Jan 8 – 1 Epiphany
Isaiah 42:1-9
The Servant, a Light to the Nations

Background: This section falls in the portion of Isaiah called Second Isaiah (Chapters 40-55). The focus of Second Isaiah is foreshadowing the return and restoration after the exile from Babylon and the foretelling of the Messiah, who will come and bring new life through His death. This passage is often called one of the Servant Songs.

Theme: In the closing chapters, 40-66, Isaiah talks about one who is designated as the Servant of the Lord, the Servant who will affect salvation, the one through whom God will accomplish his purposes in the nation. The Servant helps reassure God’s people that he will bring forth justice; to be the one who will set things right, because that is what the term “justice” means.

Questions to Ponder:
* Read Isaiah 42:1-9.
* Briefly describe the political, social, and religious situation in Israel for this passage.
* How does this passage relate to the accusation levied by God in Isaiah 40:27 (…my way will be hidden from you…) which allows for God’s justice and restoration of a people separated from God in sin?
* Who do you think the Servant in this passage is? Does it matter that we specifically know who the Servant is?
* How do we recognize the Servant in our midst? Especially considering the traits related to the Servant; he doesn’t life up his voice… he doesn’t make his voice heard in the street?
* What might the comparison be between the treatment of a bruised reed and a dimly burning wick be when compared to “the one who brings justice” in verse 3?
* In verses 5-7, it appears that God is relating to us that Israel has been given as a covenant to the people [of the earth]. How might Israel be given as a covenant? What do you think it means to say that someone or something is given as a sign of the covenant with God? What does it mean to be in covenant with God?
* Why might verse 8 sound like God’s commandment to Moses (Exodus 6:2)? Why would that image be important to Israel?
* What do you think justice is? Or better, what do you think justice is in God’s world? How might a person’s understanding of justice impact the interpretation of this passage?
* How does the way the Servant in this passage establish resonate with the conventional wisdom of Isaiah’s time? Does it resonate with the conventional wisdom of our time? Why or why not?
* How are we supposed to follow in the Servant’s footsteps in our culture and in our society?
* What challenges might we face today given the nature of our society and the presence of messages of relationship, unity, and disunity?
* What is the message of hope for our society pointed out in this passage?