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 has set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wait for his law.

Father, as we look into Your Word, we pray that You would speak to us and give us understanding into the passage that is before us, Lord. As we consider Your servant as described here in this passage, we ask, Lord, that we would know You more through Your Word, as You have revealed Your character and Your work through this passage. Speak to us, we pray, for we ask this in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, Amen. You can be seated.

God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, begins with this word of announcement: behold. Listen up. Consider. Over the last several chapters, that same exact Hebrew word has been employed a number of times. Back in Isaiah chapter 40, verse 10, we read, "Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him." Then again, down in verse 15 of chapter 40, "Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as small dust on the scales. Behold, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing, and Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering."

As we behold our God in this passage, as was even the statement to the children of Israel here in one of these chapters, "Behold your God." Now, God says, "Behold my servant." My servant whom I uphold. When we consider this passage, in the King James Version, the word "servant" is capitalized because the translators recognize that this is speaking about someone significant.

We know that this passage speaks about someone special because we see it referenced in the Gospel of Matthew, specifically in Matthew chapter 12. There, in verse 16, we read that Jesus charged his disciples not to make him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah. The prophet says, "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, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and a smoking flax shall he not quench, till he sends forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."

The Gospel writer Matthew, inspired by the Holy Spirit, recognized that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this passage in Isaiah chapter 42, where we read about the servant of the Lord. We know the identity of the servant here in Isaiah chapter 42, but what do we learn about him from this passage? As we consider what this passage says, what does it reveal about the character and the work of the servant, the Messiah, Jesus Christ?

It is important to recognize that the book of Isaiah was written some 700 years before Jesus was even born, before he came on the scene. So, here we have Isaiah telling us about the servant of the Lord, this coming Messiah, this anointed one, long before Jesus arrived. This passage reveals several things about his character.

We are told that Jesus is a servant. In Mark chapter 10, verse 45, one of the theme verses of the Gospel of Mark, we read, "For the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many." Jesus did not come to be served, although he is the King of kings and Lord of lords, worthy of such service. He came to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

In his service, we have a great example. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 20. Turn to your Bibles to Matthew 20 for a moment. In verse 25, we find further insight into his character and mission.

It says, "But Jesus called unto him and said, 'You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 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.'"

That same quotation is found in Mark 10:45: "Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many." Jesus' instruction to his disciples in Matthew chapter 20 was, "Whoever desires to be great among you in the kingdom of God, let him be your servant. Whoever desires to be chief, let him be your minister."

We see that Jesus himself, when he came, is this great servant, the fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1. He has also given us an example of how we ought to serve. The reality is, we have a difficulty with this, do we not? We do not like to be servants. I say that to a group of Christians gathered here, many of whom are servants in the church. You serve in children's ministry, perhaps you've signed up to serve with Vacation Bible School, or you've participated in the Harvest Celebration. You've served down in Mexico and gone on mission trips. Perhaps you serve on the cleaning crew. You desire, because God has worked in you, to serve God and His people.

However, prior to becoming a follower of Jesus, you recognized that you did not like to be a servant. Even still today, if we're honest, when people treat us like servants, that's when we really don't want to be one. When someone looks down upon us as a servant or doesn't recognize the work we're doing, we get angry and upset. But it wasn't that way with Jesus, was it? He left us a great example of what it means to be a servant. He tells his disciples, "Whoever would desire to be great, let them become the least. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first."

You see, the rule in God's kingdom is completely different from the rule in the kingdom of man. God has called us, as Jesus was, to be servants. The first thing we see about Jesus' character in this passage is that He is the servant of the Lord. The next thing we read is that Jesus is upheld by the Father. We can be sure that Jesus was upheld by the Father.

Several commentators agree that this passage could also be translated as, "Behold my servant whom I lean upon." One commentator, John Gill, said that as a master relies on his servant, God the Father relied upon Jesus to do the work He undertook. He trusted Him with His own glory and the salvation of His people. God the Father laid upon Jesus this great burden, this great task, and He knew that Jesus would uphold that work and fulfill it.

I wonder, in considering that, do we have the same kind of trust from our Father? Paul says in Corinthians that it is required of a steward that one be found faithful. Jesus was faithful to the task that God the Father called Him to. Even though Jesus was tempted in every point, as Hebrews chapter 4 says, He did not sin. He did not waver or become discouraged from the task that God the Father had set before Him.

Remember there in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before His betrayal, trial, conviction, condemnation, and crucifixion, Jesus in His flesh said, "If there be any other way, let this cup pass from me; but not my will, yours be done." Because Jesus was faithful to the task that the Father had given Him, we are certainly upheld by our God. We need the strength of the Lord to uphold us.

In fact, in John chapter 15, verse 5, we find that we can do nothing without God. However, in Philippians chapter 4, verse 13, we read that by Christ's strength, we can do all things. God the Father has given you and me a great task. In the same way that He tasked Jesus with an awesome work, God the Father has tasked us with a great work as well: to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

You see, God the Father has given us a great task, upon which He is leaning on us to do that work and fulfill it. At the same time that God is entrusting us with this great work, He is also equipping us to do it. He is giving us the power to accomplish that work. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His disciples in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them.

And you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. The task that has been given to the church—to go into all the world and make disciples—is an impossible task. It's not something that we can accomplish in and of ourselves. However, equipped by the Spirit of God, although God the Father leans upon us to fulfill the task, He equips us and upholds us so that we might be able to do it. I am very thankful every single week that God has given us the strength we need to accomplish the work that He has set before us.

We find that Jesus is the servant of the Lord; He is upheld by God. In verse 1 of chapter 42, we also read that He is the elect one. Jesus is the chosen one; He is the ultimate elect one. Our election is really a matter of being chosen in Jesus. As Ephesians chapter 1, verse 4 says, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. Remember, Jesus is the one that God has chosen to fulfill the work and accomplish the task, and we are chosen in Him.

Not only is Jesus the elect one, but we also read here that He is the one in whom my soul delights. Jesus delights the Father God. God the Father is delighted in the Son. Twice in the Gospel of Matthew, we see God the Father expressing His delight about the Son. You remember the story when Jesus was baptized at the Jordan by John the Baptist? As He came up out of the water, the Spirit descended from heaven, and there was a voice that came from heaven. In Matthew chapter 3, verse 17, God the Father said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Then again in the Gospel of Matthew, in chapter 17, Jesus was on a mountaintop with Peter, James, and John, and He was transfigured before them. Luke's Gospel reveals that Peter, James, and John were probably asleep and were startled awake by the fact that Jesus was transfigured. He was shining bright light in the middle of the night, and there standing with Him were Moses and Elijah. Peter, being the one who always had something to say, said, "Lord, it's good that we're here. Let us build three tabernacles." As he was speaking, God the Father showed up, and His presence, the presence of the Spirit of God, was there. God spoke and said in Matthew 17, verse 5,

While Peter was still speaking, God the Father overshadowed them and said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him." Jesus is the chosen one, and He is the one in whom the Father delights.

But do you realize tonight that God delights in you as well? God delights in us. Like any child, we desire to delight our Father, but so often we feel as though we annoy Him more than delight Him. Have you ever felt that way, that you've failed, and in reality, you're annoying God by coming to Him again, the twentieth time in one day, to confess the same exact sin? Maybe I'm the only one who's ever experienced such things. We all have those moments where we wonder, "Am I just annoying the Lord?"

Many of us, in our estimation that we're annoying the Lord, try to earn God's approval instead of realizing that it's His free gift and receiving by faith His approval. Because He has chosen and elected us, He delights in us. We often choose to relate to God in a quid pro quo relationship, meaning, "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine." We say things like, "Well, God is annoyed with me because I haven't read my Bible all week long." We think that if we would just read our Bible every day, then God would be delighted in us.

The Scriptures reveal that God is delighted in us, whether we do that or not. Now, if we read our Bible every day, we would know more about the heart of our Lord. We would get to know Him more intimately and have a closer walk and fellowship with Him because we draw near to Him through reading His Word and through praying. However, if we've failed to do so today, it doesn't mean that He delights in us any less or is annoyed with us more. His soul delights in us.

We can come up with dozens of reasons why God might be upset with us or annoyed, or why He may not delight in us. And you know what? You might be right. In every single reason that you would bring up, if I were God, I probably would be annoyed with you. But I'm not God. And how many of you are thankful that's the case? You all should be raising your hands really high. Because if I were, I probably would be annoyed. But time and time again, the same old thing, the same old thing. But I'm not the Lord, and God is not annoyed. You may wonder and ask the question...

Well, why is it that God delights in me? I'm not worthy of His delight. And again, you might be right that you're not worthy of His delight. But even so, He still delights in us because we are in Christ, and His soul delights in Christ. If you are in Christ, then you delight the Father tonight. Even though your works are worthy of judgment, you're in Christ tonight, and He received punishment for those works. So, God the Father delights in you.

Do you remember the story of Rahab, the harlot, in Joshua chapter 7? Remember the children of Israel when they were getting ready to cross into the Promised Land? The first city they were going to encounter was that great stronghold near the Dead Sea region called Jericho. The children of Israel were going to confront the people of Jericho. But before they did, Joshua sent two spies into that city, and they were taken in by a woman who had a seedy past—a woman who had been a harlot. She took them into her house and protected them when the king of Jericho sought them out. She bid them to remember her when they came. They said, "If you will put this scarlet cord, this red cord in your window, when we come, anyone who's in your household will be saved."

Although she deserved the judgment and punishment of God, and although all the people of Jericho deserved the judgment they would receive, anyone found in that household would be spared. Why? Because they were under a covering. As long as they stayed in that household, their blood was upon their own head if they went out. God spared the people who were in that house protected by the scarlet cord.

Very much the same way, the children of Israel, some 40 years before that time, were getting ready to leave Egypt. On the last night they were in Egypt, they partook of the Passover. What did they do with the blood of the sacrifice? They put it upon the doorpost of their house. Everyone in that household, though the destroyer would pass over, would be spared. The firstborn would be spared because they were under the covering and in that house with the blood upon the doorpost.

You and I tonight, as we are in Christ, are protected from the judgment of God. But even more than that, although we deserve His judgment, we receive His delight. What an awesome thing it is to know!

God the Father delights in us. Just as He delighted in the Son, we would rightly say, of course God the Father would delight in Jesus. Consider who Jesus is; He is perfect in every possible way. Yet, God delights in you and me in the same way tonight because we are in Christ.

Not only that, in verse 1 we read, "I have put my Spirit upon Him." Jesus had the abiding presence of the Spirit upon Him. In John chapter 3, verse 16, just before God the Father said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," at Jesus' baptism, we remember that Jesus came up out of the water. John the Baptist saw the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove, and it abode upon Him. The Spirit of God was upon Jesus, and the same is true for you and me tonight. In Christ, we receive the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

After His resurrection, in John chapter 20, Jesus met with His fearful disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem. He breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." Although you and I came into this world with a spirit that was dead to God, we have been made alive by Christ tonight. If you put your trust and confidence in Jesus and the work that He did on the cross, you have the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in your life just as the Messiah did when He came. That is an awesome thing to consider.

It is because of this purpose that Jesus would say to His disciples, "You see the great works that I have done? Greater works shall you do as well," because you have the abiding presence of the Spirit.

Not only do we learn about the character of the Messiah in this passage, but we also learn about the work of the Messiah. We see that He is the servant of the Lord, upheld by God. He is that chosen one who delights the Father and has the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. But what will He do with all these things?

Look at the end of verse 1: He will bring justice to the Gentiles. God, as He inspected the people of Judah and looked over His city, Jerusalem, was seeking for judgment and justice. Remember back in Isaiah chapter 5 when we read about the vineyard that was a picture of the children of Israel? In Isaiah 5, verse 7, it says, "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts..."

The house of Israel and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for judgment; it's the exact same Hebrew word translated as justice in chapter 42. God looked for justice, but behold, He found oppression. He looked for righteousness, but behold, He found a cry. God desired to see among His people justice and judgment, but instead, He saw inequity and wickedness.

The kingdoms of this world are filled with injustice and wickedness. However, God's eternal kingdom is one that is founded upon judgment and justice. We read in Isaiah 42 that Jesus will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. In Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6, we read about how unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Remember when we read in verse 7 about His work? It says, "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth forevermore." The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Jesus' eternal kingdom is founded upon judgment and justice. The kingdoms of this world are void of such things, but not so in the kingdom of Christ. Not only will He bring justice to the Gentiles, but in verse 2 of Isaiah 42, we read that He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. Jesus, when He came, was gentle and meek. He was not self-assertive; He did not dominate or shout others down when He did His work. He didn't advertise or promote Himself and His ministry. Never in the Gospels do we see Jesus out in the streets advertising or promoting His ministry, do we?

The Jewish people, much like the Italians, are known for their passionate discussions, often conducted fairly loudly. In my Italian household, the one who spoke the loudest generally was considered the most right. You may come from a family like that as well. I remember a number of years ago when I had the opportunity to travel with some friends through Italy. Although I don't speak Italian, it was interesting as we were sitting at a café in Venice.

Just looking at the Italians and the way they interact with each other is always very loud. You might think they are yelling at each other or about to get into a fight, and then all of a sudden, they break out in laughter. That's just the way they talk.

If you go to Jerusalem today, you will see that the Jewish people are exactly the same way. They are a very boisterous group, often using great force and bluster to get their point across. However, Jesus was not that way, as we see Him in the Gospels.

Remember, the Pharisees of Jesus' day were known for their loud, ostentatious prayers. They would stand in the streets and pray as loudly as they could so that people passing by would think, "Wow, look how great they pray." When they gave their gifts or alms to the poor, they would send a herald before them to blow a trumpet and announce, "Yo, Pharisee so-and-so is going to be giving," so everyone would look at them and say, "Oh, how wonderful it is that he gives."

But Jesus tells His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, specifically in Matthew chapter 6, that our giving is to be different from that of the Pharisees. The way we pray is to be different from the rest of the world. In Matthew chapter 6, verse 1, Jesus said, "Take heed that you do not do your alms or your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say unto you, they have their reward. But you, when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable deed may be done in secret. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

He speaks about giving in verses 1 through 4 and then about prayer in verses 5 through 8. When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets to be seen by men. Assuredly, I say unto you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Then, down in verse 16, Jesus speaks about fasting. He says, "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance."

For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Jesus, when He came, did not present Himself in such a way, shouting in the streets for people to come to Him. Yet, people were attracted to Him, weren't they? Everybody flocked to Him, not because He had the best ad campaign or was promoting Himself in the best possible way. I think one of the greatest displays of Jesus' gentleness is what we find in John chapter 8. In fact, I want you to turn there because I think it's such a beautiful passage of the Gospel of John.

Unfortunately, there are those who are critics of the Bible who say that John chapter 8, verses 1 through 12, is actually not in the original manuscripts, although many of the originals do contain it. In John chapter 8, Jesus is confronted by a group of Pharisees who bring to Him a woman who was taken in adultery. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives early in the morning and came again to the temple. All the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman who was caught in adultery. When they had set her in the midst of Him, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery in the very act. Now Moses in His law commanded us that she should be stoned. But what do you say?" This they said, testing Him, that they might have something with which to accuse Him.

But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger as though He did not even hear them. When they continued to ask Him, He raised Himself up and said, "He that is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her." Again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went one by one, beginning from the oldest even

But have the light of life. Jesus' gentleness is on display in the story of a woman who was guilty. She did not try to defend herself; she knew she was taken in the act of adultery. Jesus didn't ask the accusers, "Well, where's the man? If the woman is here, you took her in the very act. Where's the man? Let's stone them both." He didn't say that, although that's what the law said. Instead, Jesus, acting as though he didn't even hear them, stooped down and began to write on the ground with his finger. One by one, they left.

He will not cry out nor raise his voice nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. Reading on, we find in Isaiah 42 that he says, "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." Again, we see the gentle character of Jesus. The bruised and the broken, those that are about to flame out, Jesus gently receives them and mends them. He is the one who revives those who are about to fall by the wayside. The woman taken in adultery is a perfect example of this.

We tend to come down quickly upon those who have fallen. When a brother or sister has fallen by the wayside, their sin must be dealt with, just as it was with the woman in the story in John chapter 8. Remember, Jesus commanded her when she left, "Go and sin no more." He didn't gloss over her sin, but he told her to go and sin no more. He has dealt graciously with you and with me, and I am so thankful that he has. Although we are deserving of his judgment, he has been so gracious to us time and time again when we fall by the wayside. We ought to be gracious with others as well.

In Matthew chapter 18, Jesus told a parable of the kingdom. He said the kingdom is likened unto a certain king who took account of his servants. When he began to reckon with them, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. You remember that story? But because he could not pay his Lord, the Lord commanded that he would be sold, along with his wife and children and all he had, and payment be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshiped his master, saying, "Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything." The Lord of that servant was moved with compassion; he loosed him and forgave him the debt.

But that same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 pence. He laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, "Pay me what you owe me." His fellow servant fell down at his feet and besought him, saying, "Have patience with me, and I'll pay you all." However, he would not. Instead, he went and cast him into prison until he should pay the debt.

When his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry and came to tell their Lord all that had happened. When his Lord heard it, he called him and said, "Oh, you wicked servant! I forgave you all your debt because you desired me. You cried out to me. Should you not have had compassion on your fellow servant even as I have pity upon you?" His Lord was angry and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay what was due to him.

Jesus applies the parable in verse 35 of Matthew 18, saying, "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses." We see that Jesus is gracious. He is the one who is gentle. A bruised reed He will not break; a smoking flax He will not quench.

You know what a reed is. If you go down to a pond or a lake, you see those things growing along the shore, and many times they are hollow inside. As soon as they start to dry, even a small breeze can blow them over, and they bend. Like a bruised reed, sometimes you and I find ourselves doubled over, about to fall apart. But Jesus is the one who comes and carefully mends us back together.

A smoking flax refers to flax that grew by the rivers in Egypt, specifically known for its use in making wicks for oil lamps. That smoking flax, just about to go out, is rekindled by Jesus, who carefully breathes upon it. God has done that in our lives time and time again. He is so gracious to do so.

We ought to learn of His grace and also be gracious to those we come in contact with. It is so easy for us to come down on someone who has messed up. However, when we feel the temptation to do so, we need to consider ourselves, lest we also be tempted, as Paul told the Galatians in Galatians 6:1. "If anyone is overtaken in a trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in an attitude of gentleness and meekness." Just like Jesus, that is what we are called to do.

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoking flax he will not quench. He will bring forth justice for truth. Jesus is gentle, but He certainly is not weak. A lot of times, people equate meekness with weakness. However, if you consider the true definition, or a biblical definition, of what meekness is, it means strength under control.

What does that strength under control look like? Remember when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane? Judas came in with a group of soldiers from the temple. Judas identified Jesus with a kiss, and the arresting officers laid hold of Him. They asked Him, "Are you Jesus of Nazareth?" He replied, "I am," and they fell over with power. As they were arresting Him, Peter, using force, took out a sword and cut off the ear of one of the servants of the high priest. Jesus told him to stop. He said, "Put away the sword. Do you not realize that if I so wish, I could call twelve legions of angels?" That is meekness—strength under control. Jesus possesses awesome power, yet He is able to control it.

We read here that He will bring forth justice for truth. Another translation reads, "He will faithfully bring forth justice." I am thankful that God reveals Himself in Exodus chapter 34, first by His mercy, grace, and forgiveness, as stated in verses 6 and 7. However, even though He first reveals Himself by speaking of His mercy and grace, He does not allow unconfessed sin and the unrepentant sinner to go unpunished. He says, "By no means will I clear the guilty." This means that the one who is guilty and has not confessed or repented of their sin will be punished. He will faithfully bring forth justice.

So, never underestimate the strength of Jesus. Yes, He came the first time as a lamb, but He will come the second time as a lion. When He came the first time, He did not cry out. However, later on in this chapter, we will see that when He comes a second time, He will cry with a shout, and everyone will know it.

Justice for truth. Verse 4 of Isaiah 42 states that He will not fail nor be discouraged. Are you not thankful tonight that Jesus will not fail? He will not fail at anything He set forth to do. He set forth to save me. He set forth to save you, and He will not fail.

Now, a lot of times we say, "Well, I'm already saved," but we need to recognize the context of what the Scriptures say. The Scripture says that we are saved, meaning God has dealt with the punishment of our sin. He's justified us. We are being saved, which means God is cleaning us. He is dealing with the power of sin in our lives. One day, He will glorify us, meaning He will deal with the presence of sin. We will no longer be in the presence of sin. So, God is saving us. Jesus will not fail at this work.

Paul said in Philippians 1, verse 6, "Being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." He will not fail. It's interesting that the same word used for smoking flax, just a few words before this, is the exact same Hebrew word translated as "fail" here, meaning Jesus won't burn out. There will never be a time when He burns out.

The word used for "discouraged" here is translated as "bruised." So, when we read just a few verses before this that a bruised reed He will not break, it's the same exact thing. Jesus will not burn out. He will not be broken. He will accomplish the work that He went to do. He'll finish what He started. He will not be discouraged, meaning He will not be discouraged from the task. He will not be dissuaded from the work.

Until when, though? Notice what He says: "Till He has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands shall wait for His law." Notice there that the Messiah's work reaches further than the borders of Israel. He will not fail. He will not be discouraged from His work until He brings judgment and justice to the whole world, extended throughout the entire earth. His word and His law will be sent forth to all peoples in the uttermost parts. He will not be discouraged from the task until He has completed the work.

Continuing on, in verse 5, Isaiah says, "Thus saith God the Lord: He that created the heavens and stretched them out, he that spread forth the earth and that which comes out of it, he that gives breath unto the people upon it and the spirit to them that walk therein. I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and I will hold your hand and I will keep you. I will 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 and them that sit in darkness and in the prison house. I am the Lord; that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare. Before they spring forth, I tell you of them."

Thus saith God the Lord. God is speaking. Although Isaiah was the one that held the pen and wrote it on a scroll, it was God who was speaking. The character and work of the Messiah are presented in Isaiah 42:1-4. It sounds like a wonderful and awesome thing that God is going to do. These great promises that God says He will not fail; He will not be discouraged. He will execute justice and judgment. God will do all these things.

But who is it that speaks such great promises? Why is that even important? Well, imagine tonight you walk out of these doors and you're walking to your car. Someone comes up to you and says, "I'm going to give you a million dollars." You would want to know, are you an amazingly wealthy individual, or did you just forget to take your meds? The character of that individual, who it is that's speaking to you, would mean a lot of things, wouldn't it?

If they were an amazingly wealthy person, you might become very happy if they said, "I'm going to give you a million dollars." But if you knew them to be kind of a strange bird and they said, "I'm going to give you a million dollars," you would think, "Well, I've heard that before." It would make a difference, wouldn't it, who it was that was speaking to you?

If Bill Gates came and said to you, "I'm going to give you a million dollars," that would be great. But if I said to you, "I'm going to give you a million dollars," you'd probably laugh, or you should. You want to know something about the individual making the promise. Just like when you go to the bank to take out a loan, the bank wants assurance that you can fulfill the promise that you're going to make to them. You go into a covenant with them, you establish a contract with them, and they want to make sure that you're going to make good on the promise.

What do they do? They run a credit check. They want to see if your credit lines up, if you pay your bills, and if you take care of those sorts of things. Well, here we have a credit check on God. Who is it that is speaking the promise? Thus saith God, the Lord.

Who is God, the Lord? We are told that He is the creator of the heavens and the earth and the giver of all life. God says, "Look up! Go look at the stars. I created all that. I set all of that into motion. I'm the one who maintains its motion." If the stars aren't enough for you, look down. Look at the earth. I created that, from the biggest mountains to the smallest microbes. God is the one who made these things.

If that's not enough, looking up to the stars and looking down to the earth, look in the mirror. He gave you life. He is the one who not only gave us life but sustains our lives. You woke up this morning; you took a breath. Right when you opened your eyes, that was God who did that. If God can do all these things, certainly He can fulfill the promises that He made, and He will fulfill them.

All the promises, Paul says in First Corinthians, are in Him yes and in Him amen to the glory of God. God will fulfill the promises that He said He would do. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and the spirit to those who walk in it.

"I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness. I will uphold your hand, and I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles." I called you in righteousness.

Now, in context, these words spoken by God the Father are directed to the servant, who we have already established is Jesus. God the Father is speaking to the Son and saying to Him, "I called you in righteousness." Why would Jesus, the Messiah, need to know that He was called in righteousness and that God the Father was the one who would uphold Him and hold His hand?

Why is it that God the Father would be saying these things to Jesus, the Son? Wouldn't you think that Jesus would, of course, know that He was going to do these things and that He had been called in righteousness? I think it's important to recognize that although we read...

Earlier, we discussed that Jesus would not be discouraged; that is, He wouldn't be discouraged from the task that God set before Him. He certainly was prone to discouragement because Jesus had a body, had flesh like you and I have, and so He was susceptible to discouragement. Don't believe me? Look at what we read about the Messiah in Isaiah 49. Just a few chapters to the right, Isaiah 49:4 states, "Then I said, 'I have labored in vain, and I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain. Yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.'"

These are the words of the Messiah. You may ask, "How do you know it's the words of the Messiah?" Well, look at verses 1 through 3: "Listen, O coastlands, to me; take heed, you peoples from afar. The Lord has called me from the womb; from the matrix of my mother, He has made mention of my name. He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand, He has hidden me and made me as a polished shaft in His quiver. He has hidden me and said to me, 'You are my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.'"

Then I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain. Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, and my work with my God." The Lord says, "Who formed me in the womb to be His servant," which we just saw in Isaiah 42:1. Jesus is the servant to bring Jacob back to Him. His work was to bring the children of Israel back to God the Father. So, Jesus is the one who is speaking; this is prophetic of the Messiah. Here, He is saying, "I've labored in vain; I've spent my strength for nothing and in vain. Yet surely my judgment was with reward from the Lord."

See, Jesus was prone to discouragement. How many of you have felt that way? He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. This word that is spoken here, although it was directed to the Messiah in Isaiah 42, certainly applies to us as well. When we find ourselves discouraged and on the verge of depression, we must remember that God has called us in righteousness. He will hold our hand and fulfill the work that He set out to do in us. God will accomplish the task that He set out to do in us.

God continues speaking to the Messiah here, and God the Father says, "I'm going to keep you and give..."

You are a covenant to the people and a light to the Gentiles. It always amazes me that the Jewish people became so myopic. They began to think that they were the only ones chosen by God, that they alone were the ones God loved, and that they alone were the ones God would bless. They believed the Gentiles had no call from God and that God had no plan for them other than to cast them into hell. Many of the Jews in Jesus' day felt that way about the Gentiles.

It blows my mind that Jesus came to establish a new covenant and be a light to all peoples. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, remember, He sat down and had a meal with His disciples. He broke bread with them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body, which is broken for you. This do as often as you eat it in remembrance of Me." Then He gave them a cup and said, "Drink; this is the cup, or this is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

So, Jesus came to establish a new covenant for all peoples, and He is a light to the Gentiles. Again, turn over to Isaiah 49 for a minute. In Isaiah 49, we see the discouragement, or the verge of discouragement, of the Messiah saying, "I have labored in vain." Jesus expresses, "I have spent My strength for nothing and in vain." Why would Jesus ever think that? Imagine, Jesus is betrayed by one of His disciples, all the rest of His disciples scatter, and now Jesus is being tried by the people He came to preach to, and they are going to crucify Him.

Could you imagine that His flesh might be a little discouraged? Just before He is crucified, all His people, the children of Israel, turn against Him completely. One of the tasks that He came to do is to bring the children of Israel back to God.

At that moment, God the Father speaks prophetically in Isaiah 49:6. He says, "Listen, it's too small a thing that you should be My servant to bring Jacob back to Me." The middle portion of verse six reveals that it was not only Jesus' mission to save the children of Israel; God sent Him to be the one who would bring light to all peoples.

We, too, are prone to discouragement, but God the Father encourages us just as He encouraged Jesus. The words in Isaiah 49:6 are given as encouragement to the Messiah, saying, "Listen, you are not only sent to bring about the children of Israel's restoration; I’m sending you to be a light to the Gentiles." This word is also given to us. Isaiah 49:6 is not only for the Messiah.

In Acts chapter 13, Paul and Barnabas, during their first missionary journey, illustrate this. We read in Acts 13:46 that Paul and Barnabas wax bold and say, "It is necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you." They are speaking to a group of Jews who are rejecting them. They continue, "But seeing that you put it from you, rejected it, and judged yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles."

In verse 47, they explain, "For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, 'I have set you to be a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'" Isaiah 49:6 shows that Jesus came to bring salvation to all peoples—those who put their confidence and trust in Him for salvation. He came as a light to the Gentiles, and then He sends His church into a dark world to be a light to the Gentiles and to the rest of this world.

What else does the Messiah do? Again, back to Isaiah chapter 42, verse...

The work of the Messiah is to open blind eyes and to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house. As we further see the unfolding of the Messiah's mission, part of His work is to open blind eyes and to set captives free. This is reiterated in Isaiah 61:1, where the prophet, speaking of the Messiah, says, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because He has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to those that are bound."

The Messiah has come to open blind eyes and to set captives free, those that are in the prison house. But why is man in the prison house? Why is man in bonds and in chains? Turn in your Bibles to Psalm 107. I promise this is the last time I make you turn somewhere.

In Psalm 107:10, we read, "To such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron." God is speaking through the psalmist. He says to those that are seated in darkness, to those that are bound in affliction, those in the prison house: why are they there? Look at verse 11. "Because they rebelled against the words of God and they contemned the counsel of the Most High." They rebelled against God's word and disregarded God's counsel.

Therefore, in verse 12, we see that He brought down their heart with labor, and they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distress. He brought them out of darkness, out of the shadow of death. He broke their bonds asunder.

Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wondrous works to the children of men! To those that are bound because they rebelled against the word and contemned God's counsel, man is bound in the prison house because he has disregarded God's word. He has rejected God's word. Isn't it interesting? The message that you and I are given is God's.

We are to take the word of God to those who are in darkness because it is the very thing that sets them free. This is the ministry of the Messiah: to come and set men free, to open the prison to those who are bound. He has opened the prison, and He has given you and me a task to go into the prison house and say, "Listen, God has made the way open for you to be out of here. Come, let me show you the way." What an awesome task we have!

In Isaiah 42, verse eight, God says, "I am the Lord. That is my name. I am Yahweh, and my glory I will not give to another, nor my praise to carved images." He continues, "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and the new things I declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them." God emphasizes that He is the Lord and does not share His glory.

The context of Isaiah chapters 40 through 46 highlights the foolishness of idolatry. As we saw in the previous weeks, God declares, "I am greater than your false gods, than your idols, than the things you bow down to. I am the Lord, and I do not share my glory." He is speaking to His own people, those who were supposed to worship Him in spirit and in truth, but who had departed from Him and were bowing down to false gods.

God challenges them, asking, "Do any of your gods do the things I have just spoken to you about? I am the one who opens the prison house. I am the one who makes blind men see. Do your false gods do that? They make you blind; they make you bound." God calls out to His people, asking, "Can your gods tell you what is going to happen before it happens? Before those things spring forth, I tell you of them."

At the end of verse nine, we find a Psalm of praise in verse ten: "Sing to the Lord a new song and His praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea and all that is therein, the isles and the inhabitants thereof." God is speaking to all of creation, not just the children of Israel. When He speaks to the isles and the inhabitants thereof, He is addressing the nations beyond Israel.

He says, "Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voices, the villages that Kedar inhabits." Kedar was one of the capitals of Edom. God calls to all the peoples around about, urging them to lift up their voices and sing praise to the Lord. "Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; let them shout from the top of the mountains."

Let them give glory unto the Lord and declare His praise in the islands. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man. He shall stir up jealousy, jealousy, jealousy like a man of war. He shall cry, yea, roar. He shall prevail against His enemies.

Now remember earlier in this passage in Isaiah chapter 42, verse 2, we read that He will not cry. But now in verse 13, we read that He is going to go forth like a man of war, and He is going to cry, yea. He is going to roar, and He is going to prevail against His enemies. You see, Isaiah 42, verse 2 is a statement about Jesus's first coming, but verse 13 is a statement about His second coming. God is calling to the nations, saying, "Hey, you better get ready because I'm coming again."

I have a long time holding My peace, God says. 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, God has held His peace. Men say, "Where is the sign of His coming? If there is a God, why doesn't He do something about all the sin that's going on here on the earth?" Well, God has been gracious for 2,000 years, has He not? For a long time, He has held His peace. He has held His peace to the point that men now say, "Well, there is no God." God has been so silent and so patient, waiting and holding His peace that men say, "Well, obviously, there must not be a God."

But listen, He is going to come. He is going to refrain from holding His peace. He is not going to refrain Himself any longer. He is going to cry like a travailing woman. He is going to destroy and devour at once. He says in verse 15, "I will make waste mountains and hills and dry up their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. I will bring the blind by the way that they knew not. I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them and not forsake them."

Now consider, God's people were bowing down to false gods. Can any of their false gods do the things that God proclaims here that He will do? In verse 17, He declares, "They shall be turned back. They shall be greatly ashamed that trust in graven images, that say to molten images, 'You are our gods.'" Here in verses 15 and 16, He declares, "These are the things that I do for My people who worship Me, but you trust in false gods. Why? If you trust in false gods, you'll be greatly ashamed."

Hear, ye deaf, and look, ye blind, that you may see. God calls to the deaf and to the blind.

They may see, but He is not speaking here literally to those who are literally deaf and literally blind. He is speaking to those who, because of their false god worship, have made themselves deaf and blind. In one sense, they are more deaf and more blind than the truly blind and deaf of this world.

Just as Jesus spoke in John chapter nine, after He healed the blind man who had been born blind, the Pharisees came to Him and asked, "Are we blind also?" He basically does not even answer their question because the indication was that they were, due to their foolishness.

Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as My messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect, or blind as the Lord's servant? He sees many things, but does not observe; he opens the ears, but does not hear. The children of Israel, God's people—servant with a little "s"—were those who were supposed to be His servants and messengers. God sent the children of Israel forth to be His messengers to this earth, but they became deaf, dumb, and blind. They saw many things, but they could not comprehend them.

What did they see? They saw Jesus feed multitudes. They saw Jesus heal the lame, raise the dead, cast demons out of people, and heal lepers. They witnessed many miracles, but they did not perceive what was happening.

What did they hear? They heard Him say, "I am the resurrection and the life." They heard Him say, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." They heard Him say, "I am the good shepherd. I am the door. I am the bread of life." Yet, they would not understand why.

Just as Isaiah chapter six, verse 10 said, God was going to shut their ears so that they would not hear and understand, shut their eyes so that they would not see and comprehend, and make their hearts dull of hearing so that they would not understand.

In verse 21, the Lord is well pleased; for His righteousness and righteousness' sake, He will magnify the law and make it honorable. It is so awesome that God, among His people, His church today, has magnified His law and made it honorable. He has magnified His word to the point that we honor His word.

But this is a people robbed and spoiled. They are all of them snared in holes and hidden in prison houses. Why are they in prison houses? Psalm 107, verse 11 tells us it is because they contended against the counsel of the Most High. They are all prey, and none delivers; for a spoil, and none says, "Restore." Who among them will give ear to this?

Who will hearken in here for a time to come? Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? God says, "I'm the one who set you up to be spoiled, to be robbed first by the Assyrians and then by the Babylonians." Why have I done this? Because you've sinned; you departed from me, for they would not walk in His ways. Neither were they obedient unto His law.

Therefore, He has poured upon them the fury of His anger and the strength of battle. It has set them on fire roundabout, yet they knew not. It burned them, yet they laid it not to heart. God was calling out to His people that they turn from their wicked idolatry, that they repent. All along, they thought, "Well, we're doing everything He told us to do. We fast, we pray, we offer sacrifices, we observe the feast days, we observe the Sabbath." But it all just became religious motion, and they continued in their sin.

So God says, "I'm going to judge you." Why? Why would He judge them? Because although He is gracious and patient, He will by no means clear the guilty. They were guilty of sin and refused to repent, and so God would judge them.

In our world today, it is full of people who have contemned the counsel of the Most High, especially in our nation. They have rebelled against God's word and rejected it. He has been silent and patient, but He will roar. He will once again come, and when He comes, when they hear the roar of His coming, it will at that time be too late to repent.

We have a mission; we have a call from our God to go and bring forth the word to the captives that the prison door is open. Be set free.

Let's stand and pray. Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for the fact that You have revealed Yourself to us and that You desire that we know You. We thank You, Lord, that You have called us to be witnesses unto You.

Escondido, San Diego County, California, the United States, and the uttermost parts. Give us boldness, Lord. When we come in contact with someone who refuses Your word, may we be willing to boldly declare, "You've made your decision, you've made your choice, but I'm to go on and bring the light of the Lord to others, to others that 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 so that we would not be ashamed. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.