The Servant Songs, Part I

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.