"The Servant & the Spirit" Sermon: Isaiah 42:1-9

“The Servant & the Spirit”
[Isaiah 42:1-9]
January 11, 2009 Second Reformed Church

Israel was captive in Babylon at the time that Isaiah preached. The Babylonians had conquered Israel and brought the Israelites to Babylon – to what we call Iraq and Iran, today. The prophecies of Isaiah are a combination of condemnations of the Israelites and the Babylonians – for different reasons – and passages of a glorious restoration of Israel – and the world – that would come one day.

The second half of chapter forty-one of Isaiah is his condemnation of Israel for worshiping idols. He tells them that it was the sin and the stupidity of worshiping idols that caused God to send them into captivity as punishment. He asks them what good it does to make an idol out of wood or metal and worship it? It cannot hear; it cannot see; it cannot do anything, because it is merely an idol that a human has created. It is not the Almighty God.

John Calvin, one of the reformers who led part of the Church back to the Reformed – we would say, biblical – understanding of the Scripture, said that humans are naturally idol-makers. We naturally, sinfully seek to put something else in God’s place – so we don’t have to submit to God, so we can have control over our circumstances – over God.

Most of us don’t have carved statues that we pray to and worship, but we commit idolatry whenever we put our trust in something above God. Look how many are committing idolatry in this current economic situation: how many have put their trust in their finances above God, and when they slip away, they sink into despair. It’s times like these that we need to stand up before the world and let them know that we do not put our hope and faith in the things of this earth, but in Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, Who has and will always provide us with ever need that we have. Are you putting your trust in something other than God and His Savior this morning? Are you putting your trust in something that can be lost or taken away? That’s idolatry.

Isaiah turns from this condemnation to revealing part of the glorious future that would come to Israel in the form of the Servant: “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him;”

This morning’s Scripture is God directly speaking through Isaiah, and God tells Israel that He has chosen and appointed His Servant to do something. This Servant will be Someone in Whom God delights, and in Whom God gives the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit. And in 2009, we will remember what happened in those first days of Jesus’ Ministry as He submitted Himself to the baptism of John the Baptist, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him, and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17, ESV) On this side of the cross, it is obvious Who Isaiah is prophesying about.

The Servant, Isaiah says, will bring justice to the nations, and surely Israel heard this to mean that they would get their land back, and that is part of what it means, but it is not the whole story: not only will the land of Israel be returned to her, but when the Servant comes, He will rule over and govern, not only Israel, but all nations.

And when He comes, as we just celebrated, “He will not cry aloud or lift up His voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench.” This is a message of reconciliation through Christ. We remember, He did not come with all the pomp and circumstance of kings – few people knew of His Birth, and when people realized Who He is, He often told them not to tell anyone. It was not His Plan in His First Coming to announce Himself to the world – remember we saw last week that He gave it to the Church – all those who believe throughout space and time – to spread the Gospel before His Second Coming.

And see, the Servant comes with mercy: “a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench.” If a branch had been damaged, but has not completely broken off the plant, we will often break it off; if a candle, or a lamp, has an ember of fire on the wick, we will stamp it out. Not so with the Servant And here, he is referring to faith – to belief – Jesus came to the weak, the bruised, the failing, the hurt – He healed the branch and blew the ember back into a flame.

Remember what Paul wrote, “For consider your calling, brothers, not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what was foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing that things that are, so that no human may boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (I Corinthians 1:26-31, ESV).

Most Christians are not in the top echelon of those the world sees are “valuable.” The Servant has come and chosen – mostly – from the bruised reeds and smoldering wicks to claim a people for Himself. Remember, last week, I said that we were like a litter box that God has put a diamond in, and the point of God putting a diamond in a litter box is so that it will stand out and emphasize the glory of the diamond Don’t feel dismayed that God doesn’t put you on a pedestal, instead, let us rejoice and be glad, knowing who we are, knowing our sin and our weakness, and that God has chosen us to make the world know how glorious He is through us!

Matthew tells us that these first four verses were fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus: “Jesus, aware [that the Pharisees wanted to kill him], withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah” (Matthew 12:15-17, ESV) and then he quotes those four verses. The Servant came with mercy for those who are His people.

Yet His Mildness and Humility should not be misunderstood for weakness. Isaiah continues, “he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he established justice in the earth; and the coast lands wait for his law.”

Here, when it is said that the Servant will bring justice, we understand this to mean full justice – the end of evil – and this justice is for the whole earth, not just for Israel, but for beyond the coast lands. Matthew tells us that Jesus ministered where He did to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, “‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned’” (Matthew 4:15-16, ESV).

This prophecy has obviously not been completed: justice has not come to the whole earth, evil has not been punished, not everyone throughout the world has heard the Gospel. So, let us understand that this began with the Incarnation of the Servant – with Jesus’ Birth, and it continues through His Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, and through the age of the Church – when we are the light of the world, the deliverers of His Gospel, until the day when He returns to Judge and restore all things.

So, Isaiah told Israel, “God has not forgotten His Promise to send a Savior: He will send a Savior. The Savior will be indwelt by God the Holy Spirit. But He will come quietly and to the poor and the humble, and not only to the Jews, but to every nation, as was promised to Father Abraham. But He will accomplish his Work – Judgment and Restoration – in His Time.”

After giving them this glorious hope, God swears by Himself that this is true. God confirms their faith and assures them by swearing on Himself:

God says that they can trust in that promise because God is the God of the Creation – nothing exists that exists except by the Will and the Word of This One God. He can be believed and trusted.

God says that they can trust in that promise because God is the God that caused humans to come into existence. He is the God that put breath into their bodies, and He gives the Holy Spirit to those who walk in His Ways. He can be believed and trusted.

God says that they can trust in that promise because called out a people for Himself. He has made them righteous for His Sake and by Himself. He has taken them by their hand – God will never leave or forsake them – they are His forever. God has entered into a covenant with them – a treaty – God has reconciled them to Himself through His Servant. God has looked down in mercy at the spiritually dead, and given them life; He has opened the eyes of the spiritually blind; He has freed the prisoners of sin and called them sons and daughters of God; He has rescued them from everlasting darkness and brought them into the Light. He can be believed and trusted.

God says that they can trust in that promise because He swears on His Own Name, “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” God tells them the most valuable thing in the world to Him is His Glory and He will not allow anyone else to have it, so He swears by His Name and the Glory He is due that He will send the Servant, Who will be victorious – they will see the Glory of God as He fulfills His Promises. He can be believed and trusted.

God says that they can trust in that promise because it is already coming to pass: “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.” He can be believed and trusted.

These promises and this assurance is not just for the believers of Israel, but for the whole Church – for all throughout time and space that believe – including you and me. In 2009, we know that some of these things have come to pass, but God is still working through the Church, and He will work through us until He returns. God has given us the priceless gift of Salvation through His Servant, Jesus, and God has sworn by Himself that He will bring to pass all that He promised, and God’s past actions give us no reason to doubt Him, rather, let us trust Him.

God sent His servant, Who was indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and now the Servant gives to all those who believe in Him the same indwelling of God the Holy Spirit. Let’s put away our idols. Let’s put away our fears. Yes, let’s use the wisdom and the gifts God has given us, but let us rely on the Spirit and the Servant and His Word, trusting in God because He is the One and Only God, Who has sworn by His Name that all these things shall occur, and all our needs shall be met.

Rather than worrying our bank accounts, rather than worrying about terrorists and war, rather than worrying about the future, let us trust God and tell others how glorious He is. He can be believed and trusted.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You that You are the Only True God and You keep all Your Promises. We thank You for letting us live on this side of the cross so we can see Your promises fulfilled and being fulfilled. Help us to trust You and to put away our idols. Make us be Your light in this world, and glorify Yourself through us. For it is our joy, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.