The Servant's Crucial Calling | Isaiah 49:1-13
The Servant fulfills three roles that are crucial in determining how we should relate to him. He is: (1) a spokesman to heed, (2) a light to follow, and (3) a rescuer to trust. This sermon is part 1 in "The Suffering Servant," Bryan Craddock's series of verse-by-verse sermons on Isaiah 49-55.
Last fall my family and I visited Yellowstone National Park. We enjoyed seeing the spectacular geysers, hot springs, and canyons. But one day we found a spot away from the crowds where we could get up close to a cascade on one of the rivers. We were mesmerized by the roaring power of the rushing water. But as mighty as rivers like that are, they can be diverted. Someone could even build a dam that could limit the flow of water downstream and cause it to back up and form a lake upstream.
The flow of time is even more powerful. It is beyond our ability to control. Yet biblical prophecy reveals that God directs it according to his will. So, when he intervenes at one point, it affects both the people who live afterward farther downstream and those who live upstream before the event even happens. This concept of time will help us as we resume our study of the Old Testament book written by the Prophet Isaiah.
In chapters 49-55, Isaiah foretells the coming of a servant of the Lord who will undergo intense suffering but will accomplish great things. He introduced the servant in chapter 42, but he reveals much more about him in this section. Several New Testament passages identify Jesus Christ as the Suffering Servant. But Jesus lived over 700 years after the prophecy. So, how could Isaiah’s prophetic words be relevant to the people of his time and to all of us today? Tracing the flow of time in the biblical narrative may help us understand the connection.
In the beginning, God creates everything, and it is very good. But that perfect existence is broken when Adam and Eve fall into sin (Gen 2 & 3). As people multiply, wickedness increases until God decides to flood the earth in the days of Noah (Gen 6). Afterward, God makes a covenant with Abraham in which he promises to give his descendants a land and to make them into a great nation that will restore God’s blessing to all the families of the earth (Gen 12:1-3).
Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, is given the name Israel. Over the course of four hundred years, his descendants end up enslaved in Egypt, but the Lord multiplies them and works through Moses to rescue them, give them his Law, and lead them to the promised land. Eventually, the Lord unites the twelve tribes of Israel in one kingdom ruled by David from Jerusalem about 1,000 years before Christ. But by Isaiah’s time almost three hundred years later, ten of the northern tribes of Israel have rebelled against God and have broken away from the rule of David’s descendants.
As punishment, the Lord brings the Assyrian Empire against them. The prophecies in the first 39 chapters of Isaiah relate to this threat. The northern kingdom is conquered, but Jerusalem holds out thanks in part to Isaiah’s ministry. Yet Isaiah reveals that before long they will be conquered and led into exile by the Babylonian Empire.
So, in chapters 40-48, he prepares them for that intense trial which would come around one hundred years later by showing them the strength that is found in knowing the Lord. The remaining chapters in Isaiah’s prophecy look even farther ahead to the ministry and crucifixion of Jesus during his first coming and to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant promises at Jesus’ second coming when he will reign on the throne of David. We find ourselves in that gap as Jesus works in and through his church.
So, we have the privilege of understanding how some of Isaiah’s prophecies have been fulfilled as we await the fulfillment of the rest. But whether near or far, the timing of their fulfillment does not affect their relevance. Isaiah spoke these words to impact the lives of people in his day 2,700 years ago, and these prophecies should impact our lives today. We all stand in the same river shaped by the coming of the Suffering Servant.
Now in Isaiah 49:1-13, the prophet begins this section by describing the Servant’s calling. He fulfills three roles that are crucial in determining how we should relate to him, and we will see how Jesus fulfills each one. As we do, I encourage you to evaluate your own relationship with Jesus.
A Spokesman to Heed
It doesn’t take long for the frightening weapons of conquerors to become crumbling artifacts of history. Honestly, the same could be said of many things that we fear. They seem like a great threat at the moment, but time keeps flowing and life moves on. We might even look back and shake our heads over all the time we wasted in worry.
In Isaiah 49:1-2, the Servant says that God has called him to be a weapon of a different sort. He is a divine spokesman communicating piercing words of truth. He says,
Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away.
The Servant addresses this declaration to the coastlands, the nations across the sea, the people groups that are far from Israel. He tells them of the calling that the Lord has given him from the womb. From the standpoint of God’s sovereignty, you could say that everyone has a preordained purpose from the womb. But we only know it in hindsight. The Servant is fully aware of God’s plans for him.
The Lord made his mouth like a sharp sword. This could describe the spiritual impact of his speech. Hebrews 4:12 describes the word of God like a scalpel, “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” But the other metaphors here in Isaiah 49:2, portray something more threatening. The Lord conceals this sword in his hand. The Servant is like a polished arrow in a quiver, waiting to be fired.
But as the Servant fulfills this role, he experiences frustration. In Isaiah 49:3-4, he tells us,
And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." But I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God."
Some use verse 3 to argue that the Servant is not an individual, but a personification of the people of Israel. The problem with this interpretation becomes apparent in verse 5. The servant introduces a response from the Lord, by saying,
And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him—for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength—
The Servant’s purpose in being the Lord’s spokesman is to bring the people of Israel to repentance. So, the Servant is clearly separate from the people. Others argue that Isaiah is the Servant, but other things that he says about the Servant cannot apply to him. The New Testament leads us to a different interpretation. In Revelation 1:16, John describes his vision of Jesus by saying,
In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Jesus was called to be a spokesman for God. He came to preach (Mk 1:38). He spent three years going from town to town calling the people of Israel to repentance. People were astonished at how he taught with authority (Mk 1:22). He cast out demons and performed miracles as confirmation. But his full glory was still concealed. People did not listen to him. Luke 19:41 tells us that as he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he wept over it.
So, Jesus experienced the frustrating futility that the Servant describes in Isaiah 49:4. But the Servant also speaks of waiting for recompense and justice with the Lord in that verse. Revelation 19:15-16 shows us the ultimate fulfillment of this role. It describes the return of Christ by saying,
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Jesus does not just give helpful instruction. Don’t misunderstand his meekness. He has spoken authoritative words that will be the ultimate standard of judgment for the entire world. That is why the Servant calls the coastlands to listen and give attention. Their eternal destiny depends upon it, and so does ours. Are we listening? Are we paying full attention? Heed the piercing words of the Servant.
A Light to Follow
A while back I stayed in a hotel room that had an emergency light near the door. I have never seen anything like it anywhere else. It was intended to show the way to escape in case of a fire or some other problem. But I just wanted to sleep, and it was bright enough to be bothersome. If there was a way to do it, I would have shut it off or covered it with something. Of course, if an emergency had occurred, I would have felt very differently about that light.
Isaiah describes a similar dynamic at work with the Servant. As we saw in Isaiah 49:4, he felt that his initial efforts in speaking for the Lord were futile. But the Lord restates his calling in even more elevated terms. He is also a light to follow. Isaiah 49:6 tells us,
he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
When God first made his covenant promise to Abraham, he revealed his intent to bless all the families of the earth through him (Gen 12:3). But that rarely happens in Old Testament history. Most of the time the people of Israel are either fighting against other nations or succumbing to their evil influence. Perhaps it is no surprise that believers today often respond in the same problematic ways.
So, what does it mean for the Servant to be a light? Isaiah described him this way back in verse 6 of chapter 42. He then explained the analogy in verse 7 by saying that the Servant’s purpose would be, “to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.”
If you look at each line of this verse apart from the others, you might be inclined to take them literally. But combining them suggests that they are figurative. Blindness and imprisonment illustrate someone’s spiritual condition. We are blind to the light of truth and held captive in the darkness of sin.
John 9 tells us that Jesus used these terms to describe his ministry. He claimed to be the light of the world and then miraculously healed a man who had been blind from birth. But even with that physical miracle, he was making a spiritual point. The Pharisees picked up on it and asked him if they were blind. John 9:41 tells us, “Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, “We see,” your guilt remains.’”
They did not respond well to Jesus as the light, but Isaiah’s prophecy foretold that. Isaiah 49:7 tells us,
Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."
The nation that abhors and despises the servant is Israel. As we know from the Gospels, they reject Jesus and demand his crucifixion. The light bothers them so much that they attempt to snuff it out. But the Lord says here that kings and princes, presumably from other nations, will respond differently, bowing down to him. This could be taken as an act of submission, or even of worship.
Does that ever happen to Jesus? Not during his first coming. Ultimately, every ruler will bow before him. But I think that this prophecy may refer to the way that some rulers since the time of Christ have come to believe and worship, following him as the light of the world. Thankfully, the light is not just for rulers, but for everyone.
Has he opened your eyes and set you free from the darkness? If so, then follow his example and shine his light. As the body of Christ, it is our job to carry on this role for him. In fact, Paul makes this connection by quoting part of Isaiah 49:6. Acts 13:46-47 tells us,
And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
Let’s show and tell the world that Jesus is the light!
A Rescuer to Trust
Imagine this scenario. A commando is sent to rescue someone that is held captive by a hostile enemy power. Once the person is freed, there will be a long and dangerous journey home. So, preparations have been made to ensure their safety the entire way. No expense has been spared. But when the rescuer arrives the person refuses to trust him. They feel that things are not really that bad, and that they can take care of themselves.
Isaiah describes a similarly shocking story. As we have seen, the Servant will come as a spokesman and a light, yet his own people despise him and abhor him. But the Lord does not give up on his plan. The Servant is also a rescuer to trust. Isaiah 49:8 through the first part of verse 9 tells us,
Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.'
What does it mean for the Servant to be a covenant? When Adam and Eve sin, the world becomes the domain of darkness. Whether we realize it or not, we are born as captives, enslaved by the evil one. The Lord reveals the goals of his rescue plan in his covenant promises to Abraham. But his people must grasp their desperate need for his help. So, he gives them the Law through Moses and requires them to obey it in order to experience the blessings of the covenant.
But they are still spiritual captives! They cannot obey. They fail time and again, and that is the point. They need to trust God’s plan rather than their own abilities. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who come after Isaiah, speak of a new covenant in which the hearts of the Jewish people will be changed so that they finally receive the full blessings of the covenant (Jer 31:31-34; Ezek 36:24-28). Ezekiel speaks of the Spirit’s work, but Isaiah highlights the work of the Servant. He will rescue the prisoners from the darkness. Later we will see that his suffering is necessary to accomplish this.
Yet in Jesus’ first coming most Jewish people refuse to trust him, thinking that they can work things out on their own. They choose to remain under the domain of darkness. Perhaps some are simply content with it. Others insist that Jews need to try harder to obey by adding extra rules. A few skip the obedience and seek to bring about blessing by fighting for political power.
Some Jews do trust Jesus, but because most do not, the Lord’s work quickly comes to focus on shining the light for the nations. Nevertheless, Isaiah says that the Servant will one day take possession of the promised land, reclaiming the inheritance that was first granted to Abraham. At some point, a generation of Jewish people will come to trust in Jesus as their rescuer. In Romans 11:25-27, Paul explains,
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins."
The second half of Isaiah 49:9 through verse 12 tells us how the Servant will protect the nation when they come to trust him. The Lord says,
They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up. Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene."
Will this prophecy be fulfilled in a literal journey through the desert? Perhaps. Jewish people are still scattered around the world today, and Isaiah speaks often of a highway being prepared to bring them together. But in a sense, every believer experiences the Servant’s provision and protection that is described here. So, trusting the servant should lead to celebration. Isaiah 49:13 says,
Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.
The Servant’s calling reflects the character of God. He is the God of all comfort and compassion. So, even when life is hard, we can celebrate his perfect rescue plan. Keep trusting the Servant!
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So, do you understand the Servant’s calling? Does it shape how you relate to Jesus? He is a spokesman to heed, a light to follow, and a rescuer to trust. If you have never done so, I encourage you to start believing in him. If you would like to learn more about how he saves and protects us, the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel would be a good place to read.
If you are a believer, do you need to change how you relate to him? Do you honor the authority of his words? Are you quick to obey? Do you look to him as your light to understand life? Do you trust him to bring you safely home? Do you shine his light for others to see through the things you do and the words you speak?
May we all join in the heartfelt celebration of the Servant!
Reflect
Which of these roles are best reflected in how you relate to Jesus? How is this expressed in your life?
Which of these roles could be better reflected in how you relate to Jesus? What steps could you take to change?
How might this passage shape our witness to the unbelieving world?