1. The Servant Songs of Isaiah
- Song 1
Laindon Bible Study
28th March 2012

2. Study 1
Our five studies (God willing)
Study 2
Study 3
Study 4
Study 5
Our key question:
What does it take to be God’s servant?
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3. A one slide recap Study 1
• Some of the most moving and evocative passages in scripture take form of songs
• Isaiah prophesied during reigns of 4 kings of Judah739-680 BC, most notably Hezekiah
• Section 3 of Isaiah (chapters 40-66) focuses on theme of comfort & deliverance
• Found in this section are the 4 servant songs – stand out in style, form and content
• Marked out in many modern Bibles e.g. NIV/Jerus. (headings), ESV (commentary)
• The servant is an individual (more often addressed “him”–“he”–“his”–“me”–“I”)
• The success of this servant in contrast to often failure of Israel as God’s servant
• Who is the servant?
– Historical setting (Isaiah? Hezekiah? Other contemporary?) and a fulfilment (Jesus Christ)
• Each song has a particular theme to do with service
– Song 1: Tone of service, Song 2: Origin of service, Song 3: Basis of service, Song 4: Results of service
• Growing intensity in successive songs: servants situation, response, God’s provision
• 11 NT direct quotations taken from these 4 songs (10% of quotations of prophets)
• The importance of being a servant a scriptural theme (Phil. 2 v 7, Mark 10 v 42-45)
• To be a (future) ruler we must first of all become a servant (Matthew 25 v 21)
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4. The Four Servant Songs table 1
Isaiah
Intensity
Intensity
Intensity
Service Servant’s Servant’s God’s
Song reference
theme situation response provision
(minimum)
Divinely Not
ch. 42 v 1-4 Delighted in
One Tone selected discouraged
[probably to v7] –v1
–v1 –v4
Laboured/ Submission Strengthened
Two ch. 49 v 1-6 Origin
spent – v 4 – v 1/5 –v5
Smitten/ Resolve Helped
Three ch. 50 v 4-9 Basis
ashamed – v 6 – v 7 – v 7/9
ch. 52 v 13 – Cut off Satisfaction Prolonged
Four Results
ch. 53 v 12 –v8 – v 11 – v 10
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5. The Four Servant Songs table 2
Isaiah Direct
Song reference quotes in Quotations
(minimum) NT
ch. 42 v 1-4
One 1 42 v 1-4 cited Matthew 12 v 18-21
[probably to v7]
Two ch. 49 v 1-6 1 49 v 6 cited Acts 13 v 47
Three ch. 50 v 4-9 Nil No citations
52 v 15 cited Romans 15 v 21;
53 v 1 cited John 12 v 38;
53 v 1 cited Romans 10 v 16;
53 v 4 cited Matthew 8 v 17;
ch. 52 v 13 –
Four 9 53 v 4-5 cited 1 Peter 2 v 24;
ch. 53 v 12 53 v 7-8 cited Acts 8 v 32-33;
53 v 9 cited 1 Peter 2 v 22;
53 v 12 cited Mark 15 v 28;
53 v 12 cited Luke 22 v 37
11
(/ 110 = 10%)
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6. CORE = OUR FOCUS
The extent of each song their end
ch. 52 v 13 –
ch. 42 v 1-4 ch. 49 v 1-6 ch. 50 v 4-9
53 v 12
ADDENDUM
... v 5-7
... v 7-13??? ... v 10-11???
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7. Gentle Quiet
Patient
Song 1 – Tone of Service Encouraging
Isaiah 42 v 1-4 [5-7] The Lord commissions his special servant ESV
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the
Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the
street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not
quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be
discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for
his law.
[5 Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them
out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that
giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6 I
the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will
keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the
Gentiles; 7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison,
and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.]
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8. “Behold my servant...” who?
• Indisputably our Lord Jesus Christ, given use of
the Servant Song in Matthew 12 v 18-21
• But who was the individual servant that the
people of Isaiah’s day ‘beheld’?
2 Chronicles 32 v 9-10, 16
9 After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem,
(but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto
Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying, 10
Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in
the siege in Jerusalem? 16 And his servants spake yet more against the
Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
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9. The Prophecy of Isaiah
Section 1 Section 2 Section 3
(chs. 1-35) (chs. 36-39) (chs. 40-66)
• Prophecies of • Historical • Prophecies of
condemnation content, days of comfort
(judgement) Hezekiah (deliverance)
1st October 2011 Christ in the Prophets 9

10. Some clear parallels/types
• Hezekiah initiated a spiritual revival in the
land, which was symbolically in darkness
• He led the people to keep a special passover
• Hezekiah was scorned and derided by the
Assyrians (and perhaps questioned by many of
his own people?)
• He was to be cut off in the prime of his life,
with no seed (but in a figure he received life
out of death and a seed was born)
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11. Hezekiah = chizqiyah
Song 1 & Hezekiah (cognate chazak – yah)
Hold = chazak
Isaiah 42 v 1-7 Hezekiah = God’s
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my servant a
soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring
Faced by scorn of
forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up,
Assyrians,
nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed
Hezekiah’s
shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench:
command to
he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor
remain silent b
be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the
isles shall wait for his law. 5 Thus saith God the Lord, he that Spiritual revival
created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread encourages the
forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth people, fanning
breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk embers to flame c
therein: 6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will
Gentiles see the
hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a
pushing back of
covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7 To open
Assyrians (for 80
the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and
years) and wonder d
them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
a 2 Chron. 32v16, b Isa. 36v21, c 2 Chron. 29-31, d 2 Chron. 32v23, e Isa. 37v21-38 Nation liberated e
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12. The NT quotation of Song 1
Isaiah 42 v 1-4 Matthew 12 v 14-21
1 Behold my servant, whom I 14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council
uphold; mine elect, in whom against him, how they might destroy him. 15 But when
my soul delighteth; I have put Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and
my spirit upon him: he shall great multitudes followed him, and he healed them
bring forth judgment to the all; 16 And charged them that they should not make
Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, him known: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was
nor lift up, nor cause his
spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my
voice to be heard in the
street. 3 A bruised reed shall
servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in
he not break, and the whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit
smoking flax shall he not upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the
quench: he shall bring forth Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither
judgment unto truth. 4 He shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A
shall not fail nor be bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax
discouraged, till he have set shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment
judgment in the earth: and unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles
the isles shall wait for his law. trust.
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13. The tone of Jesus’ service
• “Not make him known” (cp. Mark 3 v 12 & 8 v 26-30)
• A servant doing his master’s bidding (John 17 v 4)
– Eloquence without screaming
– Clarity without loudness
– Distinction without showiness
• God’s message did not need to be shouted, as
a still small voice it proceeded (1 Kings 19 v 11-12)
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14. Verses 1-2
Isaiah 42 v 1-2
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to
the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in
the street.
Matthew 3 v 16-17 OT:6817 qu^x* tsa`aq (tsaw-ak'); a
primitive root; to shriek; (by implication)
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, to proclaim (an assembly):
went up straightway out of the water: (Strong’s)
and, lo, the heavens were opened unto
him, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove, and lighting OT:6963 loq qowl (kole); or qol (kole);
upon him: 17 And lo a voice from from an unused root meaning to call
heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, aloud; a voice or sound:
in whom I am well pleased. (Strong’s)
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15. Verses 3-4
Isaiah 42 v 3-4
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not
quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be
discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for
his law.
Matthew 11 v 28 Hidden play on words:
28Come unto me, all ye • “discouraged” (v 4) = same word as “bruised”
that labour and are heavy (v 3) [ratsats], and
laden, and I will give you • “fail” (v 4) *kahah] is the root of the word
rest. “smoking” (v 4) *keheh]
Matthew 18 v 8 “A crushed reed he will not break, a dim wick he will not
extinguish; he will faithfully make just decrees. He will not
11For the Son of man is grow dim or be crushed before establishing justice on the
come to save that which earth; the coastlands will wait in anticipation for his
was lost. decrees.” (NET)
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16. Verses 5-7
Isaiah 42 v 5-7
5 Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them
out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that
giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6 I
the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and
will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the
Gentiles; 7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the
prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Luke 2 v 29-32 Matthew 11 v 4-6
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and
depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 shew John again those things which ye do hear
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the
Which thou hast prepared before the face lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf
of all people; 32 A light to lighten the hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have
Gentiles, and the glory of thy people the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he,
Israel. whosoever shall not be offended in me.
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17. The lesson from this song for us
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18. Conclusion Song 1
• Meekness
• Calmness
• Gentleness
• Quietness
• Patience
• Endurance
• Encouragement
• Compassion
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19. 28th March 2012 The Servant Songs of Isaiah - Song 1 19