THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
Lesson 15: Chapters 41:1-43:13
Part III: Prophecies of Consolation (Chapters 40-66)
Dear Lord Jesus,
"Place your faith and hope in Me," is Your message for
all generations. Fill our hearts with hope, precious Lord, and remind us of
Your Father's grace that brought You here to earth through the fiat of our most
blessed Virgin Mary. You came to show us Your Father's love and to lead us to
Your Kingdom in Heaven, offering us a new life by giving up Your life. Send
the Holy Spirit to lead us in today's lesson of God's message of hope of
liberation for the covenant people after they experience His judgment of exile
in Babylon. It should remind us that we are also in exile in this evil world,
but we have the hope of Your promise that one day You will liberate us and take
us home to You in Heaven. We pray in the name of God the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ + +
He gave their
land as a birthright, for his faithful love endures forever. A birthright to
his servant Israel, for his faithful love endures forever. He kept us in mind
when we were humbled, for his faithful love endures forever. And rescued us
from our enemies, for his faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:21-24
In Chapter 40, Isaiah gave us the foundation for chapters 41-66:
In chapters 41:1-20 and 41:21-43:7 there are two parallel and complementary trial scenes in three parts (notice the use of the legal term "riv" in 41:11 and 21):
In Chapter 41, Yahweh, through Isaiah, answers the people's doubts expressed in 40:27b when Yahweh knew they were saying "My way is hidden from Yahweh, my rights are ignored by my God." He answers them by foretelling the coming of a liberator who will not be named until 44:28.
The deliverance described by Isaiah in Chapter 41:1-29 contains three major aspects:
Isaiah 41:1-7 ~ The Unnamed Instrument of Yahweh Justice
1 Coasts [coastlands]
and islands, fall silent before me, and let the peoples renew their strength,
let them come forward and speak; let us assemble for judgment. 2 "Who has raised from the east him whom saving
justice summons in its train, him to whom Yahweh delivers up the nations and
subjects kings, him who reduces them to dust with his sword, and to driven
stubble with his bow, 3 him who
pursues them and advances unhindered, his feet scarcely touching the road? 4 Who has acted thus, who has done this? He who
calls each generation from the beginning: I, Yahweh, who am the first and till
the last [I AM the first and the last] I shall still be there." 5 The coasts and islands have seen and taken
fright, the remotest parts of earth [ends of the earth] are trembling: they are
approaching, they are here! 6 People
help one another, they say to each other, "Take heart!" 7 The woodworker encourages the smelter, the
polisher encourages the hammerer, saying of the soldering, "It is sound"; and
he fastens it with nails to keep it steady. [...] = literal translation,
IBHE, vol. IV, page 1687.
Through the poetic message of His prophet, Yahweh explains how He will redeem His people from their exile and return them to their homeland. In verse 1 Isaiah calls upon all the Gentile peoples of the coastlands and the islands to stand in reverent silence before the God of Israel. The Hebrew word translated "coasts/coastlands" is repeated in 41:5 where it parallels the phrase "ends of the earth." We are usually called to be silent in prayful worship or when facing divine judgment, but in this case the Gentile nations are called to witness God's mighty works as He leads His people home, just as the Gentile nations witnessed the journey of the Exodus out of Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan.(1) God also invites these Gentile peoples to be renewed and to come forward "peoples other than Israel can find blessings if they seek out the God of Israel who has the power to judge all nations. The earlier references to renewing strength in 40:31 and 41:1 are a subtle promise of extending the invitation of God's salvation to the ends of the earth.
2 "Who has raised
from the east [rising sun] him whom saving justice summons in its train, him to
whom Yahweh delivers up the nations and subjects kings, him who reduces them to
dust with his sword, and to driven stubble with his bow, 3 him who pursues them and advances unhindered,
his feet scarcely touching the road?
Yahweh promises to send a liberator that He will raise up.
We will not learn the name of this liberating historical figure until Isaiah 44:28.
Question: What do we learn about this unnamed man?
Answer:
Question: How will this "man from the east" be unlike
the Assyrian kings like Sennacherib, or the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar who will
come from the east a little more than a century after this prophecy when the
Babylonian conquer Assyria?
Answer: Those men were sent to chastise a
rebellious covenant people, but this man from the east will fulfill God's plan
to return His people to their homeland.
God asks then answers His own question:"4 Who has acted thus, who has done this? He who
calls each generation from the beginning: I, Yahweh, who am the first and till
the last [I AM the first and the last] I shall still be there."
The question God asks is what god has the power to raise
up such a world leader and bless him with such victories? God answers His own
question: only Yahweh, God of Israel can do this! He has used Assyria and will
use Babylon (Is 13) as His instruments of justice, and now He will use another
Gentile king as His instrument of blessing.
He who calls each generation from the beginning: I,
Yahweh, who am the first and till the last [I AM the first and the last] I
shall still be there."
God calls every generation of mankind to both salvation
and judgment. The expressions "I AM" or "I" and "the First and the Last" are
found several times in the literal Hebrew text of Isaiah chapters 40-48. "I
AM" suggests the meaning of the divine name, Yahweh, as explained to Moses in
Exodus 3:15; in the Book of Isaiah for example see "I AM" in 41:4, 10; 43:10,
11, 12, and 13 (some translation do not have I AM in verse 12 but in 13 twice);
46:4; 48:12 (twice). See "the First and the Last" in 41:1; 43:10 = concept; 44:6;
48:12. The same expressions also appear in the Book of Revelation:
In the Gospel of John, Jesus will use the words "I AM" 26 times. He will use it as an expression of Jesus' divinity in 7 different metaphors, each used with a predicate nominative, and also in 4 statements without a predicate nominative. And in the Gospel of St. Mark, He will use the words "I AM" at His trial before the Sanhedrin when the high priest demands for Jesus to say if He is the Messiah. After Jesus makes the "I AM" statement, He is condemned to death:
| "I AM" with predicate nominative | "I AM" without predicate nominative | ||
| 1. Jn 6:35 | "I AM the bread of life" | 1. Jn 8:24 | "..if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins. |
| 2. Jn 8:12 | "I AM the light of the world" | 2. Jn 8:28 | "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I AM (He)*" |
| 3. Jn 10:7 | "I AM the gate for the sheep" | 3. Jn 8:58 | "In all truth (Amen, amen) I tell you, before Abraham ever was, I AM." |
| 4. Jn 10:11 | "I AM the good shepherd" | 4. Jn 13:19 | "I tell you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe that I AM (He).*" |
| 5. Jn 11:25 | "I AM the resurrection and the life" | 5. Mk 14:61b-62a | The high priest put a second question to him saying, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I AM," said Jesus ... |
| 6. Jn 14:6 | "I AM the way and the truth and the life" | ||
| 7. Jn 15:1 | "I AM the true vine" | ||
| * the pronoun "He" is not in the Greek text | |||
5 The coasts [coastlands]
and islands have seen and taken fright, the remotest parts of the earth [ends
of the earth] are trembling: they are approaching, they are here! 6 People help one another, they say to each
other, "Take heart!" 7 The
woodworker encourages the smelter, the polisher encourages the hammerer, saying
of the soldering, "It is sound"; and he fastens it with nails to keep it
steady.
As the Gentile peoples witness God's might works through
His chosen instrument, many are gripped by fear and respond by seeking out
their own deliverance through the idols their people worship. Craftsmen and
goldsmiths prepare them. Isaiah continues in Part III, as he did in Part I, to
contrast God's power and sovereignty over all humans with the worthlessness of
idols (40:19-20; 41:21-29; 44:9-20; 46:5-7).
Isaiah 41:8-20 ~ Israel is God's Chosen Servant
8 But you,
Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham my friend, 9 whom I have taken to myself, from the remotest
parts of the earth [ends of the earth], and summoned from countries far away,
to whom I have said, "You are my servant, I have chosen you, I have not rejected
you," 10 do not be afraid,
for I am with you; do not be alarmed, for I am your God. I give you strength,
truly I help you, truly I hold you firm with my saving right hand. 11 Look, all those who rage against [riv =
who have a case against] you will be put to shame and humiliated; those who
picked quarrels with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish. 12 You will look for them but will not find
them, those who used to fight you; they will be destroyed and brought to
nothing, those who made war on you. 13 For
I, Yahweh, your God, I grasp you by your right hand; I tell you, "Do not be
afraid, I shall help you." 14 Do
not be afraid, Jacob, you worm! You little handful of Israel! I shall help
you, declares Yahweh; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 15 Look, I am making you into a
threshing-sledge, new, with double teeth; you will thresh and beat the
mountains to dust and reduce the hills to straw. 16 You will winnow them and the wind will carry
them off, the gale will scatter them; whereas you will rejoice in Yahweh, will
glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17 The
oppressed and needy search for water, and there is none, their tongue is
parched with thirst. I, Yahweh, shall answer them, I, the God of Israel, shall
not abandon them. 18 I shall open
up rivers on barren heights and water-holes down in the ravines; I shall turn
the dry ground into a lake and dry ground into springs of water. 19 I shall plant the desert with cedar trees,
acacias, myrtles and olive; in the wastelands I shall put cypress trees, plane
trees and box trees side by side; 20 so
that people may see and know, so that they may all observe and understand that
the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
In verse 8 Isaiah turns to what is an important concept in Part III of the Book of Isaiah: "servanthood." Sometimes the reference is to Israel God's servant as in verse 8, at other times to the servanthood of God's people in general, and at other times to God's chosen servant the Redeemer-Messiah. The words: Israel, Jacob, and Abraham clearly reveal the reference in verse 8 is to Israel. The words "my servant," "whom I have chosen," and "my friend" are words that emphasize Israel's special relationship with God.
9 whom I have
taken to myself, from the remotest parts of the earth [ends of the earth], and
summoned from countries far away
Exile has scattered the covenant people into many
regions, and now God calls them back "from the ends of the earth" to return to
their homeland.
10 do not be afraid, for I am with you...
The people need not be afraid because the Lord will
strengthen them and hold them up. Their enemies will feel shame as God's
intervention ends their oppression of God's people and their opposition to
God's divine plan (verses 11-12). The assurance that "I am with you..." recalls
Jesus promise to His disciples after His resurrection in Matthew 28:19 when He
said: "And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time."
11 Look, all
those who rage against [riv = who have a case against] you will be put
to shame and humiliated; those who picked quarrels with you will be reduced to
nothing and will perish.
Those who think they have a legal case against
Israel/Judah do not matter. Only God has the authority to judge His covenant people.
14 Do not be
afraid, Jacob, you worm! You little handful of Israel! I shall help you,
declares Yahweh; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. 15 Look, I am making you into a
threshing-sledge, new, with double teeth; you will thresh and beat the
mountains to dust and reduce the hills to straw. 16 You will winnow them and the wind will carry
them off, the gale will scatter them; whereas you will rejoice in Yahweh, will
glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Calling Israel a "worm" and a "little handful" is to
convey the weak and powerless state of the people of Israel who need God to
strengthen them. "Holy One of Israel," as you will recall is one of the
sub-themes of the Book of Isaiah. Not only will Yahweh strengthen Israel but
He will use her as His "threshing sledge" of judgment against the Gentile
nations to separate the righteous from the wicked. It is the righteous Gentile
nations who will befriend Israel and will be blessed because of it.
The poetic imagery in verses 17-20 describes the land of the Judean wilderness; rivers do not flow on barren heights (verse 18), but God will rejuvenation the rugged land of the Judean wilderness through His works on behalf of His people.
Isaiah 41:21-29 ~ Yahweh's case against False gods
21 "Present your case
[riv*]," says Yahweh, "Produce your arguments," says Jacob's king. 22 "Let them produce and reveal to us what is
going to happen. What happened in the past? Reveal it so that we can consider
it and know what the outcome will be. Or tell us about the future, 23 reveal what is to happen next, and then we
shall know that you are gods. At least, do something, be it good or bad, so
that we may feel alarm and fear. 24 Look,
you are less than nothingness, and what you do is less than nothing; to choose you
is an outrage." 25 I have raised
him from the north and he has come, from the east [rising sun] he has been
summoned by name. He tramples on rulers like mud, like a potter treading
clay. 26 Who revealed this from
the beginning for us to know, and in the past for us to say, "That is right"?
No one in fact revealed it, no one proclaimed it, no one has heard you speak. 27 First-fruits of Zion, look, here they come!
I send a messenger to Jerusalem, 28 and
I look "no one, not a single counsellor among them who, if I asked, could give
an answer. 29 Taken altogether they
are nothingness, what they do is nothing, their statues, wind and emptiness. *riv/rib
is a technical word used in court cases where a lawsuit is called and evidence
given.
Question: Why is Israel's God and divine King
calling the false gods into court?
Answer: Yahweh is calling upon the false gods to challenge
them to give evidence of any power they might have for good or for bad.
Question: It is suggested that they present their evidence in what ways?
Answer:
Question: What is the verdict given in 41:24?
Answer: Idols come from nothing and are good for
nothing, and God calls out a curse on anyone who chooses a false idol over the
Holy One of Israel.
In verses 25-26 God presents evidence of His sovereignty and repeats His promise to send a deliverer. God has pronounced this future event: He send a man who will have his origins in the north, but he will come in power from the east (literally the rising sun) where God has called him by name. Calling this mysterious person by name indicates a special mission and a special relationship with God. Other rules will not be able to oppose him because God has sent him on his mission to conquer them.
27 First-fruits
of Zion, look, here they come! I send a messenger to Jerusalem,
Isaiah, God's messenger to Jerusalem, carries this
message of future redemption to the Church in Jerusalem "to Zion, the
Firstfruits of God's covenant people.
Verses 28-29 are the conclusion to this passage and repeats the verdict from verse 24: pagan idols are powerless because they are only created objects; only the God of Israel is the true God with sovereignty over men, nations, and all of creation.
Chapter 42: The First Song of the Servant
Chapter 42:1-7 (5-12) is the first of Isaiah's four "Servant Songs." The others are Isaiah 49:1-6; 50:4-9 (10-11); and 52:13-53:12. The first Servant's Song can be divided into two parts:
In verses 1-7 the Servant is presented as:
Isaiah 42:1-9 ~ Yahweh's Chosen Servant
1 Here is my
servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have sent my
spirit upon him, he will bring fair judgment to the nations. 2 He does not cry out or raise his voice, his
voice is not heard in the street; 3 he
does not break the crushed reed or snuff the faltering wick. Faithfully he
presents fair judgment; 4 he will
not grow faint, he will not be crushed until he has established fair judgment
on earth, and the coasts and islands are waiting for his instructions. 5 Thus says God, Yahweh, who created the heavens
and spread them out, who hammered into shape the earth and what comes from it,
who gave breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it: 6 I, Yahweh, have called you in saving justice,
I have grasped you by the hand and shaped you; I have made you a covenant of
the people and light to the nations, 7 to
open the eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison, and those who live in
darkness from the dungeon. 8 I am
Yahweh, that is my name! I shall not yield my glory to another, nor my honor
to idols. 9 See how the former
predictions have come true. Fresh things I now reveal; before they appear I
tell you of them.
1 Here is my
servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have sent my
spirit upon him, he will bring fair judgment to the nations.
The choosing of the Servant is accompanied by an
outpouring of the Holy Spirit; this special outpouring of the Spirit is not
mentioned in 41:8 for Israel, God's servant. But for this Servant, he will be
anointed with God's Spirit like God's prophets, priests and kings (Ex 29:7;
Lev 8:12;
1 Sam 9:16; 10:1; 11:6; 16:1, 12-13;
1 Kng 1:39; 19:16;
2 Chr 20:14).
Question: What contrast will mark the Servant's ministry? See verses 3-4.
Answer: The contrast is between his mild and gentle demeanor and the power of his mighty works.
2 He does not cry
out or raise his voice, his voice is not heard in the street; 3 he does not break the crushed reed or snuff
the faltering wick. Faithfully he presents fair judgment...
Even though he has great power, he does not loudly announce
himself. The Servant is so gentle that he would not even break a crushed reed
or snuff out the failing wick of an oil lamp "symbols for those who are faint of
heart and spirit. Nevertheless, he brings forth judgments that are righteous
and just. Justice in Scripture denotes more than merely addressing crime.
Rather, it designates a society that functions in obedience according to God's
divine Law.
4 he will not
grow faint, he will not be crushed until he has established fair judgment on
earth, and the coasts and islands are waiting for his instructions.
He is gentle but he is not frail or indecisive. He is
determined and is dedicated to his mission no matter what the obstacles.
Question: What is his mission?
Answer: His mission is to establish righteous
judgment and to provide instruction on earth for all peoples.
5 Thus says God,
Yahweh, who created the heavens and spread them out, who hammered into shape
the earth and what comes from it, who gave breath to the people on it, and
spirit to those who walk on it: 6 I,
Yahweh, have called you in saving justice, I have grasped you by the hand and
shaped you; I have made you a covenant of the people and light to the nations...
God the creator speaks, further endorsing the choosing of
His Servant. Both the Servant's righteous character and God's personal
guidance would shape the Servants ministry. That the Servant is "a covenant of
the people" suggests he serves as God's special covenant mediator to God's
covenant people, and that he is described as "light to the nations" speaks of
his reach beyond Israel to the Gentiles, sharing the light of God's truth with
them.
7 to open the
eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison, and those who live in darkness
from the dungeon.
The Servant also brings special blessing to those who
receive him: physical and spiritual healing. Those who are spiritually "blind"
will be identified as Israel in 42:16, 18 twice, 19; 43:3 and 8.
8 I am Yahweh,
that is my name! I shall not yield my glory to another, nor my honor to
idols. 9 See how the former
predictions have come true. Fresh things I now reveal; before they appear I
tell you of them.
It is Yahweh Himself who directs the mission of His
Servant. What He has predicted in the past has come true and so will the
predictions for the mission of His chosen Servant.
The question is who is the Servant? Is he Israel collectively, as in Isaiah 41:8, or is he a single individual?(2) In 42:1 the Servant is identified as God's "chosen one." This is what God will say of Jesus at the Transfiguration event in Luke 9:23, And a voice came from the cloud saying, "This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to Him." St. Matthew identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the "chosen Servant," quoting Isaiah 42:1-4 and applying it as a prophecy fulfilled in Jesus in Matthew 12:17-21. And when St. John the Baptist's disciples came to Jesus asking if He was really the promised Messiah, Jesus alluded to the passage from Isaiah 42:7 and applied it to Himself and His mission, saying, "Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, those suffering from virulent skin-diseases are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the good news is proclaimed to the poor; and blessed is anyone who does not find me a cause of falling" (Lk 7:22-23).
The description and prophecies associated with the Servant in chapter 42 cannot be applied to, nor is there evidence that they have been fulfilled by Israel as a whole, but can be applied to a single individual, Jesus of Nazareth. He is be a "covenant" to the people, having brought forth a New and eternal Covenant to replace the old Sinai covenant that was incapable of offering eternal salvation or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Lk 22:20; Heb 9:15; 10:4-10). And the Israelites had failed as a "light" to the Gentile nations, but Jesus' New Covenant converted the Gentiles and brought them into the covenant established in the blood of the Savior to be full and equal partners in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ with Jewish Christians (Rom 1:16; 9:24; 1 Cor 1:24). The other three Servant Songs are also perfectly fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
Concerning Isaiah 42:1-9, the Catechism teaches: "The Messiah's characteristics are revealed above all in the "Servant songs." These songs proclaim the meaning of Jesus' Passion and show how he will pour out the Holy Spirit to give life to the many: not as an outsider, but by embracing our form as slave.' Taking our death upon himself, he can communicate to us his own Spirit of life" (CCC 713).
6 I, Yahweh, have
called you in saving justice, I have grasped you by the hand and shaped you; I
have made you a covenant of the people and light to the nations...
The Catechism teaches: "... In Jesus, the Law no longer
appears engraved on tables of stone but upon the heart' of the Servant who
becomes a covenant to the people,' because he will faithfully bring forth
justice. Jesus fulfills the Law to the point of taking upon himself the curse
of the Law' incurred by those who do not abide by the thins written in the
book of the Law, and do them,' for his death took place to redeem them from the
transgressions under the first covenant" (CCC 580, quoting from Jer 31:33;
Is 42:3, 6;
Gal 3:13; 3:19; Heb 9:15).
The last verses of Isaiah chapter 42 express the themes of triumph, judgment, and indictment:
Isaiah 42:10-13 ~ The Song of Victory
10 Sing a new
song to Yahweh! Let his praise be sung from remotest parts of the earth by
those who sail the sea and by everything in it, by the coasts and islands and
those who inhabit them. 11 Let the
desert and its cities raise their voices, the encampment where Kedar lives. 12 Let the inhabitants of the Rock cry aloud for
joy and shout from the mountain tops. Let them give glory to Yahweh and, in
the coasts and islands, let them voice his praise. 13 Yahweh advances like a hero, like a warrior
he rouses his fire. He shouts, he raises the war cry, he shows his might
against his foes.
Typically a "new song" is a song of praise for Yahweh's victories and mighty works in which the whole world is invited to take part. A new song is declared in Psalm 96:1; 98:1; 149:1 and also in Revelation 5:9. The good news in Isaiah 42:1-9 has led to Isaiah announcing God's command for the singing of a "new song" of glory and praise for Yahweh's victory over His foes.
Question: In verses 10-12, Yahweh, Israel's
warrior-God, declares that a song of praise for His victory (verses 1 and 13) should
be sung in all parts of the earth by what groups of peoples? Note: "Kedar" is
a confederation of Arab tribes based in the north Arabian desert who are
descendants of Abraham's son Ishmael (Gen 25:13;
1 Chr 1:29; Ps 120:5;
S of S 1:5; Is 21:16-17; 60:6;
Jer 2:10; 49:28) and "Rock" refers to the city of Sela,
a desert city in Edom whose Greek name is Petra. In Hebrew the word sela means
"lofty, craggy rock, fortress, stronghold, or cliff (2 Kng 14:7; Is 16:1).
Answer: Praise should come from sailors, from the
creatures of the sea, from the peoples of the coastlines and islands, the
desert cities and all their inhabitants.
Isaiah 42:14-17 ~ Judgment for the Idolaters of the Covenant People
14 "From long ago
I have been silent, I have kept quiet, held myself in check, groaning like a
woman in labor, panting and gasping for air. 15 I shall ravage mountain and hill, shall wither all their
vegetation; I shall turn the torrents into firm round and dry up the marshes. 16 I shall lead the blind by a road they do not
know, by paths they do not know I shall conduct them. I shall turn the
darkness into light before them and the quagmires into solid ground. This I
shall do "without fail." 17 Those
who trust in idols will recoil, they will blush for shame, who say to metal
images, "You are our gods."
Yahweh has been patient for a long time in withholding
His divine judgment against His covenant people.
Question: Why has He withheld His judgment for
such a long time?
Answer: He cannot be accused of being an uncaring
God because He gave His people many opportunities to repent and return to them,
even though their sins were painful to behold. When they did, He withheld
judgment but, like a woman who was in labor but is about to give birth, the
time has come when their sins have become so great and repentance so forgotten
that He will no longer withhold His judgment on an unrepentant people.
16 I shall lead
the blind by a road they do not know, by paths they do not know I shall conduct
them. I shall turn the darkness into light before them and the quagmires into
solid ground. This I shall do "without fail."
It is God who will lead His people, "blind Israel," (see
verses 18-19) into captivity along paths they have never trod before. But He
will be the "light" that guides them in their journey into exile, eliminating
all obstacles in their path. They have His promised that He will do this!
Question: This promise is reminiscent of what
judgment against Israel early in their history in the Book of Numbers?
Answer: It is reminiscent of God's judgment
against the first Exodus generation whose judgment was to never live in the
Promised Land. God guided and did not abandon His people even though He had
given them a forty year judgment to wander in the wilderness.
17 Those who
trust in idols will recoil, they will blush for shame, who say to metal images,
"You are our gods."
The people who worshipped idols will be ashamed because
their idols did not save them and God's judgment is evidence that when He
promises comes about.
Isaiah 42:18-25 ~ The Covenant People's Blindness
18 Listen, you
deaf! Look and see, you blind! Who so blind as my servant, so deaf as the
messenger I send? 19 Who so blind
as the friend I have taken to myself, so deaf as Yahweh's servant? 20 You have seen many things but not observed
them; your ears are open but you do not hear. 21 Yahweh wished, because of his saving justice, to make the Law [torah
= instruction] great and glorious. 22 Yet
here is a people pillaged and plundered, all of them shut up in caves,
imprisoned in dungeons. They have been pillaged, with no one to rescue them,
plundered, with no one to say, "Give it back!" 23 Which of you will listen to this, who pay attention and listen
in future? 24 Who surrendered
Jacob to the plunderer and Israel to the pillagers? Was it not Yahweh, against
whom we had sinned, in whose ways they would not walk and whose Law they would
not obey? 25 On him he poured out
his blazing anger and the fury of war; it enveloped him in flames and yet he
did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not learn a lesson. [...] literal
Hebrew, IBHE, vol. III, page 1690.
The "servant" in 42:18 is the same "servant" as in Isaiah 41:8, designated as "Israel," but it is not the same "servant" so glowingly described in 42:1-8, the anointed individual in whom God delights. The flow of the three "servant" passages expresses God's message in this way: "Israel, you are my chosen servant collectively as one people. Don't be afraid because I am with you. I know you feel helpless like a worm, but my grace and power will give you all the strength you will need to accomplish my will (Is 41:8-14). But consider my ideal servant who will come in the future (42:1-9). He will be anointed with My Spirit to guide him, and in obedience to Me he will bring about your deliverance according to my will. You, however, are still spiritually blind and deaf to the plan I have for you (42:18-20)."
It is not God who is deaf and blind to Israel's plight,
but Israel who is deaf and blind to God "to the words of His prophets, and His
commands that are meant to set them on the path of life (Dt 30:15-20). The
people are also "bind" in that they still do not understand what has happened
to them and the reasons why it has happened.
Question: What does this prophecy recall from the
time of Isaiah's calling to his ministry in chapter 6?
Answer: This prophecy is parallel to the prophecy
given to Isaiah at the time of his calling when he was told the people's
spiritual condition is so far gone in their sins and disobedience to the
covenant that they will be blind and deaf to God's message through Isaiah in
Isaiah 6:9-10.
21 Yahweh wished,
because of his saving justice, to make the Law [torah = instruction] great and
glorious. 22 Yet here is a people
pillaged and plundered, all of them shut up in caves, imprisoned in dungeons.
They have been pillaged, with no one to rescue them, plundered, with no one to
say, "Give it back!"
It was God's intention to give the Law and its
instruction that provided guidance in righteousness and wisdom as a gift of
love to His people. But the people rejected the wisdom of the Law and in abandoning
God's commandments have given themselves up to plunger and pillage by foreign
enemies. This was not the result of chance but was a result of their sin.
23 Which of you
will listen to this, who pay attention and listen in future? 24 Who surrendered Jacob to the plunderer and
Israel to the pillagers? Was it not Yahweh, against whom we had sinned, in
whose ways they would not walk and whose Law they would not obey? 25 On him he poured out his blazing anger and
the fury of war; it enveloped him in flames and yet he did not understand; it
burned him up, but he did not learn a lesson.
Yet the people do not seem to realize the part they
played in their own suffering, or that God has allowed them to suffer in order
to turn them to repentance and back to fellowship with Him. The real tragedy
is that despite their suffering, they have not learned their lesson.
Isaiah 43:1-13 ~ The Assurance that Yahweh is Israel's
Protector and Liberator
1 And now, thus
says Yahweh, "He who created you, Jacob, who formed you, Israel: Do not be afraid,
for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine. 2 Should you pass through the waters, I shall be
with you, or through rivers, they will not swallow you up. Should you walk
through fire, you will not suffer, and the flame will not burn you. 3 For I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of
Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in
exchange for you. 4 Since I regard
you as precious, since you are honored and I love you. I therefore give people
in exchange for you, and nations in return for your life. 5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I shall bring
your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west. 6 To the north I shall say, Give them up!' and
to the south, Do not hold them back!' Bring back my sons from far away and my
daughters from the remotest part of the earth, 7 everyone who bears my name, whom I have created for my glory,
whom I have formed, whom I have made. 8 Bring
forward the people that is blind, yet has eyes, that is deaf and yet has ears.
9 Let all the nations assemble, let
the peoples gather here! Which of them has proclaimed this and revealed things
to us in the past? Let them bring their witnesses to justify themselves, let
others hear and say, It is true.' 10 You
yourselves are my witnesses, declares Yahweh, and the servant whom I have
chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand it is I [I AM]. No
god was formed before me, nor will be after me. 11 I, I AM Yahweh, and there is no other Savior but me. 12 I have revealed, have saved, and have
proclaimed, not some foreigner among you. You are my witnesses, declares
Yahweh, 13 I AM God, yes, from
eternity I AM. No one can deliver from my hand; when I act, who can thwart
me?"
This is the third part of the parallel trial sequence that is a restatement of divine election and reassurance of future salvation in 41:8-20. Notice the references to the Exodus liberation in passing "through the waters" that recalls the miracle of the Red Sea crossing (Ex 14:15-31) and "through rivers" that recalls the miracle of the parting of the waters of the Jordan River (Josh 3:14-17) in verse 2. These miracles in the past and others in the future are evidence of God's love for His people and His promised protection.
Question: How many times has Yahweh told Israel
not to be afraid between 41:1 and 43:13?
Answer: Five times in 41:10, 13, 14; 43:1, and 5.
3 For I am
Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt for
your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
For the first time in the Book of Isaiah, God has
referred to Himself as Israel's Savior. It is a title that will appear again
in 43:11; 45:15, 21; 49:26; 60:16 and 63:8. God's salvation will meand a
physical deliverance for His covenant people from Babylon but also a personal
faith relationship with Him. Cush and Seba are two regions in Africa located
south of Egypt. They represent far away nations that God has not chosen but
has chosen Israel instead. God's judgment on His people will be over and He
will judge others in their place (43:3-4). The homecoming of His people will
bring Him glory (43:5-7).
8 Bring forward
the people that is blind, yet has eyes, that is deaf and yet has ears. 9 Let all the nations assemble, let the peoples
gather here! Which of them has proclaimed this and revealed things to us in
the past? Let them bring their witnesses to justify themselves, let others
hear and say, It is true.' 10 You
yourselves are my witnesses, declares Yahweh, and the servant whom I have
chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand it is I [I AM].
God has chosen Israel despite the fact that they fail to
comprehend the events of their own history (see 42:18), yet they serve as witnesses
to Yahweh's power against the pagan nations and their false gods.
11 I, I AM
Yahweh, and there is no other Savior but me. 12 I have revealed, have saved, and have proclaimed, not some
foreigner among you. You are my witnesses, declares Yahweh, 13 I AM God, yes, from eternity I AM. No one
can deliver from my hand; when I act, who can thwart me?"
This is a declaration of monotheism in a proclamation of
Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over peoples and their nations. No other God "no
other Savior exists, and He expects His people to testify to that fact. This
is a key theme of Isaiah 40-66 "the captivity and rescue of His people proves
Yahweh is God because He has predicted it and brought what He predicted about.
One can see the pronouncement of a similar statement by St. Peter in Acts 4:12
when he testifies to the saving power of Jesus Christ saying, "Only in him
is there salvation; for of all the names in the world given to men, this is the
only one by which we can be saved."
Questions for reflection or group discussion:
Part III of the Book of Isaiah is a message of hope. God's
message to His people in Isaiah 40:1 provides an example of Biblical "hope." People
in our time use the word "hope" in a much different sense than "hope" in Sacred
Scripture. The verb "hope" in the modern sense connotes wishful desires for
something that will come about as we want it. But in the Bible, "hope" in both
the verb and the noun forms always denotes a confident assurance in God that
what He promised He will fulfill. Biblical "hope" is rooted in God's righteous
character and His sovereignty over nature and the events in the history of
mankind. Two concepts related to Biblical "hope" are trusting in God and
patiently waiting on God to act.
Question: Look up these passages and discuss how
God's people can have hope in all circumstances: Job 13:15; Ps 38:15; 130:5, 7;
Is 25:9; Lam 3:21-24.
Question: In the New Testament, what is the
foundation for all believers' ultimate "hope"? See 1 Thes 4:13-18; 1 Tim
2:13; 1 Jn 3:3 and Rom 5:2-5.
Question: What about natural disasters and the
death and destruction caused by enemies today? Do we see these events as acts
of judgment for our collective sins as a people or simply events of nature and the
acts of violent men and women? Is it possible that we are as "blind and deaf"
as the Israelites in Isaiah's time?
Endnotes:
1. Rahab the woman of Jericho told the Israelite spies that her people knew all about
the works of the God of Israel on behalf of them on their journey out of Egypt
(Josh 2:9-11), and the other peoples of Canaan had also heard of the miracles
(see 5:1).
2. The Greek Septuagint translation renders Isaiah 42:1 as "Behold, Jacob my servant,
whom I will uphold; Israel, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights." This
variant has been rejected by Christian scholars as a gloss added by a later
scribe to make the passage conform with the identity of the servant as Israel
in 41:8. And as noted, the rest of the description of the Servant is best
satisfied by a single individual instead of a corporate covenant people who are
incapable of bringing about a New Covenant.
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2015 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.
Catechism references:
Isaiah 42:1-9 (CCC 713); 42:1 (CCC 536, 555); 42:3 (CCC 580); 42:6 (CCC580)