Isaiah 42
COMMENTARY:
: 1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. (972 “elect” [bachiyr] means chosen, one preferred or selected, or best.)
DEVOTION: Our assignment in Seminary was to write a paper on who we thought this verse was referring to. Was it referring to the Messiah or someone else? These passages dealt with a suffering servant. The problem was that usually there was a reference to the first and second coming of this servant.
This servant was chosen of God. HE was someone the LORD delighted in or was pleased with. HE was one who was to bring forth judgment unto truth. HE was One who would never fail.
When you study all the passages related to the “suffering servant” it seems that only one conclusion can be drawn. This is a prophecy regarding the coming of the Messiah. Each of the references were used by the authors of the Gospels to refer to Jesus Christ. HE was the only one that the Father stated that HE was well-pleased with to the disciples and to John the Baptist.
In the wisdom of God we find that before the foundation of the world HE had a plan to create our world. In HIS plan HE was going to create mankind. HE knew that they would fall into sin. HE knew that they would need a Savior. HE would send a Savior in the fullness of time to die on the cross for all the human of the world, but only those who would become followers of HIM would be able to apply the blood of Christ to their sins. Most people would reject HIS sacrifice. None will be able to say to the LORD on judgment day that HE didn’t give them an opportunity to become a follower of HIM. They didn’t think they needed HIM. They chose to worship false gods.
The LORD states that HE will not share HIS glory with anyone or anything else. Lifelong worship given to false idols would never be forgiven. Those who practiced this form of religion were going to spend eternity in the company of the devil and his angels in the lake of fire.
We need to understand that God predicted the coming of HIS Son to die on the cross back in Genesis chapter three. And HE continued to give us information all the way to the point of HIS first coming.
HE is coming again. We need to be ready and prepare as many people as we can talk to about HIS coming. Our warning might not be heeded but when they stand before the Great White Throne judgment they will have no excuse.
CHALLENGE: Our LORD suffered during HIS first coming to this earth. We are going to suffer if we are faithful to our witness to HIM while we are here on this earth. That is a promise from the word of God.
: 5 Thus says God the LORD, HE that created the heavens, and stretched them out HE that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it; HE that gives breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein. (5397 “breath” [nashamah] means inspiration, living being, the air that is inhaled and exhaled in respiration, sometimes of the actuating principle of life, or inner-most part of a person that can respond to God.)
DEVOTION: The ONE TRUE GOD of the universe is the ONE who created it in the beginning. HE created the world in six literal twenty-four hour periods. Each day had a morning and an evening. HE created man and woman on the sixth day and saw that HE created as very good.
HE knew before the foundation of the world that Adam and Eve would sin. HE knew at the same time that the second person of the Godhead would have to come and die on the cross for the sins of every individual who would be born. Every individual would have an opportunity to become a believer. No human being would be able to say to HIM “I didn’t have a chance to become a believer.”
So we find that the LORD gives every human being the ability to breathe when they are born. HE gives can take that breathe away at any time. This chapter also states that the LORD is longsuffering with people. The New Testament tells us that everyone has enough opportunities to make the decision to follow the LORD but that most will refuse because of the lifestyle change that is necessary to be a genuine believer.
God gave all of the children of Israel time to follow HIM but most of them choose to worship false gods that were made with their own hands. This practice has continued to this day. The gods of this world today may be different than those of the children of Israel.
We have to thank the LORD for every time we inhale and exhale and yet we think that it just happens. The Holy Spirit gives each individual a chance to become a follower of Jesus Christ and spend eternity in heaven. The place God has created for all those who make that profession of faith genuinely.
CHALLENGE: The next time we inhale and exhale we should all thank the LORD for each breathe. It may be our last and we will face eternity with the decisions we made. Who are you worshiping?
: 22 But this is a people robbed and plundered; all of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prison houses; They are for prey, and no one delivers; for plunder, and no one says, “Restore!” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). שׁוּב [shuwb /shoob/] – to bring back. 1B2 to restore, refresh, repair
DEVOTION: Our world today is reeling with refugees seeking asylum in many different countries and the confusion that is resulting! Countries closing their borders and citizens frightened by all the media and news reports. Confusion, chaos and social unrest is rampant! This was true in Israel’s day as the Lord reminded them of the results that came as individuals were deaf, blind and unresponsive to the Lord’s warnings. Israel had many chances to turn to the Lord and they refused. People had been warned by prophets and by the word of God. Their failure to heed resulted in homelessness, poverty and unrest.
Our world is reeling in a similar situation as cultures and nations are uprooted and displaced. Why? The opportunities that the Lord had presented to people and cultures to hear and respond to the message of the Gospel has gone unheard. Where once a strong church and message was present today anarchy and confusion is present. Civil unrest and hostile forces exist where at one time law was upheld and righteousness was exalted.
God is not mocked and His word is true! Christ warned that we would hear of wars and rumors of war. Nations will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows… And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (Matt.24:6-12)
Our world is desperate and desperately in need of prayer by believers committed to the Lord!
CHALLENGE: Today take time to pray for the displaced and uprooted people of our world. Then ask the Lord to “Restore” them to Himself.
: 25 Therefore he has poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it has set him fire round about, yet he knew not, and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. (3820 “heart” [leb] means one’s inner self, disposition, determination, the locus of a person’s thoughts (mind), volition, emotions, and knowledge of right from wrong(conscience) understood as the heart.)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel were not being obedient to the LORD. HE had given them the Ten Commandments to follow. HE had given them a Temple to worship in. HE had given them spiritual leaders to help them in their worship. HE had given them kings to rule over them.
The problem was that the further they were away from the captivity in Egypt, the further they drifted from the LORD. HE had sent many warnings their way but they didn’t listen to HIS prophets and priests that were obedient to HIM.
It was a time of judgment that Isaiah was sharing with the people but they didn’t want to hear his warnings. They wanted to continue in their sin and think that the LORD was just going to forgive them without any punishment. They were wrong!
Today we find that even in the church there has come a time period when people enter the church, they are looking to be entertained rather then challenged to be better servants. They seem to want to sit, sock and sour rather then to serve.
God has always wanted HIS servants to worship HIM in spirit and in truth. HE has wanted them to be a witness to HIS love and judgment. HE has wanted them to serve HIM joyfully.
This was not happening in the days of Isaiah and it is not happening today. Too many believers are not reading their Bible and praying on a daily basis. Too many believers are not willing to witness for the LORD to their neighbors and friends. Again, we use the word “believer” loosely because they may not even be genuine believers.
Just because they go to church each Sunday and give an offering to the LORD doesn’t mean that they are individuals who love the LORD with all their heart and soul and body.
Judgment comes every time those who claim to be followers of the LORD are not genuinely following the LORD day to day or week to week.
Again we are not trying to condemn but to challenge those who claim to be followers of Jesus to have a revival in their heart to the point that they are going to turn from sin and serve HIM with their body, soul and spirit on a daily basis. This is what the LORD wants and it should be what we want for all those who claim to be followers of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Is this your prayer for your life and for the lives of those you love? If it is start with yourself and work out to your family and then to your friends to be an encourager. Remember none of us is perfect but we are forgiven if we have trusted Christ!!
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