Jan 15 – 2 Epiphany
Isaiah 49:1-7
The Servant’s Mission

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.
* Who is the servant? Does it matter that we know exactly who the servant is? If the servant is the Nation of Israel, what is the implication for “Jacob”? If the passage points to Jesus, what are the implications for the Jews?
* Do you think this passage is deterministic? Is the servant, if not Jesus, predestined to be God’s prophet or herald of salvation for God’s people? Do you think the servant had a choice?
* In verse 5, is God saying the servant’s task of restoring Israel is too simple? What might this verse be trying to convey?
* Another reading makes the phrase “who formed me… his servant” as a parenthetic to the remainder of the verse, supposedly implying that it is God’s action alone that saves as mediated by the servant. What might this alternate translation do to the meaning of the passage?
* What might it mean when the servant is identified as one who not only restores Israel but all the nations to?
* Why might kings stand before the servant? Why might princes bow/prostrate themselves before the servant?
* Why do you think the servant addresses the coastlands and peoples far away? What is the implication of these people as subjects?
* Does this passage influence our faith and search for relevancy in God’s kingdom? If so, why? If not, why not?
* What is the implication of the implicit shift from an exclusive (only Israel) to an inclusive (the whole world) salvation?
* How do we make sense of this passage in the realm of our society and culture?