which means it won't miss its target.

And he has a sharp sword which is effective.

How strongly, how clear is it that he is going to accomplish everything that Israel didn't.

Now, of Israel a nation, the Port of Paul tells us in Romans 2 that the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

They are supposed to be the light of the Gentiles.

Instead of that, The name of God is blasphemed because of them.

Now, this new Israel, Yahweh says, in whom I will show my glory.

We can be confident that God will always accomplish what he decided to accomplish.

God will accomplish his purposes for calling Israel.

Now, that doesn't mean that God will not accomplish his purposes concerning Israel, the nation, in future time.

But in Christ, all that Israel was to be, all that Israel was to do, is accomplished.

Now there's a problem without a solution in the book of Isaiah.

1 of the great major prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, 1 of the things that keeps coming out is that Israel was worse than the pagan nations around them.

Their idolatry, child sacrifice, adultery, violence, exploitation of the poor, the widows, the orphans, their blasphemy, their theft.

They were everything God didn't want them to be.

In Isaiah chapter 6, God is revealed as 3 times holy, and God has to judge.

But Isaiah tells us that God is going to forgive them.

God is going to bring them back to Himself.

The 3 times holy God has to judge Israel.

God has to judge these sins and these sinners.

These sinners, both individually and corporately, they are condemned, both here on earth in exile, because Isaiah foresees that, as does Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Paul expresses his problem very clearly when he says, I say at this time of righteousness that he might be Jesus, that he might be just and justifier.

That the Lord God will be righteous, he'll be just, when he justifies sinners.

The servant in these 4 songs revealed will resolve that problem.

Let's look now at something that's very surprising, that blows my mind over the years as I studied the book of Isaiah.

The servant says, I have labored in vain.

I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity or emptiness.

And those are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm going to prove to you over the next 2 weeks that the servant is Jesus.

Now is it possible that Jesus be despondent, discouraged?

goes against everything that I think about

But as I turn to the New Testaments, there are hints of that.

By the way, there are things revealed about our Lord in the 4 certain Psalms that we don't see in the New Testament.

Luke 9.1, he says, oh faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you." That sounded a bit discouraged.

In Mark chapter 8, he says, do you not understand?

All these years I've been teaching you, haven't you understood yet?

Speaking to his disciples before his crucifixion, He says, you will all fall away, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.

We can add to that Peter's denial of our Lord 3 times, the betrayal by Judas, Jesus on the cross, the disciples are running away.

Beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% man.

When we look at the incarnation, we understand that the incarnation, when God became man, when Christ became human, His addition is not subtraction.

I had 2 full bookcases full of theology textbooks.

Over the last number of years, my wife will tell you that buying books has been my priority, perhaps too much, And my house was too full of books, and we started a new seminary in our area.

And I gave all my theology textbooks to that seminary to start off their library.

It was 22 boxes of my theology textbooks.

I probably read, I think, every major theology textbook that's come out in the last 30 years, and a lot of the older ones.

But there are things I don't understand, and I do not understand the Incarnation.

And I do not understand how Christ was 100% human.

And that our Lord should be discouraged, go beyond anything I can understand.

But it's revealed as truth in the scriptures.

It tells us the great mystery of the incarnation, that he became man, and he was every bit human exactly as we are, and he was tempted in every way that we are, and every emotion and difficulty and experience that we've experienced, he experienced it.

And as much as it's difficult for me to say this, it was difficult.

They tell us that 1 day the devil was going to put some of his tools up for sale and he advertised them.

And the day of the sale, the tools were placed for public inspection.

of the sale, the tools were placed for public inspection.

day of the sale, the tools were put on public inspection, each being marked with a sale price.

And there were a lot of implements, hatred, envy, jealousy, doubt, lying, pride, and so on.

All these the devil was selling as tools.

But laid apart from the rest of the pile was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn, and priced very, very high, much higher than the others.

Oh, said the adversary, that's discouragement.

Because it's more useful to me than all of the others.

I can pry open and get inside a person's heart with that 1, when I can't get him near with other tools but once I get inside I can make him do what I choose it's a badly worn tool because I use it on almost everyone since few people know it belongs to me The devil's price for discouragement was so high he never sold it and still is major tool He still uses uses it on God's people today But doesn't stop there the Lord's response to discouragement in his servants our Lord's response to discouragement is most of the stuff just for us.

And in the Bible the right hand is, excuse me if you're left-handed, My dad was left-handed, my son is left-handed.

But the right was the strong hand, the strong arm, certainly in my case.

And so the Lord is saying my strength is with the Lord.

My recompense is not being recognized succeeding here on earth.

Our Lord responds to discouragement most who realize that His reckons pence us with the Lord.

Then He says, I am honored in the eyes of the Lord.

What does it matter if I'm rejected by the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the Herodites and the people and they don't respect me and they reject me?

I am honored in the eyes of the Lord God.

And that doesn't say my God is strengthening me.

That's saying that God Himself is my strength.

I'd be loved if you brothers and sisters don't all be discouraged at some time.

I'm an emotional guy and I get discouraged easily.

My wife can tell you that she lifts me up on a fairly regular basis.

I think 1 of our major problems is that we have our eyes on our own brief life.

We all know that eternity is forever and ever and ever never ending and that's what's more important.

And boy, When something happens in this life that goes against our goals, our wishes, our priorities, we don't take it well and we don't realize that it doesn't matter.

May the Lord's response to discouragement, to despondency, be an example for us when we face it.

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11-17-2024