Servant Song II in Isaiah

“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. And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” (Isaiah 49:1-3, ESV) [Read Isaiah 49].

Edward Dalgliesh in writing about what scholars call the “Servant Songs” found in Isaiah, writes: “These songs reiterate the role of Israel as the chosen servant of God, the nation that would evangelize all nations, whose endowment by the Spirit would provide the enablement for that mission and the concomitant suffering attendant upon the people of God addressing a sinful society, and the ultimate success of the divine mission by His faithful servants.” [Holman Bible Dictionary, Nashville, 1991, p. 719]. Very closely associated with Israel being the chosen nation and servant for giving the Good News to “the coastlands and people afar” is the very-present anticipation of the Messiah’s coming from restored Israel. Listen to what Spirit-inspired Isaiah writes in 49:26b: “Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” The covenant of Israel as Savior/nation was made with Abraham of old: “…all the people of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3b NIV); and again in Psalm 132:12 to David: “If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, then their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.” Malachi 3:1 reveals that God, according to His promise, will send the promised Messenger of the Covenant: “Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, ‘behold, He is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts.” As Jesus instituted the Last Supper the night before His death, He said: “This is My blood of the New Covenant which is poured out for many.” His death on the cross established that all covenants be sealed by blood. It was a restatement of the Old Covenant, but fulfilled in a new and complete way through Jesus Christ. And He gave us, believers and accepters of the New Covenant, the task of being reconcilers and evangelists, of bringing others to the knowledge of the continuing covenant. “Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:7). The Covenant is in place. The Servant Song is strong and inviting. We have a marvelous part in helping to bring those who are afar to the Light of His shining. Isaiah had a word for it in anther place: “Arise, shine, for Your light has come!” (Isaiah 60:1, ESV). What joy is ours to participate in the Servant role!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, September 22, 2010