October 14, 2020, Isaiah cont....

 His Servant: 

Jesus Christ

Let's say you never read this passage and you closed your eyes; and thought about what it means to be his servant. We would see:

__________________________

• Trays
• aprons
• cleaning supplies
• the job most people don't want
• It does not seem like a pleasant position.
• We want to be served 

God calls his workers servants. God employs people for the role of servant. 

General definition is a person employed by another, especially to perform domestic duties.

a person in the service of another.

a person employed by the government:

But this passage provides a specific description of the Lord's servant. 

We know what a servant is but what will God's servant do. He is employed to do specific things: what are those things.

Isaiah 42

The Servant of the Lord

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, 

my chosen one in whom I delight; 

I will put my Spirit on him, 

and he will bring justice to the nations. 

He will not shout or cry out, 

or raise his voice in the streets. 

A bruised reed he will not break, 

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. 

(Sometimes life bruises us or our flame is smoldering and God has mercy on a person in this condition) His servant is a person who knows when someone is bruised or when they have a smoldering wick.  God's servant has good judgement.

In faithfulness he will bring forth Justice

God's servant will bring forth justice: how can someone do that? His servant can be the good the in world. Of course there is evil we cannot stop but we can bring the balance by being the good the world needs. We should not be okay with seeing and knowing about injustice and bein comfortable with it. God is for justice. There are people around us who fight injustice. These men and women have God's spirit in them. How do I know? The devil hates justice. He wants to hide and continue to deal out injustice in the world but those who are exposing the darkness I commend them. Sometimes these people may not be the most religious people but we respect their stand for justice. God is in them. God's servant will be the one standing for justice.  

There is no such thing as saying, I can't help people because I don't want something bad to happen to me. Or I dont want trouble at my door. That is fear. That person is saying I fear standing up to the devil. God does not take pleasure in the fearful. God employs his servant for the purpose of justice. 

He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on the earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope. 

This is what God the Lord says--the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; 

I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 

to open eyes that are blind, 

to free captives from prison

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 

His servant is a light to the Gentiles!

He opens the blind eyes.

He sets the captives free; it does not say he takes people captives. 

Who are those in darkness?

Adulterers, murderers, drunkards, the mentally disturbed, the angry, the gang members, the prostitutes, the strippers, the psycho's, the liars, the pornographers. 

If these people offend you. Of if you find it hard to forgive their sins then you cannot be God's servant. You have to have God in you to see all people as grass. We all need God-- from the top to the bottom----to the highest to the lowest. 

God employes those who want to see people released from the dungeon of darkness. 

I am the Lord; that is my name!

I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.

When all is said and done; all the praise goes to God and he will not share his praise. 

His servant knows that God is the Lord God, creator of all things. 

See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. 

Song of Praise to the Lord

Sing to the Lord a new song, 

his praise from the ends of the earth, 

you will go down to the sea, and all that is in it, 

you islands, and all who live in them. 

Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; 

let the settlements where kedar lives rejoice.

Let the people of Sela sing for joy; 

let them shout from the mountain tops. 

Let them give glory to the Lord 

and proclaim his praise in the islands. 

The Lord will march out like a champion, 

like a warrior he will stir up his zeal, 

with a shout he will raise the battle cry

and will triumph over his enemies.

For a long time I have kept silent, 

I have been quiet and held myself back.

But now, I gasp and pant. 

I will lay waste the mountains and hills

and dry up all their vegetation; 

and dry up the pools. 

I will lead the blind by ways they 

have not known, 

along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; 

I will turn the darkness into light

before them and make the rough places smooth.

These are the things I will do;

I will not forsake them.

But those who trust in idols, 

who say to images, you are our gods, will be turned back in utter shame. 

• The gentiles lived without God. Their sins were abominable. They did not serve God nor did they have any religious customs or restraints. They did whatever they felt like doing and most of the time it was the bad things. But God still wants them saved and he wants to help them.  He employs his servant for this purpose. God says that some will be turned back in utter shame. It is not because of their sin. It is the fact that they TRUST in idols and/or believe in something that can never help them or save them. They reject the true and living God and they serve an idol he cannot help those who say-- they don't believe he exist. They say God is a imaginary thing thought of by crazy people. 
• This is a individual choice. Just remember God never says your sin will stand in between him and you. It make take us time to listen to him; or accept his wisdom but your sins do not make him cringe. God cringes when you fail to believe what he says.

Israel Blind and Deaf

Hear, you deaf; 

look, you blind, and see!

Who is blind but my servant, 

and deaf like the messenger I send?

Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, 

He says the sinners sits in darkness but he calls his own employed people deaf and blind! 

Who is blind like the servant of the Lord. 

You have seen man things, but you pay no attention; 

you ears are open, but you do not listen,

It pleased the Lord 

for the sake of his righteousness 

to make his law great and glorious. 

(The law and the deaf and blind servant)

I have seen a few things  along life's journey. Sometimes I think we become the deaf and blind servant because when we think highly of ourselves. We start keeping the law and we feel pious. Its dangerous. We see ourselves as holy and it's a good thing but it can be a bad thing when we forget God's purpose of cleaning us up. He wants us to go make disciples but we can start mistreating people. The devil was outshining everyone, he was so fast, he could fly so high, he thought about how great he was and he said I will be like God. 

We may not say we will be like God but we begin to judge and treat others like we are God. 

But God in his holiness never mistreats people. Its possible to think you have become the person to make others do right but God's servant is like Jesus. He is always right himself. He teaches, helps, and leads others to God.

We can be blind to ourselves. Who wants to be God's deaf and blind servant? 

But this is a people plundered and looted, 

all of them trapped in pits

or hidden away in prisons. 

They have become plunder, 

with no one to rescue them; 

They have been made loot, 

with no one to say, Send them back. Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in the time to come? Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? 

Was it not the Lord, 

against whom we have sinned?

Isaiah says whom (we) have sinned against. We all have fallen into the pit at time or another. It is not necessary to watch others because the real person who needs watching is ourselves. We are a danger to others when we are blind and deaf. We see whats wrong with others but we cannot see ourselves so we can hurt people in this deaf and blind state. 

For they have not follow his ways;

they did not obey his law.

So he poured out on them his burning anger;

the violence of war. 

It enveloped them in flames; yet 

they did not understand; it consumed them, 

but they did not take it to heart. 

Have a great day!