Isaiah 42:1-9

ISAIAH—NOTE ON Isaiah 42:1 This is the first of four Servant Songs, fulfilled in Jesus Christ (see also Isaiah 49:1; Isaiah 50:4; Isaiah 52:13). Isaiah sprinkles references to “the servant of the Lord” throughout chs. Isaiah 40:1. Often it is a title for the people as a whole (Isaiah 41:8; Isaiah 42:19; Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 44:1, Isaiah 44:21, Isaiah 44:26; Isaiah 45:4; Isaiah 48:20), but at times the servant is a specific person within Israel who is distinct from the whole, with a calling to serve Israel and beyond (Isaiah 49:5; Isaiah 50:10; Isaiah 52:13; Isaiah 53:11). The second Servant Song of Solomon 1:1 (Isaiah 49:1), which clarifies that the servant is distinct from Israel, also calls him Israel (Isaiah 49:3). In these cases, the servant stands as a representative of the whole people. This shows why it is correct to believe that the servant is a messianic figure. First, in the Davidic covenant, David’s heirs represent and embody the people as a whole. Israel is God’s “son” (Exodus 4:22), and the king becomes God’s “son” (2 Samuel 7:14; see Psalms 89:26). Therefore the “servant” here in Isaiah 1:1 follows the pattern of David’s heirs. Second, the servant expands his rule throughout the Gentile world (Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 52:13), which is the work of the Davidic Messiah in chs. Isaiah 7:1. Third, later prophets describe an heir of David, and especially the Messiah, as the “servant” (Ezekiel 34:23; Ezekiel 37:25; Zechariah 3:8). In addition to his royal function, the servant also has a prophetic role (Isaiah 49:1; Isaiah 50:4, Isaiah 50:10) and a priestly one (Isaiah 53:11; compare Psalms 110:4). God will restore the exiles and then fulfill the mission of Israel by means of the servant, whom he will raise up at some unspecified time.