Isaiah, Part II

These events come late in the 8th century BC, in the reign of Hezekiah (somewhere between 715 and 686 BC). The northern kingdom of Israel has already been conquered (around 722 BC), and now Sennacherib, king of Assyria, has come up against all the fortified cities of Judah and taken them (36:1). God had selected Assyria to be “the rod of mine anger” (Isaiah 10:5), and Judah had been warned not to rely on outside alliances (Isaiah 30–31).

Sennacherib sends the Rabshakeh to Jerusalem with a great army, and his speech is a deliberate strategy. He undermines trust in Hezekiah: “What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?” (verses 4–6). He mocks their faith, turning Hezekiah’s removal of the high places and altars into an offense against the Lord (verse 7). He boasts in Assyria’s strength, offering two thousand horses if Judah can even find riders for them (verses 8–9). He tries to redirect God’s blessing to Assyria: “Jehovah said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it” (verse 10).

Then he speaks past the officials to the people on the wall. He provides false hope — make peace, come out, and eat every one of his own vine and fig tree, until he takes them away “to a land like your own land” (verses 16–17). And he attacks their faith directly: the gods of Hamath, Arpad and Sepharvaim did not deliver their lands, so why should the Lord deliver Jerusalem (verses 18–20)?

These are Satan’s strategies as well. He discredits godly leadership, twists truth into falsehood, promotes trust in power rather than in God, misuses God’s word to justify ungodly actions, provides appeals to emotional responses, and relativizes God, belittling His significance, power and authority.

Hezekiah immediately seeks out the Lord. He tears his clothes, covers himself with sackcloth, and goes into the house of the Lord (37:1). He acknowledges his need — “the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth” — and sends to Isaiah, asking him to “lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left” (verses 3–4). And he accepts God’s word through the prophet: “Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard” (verses 6–7).

When Sennacherib sends a letter repeating his threats, Hezekiah spreads it before the Lord and prays earnestly (verses 14–20). He confesses that the Lord alone is God of all the kingdoms of the earth, and asks Him to save them “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art Jehovah, even thou only.”

This is a far better reaction than bribery and trusting man. When Sennacherib first came against Judah’s cities, Hezekiah sent word, “I have offended; return from me,” and paid the tribute with the silver of the house of the Lord and the gold stripped from the temple doors (2 Kings 18:14–16) — the very reliance on man that Isaiah had warned against (Isaiah 31). Reliance on God is not weakness: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

God answers Hezekiah’s prayer through Isaiah. Sennacherib has defied the Holy One of Israel, but God will put His hook in his nose and turn him back by the way he came; he will not come into the city or shoot an arrow there (37:21–34). And God gives His reason: “For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake” (verse 35). That night the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 in the Assyrian camp, and Sennacherib returned to Nineveh, where his own sons killed him (verses 36–38).

God’s promises are eternal; He had made His covenant with David (2 Samuel 7), and He keeps it. God will be glorified, not Judah — exactly what Hezekiah had prayed for (verse 20). God is the deliverer, not Judah (compare Romans 5). And this statement links the preservation and restoration of Jerusalem to the coming of the ultimate Son of David.

Hezekiah is given a grave diagnosis: “Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live” (38:1). And yet he still turns to the Lord for mercy, turning his face to the wall, praying, and weeping sore (verses 2–3). God hears his prayer and sees his tears; He gives him fifteen more years, promises to deliver him and the city from the king of Assyria, and gives a sign — the shadow on the dial of Ahaz goes back ten steps (verses 4–8).

Could Hezekiah have done more in response to the healing? The parallel accounts answer plainly: “Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 32:25; compare 2 Kings 20:12–13). Yet he humbled himself for the pride of his heart, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come in his days (2 Chronicles 32:26).

Hezekiah’s recovery became well known — but to whose credit? Merodach-baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and recovered (39:1). Then Hezekiah’s pride took over. He was glad of the envoys and showed them his silver and gold, spices and precious oil, and all his armory: “there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not” (verses 2–3).

Isaiah asks who these men were and what they had seen, and then delivers the word of the Lord: all that was in Hezekiah’s house would be carried to Babylon, and some of his own sons would be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon (verses 3–7). What comes before destruction? “Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18; compare Galatians 6:3). Our legacy is not the riches we accumulate but rather a life of faithful service (2 Timothy 4:7–8).

Hezekiah answers Isaiah, “Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days” (39:8; “At least there will be peace and truth in my days” in many versions). He affirms that God’s word is true and good, showing faithful acceptance, unlike other kings who might have raged or rebelled.

There are a variety of views on his second remark: gratitude for delayed judgment (faithful acceptance), short-sighted comfort (selfish resignation), or a mix of the two. On one hand he trusted God’s word and accepted it; on the other, he seemed content with peace in his own time without interceding for the generations to come.

Our walk in faith should not be a solo journey; God’s works are to be made known “to their children; That the generation to come might know them” (Psalm 78:5–7; Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Prayerful intercession for others is a sign of strength, not weakness (Isaiah 36–37).

Focus on today’s challenges, aware that a tomorrow may come: “So teach us to number our days, That we may get us a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12; James 4:14). And our legacy is not defined by what we accumulate: “Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4).

There are four unique prophetic poems, commonly known as the Servant Songs, spread across Isaiah 42, 49, 50 and 52–53. Each poem builds upon the identity of “the Servant of the Lord.” Within Christian circles we typically hear that this is Jesus the Christ, Savior, Lord of lords, King of kings — but to fully appreciate these poems, let’s take a step back.

Isaiah wrote these passages roughly 700 years before the birth of Christ. The original receivers of these prophecies, Isaiah included, would not witness the birth of Jesus or His death on the cross; they had nothing else to reference to know who this Servant is. As we study these poems we will connect them to New Testament passages, but let’s also try to view the Servant as Isaiah describes Him: to see these descriptions from the perspective of the initial audience, build Isaiah’s portrait of the Servant, and make application.

In commentaries and lectures on these short poems you will find a variety of interpretations of what they mean; even the verse numbers are up for debate. The first song is traditionally 42:1–7, but in this study we include verses 8 and 9 as well, because they help us understand it.

As you read the song, take note of the speaker and the point of view, and how they change. God is the speaker throughout. In verses 1–4 He speaks in His own voice about His Servant — “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold” — and in verses 5–9 He turns to address the Servant directly: “I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness” (v. 6).

The opening words should sound familiar: “my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him” (v. 1). At Jesus’ baptism the Spirit descended upon Him and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16–17; compare Psalm 2:7). Isaiah had already said of the shoot of Jesse, “the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him” (Isaiah 11:2).

But similar words were also said of David. When Samuel anointed him, “the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:12–13).

Who is the Servant? To answer, go through the song verse by verse and write down every characteristic Isaiah records, so we can evaluate them. He is chosen by God and empowered by God’s Spirit, and He brings justice and mercy: “he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles” (v. 1). He is not puffed up, and He is gentle: “He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street” (v. 2). He is non-violent: “A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench” (v. 3). He is persistent and faithful, and He will succeed: “He will not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth” (v. 4).

We may say instinctively that these all clearly describe the Savior as we know Him, but to many it is not so clear. Remember, Isaiah is being given prophecy of a coming Servant who has not yet come. We interpret this as Jesus, but to stand by that, all these prophecies must accurately portray Him. All Messianic prophecies, if labeled as such, must converge to portray a single figure.

To a Christian, this is clearly Jesus. But go back to earlier chapters. In Isaiah 9 we are introduced to a royal child whose names include “Mighty God,” destined to sit on David’s throne: “the government shall be upon his shoulder” (9:6). Isaiah 11 speaks of “a shoot out of the stock of Jesse” — another royal figure, empowered by the Spirit of the Lord and marked by wisdom, understanding and the fear of the Lord (11:1–2). In the New Testament we rightly see these descriptions fulfilled in Jesus the Christ. In chapters 9 and 11 the descriptions are poetic, in contrast to the direct characteristics here in chapter 42 — faithful, gentle and the rest. Isaiah 42 might seem to present a quite different kind of figure: quiet, gentle, restrained. Do these contradict the idea of a gentle Servant? Certainly not. Let us look more closely.

Isaiah 9 does portray the coming child as a ruler of great authority and divine identity, but nothing in that chapter excludes the humility and compassion described in Isaiah 42. In fact, Isaiah 9:7 says this ruler will establish His kingdom “with justice and with righteousness” — a theme directly echoed in Isaiah 42, where the Servant brings justice to the nations.

Isaiah 11:4, however, does strike a stronger tone: “he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.” This sounds forceful, even violent. How can it align with a Servant who “will not cry, nor lift up his voice,” who will not break a bruised reed (42:2–3)?

The answer lies in understanding what kind of king Jesus would be — and is today. One of the most common misunderstandings the apostles had during Jesus’ ministry was the expectation of a physical kingdom rather than a spiritual one. They expected military triumph, but Jesus consistently showed that His victory would come through truth, righteousness and sacrifice. His kingdom is not earthly; a spiritual kingdom means spiritual warfare. Isaiah 11 is not suggesting that the Messiah will literally breathe on people to destroy them. It uses poetic imagery to describe the power of His word and the purity of His judgment. He strikes the earth not with weapons but with truth — truth so penetrating that wickedness cannot stand in its presence.

This aligns perfectly with Isaiah 42, where the Servant brings justice not by force but by faithful proclamation and Spirit-empowered endurance. He defeats evil not by crushing it with violence but by overcoming it with righteousness, exposing its weakness through the light of God’s truth.

Verses 5–7 focus on God reaffirming what He will do for His Servant and for what purpose He brings the Servant to the world. The speaker is the Creator, “he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth” (v. 5), and His assurances are these: His Spirit upon Him (v. 1); “I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles” (v. 6); and the Servant’s work, “to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house” (v. 7).

Where have we heard about being a light? When Simeon took the child Jesus in his arms in the temple, he blessed God for “A light for revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:29–32). And the bringing out of prisoners is the freedom from bondage Paul describes: “being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:17–18).

God tells His Servant, “I… will hold thy hand, and will keep thee” (v. 6). Yet on the cross Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Are these in contrast? No. Jesus was quoting a psalm that begins in anguish but ends in vindication and praise. In the garden we see Him affirming His commitment to God’s will (Matthew 26:36–46). The Servant fulfills the call by going through the pain and suffering. God did not leave Him — how else could the Son of Man endure all and rise triumphant? The same hand that carried Jesus through the crucifixion reaches now for us.

Verses 8–9 show the great I AM’s plan. “I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another” (v. 8): the Servant’s success will bring glory to the Lord. God reveals His plan at the appropriate time. He is not reactionary — “the former things are come to pass” — and as evidence, He declares “new things” before they spring forth (v. 9).

Prophecies in general are a subject of debate, Messianic prophecies even more so. We spend the rest of the class on a few alternative interpretations of this passage, to prepare ourselves for future discussions.

In the modern Jewish reading, the Servant is Israel, or the faithful remnant within Israel — the view of the medieval commentator Rashi. The song represents Israel’s mission to bring justice to the nations. Isaiah 41 ties Israel to being a servant: “But thou, Israel, my servant… Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away” (41:8–9). Israel’s survival and its influence in spreading ethical monotheism are seen as fulfilling this prophecy, and the reading supports the idea of national redemption rather than individual salvation.

The problems with the Servant being Israel are real. The passage gives individual characteristics rather than collective ones. Israel’s historical purpose was to bring glory to God, not to redeem the world. And the later Servant passages speak of suffering and vindication that do not align with Israel’s experiences.

In the Islamic reading, the Servant is the Prophet Muhammad. The words “he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles” are applied to him; the mention of Kedar in verse 11, “the villages that Kedar doth inhabit,” is believed to point to the descendants of Ishmael; and Islam’s expansion and influence are viewed as fulfilling the prophecy.

The problems with the Servant being Muhammad: there is no Biblical connection, and Islamic texts do not reference Isaiah. A Servant who is gentle and non-violent does not align with military campaigns. Muhammad was never appointed as a covenant of the people. And the spiritual healing of the song — opening blind eyes, bringing those in darkness out of the prison-house — again does not align with Muhammad’s role.

The second and third Servant Songs build upon each other, and this lesson takes up the second, Isaiah 49:1–13. It covers the Servant’s calling and mission, the rejection He meets, and His vindication. We will explore its themes, make practical application, and see what references we can find to uncover the Servant’s identity.

Who is the speaker? This time the song begins from the Servant’s own perspective (vv. 1–6); then God speaks (vv. 7–12). We are going to see the Servant’s disappointment and struggles from a different perspective, and then the Lord will validate the Servant’s role.

The Servant speaks directly to the coastlands and distant nations — “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far” — echoing the global scope introduced in Isaiah 42:4, “the isles shall wait for his law.” The emphasis on far-off nations in both songs underscores that the Servant’s mission extends beyond Israel, with profound implications for the entire world. The repetition reinforces God’s plan of salvation spreading beyond Israel, and it ties back to the “light of the Gentiles” (42:6), which helps connect the two passages as referring to the same Servant. This theme of universal restoration continues to unfold throughout Isaiah’s prophecies, revealing God’s redemptive plan for all people.

The Servant highlights His divine calling — not a mission assumed in adulthood, but one ordained from the womb: “Jehovah hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name” (v. 1; compare v. 5). Being chosen from birth establishes the Servant’s legitimacy and authority as coming from God rather than from human ambition; the mission is God-directed. It is a lifelong dedication to the mission, not a circumstantial one. Others too were called from birth: Jeremiah, Samson, Samuel, John the Baptist, and Paul, whom God “separated… even from my mother’s womb” (Galatians 1:15).

This is a preordained plan; God has all things in place (Isaiah 46:8–13). He declares “the end from the beginning… My counsel shall stand” (46:10). God’s plan is unshakable, and history serves as evidence. Humanity may resist and reject, but He is not shaken: “There are many devices in a man’s heart; But the counsel of Jehovah, that shall stand” (Proverbs 19:21). There is none other; God’s power is immeasurable, beyond compare.

We too have been called (Ephesians 1:4–5; 2:10) — not by merit but by grace (2 Timothy 1:9). We need to have confidence in that standing in order to stand strong.

Verse 2 turns to the Servant’s preparation with several “he hath made…” statements. “He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword”: words carry power, precision and authority — the word of God is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). “In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me”: protection and concealment; the Servant will be kept under God’s care and hidden. “He hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he kept me close”: an arrow is a fashioned, precise tool, designed for a purpose and kept secure until the appointed time.

The imagery of being hidden in the shadow of God’s hand and crafted like a polished arrow emphasizes the specific role God had planned. This was careful consideration, preparation, and a degree of protection until the appointed time came. God is not reactionary; He is unbound by time.

This leads to verse 3, where the identity “Israel” is assigned to the Servant: “Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” This sparks many different interpretations, which we take up at the end of the lesson.

Verse 4 shows the Servant will not see great success: “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity.” But where is the Servant’s reward? With the Lord: “yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God.”

Verses 5–6 show the Servant’s mission: to bring Jacob back to God; to be a light to the Gentiles — there it is again; and to be God’s salvation to the end of the earth. “It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (v. 6).

Notice that verses 5–7 show Israel the nation is to be redeemed by the Servant. So if the identity of the Servant is Israel the nation, how does Israel save itself? There are many individual titles and characteristics in this passage that could not be applied to an entire nation.

God becomes the speaker in verse 7, reaffirming His role to the Israelites. What title is used? “Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One.” A redeemer removes the debt or loss, or frees from slavery.

God then speaks of the Servant: “him whom man despiseth… him whom the nation abhorreth… a servant of rulers.” God’s Servant will be despised by man; the nation will abhor Him — a word of abomination, of strong loathing; and He will serve even rulers.

Here we see an interesting paradox. The Servant will be despised and abhorred, yet “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship.” From rejection to recognition — and beyond recognition, to worship. This pattern of suffering and vindication is a common theme not just in Isaiah but in the New Testament as well. And the Lord is described again: “the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.” Again, who chose the Servant? Not man, and not the Servant Himself — God.

Then the song becomes a conversation between God and His Servant: “In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people” (v. 8). Again we see “time,” a common theme; Paul quotes this verse and adds, “behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). As in chapter 42, God is not thrusting His Servant into a hostile environment without any help: He helps, preserves, and gives Him as a covenant. God will remain active and provide aid to enable the success of the Servant.

The Servant will “raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages” (v. 8). At first glance this is the return from Babylon and the reclaiming of Jerusalem — Ezra? Nehemiah? But what else has been made desolate? What legacies tarnished? Both a physical and a spiritual inheritance could be argued.

Verse 9 brings again the freeing of prisoners: “saying to them that are bound, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves.” “Go forth” is like “Let my people go,” or “Arise, take up thy bed, and walk.” Come out of darkness; step into the light. Along the journey they will be fed and provided for (compare 40:11), with pasture where there was once desolation. Again we see God’s ability to transform waste and darkness into prosperity and light.

In verses 10–11 God provides sustenance, shelter, mercy and renewal: “They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them will lead them.” The key: God’s providence comes out of mercy, not obligation. No mountain is impassable; the highways are safe, clear and exalted (compare 40:4). It is the theme of a very familiar psalm, the 23rd, repeated in Revelation 7:16–17. In this song God highlights His mercy, compassion and providence rather than the judgment and penalties of rejecting Him.

In verse 12, “these” — likely the prisoners and those in darkness of verse 9 — come from far: from the north (Babylon, Assyria), from the west (the coastal regions and Mediterranean nations), and from “the land of Sinim.” All shall sing and praise, even the mountains: “Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for Jehovah hath comforted his people, and will have compassion upon his afflicted” (v. 13). The song culminates with heavens and earth called to rejoice — not because struggles and temptations have vanished, but because of the comfort and mercy God has shown to those who are His. The Lord comforts His people and, again, shows mercy, specifically on the afflicted.

As the song concludes: who is the Servant? Or rather, who does this passage best describe, considering the Scriptures God has revealed to us?

Could the Servant be Jesus? He was called before birth (vv. 1–3; Luke 1:31; John 1:1). He was hidden until the appropriate time (v. 2; Luke 2:51; John 2:4). He felt the rejection (vv. 4, 7; Matthew 27:46; 1 Peter 2:23). He is covenant and liberator (vv. 5–6; Luke 22:20; John 8:36). He is the tender leader and shepherd (vv. 8–13; John 6:35; Revelation 7:17). Conclusion: only Jesus matches every stage of the Servant’s identity and mission.

Could the Servant be Israel? Those who say so point to verse 3, “Thou art my servant; Israel.” On this reading the Servant is simply the faithful remnant of Israel who remain true to God; Israel is meant to be a light to the nations; Israel will suffer hardship and rejection but will survive and return from exile; and although individual terms are used, this is simply the personification of the nation — the passage continues the discussion of Israel, not of a Messianic figure. But as we saw in verses 5–7, the Servant brings Jacob back to God; the nation cannot be its own redeemer.

Could the Servant be Jesus, Joseph Smith and the Restored Church all at once? Many Mormons hold the position that one prophecy can have multiple true interpretations. Jesus is viewed as the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah 49, but Joseph Smith is also believed to fulfill it (specifically 49:1–2), and the LDS Church to fulfill the restoration of the world. Recent leaders, including the church’s president, claim the chapter refers to temple work.

Can a prophecy hold different true interpretations? Yes — but from a logical, literary and hermeneutical standpoint, each must fulfill the passage in its entirety. The LDS interpretations do not each complete the prophecy; they fulfill only parts. The shifting between Israel, Christ, Smith and the Church blurs the passage. It only works if you say the identity changes every few verses rather than being fulfilled in its completion — yet the passage flows and shows no clear signs of breaks in meaning.

The Servant Songs are four prophetic poems, in chapters 42, 49, 50 and 52–53, and each builds on the identity of “the Servant of the Lord.” The common interpretation is that the Servant is Jesus the Christ. But Isaiah wrote some seven hundred years before Christ, and his first audience had nothing else to go on to know who this Servant was. So we view these descriptions from their perspective, building Isaiah’s portrait of the Servant and making application as we go.

Isaiah’s third Servant Song builds on the themes of the first two, emphasizing the Servant’s unwavering obedience and endurance in the face of suffering. While the Servant is indeed the one who will bring justice, the path to that justice is marked by rejection and hardship. Isaiah 49 revealed the tension between the Servant’s mission and the resistance of those He was sent to redeem. Now, in Isaiah 50, that rejection takes a more vivid form, as the Servant willingly submits to humiliation, enduring physical and verbal abuse without retaliation. His steadfastness is not rooted in human strength but in complete trust in God’s vindication. The passage also contrasts those who walk in the light of the Lord with those who rely on their own wisdom, warning of the consequences of rejecting the Servant’s example.

Songs one and two dealt with the Servant’s identity and mission, God’s voice mixed with the Servant’s, and each ended with a declaration of hope and restoration. Song three bridges the Servant’s mission and His sacrifice. The speaker is once again the Servant. We know it is the same Servant because verse 10 reveals Him as the Lord’s Servant — “that obeyeth the voice of his servant” — much as Isaiah 49:7 does. The passage keeps the Servant distinct from the Lord, yet stresses His complete dependence on Him: separate, yet intimately connected. It is the Servant Himself describing the suffering He will endure, not the Lord speaking about His Servant’s trials, and that reveals His willing submission and steadfast trust in God’s plan.

The song begins with the Servant revealing that God has taught Him all He needs to know in order to speak. “The Lord Jehovah hath given me the tongue of them that are taught” — “the tongue of the learned” in many versions. By whose authority does He speak? The Lord’s. Being taught comes before teaching (compare Isaiah 29:13–14). The Servant knows “how to sustain with words him that is weary”: the right message at the right time. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in network of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

His ability to sustain others is due to His continual communication with God. “He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught.” The Servant’s ear is opened, ready to hear God’s words — submission and readiness. His hearing is not ordinary; it is that of a disciple. Learned listeners apply what they hear, act on it, and grow by it.

In verse 5 God opened the Servant’s ear, and He “was not rebellious, neither turned away backward.” He accepted and followed. Israel was given the same opportunity. How did that turn out? Isaiah’s own commission foretold a people who would hear but not understand, whose ears were heavy (Isaiah 6:9–10).

The Servant’s willingness to endure suffering becomes evident in verse 6: “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” He “gave” His back — He was not forced to accept the abuse. Plucking the beard was humiliation, a deep shame in Hebrew culture. He does not hide from it or shrink from it, but faces it with unwavering resolve — what we might call “turning the other cheek.”

How does He endure such affliction? Verse 7 gives the answer: “For the Lord Jehovah will help me; therefore have I not been confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.” Again the Lord will help His Servant, and because of the Lord the Servant cannot be disgraced. A face like a flint speaks of determination and courage. “I shall not be put to shame” — God provides the vindication.

Shame is the feeling that something is wrong with you. True shame is separation from God. “If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you” (1 Peter 4:14).

“He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me?” Who justifies the Servant? The Lord Himself. With God standing near, who then can successfully oppose Him? The Servant is confident in God’s protection and assurances, and has no fear of opposition — not out of arrogance, but out of faith.

There will be adversaries: the wicked, those who reject the Servant. But are they worthy of contending? “Behold, the Lord Jehovah will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? behold, all they shall wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat them up.” They fade and decay; their opposition is temporary and futile, and they are consumed.

In verse 10 there is a subtle shift as the Servant draws a clear distinction between light and darkness. Fearing the Lord means obeying the voice of His Servant. The Servant calls both those who fear and those who are lost: “he that walketh in darkness, and hath no light, let him trust in the name of Jehovah, and rely upon his God.” The call is personal. Trust alone is not enough — true faith requires dependence on God rather than self-sufficiency.

In contrast are those who encircle themselves with fire: “all ye that kindle a fire, that gird yourselves about with firebrands; walk ye in the flame of your fire.” They trust in their own abilities and wisdom, and they find themselves on a path to sorrow and destruction: “This shall ye have of my hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” Reliance on God is not just beneficial but essential for spiritual endurance.

We are to trust in God fully (verse 10), and the Servant calls out those who rely on themselves (verse 11). Yet we are also called to work diligently (1 Timothy 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:10). The problem is prideful self-reliance: “Pride goeth before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18), and “God resisteth the proud” (James 4:6). “Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm” (Jeremiah 17:5). True faith is humbly working diligently while depending on God who provides.

Is the Servant Jesus the Christ? Every line of this song is matched in Him. Taught by God: “as the Father taught me, I speak these things” (John 8:28). Obedient and submissive: “he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death” (Philippians 2:8). Suffering without retaliation: He was struck, mocked and scourged (Matthew 26:67; 27:26–31). Silent and non-defensive in suffering: “when he was reviled, reviled not again… but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). His face set toward suffering: “he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Confident in God’s vindication: God justifies, and Christ is raised and exalted (Romans 8:33–34). Calling others to trust in God: He calls people to believe and walk in His light (John 12:44–46). Rejected by the self-reliant: “men loved the darkness rather than the light” (John 3:19).

Is the Servant Israel, or the faithful remnant? That reading takes “the tongue of them that are taught” as Israel as God’s prophetic voice — “Ye are my witnesses” (Isaiah 43:10); the wakened ear as Israel’s dedication to studying and obeying the Law; the suffering as foreign oppression under Babylon, the Greeks, the Romans and others; the face like a flint as Israel’s determination to remain faithful under oppression; and “he that walketh in darkness” as a call to faithful Jews in exile. Is there any truth in that? The issue is that the Servant speaks and acts as an individual, with personal obedience, personal suffering and conscious trust in God.

Is the Servant Jeremiah? He was commissioned by God to speak (Jeremiah 1:10), suffered beatings, insults and rejection (20:2), faced opposition and false accusations (20:10), and spoke of fire and judgment (5:14). But Jeremiah did not speak with authority of his own; he conveyed God’s message. He expressed frustration and anger with God (Jeremiah 20:7–9), where the Servant “was not rebellious.” And Jeremiah’s message was warning and lament, not redemptive suffering leading to restoration. Only Jesus fits the Servant of this song.

As we approach the fourth Servant Song, we have already seen the unfolding of the Servant’s mission, suffering and ultimate vindication. The second song deepened our understanding of His calling, highlighting His role in redeeming Israel while also serving as a light to the nations — despite moments of discouragement. The third song further emphasized His obedience and endurance, revealing His willingness to suffer humiliation and rejection while remaining steadfast in His trust in God. Together these songs paint a powerful picture of a Servant who brings hope, fully aware that suffering and humiliation are inevitable — not in spite of His reliance on God, but as a result of it. His unwavering trust in God’s ever-present help does not exempt Him from hardship; rather, it strengthens Him to endure it, knowing that ultimate vindication is assured.

The Servant Songs are four prophetic poems, in chapters 42, 49, 50 and 52–53, each building on the identity of “the Servant of the Lord.” The common interpretation is that the Servant is Jesus the Christ, but Isaiah wrote some seven hundred years before Christ, and his first audience had nothing else to go on. So we view these descriptions from their perspective, build Isaiah’s portrait of the Servant, and make application.

As we come to the fourth song, we already have a rich picture of the Servant. He is called by God — even from the womb — to be a light to the Gentiles, bringing justice and righteousness to a broken world. Unlike the rulers of His day, He embraces the weak and weary, offering comfort and hope to those often overlooked or dismissed. Yet despite His noble calling and compassionate mission, we have also seen that He would face rejection, shame and even abuse — spat upon and despised — as He faithfully carries out God’s will.

This paradox raises a crucial question: why would God’s chosen Servant suffer so deeply? Here the speaker is God, speaking through Isaiah, and verse 13 — “my servant” — tells us we are talking about the same Servant. We know He will suffer, yet bring justice and hope. The fourth song offers a profound answer, revealing that the Servant’s suffering is not a detour but the very heart of His mission.

The song opens with a familiar description: “Behold, my servant shall deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.” As in chapter 50, the Servant is wise and ultimately exalted by God. But this exaltation is then contrasted with an image of deep suffering. Rather than the Servant’s exaltation being celebrated, many are astonished at Him: “his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” Heavily disfigured, devoid of attraction, He no longer looked human — a picture of the intensity of His suffering.

Once again the Servant is honored by God but despised by people. “So shall he sprinkle many nations” — His sacrifice is sprinkled on all nations. “Kings shall shut their mouths at him”: they are silenced not so much by what the Servant does as by what He will endure before He is exalted. Exaltation after suffering amazes even kings.

Then: “for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they understand.” At a certain point, the true mission and glory of the Servant will be unveiled, and many who at first rejected Him will turn to Him. When is this hidden truth revealed? Paul speaks of “the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested… made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith” (Romans 16:25–26). It serves as a turning point for all of us.

Chapter 53 continues with the Servant rejected by the people He came to save. Nothing about Him draws the world to Him: “he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” He arrives without majesty, beauty or status, the qualities the world is attracted to. Rather than honor, He receives scorn and rejection; rather than recognition, shame. “He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” All of this parallels the Servant songs in chapters 49 and 50.

Then we come to verse 4. Until now, we knew the Servant would suffer greatly while fulfilling God’s plan, and the earlier songs seemed to tie that suffering directly to the people’s reaction: those who desired to stay in darkness rejected the light the Servant provided. Is it simply because people despise His message? Verse 4 gives the provoking answer: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

Up till now, the people’s rejection seemed to stem from misunderstanding, or an inability to recognize Him as the Lord’s Servant. Now Isaiah reveals that the suffering was not simply humanity’s cruelty but was intentional, redemptive and personal. The people assumed He was suffering for His own actions, even under God’s judgment — but no, He suffered for them, not for Himself. The Servant’s suffering was not God’s judgment on Him but God’s judgment on us.

Verse 5 continues portraying the suffering the Servant willingly takes on for the benefit of all: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” He bore chastisement so we could have peace. These phrases are not only deeply theological but deeply personal. They are often quoted in our lessons and sung in our hymns because they speak to the heart of redemption. We are meant to be moved by the reality that the Servant bore the suffering we deserved. Our sin is the reason He gave His all. It was not abstract or general; it was deeply individual and universal at the same time. This is unlike typical rulers, and unlike most people.

We are all included in the confession of verse 6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Though innocent Himself, He bears the weight of our collective guilt.

Then, in verse 7, Isaiah highlights the Servant’s silent submission. “He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.” He offers no protest or resistance. Like a lamb led to slaughter — meek, vulnerable, yet purposeful — He accepts the suffering without retaliation. His silence is not weakness; it is obedience. It echoes chapter 50:6, where the Servant did not hide His face from shame and spitting. His quiet endurance is a model of faithfulness under pressure and a testimony to His complete trust in God’s plan.

“By oppression and judgment he was taken away.” The Servant is swept away under false circumstances; no legal defense is given and there is no fair trial. No one steps forward to defend Him. “As for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?” The question highlights the loneliness and apparent finality of His fate. To be cut off from the land of the living is a very violent end. But Isaiah makes the reason clear: the Servant bears the full force of God’s judgment for our guilt, not His.

“And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death.” He dies like a common criminal, yet His body would not remain among them; rather He shall be “with a rich man.” This is the first sign that the lowest point has been reached and the rise begins. Once again the Servant is portrayed as completely innocent — “he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth” — yet He suffers as though He were guilty. His suffering is not random or meaningless.

“Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief.” What does “pleased” mean? Not pleasure that He was bruised, but satisfaction with the punishment. “With his stripes we are healed” — this punishment was ours. The Servant is presented as an offering for sin, an act of atonement. In a surprising shift, verse 10 says He “shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days” — seed meaning spiritual offspring, and prolonged days ironic for one who is cut off. It is a hint at resurrection. Though cut off, the Servant will witness the outcome of His suffering and see the people spiritually born through His work. The song turns from brutal suffering to triumphant fulfillment.

“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” His death is not in vain. “Travail of his soul” points to more than typical physical suffering — to deep internal anguish. Despite the agony He is satisfied; He has achieved His purpose. “By the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many” ties back to the taught Servant of Isaiah 50, and by Him we are justified.

“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong.” God rewards the Servant greatly — like a military conqueror, but for obedience through suffering. Rather than keeping the spoils, He shares His triumph with the strong: those strong in faith and trust in Him. “He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” He did not just die for us; He pleaded and prayed for us. God’s redemptive plan prospers through Him, and He is honored — not because He fought with power, but because He “poured out his soul unto death.” That is not characteristic of someone rejected and put to shame. His exaltation is the final confirmation of His role as both sufferer and Savior.

The four Servant Songs paint a progressively deeper portrait of God’s chosen Servant. In the first (Isaiah 42), He is gentle yet powerful, bringing justice not by force but through faithfulness. The second (Isaiah 49) reveals His mission to restore Israel and reach the Gentiles, even as He feels the weight of rejection. The third (Isaiah 50) shows His obedience through suffering, enduring humiliation without retaliation, sustained by unwavering trust in God. Finally, in the fourth (Isaiah 52:13–53:12), His suffering and rejection are revealed to be redemptive: He bears the sins of others, is crushed as a guilt offering, yet ultimately rises to be exalted and victorious. Together these songs reveal a Servant who is not only faithful and humble, but the very means through whom God brings salvation to the world.

Gather the characteristics: chosen and appointed by God (42:1; 49:1, 5; 50:4; 53:10); empowered by God’s Spirit (42:1; 49:5; 50:7; 53:10); bringer of justice and light (42:1, 4, 6; 49:6, 8); teacher and comforter (50:4; 42:3); gentle, humble and meek (42:2–3; 49:7; 50:6; 53:3, 7); suffering innocently with submission (50:6–7; 53:5, 7–9); bearing our sins (53:4–6, 11–12); vindicated and helped by God (49:4–5; 50:7–9; 52:13); exalted after suffering (52:13; 53:10–12); a light and liberator (42:6–7; 49:9–10); obedient and faithful to God (50:4–5, 7; 53:10); intercessor and justifier (53:11–12).

Who does this sound like? As we come to the conclusion of this part of our study, it becomes even clearer that Jesus the Christ is not only God’s Servant but our salvation.

A bonus question: what is the fifth Servant Song? There is a passage in Isaiah that Jesus quotes in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:18–19), drawn from Isaiah 61:1–2 with Isaiah 58:6: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He said, “To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21).

God’s sovereign rule begins with mercy and restoration. The title given to God in this chapter is Creator and Comforter. “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God” (verse 1) — God initiates the comfort, not us. In verses 2–3 His word calls for repentance and hope, and in verses 6–8 we learn that His word stands forever: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever.” His promises never fail. In verses 10–11 He comes “as a mighty one,” yet “he will gather the lambs in his arm.”

God’s power is not cold or detached. The same voice that spoke the universe into existence also speaks with comfort. There is assurance here: if God created the heavens and the earth, can He not sustain me? He is able, and He will sustain those who trust in Him.

In light of God’s vastness, human power is utterly limited. Who has measured the waters, the heavens, the dust and the mountains (verse 12)? Only God (Job 38:4–5). Human wisdom cannot instruct or correct Him (verses 13–14). The nations are “as a drop of a bucket” and are counted as nothing (verses 15–17). Even the greatest offering falls short: “Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering” (verse 16). Humanity is dependent, limited and small; we cannot sustain ourselves, yet the Creator offers His help.

No idol of man can rival the uncreated God. “To whom then will ye liken God?” (verse 18). You cannot compare anything to Him. Idols are made by human hands, rooted in fear and effort (verses 19–20); earthly rulers bend to God’s will (verses 23–24). Of the stars, “he calleth them all by name” (verse 26) — each one is known to Him.

The God who rules the cosmos sees your pain. Israel still doubted that God saw them: “My way is hid from Jehovah” (verse 27). But God does not tire and does not fail (verse 28). He strengthens those who admit they have need (verse 29), while even the young grow weary (verse 30). The God of the cosmos is still nearby.

God works in His time. Verse 31 promises that “they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.” God brings new vitality, lifts us above our trials, and gives strength to finish life’s race.

Chapter 41 begins with God summoning all to face judgment (verse 1). Verses 2–3 again show His power over the rise and fall of nations, and verse 4 shows that God is over time itself: “I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.” The nations’ response is telling (verses 5–7): they tremble, encourage one another, and turn to their own man-made idols, fastening them with nails so they will not be moved.

Israel’s place is different. “Jacob whom I have chosen” (verse 8) — God chose first. God did not cast the Israelites away (verse 9); they chose to turn away. He brings both judgment and comfort, so they are not to be dismayed (verse 10), and His promise sounds like the Servant Songs: “I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” God’s presence is assured; He will not abandon them.

God’s justice is meant to defend and transform His people. Those who strike them will perish (verse 11) and will be as nothing (verse 12). “Fear not, thou worm Jacob” (verse 14) highlights their weakness, yet in verses 15–16 He transforms the weak to be strong — a sharp threshing instrument that threshes the mountains.

Those who seek water will not be forsaken (verse 17). God brings life where there is none (verse 18) and can reverse curses into blessings, planting cedar and myrtle in the wilderness (verse 19). His actions are meant to guide us to Him: “that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this” (verse 20). God’s sovereignty is not just about ruling but restoring.

Then God directly challenges the idols to prove themselves: “Produce your cause” (verse 21). He demonstrates His authority over time (verses 22–23) and declares that the idols are nothing: “Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought” (verse 24). He shows His authority by revealing events before they occur (verse 25), while the idols stay silent when called upon (verses 28–29).

These idols are not merely statues. They represent anything we rely on in place of God — wealth, power, tradition, influence, our own wisdom. They can be physical or abstract, and they lead us to false hope and silent failure. God must be put first.

God’s sovereignty is intimate. He calls His people by name (verse 1), forms them from the womb and helps them (verse 2), and sustains them, pouring water on the thirsty and His Spirit on their seed (verse 3). He shows personal care for His creation, not just raw power. Again He declares, “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God” (verse 6). None else can proclaim the future and make it so (verse 7), and “there is no Rock; I know not any” (verse 8) — God provides stability, so we have no need of additional support.

Idols are the products of men, not divine (verse 9). Crafting them is laborious and human: the smith grows hungry and faint at his work (verse 12). The same wood that warms a man and bakes his bread becomes the god he falls down to (verses 15–17) — is that logical? Worshiping idols blinds and deceives us: “a deceived heart hath turned him aside” (verse 20).

God reassures Israel that He will not forget them (verse 21). He is merciful, willing to blot out their transgressions as a thick cloud (verse 22), so the heavens are called to sing because He redeems (verse 23). He stretches out the heavens alone, unaided by others (verse 24), and those who try to understand without His aid are driven mad (verses 25–26). Then, in verse 28, a name appears for the first time: “That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure.” Cyrus, king of Persia — but not yet.

Babylon’s idols collapse under their own weight: “Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth” (verse 1). They are simply dead weight, a burden to the weary beast (verse 2). But God does not simply create; He bears, He carries and He delivers: “I have made, and I will bear; yea, I will carry, and will deliver” (verse 4). Idol worshipers carry their gods; those who honor God are carried by Him.

The challenge is issued once again: “To whom will ye liken me?” (verse 5). God mocks those who hire a goldsmith to craft a god for themselves (verse 6). They bear the idol on their shoulders and set it in its place — yet what does it do for them? “One may cry unto it, yet can it not answer, nor save him out of his trouble” (verse 7).

God stands apart. Verse 8 is a call to think clearly and stand courageously for truth; verse 9, not to give in to idols. God writes history before it happens — “declaring the end from the beginning” — and His will always prevails, regardless of human intervention: “My counsel shall stand” (verse 10). He calls “a ravenous bird from the east” (verse 11); even resistance cannot hinder Him (verse 12). He brings His righteousness near, and His glory is shown through the redemption of His people: “I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory” (verse 13).

Babylon, once proud and luxurious, is forced into a lower status, and her fall is going to be complete — socially, politically and spiritually. “Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon” (verse 1): she loses all authority, wealth and influence. “Remove thy veil… pass through the rivers” (verse 2) speaks of forced labor and exposure. “Yea, thy shame shall be seen” (verse 3): public humiliation, her inner corruption now made visible. Her exterior beauty and power hid deep wickedness, but God exposes and humbles.

Babylon is not just weakened; it is humiliated, dethroned and exposed. The judgment is not random. It is tied directly to Babylon’s arrogance and cruelty (verse 6); God is not destroying simply to show His power. This foreshadows a pattern God uses throughout Scripture: He brings down the proud and lifts up the humble (James 4:6; Luke 1:52).

God was punishing His people by letting Babylon conquer them: “I was wroth with my people… and gave them into thy hand.” But Babylon “didst show them no mercy; upon the aged hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke” (verse 6). “I shall be mistress for ever” (verse 7) — that is, I will remain secure forever — is arrogance. Babylon did not recognize that God had granted the victory and did not even consider the consequences of its actions. God can use us for His will, but we are responsible for how we carry it out.

Babylon’s downfall is tied to self-exaltation and misplaced trust. She says in her heart, “I am, and there is none else besides me” (verses 8, 10) — words only God can rightly say. “I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children” (verse 8) is delusional. Babylon had become warped by its false assurances: “thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee” (verse 10). Yet “desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou knowest not” (verse 11).

In fear, Babylon clings to its false hope. God mocks its ignorance: “Stand now with thine enchantments… if so be thou shalt be able to profit” (verse 12). It trusted in illusionists, deceivers and counterfeits that looked powerful but were nothing — astrologers, star-gazers and monthly prognosticators (verse 13). The imagery is familiar: they will be as stubble, the fire will burn them, and “it shall not be a coal to warm at” (verse 14). Allies withdraw to their own quarters, the economy crumbles, and “there shall be none to save thee” (verse 15).

Babylon’s false hope was in sorceries, magic, astrologers and itself. Wickedness is a pattern of life outside of God’s path, and it is not only the horrific examples we commonly point to. At its core, it was Babylon’s pride that led to its downfall. God had placed judgment on Israel and it came to pass; now it is Babylon’s turn. The key difference: Israel showed repentance through a remnant; Babylon had no such remnant.

God claimed Israel for Himself. The familiar message, “Fear not,” reassures His people that He has called them: “I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine” (verse 1). His presence is promised even in difficult times: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned” (verse 2). Israel is precious, honored and loved in His sight (verse 4), and He will gather all His people wherever they may be — all who are created for His glory (verses 5–7).

God redeems so His people can glorify Him. He calls all the nations to bring forth their witnesses (verse 9), challenging them to produce witnesses for their gods and idols. The challenge is not Israel versus the nations but truth versus idolatry. Then He calls Israel His witness: “Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah” (verse 10). “There was no strange god among you” (verse 12) — that was Israel’s purpose. God reiterates His supremacy: “besides me there is no saviour” (verse 11).

The redemption to come is something new. God reminds Israel that He has brought down Babylon (verse 14) and that He is the Lord, their Creator, their King (verse 15). “Remember ye not the former things” (verse 18) — the past is not the path to follow. God is making a new path in an unexpected way: “I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (verse 19), for “the people which I formed for myself” (verse 21).

Israel’s failure in worship is forgiven, but not for their sake. Israel had grown weary in their worship of God: “thou hast been weary of me, O Israel” (verse 22). Yet “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake” (verse 25) — not for Israel’s. “Set thou forth thy cause” (verse 26): God wants them to confess and communicate with Him. However, blotting out does not replace judgment (verses 27–28). God’s mercy and God’s justice are both highlighted.

Chapter 48 exposes hypocrisy and stubbornness. Israel made a claim to God’s name, “but not in truth, nor in righteousness” (verse 1). Before any claim could be made for idols, God had declared the former things, “lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them” (verses 3–5). They had become stiff-necked — “thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass” (verse 4) — refusing to listen or bend.

Yet His anger is deferred, not for their sake but for His: “For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger” (verse 9); “for mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do it… and my glory will I not give to another” (verse 11). Israel was meant to declare His glory; no other nation would get that honor. God’s mercy is not earned; He gives it.

Israel had defined themselves by their relation to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and God — but did they live it? The same message is found in Romans: God’s true children are those who serve and honor Him. So many want to tie themselves to religion but neglect its teachings, principles, morality and devotion.

God pleads with Israel to remember who He is and to hear Him: “Hearken unto me, O Jacob… I am he; I am the first, I also am the last” (verse 12). He went far beyond creating them; He helped, led and taught them: “I am Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go” (verse 17). But the plea fell on deaf ears. Had Israel responded, there would have been peace (verse 18). Verse 19 recalls the promise to Abraham of descendants like the sand, and “his name would not be cut off” — Israel had broken their covenant with God, not the other way around.

God still offers deliverance to those who respond. He tells His people to flee from captivity — foretelling their return — and not just to flee, but to tell the world that He delivered them: “say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob” (verse 20). Through the difficulty of the journey and the restoration of the city He was there; through the deserts He gave water from the rock (verse 21) — does that sound familiar? But the wicked will not have peace (verse 22); God’s justice is not removed.

Two questions span all three chapters. Through them God’s mercy and God’s justice are both highlighted: He blots out transgressions for His own sake, yet blotting out does not replace judgment; He offers deliverance to those who respond, yet “There is no peace, saith Jehovah, to the wicked” (48:22). And over all of it — Babylon’s fall and Israel’s redemption alike — God is in control.

Chapter 45 opens with God speaking directly to a foreign king: “Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus” (verse 1). This is foretold at least 150 years before Cyrus came to power. God would hold his right hand, open doors and gates before him, and call him by name, though Cyrus did not know Him (verses 1–4).

Verses 5–7 reiterate what Isaiah has stressed again and again: “I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God.” Cyrus is girded by a God he does not know, so that from the rising of the sun to the west all may know there is none besides Him.

Verse 7 draws a great deal of debate: “I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.” If God created both light and darkness, is He responsible for evil? The verse is showing that there is no dualism — no rival power of darkness alongside God; He is over all. “Darkness” here means darkness, not sin, and the “evil” set against “peace” is calamity (as many versions render it), not moral evil. The verse does not say God creates sin; but He certainly is the one who defines both good and evil.

Verse 8 is a poetic appeal: “Distil, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, that it may bring forth salvation.” Righteousness and salvation are pictured coming down from God like rain.

Then comes a warning to anyone who would contend with God: “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth!” (verse 9). If you must argue, argue with your equals. God wants us to trust the hands that formed the world (verse 12). He directs our ways; He restores as He directs; there is no haggling on our behalf. He raised up Cyrus to build His city and let His exiles go free, “not for price nor reward” (verse 13).

Some very harsh imagery is used in verse 14: the nations come over “in chains,” fall down, and say, “Surely God is in thee; and there is none else.” Nations submit themselves and acknowledge that Israel’s God is the true God, while the makers of idols are put to shame (verse 16).

“Israel shall be saved by Jehovah with an everlasting salvation” (verse 17) — not because they are Israel, but because they turned to the God who can save. Those who “carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save” have no knowledge (verse 20). Again the idols are exposed as powerless, man-crafted false hopes.

God did not speak “in secret, in a place of the land of darkness” (verse 19). And His call goes out to everyone: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else” (verse 22). Further emphasis falls on the acknowledgment God will have from all: “unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear” (verse 23).

Does that sound familiar? Paul applies it to Christ: “that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10–11). What we call the gospel message did not come out of nowhere; Isaiah said it first.

Again everyone is called to drink, to be provided for: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (verse 1).

Yet there are requirements. “Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live” (verse 3) — we must listen to Him. If we come near and listen, our soul shall live, and He will make an everlasting covenant, “even the sure mercies of David.”

The nations will come — not to join Israel in that sense, but “because of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel” (verse 5). They are being called, and the call is Messianic.

“Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near” (verse 6). Again the call is to seek the Lord — to be active, with urgency. It is a call to turn from wickedness and return to the Lord: “let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” Only then can mercy be received, “for he will abundantly pardon” (verse 7).

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (verse 8). That means two things. First, our ways are wicked; we must follow His. Second, the idea of pardon with no limits is not something we see in man-made morals.

Then Isaiah returns to the imagery of rain, the source of life and rejuvenation. As the rain and snow water the earth and make it bud, “so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void” (verses 10–11). God’s word produces new life and fruit; it is effective, not void, and it cannot be stopped. The chapter ends with joy and renewal: the mountains break forth into singing, the trees clap their hands, and instead of thorn and brier come the fir-tree and the myrtle (verses 12–13). God’s word is transformative, “an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

We studied these verses with the Servant Songs, as the passage Jesus read in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:17–21). After reading it He said, “To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears.”

It is a transformational message: healing for the brokenhearted, liberty for the captives, comfort for all who mourn. God gives “a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (verse 3) — ashes to beauty, mourning to gladness, a faint spirit to praise — “that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified.”

When people are transformed by God’s renewal, it does not stop with the individual; it spills out. “They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations” (verse 4). What was destroyed is restored — not simply Jerusalem, which was never fully restored, but the spiritual health of the nation being rebuilt as well. These were “the desolations of many generations”; the captivity was to last seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11).

Where there was once shame there will be double honor — a reversal (verse 7). Again, transformation requires change: God says, “I hate robbery with iniquity” — sacrifice without righteousness is hated (verse 8). The change will be noticed by the world: “all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Jehovah hath blessed” (verse 9).

God’s people receive a new identity: “he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (verse 10). The symbolism of a garden tended by God (verse 11) shows both our significance to Him and that what is harmful to others is removed.

What had Abram accomplished by the time he was called? We know he was 75 years old, married to Sarai, had a nephew named Lot, and lived in Haran. That’s it. The Scriptures are silent on his life before this introduction; there is no mention of Abram being a devout follower of God, nothing about righteous acts or noble deeds. The text simply begins, “Now Jehovah said unto Abram” (Genesis 12:1), and from that moment everything changes. The relationship did not begin because of anything Abram had done; it was initiated solely by God. He chose Abram, called him, and promised to bless him, make his name great, and through him bless all the families of the earth.

In Genesis 15 this divine initiative is formalized in a covenant: God promises to give Abram’s descendants the land of Canaan, from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18). There is no negotiation, no mutual contract. God alone passes between the sacrificed animals, showing that the fulfillment of the covenant depends entirely on Him. God’s share was offspring as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5; Galatians 3:29), the land, blessing to the nations fulfilled through Christ (Galatians 3:14), and an everlasting possession (Genesis 17:7–8).

So what does Abram have to do? “He believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Faith, obedience and trust are Abraham’s share (Hebrews 11:9–10) — not heroic deeds, but trusting God’s promises and walking by faith in what he could not yet see. In Genesis 17 God gives the sign of circumcision and calls him to “walk before me, and be thou perfect.” The covenant is based on grace and upheld by God, yet Abraham is expected to live faithfully in light of it: trusting, obeying, and setting himself apart.

We see this call back to the ancestry of the Israelites throughout Isaiah’s writings. Isaiah 51 begins with a call to all who “follow after righteousness,” those who “seek Jehovah.” He urges them to look to their origins — “the rock whence ye were hewn, and… the hold of the pit whence ye were digged” — to “Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you” (verses 1–2).

Why? Because “when he was but one I called him, and I blessed him, and made him many” (verse 2). He alone was called, and he was blessed. That is the kind of covenant Isaiah 51 is recalling. When Isaiah tells the people to look to Abraham, he is reminding them not just of their origin but of what it means to be God’s people: those formed by grace, sustained by promise, and called to walk by faith just as Abraham did. The same call goes out to all “that follow after righteousness” in Isaiah’s time — and in ours.

The rest of Isaiah 51 builds on the Abrahamic covenant by showing its enduring and expansive reach. In verse 3 God “hath comforted Zion” and made “her wilderness like Eden” — a transformation rooted in the covenant blessings of land and fruitfulness, echoing both Abraham’s promise (Genesis 12:7) and the imagery of Isaiah 35. Is this bound to one physical nation? No. Verses 4–6 expand the scope: God’s justice will be “a light of the peoples,” His salvation “shall be for ever,” just as He declared in Isaiah 42:6, where the Servant is given “for a light of the Gentiles.”

In verse 7 Isaiah encourages those who “know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law” not to fear human opposition — anticipating the internalized covenant of Jeremiah 31 and matching Isaiah 30:21’s idea of divine instruction from within. In verses 15–16 God is both Creator and Covenant-Keeper, who shelters His people and puts His words in their mouths, saying to Zion, “Thou art my people” — language that mirrors the opening comfort of Isaiah 40 and the Servant’s equipping in Isaiah 49:2. Altogether, Isaiah 51 reaffirms that the covenant is not just a past promise to Abraham but a living framework for Israel’s future: personal, national, and ultimately global.

Zion is used in a variety of ways: the literal City of David that was conquered (2 Samuel 5:7); simply the place God dwells (Isaiah 8:18); the people of God, often personified as a woman (Isaiah 52:2; Lamentations 1:6); and almost a shorthand for the restoration of God’s people, with ties to a Messianic figure (Isaiah 2:2–3; 62:1).

In Isaiah 51, Zion is not just a nation or city in physical terms; it is the restored people of God, redeemed and brought back into covenant relationship with the Lord. Verses 3 and 16 use Zion as a people — God’s people — to be comforted. In verse 11 it appears as a destination or place of gathering, but notice what is happening there. It could be a location, yet it could also represent the state of a people who have returned to the Lord. So Zion in chapter 51 is not simply a geographic reference but a theological one: a vision of the people of God as they will be when restored by His grace. It is not the nation in its current state, but the faithful remnant and their future destiny as heirs — which can now include us as well.

Do not fear the reproach or revilings of men, for “the moth shall eat them up like a garment… but my righteousness shall be for ever” (verses 7–8). God reminds His people of His power, as when He “driedst up the sea” and made the depths “a way for the redeemed to pass over” (verse 10), and He reassures the redeemed of their standing: “the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion” (verses 11–14).

But with all this, what had Jerusalem done? She had drunk “at the hand of Jehovah the cup of his wrath” and faced desolation and destruction, famine and sword (verses 17–20). Then God, who “pleadeth the cause of his people,” takes the cup of staggering out of her hand and gives it to her oppressors (verses 21–23).

Building on chapter 51, the covenant given to Abraham re-emerges with a slightly different focus. Verses 1–6 use the image of a barren woman blessed with more children than any other: “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear… for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife.” This mirrors Sarah in Genesis 17. Isaiah envisions the covenant’s expansion far beyond natural expectations — not a simple renewal of past promises but an expansion: “Enlarge the place of thy tent… thy seed shall possess the nations” (verses 2–3). The same promises are fulfilled, overflowing, and growing beyond the ethnic nation of Israel, with hints that the covenant will reach even the Gentiles. All nations can become heirs.

Again: do not fear, for there is no shame or disgrace (verse 4). The relationship is intimate — “thy Maker is thy husband” (verse 5) — though we are unworthy.

Verses 7–10 offer a powerful view of the covenant rooted in God’s compassion. “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.” The Lord compares His temporary anger toward His people to the floodwaters in the days of Noah — devastating, yes, but not permanent. Just as He swore never to flood the earth again, He now swears never to remove His steadfast love or revoke His covenant of peace. Even when His people reject Him and He hides His face for a moment, His faithful love remains unshaken: “my lovingkindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed” (verse 10).

The covenant is deepened in verse 13: “all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah.” This echoes Jeremiah 31:31–34, where God speaks of a new covenant, not like the one made with their fathers — a covenant they broke — but one written on their hearts, where “they shall all know me.” This knowledge is not merely intellectual but relational, born of grace, forgiveness and divine instruction. Together these passages reveal a covenant based not on human perfection but on God’s unwavering mercy and His commitment to transform His people from within.

The covenant produces security and peace (verse 14). Who is made by the Lord? Both the smith who forges the weapon and “the waster to destroy” (verse 16): even those who oppose and threaten God’s people are made by Him, so He is in control. The chapter concludes, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper… This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah” (verse 17). This is covenant language. God identifies His people as heirs of divine protection and purpose, not because of their perfection or works but because they belong to Him; the protection is by grace, not self-effort. These blessings of peace, security and restored identity flow directly from the redemptive work of the Servant in Isaiah 53. The suffering of the Servant secures the peace of the covenant; compassion is not just a feeling — it is a promise sealed by sacrifice.

Isaiah 63 opens with a startling and majestic image: a divine Warrior coming from Edom, His garments stained red, not from defeat but from victory. This is no ordinary figure; He is “mighty to save” (verse 1), executing justice and righteousness alone, with none to help (verse 5). The imagery is intense: treading the winepress of wrath (verse 3) and pouring out the lifeblood of the nations (verse 6). Yet this judgment is not disconnected from God’s covenant; it reinforces it. Just as Isaiah 51 showed God’s power to deliver His people from oppressors, drawing on the Exodus image of the drying up of the sea (51:10), here too God acts decisively — not arbitrarily, but as the covenant-keeping Lord who defends His people and His righteousness: “the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come” (verse 4). The Warrior imagery complements Isaiah 54:17: the one who judges the nations is the same one who shields the heirs of His covenant.

From verse 7 Isaiah turns from wrath to lovingkindness (hesed): “I will make mention of the lovingkindnesses of Jehovah… according to all that Jehovah hath bestowed on us.” This is not just a memory exercise but a covenantal reaffirmation. These verses recall how God chose Israel, bore them and carried them in His compassion (verse 9). This reflects the heart of the covenant seen in Isaiah 51, where God called Abraham alone and made him many, and it echoes Isaiah 54:1–3, where the barren woman finds herself with more children than she imagined. In both earlier chapters God’s covenant grows beyond what seems possible; here Isaiah looks back at how that same covenant has been sustained by divine grace even through Israel’s failure.

Isaiah 63 does not sugar-coat Israel’s history. “But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit” (verse 10). The covenant was not broken by God but by His people — as Jeremiah laments, “my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them” (Jeremiah 31:32). Would the people ever remember? Verse 11 says, “Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people.”

The chapter closes with a plea for God to return His heart and mercy: “Look down from heaven… where are thy zeal and thy mighty acts?” (verse 15). It is a cry rooted in memory, covenant and hope, because the people know that the God who judged in the first verses is also the God who carries, forgives and rebuilds.

They acknowledge God’s position: “thou, O Jehovah, art our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is thy name” (verse 16). This echoes Isaiah 54:10, where even if the mountains depart, God’s covenant of peace will not be removed. Even when they feel abandoned and Abraham and Israel cannot intercede for them (verse 16), they appeal to their enduring relationship with their Redeemer. The people finally remember their own position as well (verse 17), and they recognize that they had become like the Gentiles, “as they that were not called by thy name” (verse 19). They knew it was God’s mercy, not their merit.

Chapter 56 opens with a message we have heard over and over in Isaiah: “Keep ye justice, and do righteousness; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed” (verse 1). God’s righteousness is coming — be prepared. Israel often replaced righteousness with ritual, something God will rebuke in chapter 58. And remember the state many would be in while in captivity: it would become increasingly difficult to remain faithful when everything was going against them. So God encourages the remnant to “keep” His word. Blessed is the man who keeps “the sabbath from profaning it” and keeps “his hand from doing any evil” (verse 2).

Then verse 3 reveals something new: foreigners and eunuchs are welcomed. Under the Law, the eunuch and certain foreigners could not enter the assembly of the Lord (Deuteronomy 23:1–3). Now God says, “Neither let the foreigner, that hath joined himself to Jehovah, speak, saying, Jehovah will surely separate me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree” (verse 3).

There are qualifiers. They have “joined themselves to Jehovah”; they serve Him and love His name; they keep the sabbath and hold fast His covenant (verses 4, 6). To them He gives “a name better than of sons and of daughters… an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off” (verse 5), and His house “shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (verse 7). The Lord who gathers the outcasts of Israel will gather others besides (verse 8).

In verses 9–12 Isaiah calls out “his watchmen” — the spiritual leaders of Israel. What had they become? Blind and silent: “His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber” (verse 10). Greedy and self-serving: “the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough… they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain” (verse 11). Without discernment or foresight: “to-morrow shall be as this day” (verse 12). So God calls the beasts of the field and forest to come and devour (verse 9).

The New Testament shows the warning was forgotten. Jesus said of the Pharisees, “Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14).

In this chapter both Israelites and foreigners are called to keep the Sabbath (verses 2, 4, 6). It was the sign of the covenant between God and Israel: “Verily ye shall keep my sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations” (Exodus 31:13). It acknowledged God as Creator, who rested on the seventh day and hallowed it (Genesis 2:2–3). It expressed trust in God as Provider, who gave “on the sixth day the bread of two days” (Exodus 16:29–30). And it was His “holy day,” “the holy of Jehovah” (Isaiah 58:13–14). The Sabbath was a visible sign of God’s relationship with His people — an act of worship.

Under the old covenant its requirements were specific: rest from work, keep it holy, no kindling of fire or cooking, stay at home with no travel, assemble for worship. It was the sign of the covenant, and breaking it meant death.

Under the new covenant Christians are not bound to keep the Sabbath. It was tied to the old covenant’s observances: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s” (Colossians 2:16–17). Esteeming one day above another is now a matter of personal conscience (Romans 14:5–6). Paul was alarmed that the Galatians were still consumed with days: “Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain” (Galatians 4:9–11). The Jerusalem council laid on Gentile believers “no greater burden than these necessary things,” and the Sabbath was not among them (Acts 15:28–29). Our Sabbath rest is in faith in Christ (Hebrews 4:9–10) — and we still need to make time for God.

“The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness” (verses 1–2).

This is both a sobering observation and a quiet comfort. The righteous are dying, taken away from the evil that is coming; it is God’s mercy toward His righteous servants. Christians view death very differently than the world — how good it is to die in the Lord. That is not always easy to appreciate, but it should bring us comfort.

But if the righteous are gone, who remains? And what is coming? Those left behind will find that relying on the faith of those around them is not enough to protect them.

The conversation turns from the righteous to the “sons of the sorceress” (verse 3) — rather than children of God. They mock God with their defiance: “Against whom make ye a wide mouth, and put out the tongue?” (verse 4). They turned to idolatry and pagan practices, inflaming themselves “among the oaks, under every green tree,” slaying “the children in the valleys” (verse 5). They made covenants with false gods and other nations (verse 8). Even when wearied by the length of their way they ignored reality and would not say, “It is in vain” (verse 10).

Isaiah uses adultery to describe Israel’s betrayal: “the seed of the adulterer and the harlot” (verse 3), who set her bed on a high mountain, uncovered herself “to another than me,” and made a covenant with them (verses 7–8). The metaphor shows the severity of Israel’s rejection of God. It was not a forced action; they chose to break their covenant. We have already seen God call Himself their husband — “thy Maker is thy husband” (54:5) — showing how intimately He is connected to His people.

“And of whom hast thou been afraid and in fear, that thou liest, and hast not remembered me?” (verse 11). God was no longer at the center of their decisions. “Have not I held my peace even of long time?” — God had been silent, so they assumed He had left or forgotten them. Their false righteousness is called out: “I will declare thy righteousness; and as for thy works, they shall not profit thee” (verse 12). If you want to trust in idols, cry out to them: “let them that thou hast gathered deliver thee” — but the wind will carry them away (verse 13). Place your trust in Him instead, and the land is restored: “he that taketh refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain” (verse 13).

A clear path is made for the humble and repentant: “Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people” (verse 14). Though He is King, He dwells with us: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (verse 15).

He punishes sin but offers redemption (verses 16–17): “I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him” (verse 18). Peace is offered to the far and the near (verse 19). Yet it is not offered to the wicked: “the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest… There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (verses 20–21).

Isaiah is told to “cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and declare unto my people their transgression” (verse 1). The people had the appearance of devotion but lacked any: “they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways… they delight to draw near unto God” (verse 2). They complained, “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not?” But in the day of their fast they found their own pleasure and exacted all their labors, and they fasted “for strife and contention, and to smite with the fist of wickedness” (verses 3–4).

This echoes other prophets. Amos: “I hate, I despise your feasts… But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:21–24). Micah: God desires justice, mercy and humility, not rituals — “what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:6–8).

Fasting was meant to return His people to Him: “turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting… and rend your heart, and not your garments” (Joel 2:12–13). Yet God asked of Israel’s fasts in captivity, “did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?” (Zechariah 7:5–6). And Jesus warned that fasting “that they may be seen of men” has already received its reward (Matthew 6:16–18).

Their worship was a façade: their lifestyle did not match their religious enthusiasm. They continued in sin while thinking their knowledge of God pleased Him. Their worship was not relational; it was ritualistic and self-serving. Paul said the same of his own people: “they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge… they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:2–3). True worship is not proving devotion but submitting to righteousness. We worship to align ourselves with God, not to get something in return.

The true fast is action for justice and freedom: “to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free” (verse 6). Worship is active! It includes generosity and compassion — dealing bread to the hungry, bringing the poor that are cast out into your house, covering the naked (verse 7). Only then “shall thy light break forth as the morning” (verse 8).

God answers those who live this way: “Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah will answer; thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here I am” (verse 9). Their light rises in darkness, Jehovah guides them continually, and they become “like a watered garden” (verses 10–11). True worshipers are builders and restorers: “thou shalt be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (verse 12). What are we to build and repair?

Again comes a call to keep the Sabbath (verse 13). It becomes a delight, not a restriction — a turn from self to God: “not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.” It is the surrender of control and self-direction to focus on the Lord. And God promises joy, enlightenment and inheritance: “then shalt thou delight thyself in Jehovah… and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father” (verse 14). It echoes Psalm 37:4: “Delight thyself also in Jehovah.” Worship brings forth what we delight in, not simply what we do; it reveals our true selves.

Isaiah addresses their separation. God’s power had not diminished; He was still able to save: “Behold, Jehovah’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (verse 1). Sin had created the barrier: “your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you” (verse 2).

Isaiah then highlights their corruption (verses 3–4): lips speaking lies, hearts plotting wickedness — “they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity” — and truth abandoned. And what did that lead to (verses 5–8)? Destructive paths, with violence and ruin in their wake: “the act of violence is in their hands… desolation and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no justice in their goings” (verses 6–8).

Having addressed the problem of sin, the people acknowledge their lack of light: “we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity” (verse 9). They seek but cannot find. They act as the blind, stumbling, like dead men (verse 10). They look for salvation, but it is far from them (verse 11). Sin is the problem — transgressions against the Lord (verses 12–13). No justice, no righteousness, no truth, no equity: “justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter” (verse 14).

Then verse 15: “Yea, truth is lacking; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.” In a nation of people who had rebelled against God, those who depart from wickedness make themselves prey — a target for the wicked. Some translations say such a man is “accounted mad,” viewed as irrational, foolish or impractical. Departing from evil is necessary, but it will be a challenge.

In a call back to verse 1, God was still watching: “And Jehovah saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor” (verses 15–16). Why did they need an intercessor? So God sends His own arm to bring salvation: “therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him” (verse 16).

The intercessor is armed for the work: “he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle” (verse 17). Justice will be served: “According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay” (verse 18). And “a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob” (verse 20).

Verse 21 summarizes what we have studied in prior chapters: God’s Spirit upon them, His words in their mouth, and their descendants included — “from henceforth and for ever.”

God’s people are called out of the darkness: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee” (verse 1). His glory shines as a light signaling restoration and hope, while “darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples” (verse 2). The witnesses are not limited to His people: “nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (verse 3).

Sons and daughters return to Zion — they come home with joy (verse 4), and not just Israelites but all nations, bringing their wealth (verses 5–9). God is the one being glorified: “I will glorify the house of my glory” (verse 7). His mercy is in full view: “in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee” (verse 10). The gates remain open — ongoing peace and abundance: “Thy gates also shall be open continually” (verse 11). But “that nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish” (verse 12).

Former disgrace and shame become honor and glory: “Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man passed through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations” (verse 15). The promises are reassured (verses 17, 21): “For brass I will bring gold… I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness” (verse 17). Unending peace, security and prosperity follow: “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, desolation nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise” (verse 18).

The Lord Himself becomes an everlasting light for His people: “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but Jehovah will be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory… and the days of thy mourning shall be ended” (verses 19–20). Zion’s influence will expand and its joy never end: “The little one shall become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation” (verse 22).

This should provide comfort, especially while in darkness. The New Testament has a similar description: “the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23; compare 22:5). But note the differences. In Isaiah’s day the people are in the midst of God’s judgment — Assyria for Israel, Babylon for Judah. How do they overcome it? God is their light. In John’s day, he is not quoting Isaiah but describing his own vision, with a new enemy, Rome: there is a place where the Lord and the Lamb reign and His servants serve.

Chapter 62 gathers many themes we have already studied. God’s commitment: “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest” (verse 1; compare 40:1–2). The Gentiles and kings shall see their righteousness: “the nations shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory” (verse 2; compare 60:1–3). A new identity for Israel (verses 2–3; compare 43:1, “I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine”).

Honor and restoration: “Thou shalt also be a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God” (verses 3–4; compare 28:5–6, where Jehovah becomes “a crown of glory” to the remnant). And God’s relationship with His people described as marriage: “as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee” (verse 5; compare 54:5, “thy Maker is thy husband”).

Watchmen are appointed on Zion’s walls for her protection, and they will not stay silent: “they shall never hold their peace day nor night” (verse 6). They will continually communicate with the Lord until the city is established: “give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (verse 7).

Then God swears an oath to His people: “Jehovah hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy grain to be food for thine enemies; and foreigners shall not drink thy new wine, for which thou hast labored: but they that have garnered it shall eat it, and praise Jehovah” (verses 8–9).

The road to Zion is prepared: “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones” (verse 10) — a direct, clear path for the redeemed to return and follow. Salvation is coming: “Behold, thy salvation cometh” (verse 11) — a public declaration of the restoration and blessings God will bring, and confirmation that God is their source. And again there is mention of a new identity: “they shall call them The holy people, The redeemed of Jehovah: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken” (verse 12).

Verse 2 said the people would “be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall name.” What is that name? Some point to “Christians” (Acts 11:26), or to “saints,” as Paul repeatedly says “called to be saints”; and those who overcome are promised a new name (Revelation 3:12). But remember the context. In verse 4, Forsaken and Desolate become Hephzi-bah — “my delight is in her.” Isaiah is telling the people: you will no longer be called Forsaken; you will be a holy people. We want to find a single name to be called by, but Isaiah is saying you have been called many things — forsaken, desolate, empty, left behind. You are now the redeemed.

Chapter 63 ended with a prayer of penitence. The people remembered God’s mercy — His love and kindness, the redemption He gave, His mighty acts in the days of Moses (63:7–14) — and then pleaded with Him to look down and remember them, confessing that they had strayed and hardened their hearts (63:15–19). They went so far as to say they had become like the Gentiles, those never called by His name.

Chapter 64 continues that prayer, and it begins with a cry to the Lord: “Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down” (64:1). His very presence would be terrifying — the mountains quake, fire burns, the nations tremble. In verse 3 they recall the former things He had done, and in verse 4 they confess that truly there is no other God perceived by man: “neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him.”

And this awesome God meets with His servants: “Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways” (64:5).

In verses 5b–6 the people acknowledge their sin and their need to be saved: “behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them have we been of long time; and shall we be saved?” They are unclean; their righteousnesses are “as a polluted garment” (the familiar “filthy rags” of other versions); they fade as a leaf; their iniquities, like the wind, take them away. In verse 7 there is none left to call on Him — all are consumed because of their iniquities.

“Unclean” is tied to the Old Law, and Israel was strict about the distinction between clean and unclean. Their righteousness was insufficient and lacking, leaving them exposed and vulnerable: “we need to be saved.” Is this Total Depravity? No. This is not an inability to do good, but rather the result of having done such wickedness. They had done such wickedness that only God’s mercy could help them.

But then comes verse 8: “But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” You are the Father, You are our Potter — You can remake us.

Despite their guilt and iniquities, they are still His people: “behold, look, we beseech thee, we are all thy people” (64:9). They still call on Him to look upon them and forgive them.

They point to the desolation, the state of the nation (64:10): Zion a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Everything is laid waste, even the place where they worshipped: “Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire” (64:11). And the prayer ends with a question: “Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Jehovah? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?” (64:12).

God answers. He is “inquired of by them that asked not for me” and “found of them that sought me not” (65:1). There are people searching for Him who do not even know to ask for Him — in contrast with those who do. To a rebellious people He has had His hands spread out all the day (65:2); yet they walk in their own paths, after their own thoughts, and provoke Him to anger continually to His face (65:3).

The rebellion is described with very specific activities: sacrificing in gardens, burning incense upon bricks, sitting among the graves, eating swine’s flesh, and saying, “Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou” (65:3–5). These are blatantly sinful according to the Old Law — idolatry, occult practices, defilement, placing self above God.

Yet God will not destroy them all (65:8). There will be descendants from Jacob; the lineage continues, and the restoration to come will be fruitful (65:9–10). But not for those who forsake Him, serve other gods, will not answer or hear, and do evil (65:11–12). Then we get a glimpse of what awaits His servants and those who reject Him (65:13–16).

“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (65:17). All former troubles are forgotten. Jerusalem is now a place of rejoicing instead of sorrow (65:18–19). There is the promise of a prosperous life for the redeemed: they build houses and inhabit them, plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them, and do not labor in vain (65:20–23). Before they know what they need, He provides: “before they call, I will answer” (65:24). And creation itself is at perfect peace — the wolf and the lamb feed together (65:25).

Is this talking about Heaven? The restoration of God’s people has been the focus of Isaiah’s writings, and it is the focus here. God undoes the brokenness caused by sin; His people will not suffer loss or injustice, and He will hear them. God influences everything, even creation itself.

What earthly structure can house the Lord? “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what manner of house will ye build unto me?” (66:1). Once again God says what He desires of His followers: “to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word” (66:2). Those who follow their own methods will face the consequences; their sacrifices are counted as murder and idolatry, “they have chosen their own ways” (66:3–4). So hear the word of the Lord: those who tremble at His word receive joy, and others shall be repaid (66:5–6).

Jerusalem is miraculously restored, like a woman giving birth without pain: “Shall a land be born in one day? shall a nation be brought forth at once?” (66:7–9). The faithful are called to rejoice, for God comforts like a nurturing mother: “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you” (66:10–13).

His hand is known once more toward His servants (66:14). But His enemies will face the fire, His chariots like the whirlwind — idolaters and defilers beware (66:15–17).

God’s omniscience is put into focus: “For I know their works and their thoughts” (66:18). Those of the nations who escape are sent to declare His glory to the nations that have not heard His fame (66:19–21). As His new heavens and new earth endure, so shall His people: “so shall your seed and your name remain” (66:22). “All flesh” shall come to worship before Him (66:23). And the punishment of the wicked never ends: “their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched” (66:24).

Again we see the new heavens and new earth. Some will take this message as a universal, cosmic change of order in which all will worship. But if all are going to worship, why mention the rebels? Look instead at the restoration offered to those who had rejected Him, cursed Him and refused to listen time and time again — but turned back to Him.

These categories are not so much simple categories as key lessons I appreciated from the study. In the Servant Songs, we see the characteristics Isaiah noted of the coming Messiah.

Across the four songs the Servant is chosen, Spirit-filled, obedient, suffering, atoning, and finally exalted. Taken together, they culminate in one figure: the Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Here we see God’s ability to work His will with what are, from our standpoint, unwilling and unpredictable people: Assyria at the gates of Jerusalem, Cyrus named before he was born, and Babylon used and then judged.

Comfort and restoration are very familiar concepts, but in Isaiah they rest on who God is: the Creator who sits above the circle of the earth is the same God who walks with His people through the waters and the fire, and whose covenant rests on His lovingkindness rather than their faithfulness.

True worship is of the heart, not the rituals we elevate so highly. Isaiah exposes idols of every kind, a people who carried God’s name without truth or righteousness, and fasting that God never asked for — and he shows what God does want.

Judgment and salvation are very familiar concepts. Isaiah keeps them together: God’s justice exposes sin, but His mercy restores the contrite.

God’s plans are not as simple as “let’s get people to heaven.” Having His people love Him and serve Him brings Him glory — the respect and honor He is due. He is the Lord God Almighty, and rather than robots that can do nothing but what they are programmed to do, He wants a people who desire to serve Him, for His glory, showing all how truly great He is. Not that He needs to prove it; He desires their love. “I don’t need your sacrifices; I simply want your love, your loyalty, your respect.”