Isaiah 42:1

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him, and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoking flax he shall not quench. He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. And he shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wait for his law. (Isaiah 42:1–4)

God reveals His servant the Messiah, gentle at His first coming yet faithful to bring justice to the ends of the earth.

Behold the Servant

God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, begins with this word of announcement: behold. Listen up. Consider. Over the last several chapters that same Hebrew word has been employed a number of times. In Isaiah 40:10 we read, "Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him." In verse 15, "Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket." As the children of Israel were told in these chapters, "Behold your God."

Now God says, "Behold my servant. My servant whom I uphold." In the King James Version the word servant is capitalized because the translators recognized this is someone special. We know it is someone special because this exact passage is quoted in Matthew chapter 12 as referring to Jesus:

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 show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive nor cry... A bruised reed shall he not break, and a smoking flax shall he not quench, till he sends forth judgment unto victory. And his name shall the Gentiles trust. (Matthew 12:18–21)

Matthew, inspired by the Holy Spirit, recognized that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah 42. So we know the identity of the servant—but what do we learn about Him? Remember, this was written some 700 years before Jesus came on the scene.

Jesus Is the Servant of the Lord

We're told first that Jesus is a servant. Mark 10:45, one of the theme verses of that Gospel, says, "For the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many." Although He is the King of kings, worthy of all service, He came to serve.

In His service He left us a great example. In Matthew 20:25–28 Jesus said the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over others, "but it shall not be so among you. But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. And whosoever shall be chief among you, let him be your servant." Whoever desires to be great in the kingdom of God, let him be a servant.

The reality is, we have difficulty with this. We do not like to be servants—and especially we do not like it when others treat us as servants, look down on us, or fail to recognize our work. Then we get angry and upset. But it was not that way with Jesus. The rule in God's kingdom is completely different than the rule in the kingdom of man: the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. God has called us, as Jesus was, to be servants.

Upheld by the Father

The next thing we read is that Jesus is upheld by the Father. Several commentators note this could also be translated, "Behold my servant whom I lean upon." John Gill said, "As a master on his servant, he relied upon him to do the work he undertook. He trusted him with his own glory and the salvation of his people." God the Father laid this great task upon Jesus and knew He would fulfill it.

Do we have that same kind of trust from our Father? It is required of a steward that he be found faithful. Jesus was faithful to His task. Though tempted in every point as we are (Hebrews 4), He did not sin or waver. In Gethsemane, hours before His betrayal, He prayed, "If there be any other way, let this cup pass from me, but not my will, yours be done."

We too are upheld by our God. In John 15:5 we find we can do nothing without God, yet in Philippians 4:13 we read that by Christ's strength we can do all things. God has tasked us with a great work—"Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations." That is an impossible task in ourselves, but He equips us. Just before ascending, Jesus said in Acts 1:8, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." God leans upon us to fulfill the task, yet He equips and upholds us so we can do it.

The Elect One in Whom God Delights

We also read in verse 1 that He is the elect one, the chosen one, the ultimate elect one. Our election is a matter of being chosen in Jesus, for Ephesians 1:4 says, "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world."

He is also "the one in whom my soul delights." Twice in Matthew's Gospel God the Father declares His delight in the Son. At Jesus' baptism the voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). On the mount of transfiguration, while Peter was still speaking, God said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him" (Matthew 17:5).

But do you realize that God delights in you as well? Like any child, we desire to delight our Father, but often we feel as though we annoy Him more than delight Him—as though by coming the twentieth time in one day to confess the same sin, we are wearing Him out. So we try to earn God's approval instead of receiving by faith His approval as a free gift. Because He has chosen us, He delights in us.

We tend to relate to God in a quid pro quo way: "God is annoyed with me because I haven't read my Bible all week." The Scriptures reveal that God delights in us whether we do that or not. Now, if we read His Word daily we will know Him more intimately and walk in closer fellowship—but failing to do so today does not make Him delight in us less. We can list dozens of reasons God might be annoyed with us, and you might be right; if I were God, I probably would be annoyed. But I'm not God—and aren't you thankful that's the case?

Why God Delights in Us

You may ask, "Why does God delight in me? I'm not worthy." You might be right that you're not worthy—but He delights in you because you are in Christ, and His soul delights in Christ. Though your works are worthy of judgment, in Christ He received the punishment for them, so God the Father delights in you.

Remember Rahab in Joshua. Before Israel took Jericho, two spies were hidden by her, a woman with a seedy past. They told her, "Put this scarlet cord in your window, and anyone in your household will be saved." Though she and all Jericho deserved judgment, everyone under that covering was spared. So it was at the Passover in Egypt: the blood on the doorpost meant the destroyer passed over, and everyone in that house was spared. In Christ tonight we too are under the covering, protected from God's judgment. Even more, though we deserve His judgment, we receive His delight—just as He delighted in the perfect Son, He delights in us because we are in Him.

The Spirit Upon Him

Verse 1 also says, "I have put my Spirit upon Him." Jesus had the abiding presence of the Spirit. At His baptism John saw the Spirit descending like a dove and abiding upon Him. The same is true of us: in Christ we receive the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. After His resurrection, in the upper room, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit" (John 20). Though we came into this world spiritually dead to God, we have been made alive by Christ. Because of that, Jesus said greater works His followers would do, for they have the abiding presence of the Spirit.

He Will Bring Justice to the Gentiles

Now we learn of the Messiah's work. The end of verse 1 says He will bring justice to the Gentiles. As God inspected Judah and Jerusalem, He sought judgment and justice. In Isaiah 5:7, picturing Israel as a vineyard, "He looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry." It is the same Hebrew word translated justice in chapter 42. God looked for justice and found iniquity.

The kingdoms of this world are filled with injustice and wickedness, but God's eternal kingdom is founded upon judgment and justice. Isaiah 9:7 says of the Messiah, "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end... to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

Gentle, Not Self-Assertive

Verse 2 says, "He will not cry out nor raise His voice nor cause His voice to be heard in the street." Jesus is gentle and meek. He was not self-assertive; He did not dominate or shout others down, nor advertise and promote Himself. Never in the Gospels do we see Jesus out in the streets promoting His ministry.

I'm Italian, and in my household any discussion came with passion and volume—he who spoke loudest was generally most right. Traveling through Italy, I sat at a café in Venice watching people interact so loudly you'd think they were about to fight, and then suddenly they'd break into laughter. The Jewish people are similar—boisterous, using force and bluster to make a point. But not Jesus. The Pharisees were known for loud, ostentatious prayers and for sounding a trumpet when they gave alms. In Matthew 6 Jesus taught His disciples that our giving, praying, and fasting should be done in secret, before the Father who sees in secret and rewards openly—not to be seen by men.

Jesus did not present Himself by shouting in the streets, yet people flocked to Him—not because He had the best ad campaign, but because of who He was.

The Woman Caught in Adultery

One of the greatest displays of Jesus' gentleness is John chapter 8. The scribes and Pharisees brought Him a woman taken in adultery and asked, testing Him, whether she should be stoned as Moses commanded. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground as though He did not hear them. When they persisted, He said, "He that is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her," and stooped again. Convicted by their conscience, they left one by one, beginning with the oldest. Then He asked, "Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, Lord." "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."

Jesus did not even ask where the man was, though the law allowed for stoning them both. Acting as if He hadn't heard the accusers, He simply wrote in the dust until they departed.

A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break

Reading on, "A bruised reed he will not break, a smoking flax he will not quench. He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail, or be discouraged." The bruised and broken, those about to flame out—Jesus gently receives them and mends them.

We tend to come down quickly on those who have fallen. Yes, sin must be dealt with—Jesus told the woman, "Go and sin no more." He didn't gloss over her sin, but He dealt graciously with her, as He has with us. We ought to be gracious with others also.

In Matthew 18 Jesus told of a king who forgave a servant a debt of ten thousand talents, but that servant went out and seized a fellow servant owing him a hundred pence, refusing to forgive. The king, hearing of it, said, "Oh, you wicked servant, I forgave you all your debt... should you not have had compassion on your fellow servant?" Jesus applied it in verse 35: "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses."

A reed grows hollow by the water and bends in the slightest breeze; sometimes we find ourselves doubled over, about to fall apart, and Jesus carefully mends us. Flax, a reed used as a lamp wick, smokes as it nearly goes out; Jesus gently breathes upon it until it is rekindled. As Paul told the Galatians, "If anyone is overtaken in trespass, you that are spiritual, restore such a one in an attitude of gentleness and meekness" (Galatians 6:1).

Meekness Is Strength Under Control

Jesus is gentle, but He is not weak. People often mistake meekness for weakness, but biblically meekness means strength under control. In Gethsemane, when Peter drew a sword and cut off the servant's ear, Jesus told him to put it away, saying, "Do you not realize that if I so wish I could call twelve legions of angels?" That is awesome power held under control.

"He will bring forth justice for truth"—another translation reads, "He will faithfully bring forth justice." In Exodus 34:6–7 God reveals Himself first by mercy, grace, and forgiveness, yet He "will by no means clear the guilty"—the one who has not confessed or repented. Never underestimate the strength of Jesus. He came the first time as a Lamb; He will come the second time as a Lion. The first time He did not cry out, but later in this chapter we will see that when He comes again, He will cry with a shout, and everyone will know it.

He Will Not Fail

Verse 4 says, "He will not fail nor be discouraged." Are you not thankful that Jesus will not fail at anything He set forth to do? He set forth to save you and me, and He will not fail. We must recognize the context of salvation: we are saved (God dealt with the penalty of sin and justified us), we are being saved (He deals with the power of sin in us), and one day He will glorify us (dealing with the very presence of sin). As Paul said in Philippians 1:6, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus."

Interestingly, the same Hebrew word for smoking flax is the word translated fail here—Jesus will not burn out. And the word for discouraged is the same word translated bruised—Jesus will not be broken. He will accomplish the work He came to do, and He will not be dissuaded from it—until when? "Till he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands shall wait for his law." The Messiah's work reaches beyond the borders of Israel; His word and law go forth to all peoples in the uttermost parts.

God's Credentials Guarantee His Promises

Verse 5 continues: "Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens and stretched them out... he that gives breath unto the people upon it... I the Lord have called thee in righteousness... and give you for a covenant to the people, for a light to the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes and to bring out the prisoners from the prison."

These are great promises—but who speaks them? That matters. Imagine walking to your car and a stranger says, "I'm going to give you a million dollars." You'd want to know whether he is fabulously wealthy or has simply forgotten his medication. If Bill Gates said it, wonderful; if I said it, you'd laugh—and you should. When you take a loan, the bank runs a credit check to be sure you can fulfill your promise.

Here we have a credit check on God. Who speaks the promise? "Thus saith God the Lord"—the Creator of heaven and earth and the giver of all life. Look up at the stars He set in motion. Look down at the earth, from the biggest mountains to the smallest microbes. Look in the mirror—He gave you life and sustains it; you took a breath the moment you woke this morning, and that was God. If God can do all this, surely He can fulfill His promises. As Paul says, "All the promises of our God are in him, yes, and in him, amen, to the glory of God."

Called in Righteousness, Yet Prone to Discouragement

In context these words are spoken by the Father to the servant—Jesus. Why would the Messiah need to hear that He was "called in righteousness" and that the Father would uphold Him and hold His hand? Because, although He would not be turned from His task, Jesus had real flesh like ours and was prone to discouragement.

Look at Isaiah 49:4, the words of the Messiah: "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing, and in vain; yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God." Verses 1–3 confirm these are the Messiah's words—"The Lord has called me from the womb... and said to me, You are my servant." Imagine Jesus betrayed by a disciple, abandoned by the rest, tried and crucified by the very people He came to bring back to God. His flesh might well feel discouraged. Yet the Father strengthened Him—and this word applies to us too. When we are on the verge of depression, we must remember God has called us in righteousness, holds our hand, and will fulfill the work He began in us.

A Light to the Gentiles

God continues, "I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people and as a light to the Gentiles." It always amazes me that Israel became so myopic, thinking they alone were loved by God and that the Gentiles had no calling but hell. But on the night Jesus was betrayed, He broke bread and gave the cup, saying, "This is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." He established a new covenant for all peoples.

In Isaiah 49:6 the Father tells the Messiah, "It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to bring Jacob back to me... I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the ends of the earth." This was an encouragement to the discouraged Messiah—and it is also given to us. In Acts 13:46–47 Paul and Barnabas, rejected by the Jews, said, "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you... lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set you to be a light to the Gentiles." He sends His church into a dark world to be that light.

Opening Blind Eyes, Freeing Prisoners

Verse 7 declares the Messiah's work: "to open blind eyes, and to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house." Isaiah 61:1 reiterates it: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me... to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to those that are bound."

But why is man in the prison house? Psalm 107:10–12 says those who sit in darkness, "bound in affliction and iron," are there "because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most high." When they cried to the Lord, He saved them and broke their bonds. Man is bound because he has rejected God's word—and the very message we are given to take to them is God's word, the thing that sets them free. God has opened the prison and given us the task to go in and say, "God has made the way open; come, let me show you."

I Am the Lord—I Do Not Share My Glory

Verse 8 says, "I am the Lord: that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." The context of Isaiah 40–46 is the foolishness of idolatry. God's own people, meant to worship Him in spirit and truth, were bowing to false gods. He asks, "Do any of your gods do what I do? I open the prison house; I make blind men see. Your false gods make you blind and bound. Can they tell you what will happen before it happens? Before those things spring forth, I tell you of them."

Then comes a Psalm of praise (verse 10): "Sing to the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth." God addresses not just Israel but the isles, the wilderness, the villages of Kedar—a capital of Edom—the inhabitants of the rock. Let all peoples lift their voices and give glory to the Lord.

The Lord Shall Roar at His Second Coming

Verse 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." Earlier, verse 2 said, "He will not cry"—that is His first coming. Verse 13 describes His second coming, when He goes forth as a warrior and roars against His enemies.

God says, "I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself; now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once." For a long time—nearly two thousand years—God has been gracious and patient, so much so that men now say, "Where is the sign of his coming? There must be no God." But He will come, refraining His peace no longer.

In verses 15–16 God declares the works only He can do—making waste mountains, drying up pools, leading the blind in paths they have not known, making darkness light. "These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." Can any false god do this? Verse 17: "They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images."

Blind Servants Who Would Not See

"Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see" (verse 18). He is not speaking to the literally deaf and blind but to those who, through idolatry, have made themselves so—more blind than the truly blind. As Jesus indicated to the Pharisees in John 9, their foolishness made them blind. "Who is blind, but my servant?" (verse 19). God sent Israel forth as His messengers, yet they became deaf, dumb, and blind.

They saw Jesus feed multitudes, heal the lame, raise the dead, cast out demons, and cleanse lepers, yet did not perceive. They heard Him say, "I am the resurrection and the life... the way, the truth, and the life... the good shepherd... the door... the bread of life," yet would not understand. As Isaiah 6:10 foretold, God shut their ears, eyes, and hearts that they would not comprehend.

Verse 21: "The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable." It is awesome that God among His church has magnified His word and made it honorable. Yet of His people it says, "This is a people robbed and spoiled... snared in holes, and hid in prison houses"—again, because they contemned the counsel of the Most High.

Judgment on the Unrepentant

"Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned?" God says, "I set you up to be spoiled and robbed—first by the Assyrians, then by the Babylonians—because you sinned and departed from me." He poured upon them the fury of His anger, yet they would not lay it to heart.

God called His people to turn from their idolatry and repent, but all the while they thought they were doing everything required—fasting, praying, offering sacrifices, keeping the feasts and the Sabbath. It had become mere religious motion while they continued in sin. So God said, "I will judge you." Why? Because though He is gracious and patient, He will by no means clear the guilty, and they refused to repent.

Our world today—especially our nation—is full of people who have contemned the counsel of the Most High and rejected His word. He has been silent and patient, but He will roar. When He comes and they hear the roar of His coming, it will be too late to repent. So we have a mission, a call from our God: to bring the word to the captives—the prison door is open; be set free.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You that You have revealed Yourself to us and that You desire that we would know You. We thank You, Lord, that You have called us to be witnesses unto You in Escondido, San Diego County, California, the United States, and the uttermost parts. Give us boldness, Lord. And when we come in contact with someone who refuses Your word, may we be willing to boldly declare it, and then go on to bring the light of the Lord to others who sit in darkness. Lord, we know that there are many in this world and even in our own city who sit in darkness in the prison house. You have given us the word of reconciliation; teach us, Lord, to use it rightly, that we would not be ashamed. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.