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Questions for Community Group

Evan began the first of “Servant Songs”

Servant Songs in

ISAIAH 42:1-9

ISAIAH 49:1-7

ISAIAH 50:4-9

ISAIAH 52:13-53:12

Now, even though we these have been called servant songs, we really do not have any evidence that they were sung. This title is taken from the poetic framework of these particular passages.

Evan brought forth 2 main ideas from the text:

The Chosen Servant (v.1-4)

The work of the Servant (v. 5-9)

In verse 1 and 9 of Isaiah 42, Scripture begins with the word “Behold”. What or who is Isaiah calling us to pay attention to? How can we behold our Lord?

Here!, There!, Look!, Now! a marker used to liven narrative, change a scene, emphasize an idea, call attention to a detail (Ge 6:13); 2. LN 91.13 Here!, There!, Look!, Behold!, a marker of attention (Isa 65:17)

James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

In Isaiah 42, there are many descriptive phrases of this Servant. What in this passage causes us to rejoice in the attributes and work of the Servant? What brings comfort to us?

Five main thoughts occur in the opening section (verses 1–4).

1. There is an assurance that God will watch over and empower his servant (verse 1a–b). “whom I uphold; My soul delights; put My spirit upon Him”

2. There is a brief statement as to his work (verse 1c). “He will bring forth justice to the nations” --- I would add here, we might say a promise for ourselves regarding His work, was not just to Judea, but also to Samaria and unto the ends of the earth. (Ephesians 2:12)

The word justice = to command, to rule, or to be obedient too.

3. The gentleness of the servant is described (verses 2–3). “ He will not cry out or raise His voice”— What does this mean? without recognition, in contrast of earthly kings. Remember we’ve discussed this on Sunday mornings how Jesus, would heal and say do not tell anyone.

“A bruised reed He will not break”/ “And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish”/ “He will faithfully bring forth justice”

-----These two are metaphors, essentially of His gentleness towards those who are weak (bruised reed) and our inability to be a strong flame, our dim burning wick “ He will not extinguish but rather trim and brighten, “ bring forth justice”

5. The servant’s work will result in justice being brought to the nations (verse 4).

--- “He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law”

Allan Harman, Isaiah: A Covenant to Be Kept for the Sake of the Church, Focus on the Bible Commentary (Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 2005), 284.

One of those descriptions is a bruised reed He will not break. Does this description bring clarity about who Jesus is?