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ISAIAH.
#25.
Isaiah 40: 12 - 42: 17.
"Judgment unto TRUTH"; "Judgment unto VICTORY" (42: 1-4).
pp. 42 - 46
Without risk of contradiction, it may be said that whatever office Israel are destined to
fulfil, they will enter it only through the mediation of Christ, and that most, if not all, of
the responsibilities attached to their calling have been, or will be, fulfilled by Christ.
As an instance of the first proposition, we cite the office that is peculiar to Israel, "A
kingdom of priests". We meet with this description of the nation in Exod. 19: where
the foot of Mount Sinai is reached and the First Covenant instituted. Israel utterly failed
to observe the condition of this covenant, and will become a "kingdom of priests" only by
virtue of the blood of the New Covenant; in other words, through the mediation of Christ
(Rev. 1: 6).
As an instance of the second proposition we may cite Isa. 43: 10, "Ye are My
witnesses", which refers to Israel, and Rev. 1: 5 which speaks of Christ as "The faithful
Witness". So it is with the subject immediately before us. We have seen that the section
divides into two, the first part falling under "Israel, the Servant", and the second under
"Messiah, the Servant".
If the reader will consult the structure on page 10, he will observe that Isa. 42: 1-17,
is divided into three parts.
(1)
BEHOLD MY SERVANT. (Isa. 42: 1-.).
(2)
WHOM I UPHOLD. (Isa. 42: -1-8-.).
(3)
THE CONTRAST--IDOLS--"Ye are gods" (Isa. 42: -8-17).
Our immediate concern is with the first two parts, and we will consider the briefer
part 1 before going on to the expansion in part 2, which is very full.
"BEHOLD MY SERVANT" (Isa. 42: 1).
In the opening words of "comfort", with which chapter 40: opens, the prophets had
said: "Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!" (Isa. 40: 9). Here, in Isa. 42: 1,
he writes, "Behold My Servant". Both passages refer to the same blessed Person, none
other than:
"Christ Jesus, Who being in the form of God . . . . . made Himself of no reputation,
and took upon Him the form of a servant" (Phil. 2: 5-7).
Of this One, Isaiah had already spoken: