The last line of this opening poem is the prophet now talking to Israel saying, come house of Jacob, “Jacob is Israel’s ancestor,” let us walk in the light of Yahweh, the or and Torah word play. God is shining a light on Israel, whose capital city is the city on the hill, Jerusalem and that light is meant to saturate Israel and guide their path, so that they walk in it and if Israel lives in the light of Yahweh, that is linked to the Torah going out to the nations. The idea is that Yahweh is shining his light on this mountain that is destined to become lifted up and a source of Torah to all the other nations. The light that comes from God’s word in day one of Genesis is now connected to God’s word, that is his instruction. God’s chosen a people, who if they live by his instruction, they will embody a way of existing in the world, a whole new way of being human that results in peace and no more war. In the plot line of Isaiah, Israel as a whole people has throughout its history failed to walk in the light of Yahweh and so instead of being a source of life and peace among the nations, they just get embroiled in the violence and the greed and that lands them in exile in Babylon.
What Isaiah begins to anticipate is that if God’s purpose for Israel is ever going to happen, that calling to walk in the light of Yahweh to be a source of peace among the nations is going to fall on the shoulders of one Israelite, who is called “the servant” in latter parts of the book of Isaiah and there’s some poems where the images from Isaiah chapter 2 are drawn upon, Isaiah chapter 42, God says, behold my servant, the one whom I uphold, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights, I have put my spirit on him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. In Isaiah chapter 2, God is going to bring justice to nations, but now, it’s given to the servant, Isaiah 42:6, God is speaking to the servant, I am the Lord, I have called you the servant in righteousness, I will hold you by the hand and watch over you, I will make you a covenant of the people, a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
This servant is going to live in a way that creates, restoring people, restoring relationships, restoring communities to wholeness out of bondage and that’s called bringing justice to the nations and bringing light, the or and Torah word play, going out to the nations, walking in God’s light to being a light for the nation and that’s the role of the servant. It’s the role of the servant, which was supposed to be the role of Israel all the way back to the Covenant God made with Israel, a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. The servant will embody in their individual life, the Covenant partnership that God desired to have with all of Israel, so that they could become through how they live and treat each other, a light that is an embodiment of God’s instruction, there’s the or and the Torah word play. God’s light to the nations is his people living by the Torah and it brings and justice.
Isaiah 52:13-Isaiah 53:12, Isaiah was prophesying during one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history, the nation was divided spiritually, politically threatened and morally compromised and right in the middle of that chaos, Isaiah speaks about a mysterious figure he calls the servant. This servant would suffer deeply, be rejected, carry sin that wasn’t his own, die unjustly and yet be exalted, vindicated and bring righteousness to many. Isaiah 52:13-15, the servant is being lifted up and exalted, but only after severe suffering and then Isaiah 53:1-3 shift into rejection, the servant is despised, overlooked and treated as insignificant.
Isaiah 53:4-6 describes substitution, this servant is not suffering for his own failures, he’s bearing grief, sorrows and iniquities that belong to others. Isaiah 53:7-9 describes silent submission, the servant doesn’t defend himself, he’s oppressed, falsely accused and buried after death, specifically associated with the rich. Isaiah 53:10-12, victory, life after death, reward, many being declared righteous, because of what this servant accomplished. The servant, a single individual who would suffer and redeem, as symbolic of Israel as a nation, suffering among the nations, rejected, but eventually vindicated.
Isaiah 52:13-15 opens with words that sound victorious on the surface, triumph, glory, honor, but then without warning, the tone shifts, Isaiah continues by saying that many were astonished at him, his appearance was so marred beyond human semblance and his form beyond that of the sons of men. Isaiah isn’t describing symbolic suffering, this is physical, violent, personal, this servant is beaten so badly, that people barely recognize him as human and yet this same servant is later exalted, first humiliation, then glory. Isaiah isn’t describing a general struggle, followed by general success, he’s describing a specific individual whose path to glory goes straight through unbearable suffering.
Isaiah 53:1-3, Isaiah asks a haunting question, who has believed what he has heard from us? In other words, who actually listened, who recognized what was happening, but then Isaiah describes the servant in a way that surprises people. He doesn’t say the servant is impressive, powerful or outwardly majestic, instead he says, there was no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him, he is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. This phrase, man of sorrows, isn’t poetic fluff, it descries a life marked by pain, misunderstanding and emotional weight, this servant isn’t celebrated, he’s overlooked, dismissed, actively rejected. Isaiah describes the servant as a man, not a nation, not a collective group, a person.
What Isaiah begins to anticipate is that if God’s purpose for Israel is ever going to happen, that calling to walk in the light of Yahweh to be a source of peace among the nations is going to fall on the shoulders of one Israelite, who is called “the servant” in latter parts of the book of Isaiah and there’s some poems where the images from Isaiah chapter 2 are drawn upon, Isaiah chapter 42, God says, behold my servant, the one whom I uphold, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights, I have put my spirit on him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. In Isaiah chapter 2, God is going to bring justice to nations, but now, it’s given to the servant, Isaiah 42:6, God is speaking to the servant, I am the Lord, I have called you the servant in righteousness, I will hold you by the hand and watch over you, I will make you a covenant of the people, a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
This servant is going to live in a way that creates, restoring people, restoring relationships, restoring communities to wholeness out of bondage and that’s called bringing justice to the nations and bringing light, the or and Torah word play, going out to the nations, walking in God’s light to being a light for the nation and that’s the role of the servant. It’s the role of the servant, which was supposed to be the role of Israel all the way back to the Covenant God made with Israel, a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. The servant will embody in their individual life, the Covenant partnership that God desired to have with all of Israel, so that they could become through how they live and treat each other, a light that is an embodiment of God’s instruction, there’s the or and the Torah word play. God’s light to the nations is his people living by the Torah and it brings and justice.
Isaiah 52:13-Isaiah 53:12, Isaiah was prophesying during one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history, the nation was divided spiritually, politically threatened and morally compromised and right in the middle of that chaos, Isaiah speaks about a mysterious figure he calls the servant. This servant would suffer deeply, be rejected, carry sin that wasn’t his own, die unjustly and yet be exalted, vindicated and bring righteousness to many. Isaiah 52:13-15, the servant is being lifted up and exalted, but only after severe suffering and then Isaiah 53:1-3 shift into rejection, the servant is despised, overlooked and treated as insignificant.
Isaiah 53:4-6 describes substitution, this servant is not suffering for his own failures, he’s bearing grief, sorrows and iniquities that belong to others. Isaiah 53:7-9 describes silent submission, the servant doesn’t defend himself, he’s oppressed, falsely accused and buried after death, specifically associated with the rich. Isaiah 53:10-12, victory, life after death, reward, many being declared righteous, because of what this servant accomplished. The servant, a single individual who would suffer and redeem, as symbolic of Israel as a nation, suffering among the nations, rejected, but eventually vindicated.
Isaiah 52:13-15 opens with words that sound victorious on the surface, triumph, glory, honor, but then without warning, the tone shifts, Isaiah continues by saying that many were astonished at him, his appearance was so marred beyond human semblance and his form beyond that of the sons of men. Isaiah isn’t describing symbolic suffering, this is physical, violent, personal, this servant is beaten so badly, that people barely recognize him as human and yet this same servant is later exalted, first humiliation, then glory. Isaiah isn’t describing a general struggle, followed by general success, he’s describing a specific individual whose path to glory goes straight through unbearable suffering.
Isaiah 53:1-3, Isaiah asks a haunting question, who has believed what he has heard from us? In other words, who actually listened, who recognized what was happening, but then Isaiah describes the servant in a way that surprises people. He doesn’t say the servant is impressive, powerful or outwardly majestic, instead he says, there was no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him, he is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. This phrase, man of sorrows, isn’t poetic fluff, it descries a life marked by pain, misunderstanding and emotional weight, this servant isn’t celebrated, he’s overlooked, dismissed, actively rejected. Isaiah describes the servant as a man, not a nation, not a collective group, a person.
