Introducing “The Servant” (49:1-26)
Neal Pollard
When our boys were small, our family devotions included their matching a Bible book with a fact about it. Our clue for Isaiah was, “Who was the prophet who talked about the Messiah?” While he is far from the only prophet who talked about Christ, Isaiah by far says the most about Him among the prophets. Starting in Isaiah 49, the prophet introduces and has speak the One who calls Himself “the servant” (5,6,7).
The Servant Reveals His Mission (1-6). He starts with an allusion to His incarnation and the virgin birth (1), where He is named before He’s born. While this might have some limited connection to a prophet like Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5), it seems ultimately to point to Jesus. There are so many New Testament references to ideas found in these six verses that it must refer to Him. John takes the imagery of the sword in His mouth, applying it to Jesus in Revelation (1:16; 2:12,16). Verse six is discerned in the words of Paul (Acts 26:23) and Simeon (Luke 2:30-32). His mission was restoration (5-6), revelation (6), and salvation (6).
The Servant Exposes His Rejection (7-13). That this Servant is Jesus is also deduced from the things said in this paragraph. The language and phrases here are repeated again in the Servant Poem of Isaiah 52:13-53:12, several phrases and verses of which are cited in the New Testament and applied to Jesus (Rom. 10:16; Mat. 8:17; Acts 8:32,33; etc.). Ultimately, rulers would acknowledge Him (7; Phil. 2:9-11), but He would be despised and abhorred (7). Isaiah speaks of a future, favorable time (8) which Paul applies to the Christian Age (2 Cor. 6:2). Reign required rejection, and acceptance would follow abuse and abasement. His covenant, forged by His suffering and rejection, would mean multiplied blessings for His followers (9-13).
The Servant Addresses His People (14-26). The Servant shares the people’s complaints, providing heaven’s answers to them. They say the Lord has forsaken and forgotten them (14), but He says it would be easier for a mother to forget her infant or unborn child (15). They are inscribed on His hand (16). Other saviors would fail them (17-19), but He would not! They would bemoan their captivity (20), but He vows to deliver (22). He would vanquish their oppressors and be their protector (23-26).
To a people marching toward captivity, Isaiah paints a much bigger picture and invites them to look further down the road to the time when Messiah comes. Jews would take passages like Isaiah 49, using them to anticipate His appearance for centuries to follow. That they missed Him when He came only strengthened the truth and divine source of Isaiah’s words here.
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