Studying Isaiah 40-55

Notes for Studying Isaiah 40-55
This study of Isaiah 40-55 is based primarily on the lectures of Dr. Reed Lessing held at Faith Lutheran
Church at Capistrano, CA for their Faith Academy. Dr. Lessing lectured for five days, three hours a day.
The material taken from these lectures is shaded in green. The material I added to fill in the gaps is
shaded in blue. To help me with this, I used the Concordia Self-Study Commentary. The emphasis in the
lectures was on the four Servant Songs. Since this study is based on those lectures, it emphasizes the
four Servant Songs also.
How to Read Isaiah

1. Isaiah is made up of three different “books” – one author, three sections: 1-39, 40-55, 56-66.
2. Is. 1-39 speaks to the events and people of Isaiah’s day.
3. In Is. 40-55, Isaiah speaks as a prophet to exiles in Babylon in the 6th century BC. It is directed to
people who are enmeshed in a pagan culture and are tempted to worship idols. For NT writers,
Babylon becomes a symbol of all that is wrong with this world. Isaiah’s charge is to get people
out of Babylon.
4. Isaiah uses poetry. The key to Hebrew poetry is repetition with intensity. Isaiah uses a lot of
poetry, but there is still a story line in Isaiah.
5. Is. 40-55 emphasizes the Gospel. The Gospel is God’s final and primary word to humanity.
6. Since Jesus is central to the Scriptures, we read Isaiah looking for Jesus.
7. We read Isaiah not just for information but for transformation. Just as God wanted to get Israel
out of exile in Babylon, so he wants to get us out of our exile from our Babylon.
8. Isaiah lived during the divided kingdom – Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Isaiah was
called to speak to Judah. He had a long ministry that spanned from 740 BC to 680 BC.
9. There are four major covenants in the OT. The four covenants are covenants with Noah,
Abraham, Moses, and David. The covenants with Noah, Abraham, and David are unconditional
covenants, covenants of divine commitment. The covenant with Moses was the only covenant of
human obligation. Isaiah will reference these four covenants.
10. Remember that Isaiah was written ahead of time to the people who would go into exile. At the
time of Isaiah, they would not understand it (Is. 6:9-13; 29:11-24) but future generations would.
Historical Context
Isaiah was called to be a prophet in 740 BC, the year king Uzziah died. He lived through the Assyrian
capture and exile of the north (723 BC) and the south’s colonial status under Assyria (701 BC). Although
he does not mention king Mannasseh (697 BC – 643 BC), he most certainly lived during his reign. He
records the death of Assyrian king Sennacherib (681 BC). That is a 60-year ministry.
There is a natural flow from Is. 39, where Isaiah tells Hezekiah of the coming Babylonian exile, which will
be an end to one chapter of the nation (Is. 1-39) and the beginning of a new one (Is. 40-55). While there
are thematic and logical connections between Is. 1-39 and Is. 40-55, there is a large time gap in between
them. The following events are not mentioned.
 The fall of the northern kingdom in 723 BC.

 Nineveh’s collapse in 612 BC.
 King Mannaseh’s disasterous reign and Judah’s demise.
 King Josiah’s death in battle in 609 BC.
 The rise in power of Babylon (625 BC – 562 BC).

 The destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC.
 The Persian empire became dominate from 550 BC to the rise of the Greeks in 333 BC.
Is. 40-55 addresses the times between the exile to Babylon and the return to Jerusalem under the
Persians. In Is. 39 Isaiah predicts disaster but follows that with words of comfort in Is. 40-55. The prophet
who lived in the eighth and early seventh centuries addressed sixth century postexilic Israel. In 538 BC as
Isaiah predicted, Yahweh prompted Cyrus to allow Israel to return and rebuild the temple.
Outline of Isaiah
1. Is. 1-39
a. Is. 1 is an overview of the whole book.
b. Is. 2:1-5 contains the center of the book’s message.
c. Is. 2:6 – Is. 12 is preaching judgment and hope for Israel.
i. Is. 6 Isaiah’s call
d. Is. 13- 23 are oracles against the nations.
e. Is. 24-27 are universal oracles.
f. Is. 28-33 Judgment and hope to Judah/Israel.
g. Is. 34-35 Yahweh slays the wicked and redeems the faithful
h. Is. 36-39 – Jerusalem is delivered from the Assyrians but destroyed by the Babylonians. It
predicts the exile to Babylon.
2. Is. 40-55
a. Is. 40:1-11 prologue to Is. 40-55, a summary of these 16 chapters. Prepare the Way for
Yahweh to Come and Redeem His People.
b. Is. 40:12-31 Trust “your God” Yahweh; He has the Ability to Restore His People.
c. Is. 41-48 Cyrus Cycle – Yahweh getting Israel out of Babylon
i. Is. 41:1-29 Fear Not Israel – Yahweh will Redeem You by Raising Up Cyrus and
Exposing the gods of Babylon as Nothing.
ii. Is. 42:1-4 is the first Servant Song. Yahweh’s call to Cyrus and to his servant
Israel. Israel is called to bring God’s verdict concerning their idols to the nations.
iii. Is. 42:5-9 Epilogue/explanation of the first Servant Song. Yahweh speaks to the
servant nation. It is Yahweh the Creator who calls the servant nation to be
righteous and spread the verdict.
iv. Is. 42:10-17 Sing a New Song Celebrating How Yahweh will Bring Light to the
Nations.
v. Is. 42:18-25 Yahweh’s Servant Israel is Deaf and Blind and Has Felt the Heat of
Yahweh’s Wrath by Being Sent to Exile.
vi. Is. 43:1 – 44:5 Yahweh will Redeem Israel from Exile.
1. Is. 43:1-13 The Holy One of Israel is with His People and will bring them
out of Babylon.
2. Is. 43:14-21 Yahweh provides a new exodus for his people.
3. Is. 43:22 – 44:5 The New Thing Yahweh has Planned is a Gracious Gift.
vii. Is. 44:6-20 Put Your Trust in Yahweh Your Redeemer and Not in Idols which are
Nothing.
viii. Is. 44:21 – 45:25 Yahweh, the Great Creator, will Redeem Israel by Calling and
Using Cyrus.
ix. Is. 46 – 47 Babylon’s gods are powerless to stop Yahweh and both they and the
Babylonians will be humiliated.
x. Is. 48:1-11 Yahweh Used Exile to Refine His People and is About to Make a New
Announcement of What He is Going to Do.
xi. Is. 48:12-22 Yahweh Calls Israel Out of Babylon.
d. Is. 49-54 The Substitute Servant gets Babylon out of Israel
i. Is. 49:1-6 The Second Servant Song. Yahweh calls a Substitute Servant to
redeem Israel and be a light to the nations.
ii. Is. 49:7-13 Epilogue/explanation of the Second Servant Song. Through the
Servant, Yahweh will bring about a Jubilee where debts are paid and people are
freed
iii. Is. 49:14 -50:3 Yahweh’s Response to Israel’s Accusation of Abandonment and
Divorce.
iv. Is. 50:4-9 The Third Servant Song. The Servant has a Word of Hope for the
Weary – Though Innocent, He is Willing to Suffer in Order to Redeem Them
v. Is. 50:10-11 Epilogue/explanation of the third Servant Song.
Turn to Yahweh or Face the Fire of His Judgment
vi. Is. 51:1-52:12 In between the Third and Fourth Servant Songs.
1. Is. 51:1-52:2 Promises of Israel’s restoration.
2. Is. 52:3-12 Good News! Yahweh reigns and he and his people will return
to Zion.
vii. Is. 52:13-53:12 The Fourth Servant Song.
1. Is. 52:13-15 Servant is high but is brought low.
2. Is. 53:1-3 The Servant is despised and rejected.
3. Is. 53:4-6 The Servant is a sin offering on which a confession of sin has
been made.
4. Is. 53:7-9 Falsely accused; the Servant is killed for the transgressions of
the people.
5. Is. 53:10-12 The Servant is raised. Many are accounted as righteous
because of him.
viii. Is. 54 Epilogue/explanation of the fourth Servant Song; Zion’s restoration by
means of the Suffering Servant.
e. Is. 55 Epilogue Yahweh Offers Salvation to All for Free Out of Grace. God’s Word Will
Cause It to Happen.
3. Is. 56-66 Struggles in the Servant’s New Community
Themes in Isaiah
Is. 1 provides the overall themes for the book: judgment (Is. 1:1-9 for Is. 1-39), salvation (Is. 1:10-20 for
Is. 40-55), and the call to respond (Is. 1:21-31 for Is. 56-66).
Justice and righteousness are a theme for the whole book. The prophet sees none but is certain the
Davidic Messiah will become the locus of a reformation that empowers Israel to have compassion upon
the orphan, widow, and alien in the gate. He is the Spirit-inspired Savior whose death and resurrection
ushers in an eternal Jubilee – justice and righteousness for all (Is. 52:13 – 53:12; 61:1-3).
1. Exodus theme - Yahweh is king.

a. Is. 52:7
2. Exodus theme – Yahweh will deliver Israel from bondage by using Cyrus.
3. Exodus theme – Glory of Yahweh
a. Is. 40:5
4. Exodus theme – Yahweh makes a way out of Babylon through the wilderness to the promised
land.
a. Is. 43:16-21
5. Exodus theme – Yahweh provides for his people - water from a rock
a. Is. 48:21
6. New creation - make the wilderness like Eden
a. Is. 51:3
7. Righteousness
a. Is. 42:6– Israel called to be righteous.
b. Is. 48:1 – Israel is not righteous.
c. Is. 50:8 – The One who vindicates or makes righteous is near to the Servant.
d. Is. 53:11 – The righteous Servant makes many righteous.
e. Is. 54:17 – The servants of Yahweh receive righteousness from the Servant.
8. The way.
a. Is. 40:3-4 – Make a way for Yahweh to come back to his people.
b. Is. 52:8 – Yahweh returns to Zion.
c. Is. 43:16, 19 – Yahweh come back to make a way for his people to leave Babylon.
9. Idolatry
a. Is. 46:1-2 Babylon’s gods/idols satirized.
b. Is. 44:9-20 Idols are nothing.
10. Creation
a. Is. 40:26 – Yahweh created the stars and calls them by name.
b. Is. 43:1 – Yahweh creates and calls you by name.
c. Is. 40:12 – The vastness and greatness of creation is tiny compared to Yahweh.
Is. 1-39
To better understand Is. 40-55, we need to first look at Is. 2:1-5 and Is. 6:1-13.
Is. 2:1-5 The Book’s Message

Is. 2:1-5 has the central message of the book. These verses intersect with Is. 40-55 in four different ways.
(1) Zion’s restoration equates with Is. 54 (and Is. 60-62) after the Suffering Servant.
(2) Shalom. There is no Shalom for those who stay in Babylon. The punishment of the Suffering Servant
brings shalom/peace.
(3) The nations come to Zion to be saved because all people are exiled.
(4) What God will do in the future impacts my life now.
Vv. 2, 3 Mountain of the Lord. Within Isaiah, God’s mountain, God’s house, God’s temple, and Zion are
all synonymous. Isaiah pictures Zion’s restoration. That is huge when studying Is. 40-55. Zion is a mess in
Is. 40-55. She is pictured as Yahweh’s unfaithful wife who is estranged from him. Because they are in
Babylon, she thinks that he has divorced her. Zion’s restoration comes in Is. 54. The only way this
restoration takes place is through the Suffering Servant in Is. 53. That is when the mountain of the house
of Yahweh will be restored.
Who is going to come to the restored Zion? All the nations. This goes back to Gen. 12:1-3. Throughout Is.
40-55, all nations are the target.
Yahweh will teach us his ways. Is. 40:3 talks about preparing the way for Yahweh. In Is. 40-55 we are
going to learn God’s ways.
Torah should not be translated as Law as most English Bibles do. That leads us down the wrong path. It is
not about the Lord who wants us to obey his Law. It is about Yahweh who wants us to listen to his Word.
That makes all the difference in the world on how you approach the OT.
V. 4 A major theme in Isaiah is peace (shalom). There will be no peace for the wicked, for those who
refuse to leave Babylon (Is. 48:22). Babylon promises shalom but it is a lie. The only way to have
shalom/wholeness is found Is. 53:5. The Servant takes our punishment on himself so that we might have
shalom. The Suffering Servant is the only means of shalom.
V. 5 is another example of celebrating the coming victory of God now. They are to live in the light of
Yahweh now, knowing what God has in store from vv. 2-4.
A summary of 2:1-5 and the book’s message is:

Yahweh is going to lift up his mountain and Zion will be vindicated (a theme in Is.) and all the nations
will stream to Zion (a theme in Is.). There Yahweh instructs his people in his way with his Word (a
theme in Is.). This results in paradisical peace (a theme in Is.), such as existed in Eden. Knowing what
Yahweh has in store, Zion is to live now celebrating God’s victory (a theme in Is.), walking in the light of
Yahweh.
Is. 6 Isaiah’s Call

Is. 6:1-3 – In 740 BC, the year that king Uzziah died, while at the temple, Isaiah has a vision. He saw
Yahweh sitting on his throne “high and lifted up.” A major idea in Isaiah is that only Yahweh is high and
lifted up. And then Is. 6:3 reinforces this idea. There Isaiah says he saw that the seraphim were crying
out to each other, Holy, Holy, Holy. The word “holy” is not so much about ethical morality as it is about
separateness or uniqueness or apartness. It is saying that Yahweh is far above everyone and everything
else. He is completely different than anything else. He is completely transcendent. He is completely
other. He is nothing like us.
The words “high and lifted up” only occur three more times in the book of Isaiah (four times in total).
The first time was in Is. 6:1. The second time it occurs is in Is. 33:10, where it again says that Yahweh is
high and lifted up. Remember, only Yahweh is high and lifted up. Picture it like this. There are different
levels of exaltation and only Yahweh is at the very top. Everyone and everything else are below him. The
third time is in Is. 57:15 and in it, Yahweh, who is high and lifted up, speaks. The big question is, where is
the fourth time in Isaiah that anyone is described as high and lifted up? That would be in Is. 52:13, which
is in the section we are most concerned about – Is. 40-55. The fourth Servant Song begins in Is. 52:13. It
says, the Servant is high and lifted up and greatly exalted. That is the ultimate game-changer. Isaiah is
saying that there is someone else who is on the same level as Yahweh and it the Servant.
Is. 6:4 – With smoke from the incense altar filling the temple, it is possible that this vision occurred on
the Day of Atonement. And the vision occurred when the high priest entered through the curtain.
Is. 6:5 – Because Isaiah saw Yahweh sitting on the throne, he exclaimed, “Woe is me!” That means, I am
as good as dead! Why does he say he is dead? He has seen the King, Yahweh of Armies, and he and his
people are unclean. [Uncleanness and holiness are opposites. Uncleanness is destroyed by God’s
holiness.]
Is. 6:6-7 - But then one of the seraphim takes a burning coal from the incense altar and touches Isaiah’s
lips with it. In doing so, Isaiah’s guilt is taken away and his sin is atoned for. Isaiah’s uncleanness is taken
away.
Is. 6:8 – In his vision, Isaiah is privileged to hear what was being discussed in the heavenly council.
Yahweh has a mission planned and he asks the question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” In
response, Isaiah volunteers to go and carry out the mission.
Is. 6:9 – Isaiah’s mission will be to deliver a message to “this people.” Normally in Isaiah when it says
“this people,” it means the covenant at Sinai is broken. In Ex. 6:7, Yahweh calls Israel “my people.” But in
Is. 6:9, they are not “my people,” they are “this people.” But in Is. 40:1 Yahweh says, “Comfort, comfort
my people.” The relationship was dead but now it is back alive.
Is. 6:9-10 - What kind of message is Isaiah to deliver to “this people”? In Is. 6:9-10, Isaiah is being told to
preach and teach in such a way that the people will never come back from exile. What is going on here?
Isn’t this strange? Some might say, This is the OT, it’s got all this strange stuff. But the fact is that Is. 6:9-
10 is quoted in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. So it’s not just an OT thing.
What is going on here? We become what we worship either for ruin or restoration. This is one of the
mantras of Isaiah. The gods of the nations are the works of men made of silver, gold, wood. They don’t
have eyes, ears, hearts, mouths. They are inanimate objects. Isaiah is being told to confirm the people in
their idolatry. To tell them, You are going to become like the gods you worship. Idolatry strips people of
their ability to be human beings. Idolatry makes it so that all I want is instant gratification and I want it
yesterday.
How do you become deaf and blind in the book of Isaiah? If you worship gods that are deaf and blind,
then you will become deaf and blind. So in the rest of the book of Isaiah, when people are deaf and
blind, it is because they are idolaters. When Isaiah talks about being deaf and blind, he is talking about
idolatry. They are confirmed in their unrepentant idolatry and the nation dies. The only way sinners live
in the Bible is they first have to die.
Is. 6:1-13 – Isaiah’s experience in his call (Is. 6:1-10) of dying (Is. 6:5, Woe is me = I’m dead), rising (Is.
6:6-7, absolution), and mission (Is. 6:8-10) sets the pattern for Israel (and for us). In the same way that
Isaiah died, was raised up, and had a mission, so Israel will have to die as a nation, be raised back up,
and then have a mission. Isaiah’s mission was to confirm Israel in their idolatry. Idolatry causes death.
But at the end of Is. 6 (v. 13), there is a holy Seed in the stump, which comes from the felled tree of
Israel. There is new life coming forth. And once they are given new life, the people will then be in
mission.
We follow the same pattern. When we are baptized, we are baptized into Christ’s death and
resurrection. So in baptism we die and rise. And then Jesus gave us our mission, which is make disciples
of all nations.
This is what is going on in Is. 40-55. The exiled people of Israel are deaf and blind, which means they are
idolators in Babylon. In Is. 40-55, Yahweh wants to get Israel out of Babylon and he wants to get Babylon
out of Israel. He wants to get them out of idolatry and back in a relationship with himself.
Is. 40-55
Is. 40-55 Exodus from Captivity to New Creation
In Is. 40-55 it moves from exodus to the new creation. What Paul does in 2 Cor. 5:16-17 is take this and
say that we too are captives. We are captive to Satan and death and self. And just like the Israelites made
their exodus from Egypt through water, so we make our exodus from captivity through the waters of
baptism. We are baptized into the death and resurrection and new life in Christ. We become a new
creation. So we too have been delivered from bondage. We too have had our own exodus. And that
comes through baptism.
Is. 40:1-11 - The Prologue to Is. 40-55

A Summary of These 16 Chapters -
Prepare the Way for Yahweh to Come and Redeem His People
Is. 40:1
Is 40:1 starts with the familiar words: “Comfort, comfort my people.” We’ve already talked about “my
people” vs. “this people.” These people were God’s people (Ex. 6:7) but then they broke the covenant by
their idolatry and became the “this people” of Is. 6:9 [and their cities were destroyed and they were
hauled off to exile.]
But was does “comfort” mean? In Is. 40-55, comfort has a unique definition. In Is. 51:3, the word comfort
is used twice. Strangely Yahweh comforts ruins and rubble. The only way to comfort ruins and rubble is
to rebuild them. The same idea is expressed in Is. 52:9. When the Babylonians got done with Jerusalem,
all there was left was rubble. But they will break forth in song because God is a rebuilding God. Even
when our lives are nothing but ruins and rubble, we can sing for joy because we have a God who rebuilds
the lives of his people.
So comfort involves rebuilding. God comforts with more than just a pat on the back. It is God saying, I
am going to rebuild your ruined life. And that is exactly what happened. The exiles returned and they
rebuilt Jerusalem.
Is. 40:2
Is. 40:2 begins with, “Speak upon the heart of Jerusalem.” To speak upon the heart when a guy is talking
to other guys is to “win one for the Gipper.” But when a man is speaking to a woman, it means the man
is trying to court the woman. The woman here is Jerusalem and she is also called Zion. In Hebrew and in
all Semitic languages, cities are always feminine. So God is courting his estranged wife who are the exiles
who feel like they have been abandoned and divorced by Yahweh and have no hope and no future. This
is what Boaz does to Ruth. He speaks upon her heart and gives her hope.
To speak upon the heart is the husband doing everything he can to convince the wife that he loves her.
So in this section it is Yahweh, the husband, trying to convince Israel, the wife, that she still means
something to him, and in fact, not just something but everything. Your English versions might say to
speak tenderly or lovingly. Jesus speaks this way when he speaks of the bridegroom (Jesus) coming to get
his bride (the church).
Continuing in v. 2, “that her debt-service is ended” or “her warfare has ended.” What does that mean?
The enemy has been defeated. Who is the enemy? Babylon. Babylon is going down (Is. 47). She doesn’t
have to fight her enemies anymore because Yahweh is going to fight for her. Or if it is “her debt-service is
ended,” that takes us back to this notion of kinsman-redeemer. What did we say the kinsman-redeemer
does? If you were in debt, he pays it off. If you were in slavery, he frees you. If you lost tribal inheritance,
he gets it back for you. Yahweh is the Redeemer of Israel. So if it is debt-service then it points us to God
being the Redeemer who returns them to their land. And if it is warfare, it points us to God being the
fighter for his people. And since it is poetry, it probably has a double meaning. It means both.
Going on in v. 2, “her iniquity is pardoned, she has received from the hand of Yahweh double for all her
sins.” Double what? Some preach double judgment. No, it is not double judgment. What is the only thing
doubled in the context of Is. 40:1-2? Double comfort. The people believe that they have lost everything
or that God doesn’t exist or if he does exist he doesn’t care or have the power or he doesn’t love us
anymore, but Yahweh says, No to all that. I am going to restore you.
Is. 40:3
In Is. 40-55, God wants to make a way out for the exiles. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all begin their
stories of Jesus with Is. 40:3-4. So these verses and this section of Isaiah must be a pretty pivotal part of
the Bible. We know that this is John the Baptist crying out in the desert, Prepare the way for Yahweh.
So the first way is preparing the way for God. To understand this, we need to get the full context. God
left his people. We are told about this in the book of Ezekiel. In Eze. 8, God said, I’ve had it; I’m leaving.
But he leaves in stages. His glory doesn’t leave the temple until Eze. 11. It’s hard to leave someone you
love. It breaks God’s heart, but eventually he left the temple. We have to understand that, in order to
understand Isaiah. Isaiah is saying that God is coming back. Prepare the way for Yahweh, he is coming
back. And that is the message of John the Baptist. He will come back in a hidden way (Is. 45:15), through
Jesus. When the Gospel writers quote Is. 40:3-4, the idea is that people are still in captivity and bondage
and exile but it is a spiritual exile.
So again, the first way is that God is coming back. And we don’t get this until Is. 52:8. The Lord is
returning, which means he must have first left. And Eze. 8-11 helps us understand this better.
Now when Yahweh comes back, he is going to make a way out for the people (Is. 43:16, 19). And the
way that God will make we cannot imagine because God’s ways are not our ways. Who would have
thought that God would use a Nazarene carpenter and make him The Way for us out of bondage and
exile. Jesus said, I am The Way.
Is. 40:4-5
Then Is. 40:4-5. V. 4 -“Every valley will be lifted up, every mountain and hill will be made low; the rough
places will become level, the crooked places a plain.” V. 5 – “And the glory of Yahweh will be revealed,
and all flesh will see it together because the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”
As we said earlier, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all begin to talk about Jesus using Is. 40:3-4. But one
of the evangelists goes into v. 5 where it talks about the glory of the Lord. And that evangelist is Luke. In
Luke 3:4-6, Luke quotes from Is. 40:3-5. In doing so he is saying that Jesus is Yahweh coming back for his
people in bondage. Jesus is enacting Is. 40-55. Jesus is going to be the Suffering Servant. When Luke
quotes Is. 40:3-5, he brings along with it all of Is. 40-55. Why does Luke carry it through to all flesh will
see the glory of God and Matthew, Mark, and John don’t? Luke is the only Gentile author in the NT. All
flesh includes the Gentiles. His message is, Christ has come for all people. All people are in bondage.
Is. 40:6-8
A key word in Is. 40:6-8 is chesed. It is commonly translated as steadfast love and faithfulness. Chesed is
used about 250 times in the OT. Of those times, 60 times it is used in a secular context, when one person
does chesed to another person as opposed to a religious context where God is doing chesed to us. In
those 60 verses, we would find these attributes. And then we can use them to better understand God’s
chesed to us. Or said another way, we can look at chesed on a horizontal level and then look at it on a
vertical level.
Horizontally there are two characteristics of chesed. First, chesed is a person getting involved in a
relationship when they don’t have to. I don’t have to get into a relationship but I choose to. An example
might be having kids. Secondly, in chesed I am staying in the relationship even when everyone else tells
me I should get out. Chesed is getting in when I don’t have to and staying in when everything is going
wrong. [I am committed no matter what. That is what a marriage is supposed to be.] That is what chesed
is on a horizontal level.
Isaiah’s message in Is. 40:6-8 about chesed is that all of our chesed is like the “beauty” of the flowers and
grass of the field. We make great statements of commitment but many times we don’t follow through.
We are like grass withering and flowers fading. When is the next use of chesed in Is. 40-55? When will
we see chesed that is not like the grass that withers? That will come after the Suffering Servant pours out
his life to death and is raised again. The next used of chesed is in Is. 54:8. Yahweh says in a flood of anger
he hid his face from them for a short time (70 years). But in everlasting chesed Yahweh, their Redeemer,
will have mercy on his people. This is God saying, I don’t have to get involved with you but I will. And
there is time after time where everyone else would just give up on you, but instead I have and will
continue to stick with you. My commitment to you is to stick by you forever no matter what. Why?
Because of the Suffering Servant.
V. 6 says that our chesid, our loyal love, is like the grass of the field. V. 7 continues to describe our
chesed. It withers and fades. He shows that it is transitory by using the word “grass” four times in two
verses. For emphasis he repeats “the grass withers, the flower fades.” In direct opposition to our
transitory chesid, the word of God stands forever.
“Forever” is a key word in Is. 40-55. So let’s track that. In Is. 40:28 Yahweh is the everlasting God, which
means his word is everlasting. Then we turn to Is. 54:8 where it says that Yahweh’s chesid is forever. And
in Is. 54:10 Yahweh says his chesid will not depart from Israel (meaning forever) and Yahweh’s covenant
of peace (Noahic covenant) shall not be removed. It will last forever. In Is. 55:3 it speaks of the
everlasting covenant Yahweh made with David in which Yahweh shows his everlasting chesid for David.
Yahweh will have everlasting love for Israel and will redeem them from Babylon, but Babylon will not
take it lying down. Is. 47 describes the downfall of Babylon. Yahweh was angry with his wife and gave her
over to Babylon and Babylon said, “I will be mistress forever” (Is. 47:7). Babylon opposes Yahweh’s claim
that he is forever, his word is forever, his chesid is forever and his covenant is forever. So the question is,
who will win out and stand forever? It also catches your ear in Is. 47:7 when Babylon says, “I am.” But
there is only one I AM and it is Yahweh. So Babylon claims to be forever, but it’s not.
In Is. 40:8 it says “the word of our God will stand forever.” How will the program of Is. 40-55, which is
Cyrus getting Israel out of Babylon and the substitute Servant getting Babylon out of Israel, happen? It
will happen because of the power of God’s word. We see this in Is. 40:8 and Is. 55:10-11. They tell us
that God’s word is powerful and effective.
So in Is. 40:8 we have the connection with “forever” and we also have the word of God connection with
Is. 55:10-11. There are only two things in this world that will last forever. They are God’s word and
people. So the greatest investment in life is getting God’s word into people. That is all that is going to
last.
Is. 40:9
Dr. Lessing translates Is. 40:9 as: “Upon a high mountain get up, O Gospeler, Zion…” along with “O
Evangelist, Jerusalem…” Zion and Jerusalem are not being evangelized. They are the evangelists! This is
the first place in the Bible where you have the word “gospel” used in a theological sense – the good
news from God for people.
Zion and Jerusalem are to be the gospelers – speakers of good news. And Zion and Jerusalem stand for
the exiles. Remember that Is. 40:1-11 is an overview of Is. 40-55. Now, are these people who are in exile
in any position to be evangelists? No, because they cannot see and they cannot hear! So they have
nothing to tell anyone. That means that right now in their current state and condition they are not
evangelists. This is who they will become.
God loves to do this. He doesn’t tell us who we are. He tells us what we are becoming. For instance, He
tells Abram he will become Abraham (father of many), or Jacob becomes Israel (let God rule). Jesus calls
Simon-bar-Jonah, Peter (the rock). Peter doesn’t become a rock until later in Acts. Quite often God likes
to tell us what we are going to be, not who we are.
So God is not telling the exiles what they are, because right now they are caught up in idolatry. He is
telling them what they are going to become – gospelers. And what will be their message? Is. 53. This is
the fourth Servant Song (Is. 52:13 – 53:12). “Who has believed our report?” And in v. 4 it talks about “our
sickness” and “our pains.” And in v. 6, “we all like sheep have gone astray.” What is the evangelist’s
message? Is. 53. The suffering Servant is coming to save us from our sin sickness and its effects. This is
Good News!
Back in Is. 40:9. “Lift up your voice with power, O Gospeler, Jerusalem; lift it up, do not be afraid; say to
the cities of Judah, Behold your God.” This isn’t just any god. This is “your God.” In the use of just a few
words, “Behold your God,” we have the main message of Is. 40-55. They have been beholding the
Babylonian gods. But now they are to “behold your God.”
Is. 40:10
Then we get to the fantastic verses of Is. 40:10 and 11. They answer the question, who is your God? V.
10: “Behold Lord Yahweh will come.” That’s the whole idea. Yahweh is coming back. Build a highway for
him. “He is coming with his arm ruling for him.” The first time the Bible talks about God’s strong arm is in
Ex. 6:6. There God says to Moses, “… I will redeem you with an outstretched arm … .” We are always
within God’s reach in order that he might bring us back. There are many allusions to Exodus in Is. 40-55
and this is one of the most important of them. In Is. 40:10 it says God’s arm is ruling for him. Because he
has won the battle with his mighty arm, to the victor belongs the spoils. That is his reward and
recompense.
How will this come about? Turn to Is. 53:12. When God comes with his ruling arm as a mighty conqueror
and wins the victory, he is going to divide the spoil of his victory with all of his people. What do the spoils
consist of? Forgiveness, life, salvation, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control.
Is. 40:11
In Is. 40:9, it said, “Behold your God!” Who is their God? The use of “arm” tells us about their God. In v.
10 it is a strong, mighty, ruling arm. But what kind of arm is it in v. 11? It is a gentle, gathering arm of a
shepherd. He gathers the little, newborn, vulnerable lambs and carries them close to his chest. This arm
is a tender, compassionate arm.
Is. 40:10-11
Vv. 10 and 11 are the preview of the use of “arm” in Is. 40-55. Let’s take a look and see how “arm” is
used in this section. Take a look at Is. 52:10: “Yahweh lays bare his holy arm.” Which use of arm is this?
The strong, mighty arm. He laid his arm bare in the first exodus and he is about to do so again in a
second exodus. For another use of arm, look at Is. 53:1 ff. This use of arm is the tender, compassionate
use of arm. In looking at the substitute Servant, there is no hint of great power.
In 2 Cor. 12:9 Jesus told Paul, “my power is made perfect in weakness.” The paradox of power and
weakness come together in Jesus at the cross.
Is. 40:9-11
The gospel that Zion and Jerusalem are to proclaim is, “Behold your God!” Who is their God? He is the
strong God of v. 10 and the compassionate God of v. 11. And the fact is that sinful man needs both. If
God is this sovereign, all-powerful, majestic God, that’s good but what about each of us? And if God is
this compassionate, loving God who bleeds and dies for us, but he doesn’t have power to defeat our
enemies, what good is that? In the great hymn Holy, Holy, Holy, we sing that God is merciful and mighty.
He is both. We need both. He is tender and tough. He is sovereign and saving. That is your God and that
is Good News! These verses in Is. 40 end the prologue and the rest of the verses in Is. 40-55 unpack Is.
40:9-11.
Is. 40:12 – 41:29 In Between the Prologue and the First Servant Song
Is. 40:12-31 Trust “your God” Yahweh; He has the Ability to Restore His People
In this section, a series of rhetorical questions are asked in order to persuade Israel that Yahweh has the
ability to deliver, strengthen, and restore his people.
 Is. 40:12-17 Who is like Yahweh? Creation is miniscule compared to him. He has all knowledge
and understanding. All of the nations of the world are nothing before him.
 Is. 40:18-20 Who is like Yahweh? Certainly not idols made with gold, silver, and wood by men.
 Is. 40:21-24 Don’t you know and isn’t it clear that no one is like Yahweh? He who dwells in the
heavens is far above the earth and its inhabitants and has the fate of rulers in his hands.
 Is. 40:25-26 Who can compare to Yahweh? With great power and might he created the stars in
the heavens and calls them each by name.
 Is. 40:27-31 Why does Israel think Yahweh does not see or regard them? He is the everlasting
God, the Creator, who does not grow weary, who strengthens the weak. If they wait on Yahweh
in faith, they will see him act to rescue and restore them.
Is. 40:21-31 – (Earlier in the chapter Israel is to be comforted because their sins have been pardoned.
And Yahweh their God comes to tend his flock.) They need to realize that their God who promises this is
the God who is over heaven and earth. He created them. Next to him people are nothing. They come
and go quickly as Yahweh sees fit. No one can compare to him. He is strong and powerful. The people
are tempted to think God doesn’t care about them or notice them. But they should realize that he is the
everlasting God, the Creator. He does not grow tired. He supplies power to his people. Therefore, they
should wait for Yahweh and he will renew them and carry them. He will reverse their fortune.
Is. 41-48 is Known as the Cyrus Cycle – Yahweh getting Israel out of
Babylon
Is. 41:1-29 Fear Not Israel – Yahweh will Redeem You by Raising Up Cyrus and Exposing
the gods of Babylon as Nothing
 Is. 41:1-7 Yahweh will raise up Cyrus to subdue the nations.
Isaiah has a comforting message for God’s people in exile in Babylon. Yahweh, the great God
who is over all the earth, will accomplish Israel’s restoration by stirring up Cyrus in the east.
Showing that Yahweh is in control, Isaiah prophesies this generations before it will happen.
When it does happen, Yahweh will make the nations turn into dust and stubble by using Cyrus.
Yahweh will enable Cyrus’ army to quickly march through the nations to the coastlands. Neither
they nor their idols will be able to withstand his advance.
 Is. 41:8-20 Fear not Israel, Yahweh is your Defender.
Yahweh has a comforting word for Israel, the offspring of Abraham, chosen by Yahweh and called
to be his servant. He tells them, “Fear not, for I am with you.” He promises to strengthen them
and uphold them and to put their enemies to shame and make their enemies nothing.
Although they are a lowly worm to the world, Yahweh, their Redeemer and Holy One of Israel,
promises to judge the nations by making Israel into a threshing sledge, which he will use to cut
down and crush the nations. And when he does, Israel will rejoice in and glorify Yahweh.
Yahweh, “the God of Israel,” promises to answer their calls for help and do whatever is necessary
to help them, even if that means causing nature to do that which is unnatural.
 Is. 41:21-29 Yahweh puts the idols/gods of the nations on trial.
Yahweh, “the King of Jacob,” calls on the idols to make their case to prove that they are the ones
in control. If they are gods then they should be able to “tell us what is to happen” so “that we
may know their outcome.” But the fact is these “gods” are “nothing,” even “less than nothing.”
And anyone who chooses these so-called gods is an abomination. Opposing these fake gods is
Yahweh. Speaking in the past tense as if it has already happened even though it is still 200 years
away, Yahweh says he has stirred up one in the east (Cyrus) to trample down rulers. He declares
it ahead of time so that we might know for certain that he alone is God. These other so-called
gods give no answer when questioned. That is because they are “a delusion,” “nothing,” “empty
wind.”
Is. 42:1-9 – The First Servant Song and Its Explanation

Fear Not Israel – Yahweh will Redeem You by Raising Up Cyrus and
Exposing the gods of Babylon as Nothing.
The Two Servants in Isaiah
The servants in Isaiah have for a long-time perplexed people. Who is the servant? Is. 41:8 is a pivotal
verse. It is the first time that the word “servant” appears in Is. 40-55. In this verse, the servant is the
nation of Israel. This is of fundamental importance.
The next text is the first Servant Song Is. 42:1-4 and vv. 5-9 is the epilogue to it. Is. 42:1 is the next time
the word “servant” is used in Isaiah. Based on what we read in Is. 41:8, we would assume that the
servant is Israel. The third time that the servant is mentioned is in Is. 42:19, where the servant is blind.
How do you become blind in Isaiah? Through idolatry.
In Is. 42, the servant is to bring forth the “verdict/judgment” (based on context, not “justice” as most
English Bibles have) to the nations. The verdict they are to deliver is given in Is. 41:29. And it is that all
the idols are nothing but an empty wind. The servant, Israel, is to deliver this message from Yahweh but
they can’t do that very well because they themselves are idolators (see Is. 42:17-20). The servant nation
is caught up in idolatry and therefore cannot bring forth the verdict on the nations’ idols as they are
called to do.
The servant in the second Servant Song in Is. 49 is given a second assignment of restoring Jacob/Israel to
God (Is. 49:5). The questions is, how can Israel restore themselves to God? They can’t, so that means the
servant in ch. 49 is a different servant. This Servant will restore Israel to Yahweh because they are
enmeshed in idolatry. But the Servant will not only restore Israel, he will also be a light to the nations so
that they may be saved too (Is. 49:6). The question is, who is this Servant? And how will he do it? How he
will do it will be by suffering and death, which are in the third and fourth Servant Songs.
So in Is. 40-55 there are two servants, servant Israel (Is. 41:8, 42:1-4) which is to bring forth the verdict
but fails (Is. 42:19-20) and the suffering Servant. Is. 48 plays a pivotal role in Isaiah’s presentation of the
two servants. In Is. 42:6 Yahweh says he has called Israel to be righteous. But the reality of Israel is much
different. In Is. 48:1 God says they are not righteous. So Yahweh rejects the servant nation of Israel
because of their unrighteousness and sends another Servant who is endowed with the Spirit of Yahweh
(Is. 48:16). The second servant is the Suffering Servant, the substitute Servant. Just as there was a
second Adam, so there is a second Servant.
Is. 42:1-4 The First Servant Song

Yahweh’s call to Cyrus and to his servant Israel. Israel is called to bring God’s verdict concerning the idols
of the nations.
Is. 42:1-4 refers to God’s servant Israel. We know this because in Is. 41:8 (which comes before) and 42:19
(which comes after) Israel is called the servant. So we know this from the context.
Even though the servant in the first Servant Song refers to Israel, Matthew quotes it and applies it to
Jesus. What do we make of that? This is a typological prophecy. Because Israel cannot fulfill their calling
to inform the nations that their gods are nothing because they themselves were idolators, it will be up to
Jesus, the Substitute Servant, to do what they could not. Christ will fulfill the first Servant Song.
In Is. 42:1 Yahweh says, Behold my servant. From our discussions so far, we know he is talking about
Israel. Yahweh will put his Spirit on Israel. And in your English versions it will say something like: “he will
bring forth justice to the nations.” But “justice” is not a good rendering of the Hebrew in this context. In
this context it means “verdict.” The verdict Israel is to deliver to the nations is what Yahweh said in Is.
41:29: their idols are worthless. We are invited to read Is. 41:29 and Is. 42:1 together because they both
begin with “behold.” Behold God’s verdict is that the idols are nothing and behold it is Israel’s job as his
servant is to bring this verdict to the nations.
How will Israel, the servant of God, spread this verdict? Is. 42:2 says she will do it with humility. And
when Israel sees people of other nations who are hurting, they are not to hammer them. They are to
have compassion for them. They are to calmly tell the verdict (Is. 42:3). It is all about exposing idols as
frauds. She will continue to spread the news about the verdict to the world and tell everyone about
Yahweh’s teaching (torah, not law; Is. 42:4). The goal is to have one nation in the world that will call out
the other nations in a humble, kind, forgiving way and tell them that their gods are worthless (the
verdict that God has pronounced). That was what Israel was called to do. But Israel doesn’t do this very
well. Why not? Because they are idolators themselves (see Is. 42:18-19).
Is. 42:5-9 The Explanation of the First Servant Song

Yahweh speaks to the servant nation. It is Yahweh the Creator who calls the servant nation to be
righteous and spread the verdict.
Is. 42:5-9 is sometimes called the trailer which explains the first Servant Song. So in vv. 1-4 Yahweh is
speaking about the servant nation and in vv. 5-9, he is speaking to the servant nation. What undergirds
this call to announce the verdict? Yahweh, who is the Creator and Giver of life (v. 5). He calls them in
righteousness to be a light to the nations (v. 6). But they will have a hard time being a light because they
too live in darkness (idolatry). Because of this, Yahweh calls a substitute Servant. And being their
substitute, he too is called to be a light to the nations (Is. 49:6). He will do what Israel could not.
Is. 42:5-7
Continuing with v. 7 of Is. 42, the servant, Israel, is to open the eyes of the blind. In the book of Isaiah,
blindness is caused by idolatry. How do you open the eyes of blind, idolatrous people? Tell them the
verdict about their gods – they are nothing. Through their idolatry, the nations have made themselves
prisoners who sit in darkness.
Is. 42:8
And since Yahweh is the only true God, he will not give his glory to any other “gods.” He will not let idols
receive the praise that he deserves (v. 8). If there was any question if this was really about idolatry, v. 8
confirms that it is.
Is. 42:9
In v. 9 he mentions the former things and the new things. In chapters 41-48 Yahweh talks a lot about the
former things and the new things. What are these former things and what are the new things? One of
the more famous of these is found in Is. 43:18-19. Looking at these verses, it seems like Yahweh is saying
forget about everything I’ve said up to this point. Forget the past, look only to the future. But then turn
to Is. 46:9 where he says remember the former things. Which is it? Forget the former things or
remember the former things?
The answer is they need to do both. If you only remember the former things, then you are stuck in the
past. It is a faith of nostalgia. It’s not a church, it’s a museum. From this vantage point, God isn’t doing
anything now. He just did it a long time ago. In this way of thinking, it is about history and what God did
in the past and not what he does now. On the other hand, if we forget the past and only look forward to
the new things, we don’t have a way of seeing what God has done in the past. Instead, you need both.
There are times in our lives when we need to recall what has happened in the past and how God was
there for us. But if we get stuck on that, we don’t think that God can do anything for us right now.
There is a real tension between the present and the past in the Chirstian life. So the Christian can say, I
was baptized (looking at the past) and I am baptized (looking at the present and future). God did a great
thing in my life back when I was baptized but he continues to do good things now through my baptism.
Back to Is. 42:9. Here Yahweh talks about both the past and the future. Yahweh did great things for Israel
in the past (e.g., the exodus) but he is not limited to the past. He is announcing that he is going to do
great things for them now and in the future (a second exodus). The “you” at the end of v. 9 is plural. So
that confirms that the servant of Yahweh is not one person but the people of Israel.
An important point in v. 9 is that Yahweh is making known the new things he is going to do before he
does them. What are the new things he is going to do? He is going to raise up Cyrus and the substitute
Servant.
(Is. 42:10 – 48:22 In Between the First Servant Song and the Second Servant Song)
Is. 42:10-17 Sing a New Song Celebrating How Yahweh will Bring Light to the Nations
Because of the new things that Yahweh promises and will cause to happen, the nations break forth in
song because they are beneficiaries of his salvation which he accomplishes with his might and power
(10-13). For a long time Yahweh has held himself back. But now there is no stopping the new thing he
has promised. Yahweh will lead those who sit in the darkness of idolatry into the light of his presence
(14-17).
Is. 42:18-25 Yahweh’s Servant Israel is Deaf and Blind and Has Felt the Heat of Yahweh’s
Wrath by Being sent to Exile
Israel, Yahweh’s servant, is deaf and blind, that is, an idolator (18-20). Yahweh gave them his torah
(teaching) but they did not observe it. Therefore Yahweh gave them over and allowed them to be
plundered and exiled to Babylon (21-25).
Is. 43:1 – 44:5 Yahweh will Redeem Israel from Exile

Is. 43:1-13 The Holy One of Israel is with His People and will bring them out of Babylon.
Yahweh sent Israel into exile in Babylon but he will not leave them there. The Creator of Israel promises
to redeem Israel and to be with them as he brings them out. In bringing them out, Yahweh restructures
the whole ancient world for the sake of a small remnant of Israel. Yahweh compensated Persia with
Egypt, Cush, and Seba for the Persians allowance of the exiles to return. From all directions, they will
return to their homeland (1-9).
Yahweh announces this new thing ahead of time to his people, so when it happens, they will be his
witnesses. They will say to the nations, he announced it and then did it. Only the true God could do this.
Besides him there are no other gods and all are powerless to stop him (10-13).
Is. 43:14-21 Yahweh provides a new exodus for his people.
At the time of Israel’s exile, Babylon is the world power. But the Holy One of Israel will bring them down
and make a make a path out of Babylon for his people Israel. As great as the first exodus was, Yahweh is
going to do a new thing where he makes a way through the desert from Babylon to Israel’s homeland so
his chosen people can return.
Is. 43:22 – 44:5 The New Thing Yahweh has Planned is a Gracious Gift.
The new thing that Yahweh has planned will not occur because Israel deserves it. For instead of honoring
Yahweh, they burdened him with their sins and iniquities (43:22-24). If they were to argue their case in
court, it would fall apart and they would be justly sentenced to utter destruction (43:25-28). But the One
who chose them and formed them to be his servant, will not utterly destroy them as they deserve.
Instead, he will give them a life line. Instead of fading away into the recesses of Babylon, they will return
home and have descendants. And Yahweh will pour out upon them spiritual blessings and they will
know that they are “the Lord’s.” (44:1-5)
Is. 44:6-20 Put Your Trust in Yahweh Your Redeemer and Not in Idols which are Nothing
Israel has a choice. They can trust in Yahweh who promises them a future or they can trust in idols.
Yahweh claims that he is the only true God. A true God can declare what is going to happen in the future
and then make it happen. Yahweh has declared it and they will be witnesses of it. No one else could do
this because there are no gods besides Yahweh. (6-8).
Those who make idols and the idols they make are nothing and profit nothing. They will be put to
shame (9-11). An ironsmith shapes an idol of metal. A carpenter makes an idol of wood in the form of a
man. In both cases man makes a god in his own image. Ironically, part of the wood is used to make a fire
for warmth and baking and the other part to make a god that is worshipped and prayed to for
deliverance (12-17). Those who make and worship these so-called gods have closed their eyes and minds
to reality. They cannot see that half the wood is used for common everyday things and the other half of
the block of wood is made into a god. He is so deluded that he cannot see that he is lying to himself (18-
20).
Is. 44:21 – 45:25 Yahweh, the Great Creator, will Redeem Israel by Calling and Using
Cyrus
Israel is to remember not only how worthless idols are, but also what Yahweh is about to do. He is going
to redeem Israel. It is so certain to happen that it is told in past tense (Is. 44:21-23). Their Redeemer is
about to speak so they need to pay attention. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and he is in
control of what happens on earth. He sends messengers (prophets) through whom he proclaims that
Jerusalem will once again be inhabited and the ruins of Judah will be built back up. He says that he will
raise up Cyrus as his shepherd and have him declare that Jerusalem shall be built and the foundation of
the temple laid (Is. 44:24-28).
Yahweh speaks to Cyrus whom he has anointed for the purpose of reestablishing Israel. He says he will
go before Cyrus and subdue the nations, making his conquest of them easy. Many decades before it will
occur, Yahweh names Cyrus by name as the one he will use to reestablish his people as a nation. Yahweh
will use Cyrus not only to redeem Israel, but also to make clear that he alone is God and beside him
there are no other gods. It will be clear that Yahweh alone is the Creator and Controller of all things. (Is.
45:1-8) That which is created is not in a position to question the Creator who created it. (Is. 45:9-10)
Yahweh speaks concerning Cyrus. Yahweh, who made the earth, created man, and stretched out the
heavens, is the Holy One of Israel. He formed Israel as the work of his hands and has plans for its future.
Yahweh will stir up Cyrus and make a level path for him in order that he might set the exiles free and
have Jerusalem rebuilt. (Is. 45:11-13).
Yahweh will give over with little resistance Egypt, Cush, and the Sabeans to Cyrus. Yahweh works in
hidden, mysterious ways (as he works through the pagan Cyrus) in order to shame the gods of the
nations and to save Israel. (Is. 45:14-17). Yahweh is the one who created the vast heavens and formed
the earth so that it would be inhabited. He says, “I am Yahweh, and there is no other.” (Is. 45:18-19) He
speaks to those who carry around wooden idols and pray to false gods. Your gods could not declare the
future as I do. That is because “there is no other god besides me.” He says to them, “Turn to me and be
saved!” The truth is that at some point every knee will bow before him recognizing that he is the only
true God and is righteous and strong and the justifier of Israel. (Is. 45:20-25)
Is. 46 – 47 Babylon’s gods are powerless to stop Yahweh and both they and the
Babylonians will be humiliated.
Since Israel is in captivity, it would seem like the gods of Babylon (Bel and Nebo are two of the main
ones) have bested the God of Israel. But sometimes looks are deceiving. In the future when Babylon is
defeated, their so-called gods will be carried off on beasts and livestock as plunder. They will be unable
to save. (Is. 46:1-2). Yahweh, who has borne and carried Israel and has promised to be with and save
them, says to his people, Who are you going to compare me to? These gods that are lumps of gold or
silver shaped into gods and then worshipped? What can these “gods” do? To move from place to place,
they have to be carried. Then they just stand there unable to do anything. They cannot answer him who
cries to them for help or save him from trouble. (Is. 46:3-7)
Israel only needs to remember what Yahweh has done in the past (like the Exodus) and remember that
only Yahweh is God. From ancient times and into the future, Yahweh has accomplished his purposes. In
the future he will send forth Cyrus, “a bird of prey from the east… from a far country,” to bring about a
new deliverance. This is what he has promised and this is what he will do. The salvation of Isarel is
certain. (Is. 46:8-13)
Babylon is personified as the virgin daughter. She is used to sitting on a throne and being called “tender
and delicate,” but when Yahweh redeems Israel her world will be turned upside down. She will be told to
sit on the ground and grind flour, the work of a slave. Her treatment of Israel was disgraceful and so the
Holy One of Israel will take vengeance on her for it and bring disgrace on her. (Is. 47:1-4) She once sat as
the center of attention. But when Yahweh handed his people over to her, she showed no mercy to them
and made their yoke exceedingly heavy. She was arrogant in thinking her position of power would last
forever. But Yahweh will turn the tables on her. Instead of being the center of attention, he will cause her
to sit in silence in the dark. (Is. 47:5-7)
Yahweh has some words for “the mistress of kingdoms”, the one who loves pleasures, sits securely, and
claims to be God, saying “I am, and there is no one besides me.” (This is what Yahweh, the one true God,
says of himself.) She is so secure in her position that she is certain she will never be a widow or lose any
children. But Yahweh says, suddenly in a moment in full measure it will all be taken from her. Her
soothsayers and astrologers will not be able to change the course of history laid out by Yahweh. (Is. 47:8-
9). She felt secure in her position to the point that she claimed to be God in full control. But instead, the
true God will bring evil, disaster, and ruin upon her. (Is. 47:10-11)
Yahweh goads her, speaking sarcastically to her. He says to her, You have practiced magic spells and
sorcery your whole life. Keep at it, maybe they will help you. You receive counsel from the astrologers,
let them save you from what is coming. But the truth is when the trouble comes upon you that I send,
you will be like stubble consumed by fire, quickly incinerated. They can’t save themselves, let alone you.
These are the people you’ve done business with your whole life. Unfortunately for you, they will be of no
benefit to you, they will wander around aimlessly. You have no one to save you. (Is. 47:12-15)
Is. 48:1-11 Yahweh Used Exile to Refine His People and is About to Make a New
Announcement of What He is Going to Do.
Yahweh has some words for those who call themselves Israel and who call upon the God of Israel but not
because they really believe and trust in him. He says, In the past I announced ahead of time what I would
do and then I did it. He did this because he knew they were an obstinate people and they would say, My
idol did them. Since he announced it ahead of time, they could not deny that it was he who is the Lord of
history that did it. (Is. 48:1-5) Now Yahweh is about to announce the new things he is going to do, things
he has not made known until now. Yahweh is careful in how he deals with Israel, for they claim things
that are not true and are rebellious. (Is. 48:6-8) For his name’s sake Yahweh restrained his anger towards
Israel. Instead of cutting them off from him as they deserved, he allowed them to be afflicted by exile in
order to refine them, burning off the dross of obstinance and rebellion. (Is. 48:9-11)
Is. 48:12-22 Yahweh Calls Israel Out of Babylon.

Yahweh calls upon Israel to listen to him because he who called them to be his people is none other than
the One who created the heavens and earth. Listen closely to him because no one else declares the new
things he will do like this. Yahweh loves Cyrus for he will accomplish Yahweh’s purposes against
Babylon. It is Yahweh who has spoken of him and called him and who will cause him to succeed in his
mission. Suddenly the substitute Servant interjects (v. 16) that this plan is not some secret. Yahweh has
made it known long before it will happen and he sends his Servant to confirm it. (Is. 48:12-16)
Yahweh, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, the One who teaches and directs them, says that the exile
was necessary because the people would not pay attention to his commandments. Because they
rebelled, the covenant curses took effect. They forfeited the peace, righteousness, and the descendants
they could have had. He could have rightly cut them off completely but instead Yahweh will be gracious
to them. The new thing Yahweh will do is bring them out of exile in Babylon. They can declare with a
shout of joy to the ends of the earth, “Yahweh has redeemed his servant Jacob!” As he brought their
forefathers out of Egypt, so he will bring them out of Babylon. And when they leave, Yahweh will protect
and provide for them as he did their forefathers. And for those who stay in Babylon and do not escape
while they have the chance there will be no peace.
Is. 49-54 The Substitute Servant gets Babylon out of Israel

Is. 49:1-6 The Second Servant Song.
Yahweh calls a Substitute Servant to redeem Israel and be a light to the nations.
Yahweh called Israel to be his servant. It was their task to be a light to the nations by declaring that the
gods of the nations were worthless and nothing. But Israel was unable to fulfill their task because they
too were idolators which made them blind and deaf. Because of this Yahweh had to call a substitute
Servant who would do what Israel could not. The task of the substitute Servant was the same as Israel.
He was to be a light to the nations, calling them out of the darkness of idolatry. And in addition, he was
to restore Israel by calling her to repent of her idolatry. In the second servant Song (Is. 49:1-6), the
substitute Servant speaks.
Is. 49:1
The second Servant Song is really about Christ. It is a rectilinear prophecy. Beginning in Is. 49:1, it is the
substitute Servant speaking. He says that Yahweh called him “from the womb” and “named my name”
(Immanuel, Prince of Shalom). In Isaiah, the baby Jesus is spoken of many times. He will be born of a
virgin (Is. 7:14). In Is. 9, it talks about a son whom will rule. So this ties in nicely with earlier messianic
prophecies in Isaiah.
Is. 49:2
In Is. 49:2, the Servant says Yahweh made his mouth like a sharp sword. What does that mean? How
does Jesus defeat the enemy? With his words. This comports nicely with the Davidic Deliverer and the
Suffering Servant. How does the Davidic Deliverer defeat his enemies? Is. 11:4 says, “he shall strike the
earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.” All he has to do
is say the word and his enemies are defeated. It is the same image in Rev. 19, where the Lord Christ has a
sharp double-edged sword coming out of his mouth. And Heb. 4:12 says God’s Word is sharper than any
double-edged sword. The Servant is the same person and he bears this same sword – the Word of God.
There are several places where Jesus says one word and it immediately happens. When he said,
Ephphatha (be opened), the deaf man’s ears were opened and he could hear (Mk. 7:34). In Mk. 4:39,
Jesus commands the wind and sea, “Be still!” and the wind ceased and it was calm. In John 19:30, Jesus
said, “It is finished,” which means all of the OT promises are fulfilled in Christ. That is why the Roman
centurion says in Matt. 8, Only say the word and my servant will be healed. That is why Luther said, One
little word will fell him (the devil). That word is Jesus. Eph. 6:17 calls the Word of God the sword of the
Spirit.
So the Servant will go to battle and the weapon he uses is his Word, which acts like a sharp sword. Using
the Word is not the way that we normally think is the way to defeat enemies.
Is. 49:3
Since Israel failed being Yahweh’s servant because of their disobedience and idolatry, Yahweh called a
substitute servant, One who would be an obedient and faithful Israel. He would implement God’s plan of
salvation not only for Israel but for the whole world. The redemption that he would provide would bring
glory to Yahweh. Since he is on a worldwide mission, the substitute servant speaks not only to Israel but
to nations far and wide (v. 1). He has a word for them that will determine their destiny (v.2).
Is. 49:4
What we want to focus on is in 49:4, where the substitute Servant (Jesus, the pre-incarnate Savior of the
world) speaks. He expresses frustration that what he has done has been done in vain. That frustration
will intensify in the third Servant Song when he is rejected and scorned. And then in the fourth Servant
Song when they kill him.
This Song is foundational for St. Paul. Paul says that he was set apart at birth (Gal. 1:15). Paul echoes the
phrase “I labored in vain.” He says this in Gal. 2 and 4 and in 1 Cor. 15:58 and in Phil. 2 and 1 Thess. 3.
Paul also quotes from the explanation (Is. 49:8) of the second Servant Song in 2 Cor. 6:2.
Paul quotes Is. 49:6 in Acts 13:47. He is on his first missionary journey, in Pisidian Antioch, in a
synagogue. Paul says, “the Lord has commanded us.” “Us” is Paul and Barnabas. And then he quotes
Isaiah “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
We’ve said that Is. 49:1-6 is about Jesus the substitute Servant. This verse that Paul quoted was said to
the Servant. But now Paul is applying it to himself and Barnabas. Why is he doing that?
To answer that, we turn to Is. 53:10. It says the substitute Servant will see his offspring. So the Servant
will bring forth offspring who will follow in his footsteps and also be suffering servants. So Paul sees
himself as one of these suffering servants of Yahweh whose righteousness comes from Yahweh.
So what does that mean for us? That means we have been baptized as suffering servants. We are
offspring of the Servant. We’ve been born again, born from above and so what is true of the substitute
Servant is in some way also true of us. We are not sin bearers for the world, but we are called to be a
light to the Gentiles and to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Since we are baptized into the
Suffering Servant that becomes our call as well.
The substitute Servant would face fierce opposition causing him much suffering. In addition, his
followers would abandon him. Therefore it would appear that he had “labored in vain” and spent his
“strength for nothing and vanity.” And yet he would receive what was due him and be rewarded by God
as he carried out his mission and produced spiritual offspring.
Is. 49:5-6
Yahweh called the Servant as a substitute for unfaithful servant Israel. He was tasked with bringing them
back to Yahweh, with releasing them from the spiritual bondage they put themselves in. Yahweh will give
him the strength to carry out this mission. In addition, Yahweh said to his Servant that not only would he
raise up Israel and bring them back to Yahweh but he would also be “a light to the nations” so that the
salvation from Yahweh would “reach to the end of the earth.” Because of the substitute Servant, Jew
and Gentile alike would be saved from their spiritual bondage.
Is. 49:7-13 Epilogue/explanation of the Second Servant Song

Through the Servant, Yahweh will bring about a Jubilee where debts are paid and people
are freed
Is. 49:7
Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, says to his Servant, who is despised and abhorred by the nations, You
will be successful in your mission. I will even cause kings and princes to bow down to you.
Is. 49:8-13
Again Yahweh speaks to his Servant. Yahweh will bring about a Year of Jubilee, when debts are paid and
people are freed, not just for Israel but for all people. The Servant will bring this about and when he does
Yahweh says, I will be right there with you helping you. Through you I will covenant, giving my word to
set prisoners of sin and darkness free. Like Israel’s exodus from Egypt, Yahweh will provide for those he
sets free. Once freed he will protect them from the elements, lead them, and guide them. He will make
super highways for them to escape their bondage. And this salvation will be available to all on the face
of the earth. What he will do will be so great that the heavens and earth will be called on to sing for joy.
Again Yahweh speaks to his Servant. And what he says applies to Israel but finds it ultimate fulfillment in
the work of Christ who takes away the sins of the world. Yahweh will bring about a Year of Jubilee, a year
when debts are paid and people are freed and land is returned. Israel will be freed from exile in order
that they might return to the promised land and receive back their inheritance. In the broader picture,
all who are in exile held in the darkness of sin will have the chance, because of the work of Yahweh and
his Servant, to come out of prison of sin where they have been held in darkness.
For all who come out of exile, whether of Babylon or of sin, Yahweh promises to escort them to their
destination just as he escorted his people out of the bondage of Egypt through the desert to the
promised land. He will lead them, guide them, and provide for them. He will make their way out of their
exile like a super highway. He will bring back Israelites to the promised land from all directions where
they have been scattered. And through the work of the Servant, he will bring back to himself those who
have exiled themselves in sin from the four corners of the earth. What he will do will be so great that the
heavens and earth will be called on to sing for joy.
Is. 49:14 -50:3 Yahweh’s Answer to Israel’s Accusation of Abandonment and Divorce
Israel’s response to Yahweh’s promise of a Jubilee is to say, “Yahweh has forsaken me and; my Lord has
forgotten me.” To this accusation Yahweh gives them assurances of his unfailing love and his great power
to keep his promises. Yahweh says, I did not forget you any more than a mother can forget her nursing
child; I’ve permanently engraved you on my palms. Those who return will adorn Mt. Zion as jewels on
the dress of a bride. (Is. 49:14-18). She who is bereaved, barren, and exiled shall return to her land and
have so many children that it will overflow. Yet this is just a small picture of what lies ahead as those
ransomed from the exile of sin in every nation by the Servant will fill the heavenly promised land (Is.
49:19-21).
Yahweh himself will cause this to happen. All he needs to do is signal the nations and they will give up
those who had been exiled. Their kings and queens will do the Lord’s bidding. When this all happens the
Israelites will know that it was Yahweh who made it happen. Wait on him, trusting that he will do what
he says (Is. 49:22-23). Normally this could never happen but with Yahweh contending for them he will
save their children. The tables will be turned on their oppressors. Yahweh will do to them what they did
to Israel. (In the siege of Jerusalem, the Israelites were reduced to cannibalism.) When Yahweh does this,
it will be clear to mankind that it is Yahweh who did it because he is the Savior and Redeemer of Israel,
“the mighty One of Jacob.” (Is. 49:24-26)
Yahweh says to Israel, Your separation from me is not permanent. I have not given you a certificate of
divorce. I have not sold you off to pay debts. Your exile came about because of your iniquities and
transgressions. When he called out to her, she did not respond. Why didn’t she answer? Yahweh says, It
is not because I didn’t have the power to deliver, for I have the power to dry up the sea and the rivers. I
have the power to turn the skies dark. (Is. 50:1-3)
Is. 50:4-9 The Third Servant Song

The Servant has a Word of Hope for the Weary – Though Innocent, He is Willing to Suffer
in Order to Redeem Them
Is. 50:4
These verses have “Adonai Yahweh,” which is Lord Yahweh, four times (vv. 4, 5, 7, 9). Who is directing
the Servant? And who is the Servant directing all the attention to? Lord Yahweh. Similarly, when we were
baptized, we were baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Like the
Servant, it’s not about us. It’s about God. John the Baptist puts it this way: He must increase and I must
decrease. As you read the third Servant Song, keep this in mind.
In v. 4 the word “taught” is used twice. If you are being taught, you listen attentively. But we have said
that those who are caught in idolatry are deaf, dumb, and blind. The Servant is the opposite. Every
morning he gets up and listens. So he is the perfect learner, the perfect disciple.
Note that the word “taught” is also used in Is. 54:13 when speaking of Israel’s restoration. V. 13 is part of
the explanation of the fourth Servant Song. It says, “All your children shall be taught by Yahweh.” So the
Servant has open ears and that will be true for his followers. The barren one will have children and they
will be taught. So part of the restoration is becoming a disciple who hears what is being taught.
Discipleship is not quick and easy. It happens over a lifetime.
The Servant is the perfect disciple who learns what he is taught and he uses that word to sustain the
weary (Is. 50:4). Now the word “weary” is a thematic word in Is. 40-55. At the end of Is. 40, in vv. 28-31,
the word weary is used multiple times. It says Yahweh does not grow weary or faint. He gives strength to
the weary. Even the young and strong grow weary. The exiles are weary and tired. But if they wait on
Yahweh, he will give them strength. To wait on the Lord means, “don’t do anything stupid!” What is the
stupid thing to do in Babylon? Become an idolator!
Year after year for 70 years nothing happened. They became weary. But rather than give up and become
an idolator, they needed to wait on Yahweh. If they do, he will renew their strength and cause them to
soar like eagles. Eagles is Exodus imagery (Ex. 19:4). So if they wait on the Lord, the return home will be
like flying like an eagle.
How did they get weak and weary? Look at Is. 44:12, which is in Is. 44:9-20, a satirical section against the
idolators. V. 12 talks about an ironsmith fashioning an idol “with his strong arm.” The idolator thinks he is
God. What is the result of this? He grows hungry and thirsty; he loses his strength and becomes faint.
The words used here in Is. 44:12 are the same words used in Is. 40 for weary and faint. Idolatry makes a
person weak and weary because the god being served is never satisfied.
Many times idolatry is taking something good and making it into something ultimate. According to Dr.
Lessing, his idolatry is writing books. He never thought he would write a book but in 2004 he did and he
loved it. He writes books and then reads them to see how good they are. And he is very proud of them.
After one book is written, it’s not long when he wants to write another book. There is nothing wrong
with writing theological books but it can turn into an idol real quick. And we can grow weak and weary
because that desire for fame is never satisfied. You can never please an idol. Idols destroy us. All we can
do is repent and go to Jesus. He says, Come unto me all you who are weak and heavy laden and I will
give you rest. We become weak and weary because we cannot satisfy these gods.
The point in this third Servant Song is that the Servant has a word to sustain the weary (Is. 50:4). The
weary are all those who are caught up in idolatry. John Calvin used to say the human heart is a
perpetual idol factory. Luther says that whatever your heart clings to is really your god. And if we are
honest, our hearts cling to a lot of things that are not Jesus. The Servant doesn’t reject us for our
idolatry. He speaks a word to sustain the weary.
Is. 50:4-7
In Is. 50:4-5, Yahweh, the Teacher, opens the ear of the Servant Disciple. This is contrasted with Israel
who can’t open their ears (Is. 48:8). Fascination with counterfeit gods cuts off all communication
between Yahweh and his people (Is. 50:6, 9, 10). In the Servant/Disciple, Israel and Yahweh are
reconciled. The righteous Servant will justify many. Those who listen to the Disciple’s voice, begin to
walk in the light (Is. 50:11).
Look at how this Servant Song is explained in Is. 50:10. Those who do not fear Yahweh and do not obey
the Servant’s voice walk in deep darkness. They are invited to listen to the word that sustains the weary,
repentant idolators. That is the best we can do in this life – be repentant idolators.
Going back to v. 4, the Servant learns by listening. And then in v. 5, Yahweh opened his ear and the
Servant was not rebellious. He didn’t turn his back on Yahweh like Israel. How else does he learn? He
learns not only by grasping God’s word. He also learns a lot by suffering (Is. 50:6). Luther said he learned
to be a good theologian by the suffering heaped on him by the devil and the papacy. We as Christians
learn by suffering, being rejected, being misunderstood.
Of course v. 6 is a rectilinear prophecy. Who else was whipped? Who else gave his cheeks to have his
beard pulled out? Who else was despised and spit on than Jesus. Who else set his face like flint (v. 7)?
Who else was the perfect Disciple? Who else can sustain idolators with a word? Only Christ.
Is. 50:4-9 The Servant, who will Accomplish His Mission, Will be Strengthened and Judged Favorably by
Yahweh.
The Servant, who has a sustaining word of hope for the weary (v. 4), is not rebellious (v. 5). He has a hard
job to do and he obediently marches forward to do it, even though he knows he will be beaten and
abused (v. 6). Yahweh helps his Servant, which gives him strength to face what lies ahead. In the end the
Servant will not be disgraced (v. 7). Instead, when he accomplishes his mission, he will be vindicated (v.
8). His adversaries drag him into court, charging him with the sins of the world which he has taken upon
himself. But the Judge is Lord Yahweh. When he hears the case brought against his Servant, he finds him
not guilty (vv. 8-9). When the Servant was raised from the dead, it showed that he was acquitted of all
charges. His innocence then is imputed to all who appeal to him for justification (Ro. 8:31-34).
Is. 50:10-11 Turn to Yahweh or Face the Fire of His Judgment
Those who do not fear Yahweh and obey his Servant walk in darkness and are urged to turn to Yahweh
and put their trust in him and rely on him. Because if they don’t, the fire they use to perpetuate
wickedness will be turned against them and they will be tormented by the fire of God’s judgment.
(50:10-11)
Is. 51 – 52:12 Between the Third and Fourth Servant Songs

Is. 51:1-52:2 Promises of Israel’s restoration.
Is. 51:1-8 Yahweh Promises Salvation and Restoration
Three times Yahweh admonishes Israel to “listen to me” (vv. 1, 4, 7), that is, trust my promise of
redemption. First, he appeals to faith. Israel was hewn from the rock of faith. Those who have faith trust
Yahweh’s promises. Abraham, the man of faith, believed Yahweh’s word that he would be the father of
many descendants. And against all odds (childless, barren, and very old) from Abraham and Sarah came
the great nation of Israel. Although now it looks like Israel will go into extinction in Babylon, their past
shows that God’s word can be trusted. They must have faith in it. The words Yahweh has for them now
are words of comfort. Their home country, laid waste and made into a wilderness, will be restored to be
like a garden and will once again be a place of joy and gladness. (Is. 51:1-3).
Secondly, they are to listen to Yahweh because his rule will bring about order and justice. In
righteousness he will bring salvation. And the salvation he brings is not only for Israel but for the world.
It will come speedily, and rest assured it is already on the way. He has already set his plan of salvation in
motion. Be on the lookout for it, for when it happens the old world, tainted by sin, and those who dwell
in it in the darkness of idolatry will perish. But those who listen, hear, and believe Yahweh’s promise will
be saved and brought out darkness into his light to live forever (Is. 51:4-6)
Thirdly, those who are right with God and have his torah to guide and motivate them should listen to
him, for he says that his salvation for them is sure. Even though they will face the reproach and insults of
men for trusting in Yahweh, his salvation cannot be stopped. Those who oppose it will be like a garment
being eaten up by a moth or wool being eaten up by a worm. They will be devoured. (Is. 51:7-8)
Is. 51:3 A Promised New Creation
When they get to the promised land, it will be a new creation. This is brought out vividly in Is. 51:3
where God says he is going to make the wilderness like Eden and wasteland like the garden of Yahweh.
But you might say, wait a minute, there wasn’t any Eden-like bliss when they got back. There were just
broken-down walls. So what is going on here? There is more to come. They got back. They got a new
start. It wasn’t great at first, but there was more to come, more of a promise to be fulfilled. For example
2 Cor. 5:17, if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. It may not seem so now, but there is more to
come. So their return to the promised land was just the beginning, it was the first fruits.
When was the very first exile when people were kicked out of the land? The Garden of Eden. So the
Israelites weren’t the only ones in exile. This is our story too. We are in exile and long to return to the
heavenly promised land. We are in captivity and when we are baptized we get a taste of the new
creation. But there is more to come. So Israel’s experience of a new creation is a lot like ours. Isaiah
draws on these creation and exodus texts and renews them.
Is. 51:9-16 No Need to Fear, Yahweh Your God is Going to Release You
Even though Yahweh has made these promises and has set his plan in motion, it appears to exiled Israel
that he is asleep, not paying attention to their fate. So they urge him to wake up and defeat their
enemies as he has done in the past. For it was he who dried up the Red Sea so that Israel could pass on
dry ground. If he wakes up, the ransomed shall return to Zion with singing and joy. Their sorrow will have
ended. (Is. 51:9-11).
Yahweh responds to their cry by saying, What are you afraid of, man who is like grass, here today and
gone tomorrow? You have forgotten about Yahweh your Maker and the earth’s Maker. You fear the
wrath of your oppressor, but you who are oppressed shall be released speedily. You will not die. I am
Yahweh your God and I have told you what is going to happen and called you “my people.” (Is. 51:12-
16).
Is. 51:17-23 Israel Needs to Wake Up
Instead of Yahweh waking up, Yahweh says it is time for Israel to wake up. For their unfaithfulness, they
have drunk the cup of God’s wrath, by being sent into exile, to the point that they stagger about. They
have no leader. They have faced devastation, destruction, famine and sword. They have no one to
comfort them. God has rebuked them. They need to wake up to these facts. (Is. 51:17-20)
Israel needs to hear what Yahweh has to say. They have drunk from the cup of Yahweh’s wrath but now
he has taken the cup from her and is about to give it to her tormentors instead, the ones who made her
prostrate herself in order that they could walk on her as if she were a street. (Is. 51:21-23).
Is. 52:1-2 No Longer Slaves
As he did in 51:17, Yahweh tells his people to awake from their despair and hopelessness. No longer will
they be subservient slaves wearing tattered clothes. Having been set free, Zion can instead clothe
herself with strength and honor. Jerusalem, which is the holy city, will no longer have the unclean and
uncircumcised Babylonians rule over her. With them no longer in power, Jerusalem can remove the
shackles of servitude and sit in a dignified manner. (Is. 52:1-2)
Is. 52:3-12 Good News! Yahweh reigns and he and his people will return to Zion.
Is. 52:3-6 God’s People Sold and Redeemed
Yahweh continues to speak to Israel. What he says revolves around the word “nothing” as it related to
the slave trade. After his people went down to Egypt and settled in the promised land, they were
unfaithful and Yahweh sold them for nothing, first to the Assyrians and then to the Babylonians. The
Babylonian leaders poked fun and despised the name of Yahweh because he was their God but it
appeared as if he could not protect them. Even his own people have given up on him. But Yahweh will
redeem his people and it will cost him nothing to do so. And when he does, his people will once again
know Yahweh as their God and Redeemer. (Is. 53:3-6)
Is. 52:7-12 Yahweh Returns to Zion to Redeem Jerusalem and Safely Bring Back His People
Israel must believe the Good News brought to them by Isaiah. He says their salvation is at hand, for
Yahweh reigns over the nations. Watchmen of a city keep watch of what is approaching. They lift up their
voices as to what is coming, be it good or bad. What the watchmen see in this case will cause the people
to sing for joy. They see in the future Yahweh returning to Zion. This should cause God’s people to break
forth into singing. It is of great comfort for his people to know that he will redeem Jerusalem. How will
he do it? Yahweh, who rules over the nations, will use his great power to rearrange the political order to
allow them to return and rebuild. And when he does, it will be clear to the nations that it was Yahweh
who brought about their salvation. (Is. 52:7-10)
The salvation he brings means they will depart from unclean Babylon. As they leave, they are to purify
themselves and take back with them the holy vessels used in the temple, which were hauled off by their
Babylonian conquerors. This indicates that the vessels will be used once again in a rebuilt temple. Their
departure will be orderly. Yahweh will protect them on their journey back. He will keep watch over
them by being their front and rear guard. (Is. 52:11-12)
Fourth Servant Song (Is. 52:13 – Is. 53:12)

Introduction to the Fourth Servant Song

The Importance of the Fourth Servant Song to Luther
Luther wrote that the fourth Servant Song was the foremost passage in Scripture on the suffering and
passion of Christ and therefore we should memorize it.
Here is an outline of the fourth Servant Song.
 Yahweh describes the Servant’s exaltation.

 Then he reports on the Servant’s humiliation.
 But then in Is. 53:1-11, we see the pronouns of “we” and “our” and “us”, which comes out of
nowhere. And that is the gospel message that Zion and Jerusalem in Is. 40:9 are called to
announce.
 And then it ends with Yahweh announcing the Servant’s victory in Is. 53:11b-12.
Is. 2 Previews the Fourth Servant Song
Is. 2:1-5 contains the center of the book’s message, which is restoration and peace for the house of
Yahweh. These can only come about by the Suffering Servant.
The mountain of the house of Yahweh spoken of in Is. 2:2 is Zion. Within Isaiah, God’s mountain, God’s
house, God’s temple, and Zion are all synonymous. Isaiah pictures Zion’s restoration. That is huge when
studying Is. 40-55. Zion is a mess in Is. 40-55. She is pictured as Yahweh’s unfaithful wife who is
estranged from him. Because they are in Babylon, she thinks that he has divorced her. Zion’s restoration
comes in Is. 54. The only way this restoration takes place is through the Suffering Servant in Is. 53. That
is when the mountain of the house of Yahweh will be restored.
Then in Is. 2:4 there is another major theme in Isaiah. It is peace (shalom). There will be no peace for the
wicked, that is, for those who refuse to leave Babylon (Is. 48:22). Babylon promises shalom but it is a lie.
The only way to have shalom/wholeness is found Is. 53:5. The Servant takes our punishment on himself
so that we might have shalom. The Suffering Servant is the only means of shalom.
The Fourth Servant Song (Is. 52:13 -53:12) is the Gospel Message of Israel
In Is. 40:9 God is not telling the exiles what they are, because right now they are caught up in idolatry. He
is telling them what they are going to become – gospelers, heralds of good news. And what will be their
message? Is. 53. This is the fourth Servant Song (Is. 52:13 – 53:12). “Who has believed our report?” (Is.
53:1) And in Is. 53:4 it talks about “our sickness” and “our pains.” And in Is. 53: 6, “we all like sheep have
gone astray.” What is the evangelist’s message? Is. 53. The suffering Servant is coming to save us from
our sin sickness and its effects. This is Good News!
Is. 52:13 – 53:12 The Fourth Servant Song

Is. 52:13-15 The Servant is High But is Brought Low
The Servant is High and Lifted Up
In Is. 6:1 Isaiah saw Yahweh on his throne “high and lifted up.” Remember, only Yahweh is high and lifted
up. Picture it like this. There are different levels of exaltation and only Yahweh is at the very, very top.
Everyone and everything else are below him. “High and lifted up” is used four times in Isaiah. In Is. 6:1;
33:10; and 57:15 Yahweh is high and lifted up. The big question is, where is the fourth time in Isaiah that
anyone is described as high and lifted up? That would be in Is. 52:13, which is in the section we are most
concerned about – Is. 40-55. The fourth Servant Song begins in Is. 52:13. It says, the Servant is high and
lifted up and greatly exalted. That is the ultimate game-changer. Isaiah is saying that there is someone
else who is on the same level as Yahweh and it the Servant.
The NT takes this and goes with it. One of the most precise theological Christian interpretations of the
fourth Servant Song is found in 2 Cor. 5:16-21 by Paul. Let’s look specifically at 2 Cor. 5:19 where Paul
interprets Is. 52:13. It says: “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself.” That is how Paul puts it.
In the OT it says, Yahweh was in the Servant. Jesus says in John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.” The
writer of Hebrews says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of his being.”
Where did this high understanding of Jesus in the NT come from? From Is. 52:13.
How would an average person make this connection in Isaiah of “high and lifted up” being used four
times? In your normal reading of the Bible, you would not catch that. The Bible is not meant to be read.
The Bible is meant to be reread over and over again! We have a prayer concerning God’s Word where we
say, grant that we may “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them”. The books of the Bible are written
assuming that we are going to read and reread them over and over. Biblical texts are often very subtle
and so we have pay close attention to the text.
So in Isaiah, the fact that Yahweh is “high and lifted up” plays an important role in telling us who the
Servant is. The Servant and Yahweh are on the same plain. They are at the top.
In the fourth Song, the Servant begins really, really high (Is. 52:13). He is high and exalted. Those are
words that only describe Yahweh in the book of Isaiah. Then he goes really, really low (Is. 52:14ff). And
then at the end of the fourth Servant Song he is highly exalted again (Is. 53:10-12). So the movement is
from high to low to high. We see that same thing in the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds. This is Phil. 2:6-11.
This is the heart of the Christian faith and it comes from the fourth Servant Song.
Is. 52:13-15; Is. 53:11-12 – “Many” means all
Next we want to look at the word “many.” It is used four times in the fourth Servant Song. In Is. 52:14
many were appalled at him. Then Is. 52:15 “he will sprinkle many nations.” Then we go to the end of the
Servant Song. In Is. 53:11 it says the righteous Servant will “make many to accounted righteous.” Then in
v. 12, Yahweh “will divide him a portion with the many.”
When you look at Jesus, the word “many” is used four times. “The Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt. 20; Mk. 10) The word “many” is used in the
words of institution (Mt. 26; Mk. 14). “This is the blood of the covenant shed for many.” Both of these
take us back to the fourth Servant Song. “Many” also appears in Rom. 5 and Heb. 9.
So the big question is this: Does the usage of “many” comport with the Hellenistic use of many, which as
it says means many and not all? We use it in this way. Or is it used with the Semitic understanding where
in some cases many denotes the totality of all people? That is a big difference.
If you are a Calvinist, you take many as many. For the Calvinists, the Suffering Servant didn’t suffer and
die for all people. He did it for many people. He did it for only the elect, not for all. And the texts they
use to prove their point are the texts we are looking at.
But there are several places where the word “many” is parallel to the word “all” in the OT. For instance,
see Is. 2:2-3. It says that “all nations” will stream to God’s holy mountain. And then it says in parallel
form in v. 3 “many peoples shall come.” So here many people equals all nations.
Paul in Romans 5 makes this much clearer. Paul is a Jew and he thinks Semiticly. In Rom. 5:15 it says
“many died through one man’s trespass” and “… the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for
many.” In Rom. 5:18 he continues the same idea. Here he says “one trespass led to the condemnation for
all men” and then “one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.” So in Hebrew and
in Semitic thinking many and all can be used interchangeably.
Back in Isaiah, we have context for the use of many. Look at Is. 49:6. We know that the Servant is to be a
light to the nations and his salvation will reach “to the end of the earth.” So the substitute Servant came
for all people. In Is. 45:22 Yahweh says, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am
God, and there is no other.” The offer of salvation is for all people. So to say that the word many should
be taken literalistically in the fourth Servant Song undercuts the context and ignores the idea that in
some cases many means all.
There are many texts in the NT that speak to the universal nature of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. The best
one is in 2 Cor. 5. In 2 Cor. 5 and 6 we have Paul’s understanding of the Servant in Is. 40-55. 2 Cor. 5:19
says, “that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against
them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” It is universally accepted that Paul is drawing
Chistian truths out of the fourth Servant Song here. John said, “For God so loved the world.” “Behold the
lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” In Heb. 2 it says Jesus tasted death for all people.
Why are we hammering on this? Because if Jesus did not die for all people there is no way we can be
sure of our salvation. But based on God’s word, we can be sure.
Is. 52:13-15 The Exalted One Suffers for the World to Cleanse It
The salvation of Israel and the world is the mission of the Servant. From the NT we know the Servant was
Christ Jesus, the second person of the trinity. He began his mission ruling over creation with the Father.
As holy God, he was high and lifted up and highly exalted (Is. 52:13). But his mission required that he
take on human flesh and redeem the world. So he was born of the virgin Mary and around the age of 30
he suffered greatly and died for the sins of the world. His suffering was so profound that “his
appearance was … marred beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of
mankind” (Is. 52:14). His suffering came about when he was whipped and scourged and nailed on a
Roman instrument of torture – a cross. The purpose for his suffering and death would be the cleansing
(sprinkling) of the nations (Is. 52:15a). He would pay the price for the sins of the world. When the world
learns of what the Servant did for them, they will be speechless in astonishment and understand that he
did it for them (Is. 52:15).
Is. 53:1-3 The Servant is Despised and Rejected

Is. 53:1-11a – Confession for Guilt Offering
Jacob Milgrom, a well-known Jewish expert on Leviticus, says that unintentional sin does not require a
confession of sin along with a guilt offering but intentional sin requires a confession of sin. Do we ever
deliberately sin? Yes, of course. So if that is the case, how will this guilt offering of Is. 53:10 become
efficacious? We have to confess our sins.
In Is. 53:6 it says the sin is intentional, each one turned to his own way. People refuse to go God’s way.
When we intentionally sin, that means we need to confess our sin for this guilt offering to cover us. That
is what we have in Is. 53 – a confession. The confessional component of the guilt offering goes from Is.
53:1 all the way through v. 11a. That confession is the confession of each of us, which is built into the
fourth Servant Song, so the Servant’s guilt offering covers each of our sins. Because of this, we say in
our liturgy 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.” Having confessed our sins, the substitute Servant justifies us. The
confession of the fourth Servant Song is in the first person and it applies to each of us. All of us are in
exile too. All of us have gone astray. All of us need the sacrifice of the Suffering Servant to cover us.
Is. 53:1 Israel Will Be a Herald of Yahweh’s Compassionate Arm
For another use of arm, look at Is. 53:1 ff. This use of arm is the tender, compassionate use of arm. In
looking at the substitute Servant, there is no hint of great power.
… So God works with nothing. In Phil. 2, Paul says that even though Jesus was God, he made himself
nothing. Now back to Isaiah. Zion has nothing. She is sitting in exile in Babylon. She views herself as a
barren woman whom God has divorced. But just when she is and has nothing, God will give her
everything. This is how God works. Yahweh + absolutely nothing = absolutely everything. So God will
take Zion in her nothingness and restore her. And then she can become a herald of good news. What will
be her testimony? Her testimony will be what the substitute Servant has done for us (Is. 53). The One
who was despised and rejected carried our griefs and sorrows. He was pierced and crushed for our
iniquities. He took upon himself our punishment.
Explain Yahweh’s use of his arm. In Is. 40:9 Isaiah said, Behold your God. And then went on to describe
their God as One with a powerful, ruling arm (v. 10) and a tender, gathering arm (v. 11). We see the
mighty arm again in Is. 52:10. We see the compassionate arm again in Is. 53:1, one of the Suffering
Servant Songs. Our God is merciful and mighty. He is tough and tender. He is sovereign and saving. And
we need both. The words “Behold your God,” who is strong and compassionate, is the main theme of Is.
40-55. This is said to a people who are idolators. But idols will not suffer for you. Idols don’t bleed and
sweat for you. Idols don’t die for you. But this God will do all of that for you in Christ.
In Is. 40:9, Yahweh said Israel would be “heralds of good news.” What would be their good news? Is. 53.
The Good News is that Yahweh will send his Servant to pay the price that sinful humanity incurred by
their willful acts of disobedience. And as a result of the Servant’s action, many would be accounted
righteous. This sounds too good to be true, so the heralds of this Good News ask, “Who has believed
what he has heard from us?” Who could believe that the powerful arm of Yahweh could also be so
tender and compassionate that he would send his Messiah to be a guilt offering in order that he might
spare the world from receiving the just punishment it deserved?
Is. 53:2 Out of a Dead Stump (Israel) would Come a Shoot (the Servant)
Because of sin, the human condition is fragile. And so when the Servant took on human flesh, he grew
up like every other human being in an environment filled with uncertainties and problems. In looking at
him, he looked no different than anyone else. He did not have an air of majesty and he was not an
especially hansom man. He did not stand out. He came across as a normal, average person trying to
survive like everyone else.
David’s kingdom was like a tree cut down. With Israel in exile in Babylon and Jerusalem in ruins, Israel
appeared to be a dead stump. But from that stump came a faint sign of life. A shoot would come forth
(the Servant) but the dry ground of the Roman Empire looked like it would cause that shoot to wither
away and die. Would this Servant/Shoot live or would it succumb to the elements?
When the Servant (Jesus) was a baby, the king tried to kill him. But he and his parents escaped to Egypt
until the king died (Mt. 2:13-23). He grew up to be a carpenter like his dad. In outward appearance, he
did not stand out.
Is. 53:3 The Servant was Despised and Held in Contempt by the World
In his earthly ministry, Jesus “was despised and rejected” by the chief priests, scribes, and elders. On
many occasions they tried to trap him in order to arrest him and kill him. At the beginning of his ministry
Jesus drew large crowds, but over time his followers dwindled until at his crucifixion nearly everyone and
abandoned him. The people “despised and rejected” him by crying out, Crucify him.
When he took on the sins of the world and was about to go to the cross, his “sorrow” was so heavy that
he sweat drops of blood (Lk. 22:44). Jesus also “was acquainted with grief” as he wept over Jerusalem
because he knew the consequences of their rejection of him (Lk. 19:41-44). Throughout his ministry,
Jesus encountered people who had all kinds of diseases. These were the effects of sin and it grieved
Jesus and he healed many.
Jesus was arrested, scourged, mocked with a crown of thorns, and nailed to a cross. After such brutal
treatment, he was such a bloody mess that he did not even look human. His appearance was so
loathsome that it caused men to look away from him. He was held in such low regard and in contempt,
that they did not even take notice of him.
Is. 53:4-6 The Servant is a Sin Offering on Which a Confession of Sin Has Been Made
These verses explain why the Servant suffered and died. He suffered and died for others. Who did he
suffer and die for ? The pronouns used in these verses tells us who. The pronouns are: our (4 times), we
(4 times), and us (2 times). These pronouns are a collective for all mankind. He suffered and died for
everyone.
[The Servant’s] griefs, sorrows, and stripes are not “the due reward” of his deeds, for “this man has done
nothing wrong” (Lk 23:41). Wounded for … transgressions he did not commit and bruised for … iniquities
of which he was not guilty, he endured the chastisement and the stripes which fallen mankind
deserved and could not escape. Because the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all, the guilty go scot-
free (vv. 4-6). [This paragraph is taken from the CSSC.]
Notice the many expressions used for the Servant’s suffering: griefs, sorrows, afflictions, pierced,
crushed, chastisement, and wounds. What the Servant endured for us is beyond our comprehension.
In v. 10 it says what the Servant did was a guilt offering. When sin is intentional, a confession of sin is
required with the offering. These verses constitute a confession of our sin. We acknowledge that our sins
have brought us grief and sorrow and that we deserve to be afflicted by God. We deserve to be “pierced
for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities.” We deserve God’s chastisement. God has not
turned away from us. We have turned away from God and went our own way. For all of this “Yahweh has
laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Is 53:4 The Servant Pays the Penalty for Our Sins Not His
The fact that “he has borne our griefs” and “carried our sorrows,” says that he took them upon himself
and took them away from us. He endures them himself so we wouldn’t have to. This is called vicarious
atonement or substitutionary atonement. Jesus was punished and paid the penalty for the sins of
mankind. Jesus willingly did this in order to save us from the righteous wrath of God.
When someone suffers like this, we are prone to believe that that person has done something terribly
wrong and that God is punishing him for it. So when the world sees this happening to the Suffering
Servant (Christ), it thinks that he is “smitten by God,” that God has stricken and afflicted him with these
griefs and sorrows because of what he has done wrong. This is the initial conclusion of man, but in the
next verse they will reverse their judgment and perception of him and his suffering.
Is. 53:5 The Servant Suffered and Died to Bring Us Peace and Healing
The truth is that the Servant (Jesus) was not stricken and afflicted by God because of any evil he had
done. “He was pierced for our transgressions.” “He was crushed for our iniquities.” The “chastisement”
and “wounds” he endured should have been ours. Jesus willingly took on the punishment we deserved.
Why? He did it to bring “us peace” and to heal us.
Peace is more than a cessation of fighting, although it can include it. Peace is a wholeness and well-
being. As Dr. Lessing says, we are like humpty dumpty who because of sin has fallen and broken into a
million pieces. By his suffering, death, and resurrection, Christ has put us back together again, making us
whole and one with God again. Sin is like a disease that leads to certain death. But because Christ carried
out this amazing mission, he has healed (forgiven) us of our deadly sin disease and brought us back to
full health.
Is. 53:6 The Servant Carries Our Iniquities

Yahweh is the Good Shepherd and he tries to guide and lead us safely through life. But we as stubborn
sheep must admit that because of our sinful nature we all go astray. Instead of following him on the
righteous path, we all go astray and go our own way down the path of rebellion. The way we choose is
the way of gross wickedness (iniquity). Every single one of us has gone our own way down this path.
Yahweh’s solution to save us from the punishment we deserve is to lay all our iniquities upon the
Suffering Servant and let him deal with the consequences.
Is. 53:7-9 Falsely accused, the Servant is killed for the transgressions of the people.
The Servant was not only stricken and afflicted by God, he was “oppressed” and “afflicted” by the
religious authorities in Israel. They arrested Jesus and put him through a sham trial in which the verdict
was predetermined. They pronounced him guilty of blaspheme and sentenced him to death. Because
only the Romans could carry out the death penalty, they took him before Pilate, the Roman governor, to
convince him to carry out the death penalty. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent but the religious authorities
stirred up the crowds in Jerusalem for Passover and whipped them into a frenzy. In order to appease the
people, Pilate caved in to their demands. He had Jesus scourged and sentenced him to death on a cross.
Even though Jesus was falsely accused and witnesses made up stories about him, and even as he
endured physical torture, “he opened not his mouth” to defend himself. Jesus, who was called the
Lamb of God, was led outside the city to Golgotha to be slaughtered “like a lamb” being slaughtered for
a sacrifice. Astoundingly, even though he was innocent and unjustly treated like a heinous criminal, he
did not open his mouth to try and stop them. He knew this is what he came to do and was willing to
carry it out.
The people strongly urged Pilate to carry this out. They never once considered that Jesus was innocent
and was giving up his life as a payment for their” transgression.” After his death he was to be buried with
all of the other wicked people who had been crucified, but “a rich man” asked permission to bring Jesus
down from the cross. Pilate gave permission and Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body and buried it in
his own new, unused tomb. Even though he had done nothing wrong and was completely innocent (“he
had done no violence” and “there was no deceit in his mouth”), he was falsely accused, unjustly
sentenced, tortured, and killed in a gruesome way.
Is. 53:9-10 -No Violence, Guilt Offering - Righteous
But right now we want to look at some aspects of the fourth Servant Song. We want to look at 2Cor 5:21
but to do that we first need a little background on Is. 53:9-10. In v. 9 it says “he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.” (This means he was without sin.) It continues in v. 10, “Yet it was
the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt,…” So
the Servant was without sin and God made his life a guilt offering.
Paul takes these two ideas and writes one of the most important verses in the Bible, what Luther called
the great exchange. We find it in 2 Cor 5:21 which says: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew
no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is Paul’s reflection on Is. 53:9-10
in terms of our discussion of righteousness. The Servant who had no sin became the guilt offering for us.
And he did this so that “we might become the righteousness of God.” That is the great exchange. I give
Jesus my sin and he gives me his perfect righteousness. And that really sums up what is going on in
Isaiah’s narrative of the two servants.
This understanding of righteousness is what ignited Luther’s reformation. I give Christ my ugliness and he
gives me his beauty. I give him my thirst and he gives me living water. I give him my darkness and he
gives me his light. I give him my death and he gives me resurrection. The whole faith is the great
exchange. All of this is described in 2 Cor. 5:21, which is a nice commentary on this act of righteousness
in Is. 40-55.
Is. 53:10-12 The Servant is raised. Many are accounted as righteous because of him.
Is. 53:10 – Yahweh’s Plan and Purpose for the Servant
The story of Jesus when he was 12 years old going to Jerusalem for the Passover is told in Luke 2:49.
When it came time to leave, Jesus stayed behind and his parents had to come back to look for him.
When they found him at the temple and confronted him, he said, “Why were you looking for me? Did
you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” The important word here is “must.” He said he had
to do it. Where does that come from? Is. 53:10 says: “it was the will of the Lord to crush him.” In other
words, it had to happen. This is called the Divine Must. It was God’s plan. It was his will that his plan of
salvation be carried out. And even at the age of 12 Jesus knew God’s plan very clearly. He knew that it
had to happen. Why? Because it was foretold in the scriptures, especially in Is. 40-55. In Rev. 13 it says
something to the effect that the Lamb of God was slain before the creation of this world. That means
that God’s plan was set before the world was even created. Peter says as much in his sermon in Acts
2:23.
The Divine Must appears 15 times in Luke and Acts. One instance is found in Luke 22:37. Jesus says to his
disciples, “Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’” He is
quoting from Is. 53:12.
Then we have Luke 24:6-7 where the angels remind the women on Easter morning of what Jesus said. He
had told them, “the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on
the third day rise.” And then in Luke 24:44 Jesus said, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I
was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the
Psalms must be fulfilled.”
It is a consensus among scholars of Luke that the Divine Must has as its anchor the fourth Servant Song,
Is. 53:10. It was Yahweh’s plan and purpose to crush the Servant, so it had to happen.
Is. 53:10 – Offspring are Suffering Servants Too
We’ve said that Is. 49:1-6 is about Jesus the substitute Servant. This verse that Paul quoted was said to
the Servant. But now Paul is applying it to himself and Barnabas. Why is he doing that?
To answer that, we turn to Is. 53:10. It says the substitute Servant will see his offspring. So the Servant
will bring forth offspring who will follow in his footsteps and also be suffering servants. So Paul sees
himself as one of these suffering servants of Yahweh whose righteousness comes from Yahweh.
So what does that mean for us? That means we have been baptized as suffering servants. We are
offspring of the Servant. We’ve been born again, born from above, and so what is true of the substitute
Servant is in some way also true of us. We are not sin bearers for the world, but we are called to be a
light to the Gentiles and to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Since we are baptized into the
Suffering Servant that becomes our call as well.
Is. 53:10 The Servant Received the Father’s Wrath, Became a Guilt Offering, was Raised from the Dead,
and had Servant Offspring
It was the will of Yahweh to crush the Servant. People are by nature children of God’s wrath. We all
deserve the wrath of God on account of our sin. In order to save us from his righteous wrath, the Father
sent his Son into the world to take our place and take the full force of the Father’s wrath. He offered
himself in our place as a guilt offering. After paying the full price for sin, God raised his Servant from the
dead (“prolonged his days”). Having been raised from the dead, the Servant brings life to all who believe
in him. They are “his offspring.” This is why the Father sent the Son, to bring forth offspring of the
Servant. It was his will.
Is. 53:10-11 The Servant as a Guilt Offering to Make People Righteous
In Is. 53:10 it says: “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul
makes an offering for guilt, …” When Paul reflects on this he says: “For our sake he made him to be sin
who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The righteousness Paul
speaks of comes from Is. 53:11 where it says the righteous One will “make many to be accounted as
righteous.” So who is the many? All people – objective justification that is received by faith.
Is. 53:11 – Righteousness and the Two Servants
How does righteousness assist us in following Isaiah’s story of the two servants? Yahweh called Israel in
righteousness. How does Israel or anyone else become righteous? By having faith in Yahweh. The first
person who believed and God credited it to him as righteousness was Abraham. But Israel became deaf,
dumb, and blind because they became idolators. They lost their righteous standing with Yahweh by
unrepentant idolatry. So Yahweh called a substitute Servant who would be righteous and restore and
justify Israel (and others) to Yahweh. And all who have been made righteous, who have been given the
righteousness of Yahweh, by the Servant become servants themselves.
Paul’s understanding of the free gift of righteousness by faith for the Servant’s sake, which means that
God has declared me to be righteous because of the Servant, comes from Is. 40-55 and especially Is.
54:17. 2 Cor. 5:16 ff into chpt. 6 shows that Paul has thoroughly read and understands and believes the
Is. 40-55 program. And we will look at all of this when we get to the fourth Servant Song.
Luke 23:47 says: “Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly
this man was innocent [or a righteous man]!” That connects back to Is. 53:11 where it says, My righteous
Servant will justify many.
In Is. 53:11 Yahweh speaks of, My righteous Servant. We saw where the nation was called to be
righteous but was not righteous. And we saw where the substitute Servant was called to restore
Yahweh’s wayward servant Israel and to be a light to the nations. Then in the third Servant Song we saw
the righteous, substitute Servant vindicated by Yahweh. Now in the fourth Servant Song we see that the
righteous Servant will vindicate or make righteous many.
We are included in the many. We are like Israel. We were called in righteousness, but because of our
idolatry we have not been righteous. Yahweh calls the substitute Servant to restore us to himself by
making us righteous.
Is. 53:12 – Victory/Spoils to God and His People
Is. 40:10 says God’s arm is ruling for him. Because he has won the battle with his mighty arm, to the
victor belongs the spoils. That is his reward and recompense.
How will this come about? Turn to Is. 53:12. When God comes with his ruling arm as a mighty conqueror
and wins the victory, he is going to divide the spoil of his victory with all of his people. What do the
spoils consist of? Forgiveness, life, salvation, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control.
Is. 53:12 The Servant, Jesus, Conquered and Liberates Sinners and Intercedes for Them
The humble Servant, who willingly “poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the
transgressors,” who “bore the sin of many,” and who once was despised and rejected, has won the
victory and to the victor belong the spoils. This result is completely unexpected. It seems to come out of
nowhere. This victory comes after and because of his suffering and death. The picture is one of the
conquering Servant returning from battle universally victorious, leading back from His conquest a long
train of captives, a rich booty. In a twist, those he brings back are those he has released from the bonds
of darkness and brought into his kingdom of light. Even now he continues conquering and liberating
those who are captive to sin and leads them back to his eternal kingdom.
Is there anything in Israel’s history or anyone in Israel’s history in the OT who could be the Servant? Is
there anyone who suffered unjustly, died, and won a universal victory? There is no one in the OT that fills
the bill. There is no one who on account of his suffering and death accounted many as righteous. This
can only apply to Jesus Christ. Every clause of this Servant song can be applied to the suffering and
death of Christ. This text fits right in with the NT gospels even though it was written hundreds of years
before Jesus lived. The is a rectilinear prophecy. You can draw a straight line from it to Christ.
Jesus, like the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, “bore the sin of many” and even now “makes
intercession for the transgressors.” His mission is both completed and ongoing. He has taken away the
sin of the world but he continues to intercede for us transgressors that we too might be conquered and
led into his kingdom of light.
Summary of the Fourth Servant Song

He Had, Gave, Delivers, and Demands All
One way to understand the fourth Servant Song is to use the word “all.”
 Being high and lifted up, the Servant had it all. He is Yahweh who took on human flesh.
 He gave it all up by pouring out his life to death (Is. 53:12).
 And in justifying “many,” he gives it or delivers it all to us.
 Therefore all is demanded of us.
So using the word “all” is a beautiful way to summarize the fourth Servant Song.
Is. 54 Epilogue/explanation of the fourth Servant Song;

Zion’s restoration Used as a Type of the NT Church and New Jerusalem
The fourth Servant Song describes what Christ would do to reconcile the world back to God. Is. 54-55
describes what this work of Servant means for the church. Is. 54-55 does this by using the restoration of
Israel as a type of the NT church. What happens to Israel when they return from exile will be similar to
what happens to the church in the NT.
Is. 54:1-3 The Barren One will have Many Offspring
By human standards with Sarah being barren and 90 years old, it was impossible that she would ever
have children. In a similar way with Jerusalem in ruins and her people in exile, it looked impossible for
this barren city to be filled with her children. But as Sarah miraculously gave birth to the child of
promise, so miraculously Jerusalem would give birth and have many children who would inhabit the
city. In fact there would be so many children that the city would have to expand to make room for them
all and there will be singing and crying for joy when Israel returns from exile and repopulates the holy
city.
From Yahweh’s OT children would come the Lord’s Messiah (the Suffering Servant) and from this
desolate One, who was cut off from the land of the living, would come many offspring, not only from
Israel but also from the nations when the Good News spread. After the Servant came and bore the sins
of the world, people from every language and nation heard the Gospel and believed. Cities once
desolate with transgressors will be made alive by those accounted as righteous (the church) because of
the Servant.
Is. 54:4-8 Yahweh Temporarily Deserted His Wife but Then Redeemed Her in Compassion
Once ashamed because of the humiliating slavery she endured in her youth in Egypt and disgraced by
what appeared to be a divorce by her husband (exile), leaving her helpless in a kind of widowhood in
Babylon, the reproach she faced will soon be a thing of the past. That is because the One who made her
and the whole earth, Yahweh of Armies, is her Husband and Redeemer. He was angry with his wife
because of her adultery/idolatry and briefly cast her off, deserting her in Babylon, and had nothing to do
with her. But it was not a divorce. This exile could not last long because he had made a marriage
covenant with her in which he expressed his everlasting love for her. As her Redeemer, he had
compassion for her and now was set to bring her back home.
Is. 54:9-10 Yahweh Pledges His Love and Compassion for His Wife
As Yahweh swore to Noah to never cover the earth again with flood waters, so now he swears that he
will no longer be angry with his wife (Israel) and rebuke her. To assure her, he says that even if
everything in the world collapses into chaos, his steadfast love for her will remain rock solid. As he gave
and kept his word to Noah, so he will keep his marriage covenant with Israel.
Is. 54:11-17 Yahweh will Restore Jerusalem and Protect Her
The figurative description of the restored Jerusalem here is applied even more aptly to the new
Jerusalem described in Rev. 21:10, 18-21. As OT Jerusalem was afflicted by invading armies from the
north and south, so the NT church is tossed about by the evil forces of this world. And as Jerusalem’s
walls and parapets are rebuilt, so the new Jerusalem will be beautiful and precious and fully secure. As
the temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem, centering the people’s lives on Yahweh and relearning his ways, so in
the new Jerusalem life will center on Yahweh and Yahweh will teach his children and give them peace
and righteousness. On earth the old Jerusalem and the NT church face oppression and terror. But when
the new, heavenly Jerusalem is established, its inhabitants will have nothing to fear and live in safety.
Since Yahweh has covenanted with his people and promised his steadfast love and sworn not to be angry
with them, both then in OT Jerusalem and now in the NT church, his people can be sure that any strife
that anyone stirs up against them does not come from Yahweh. And be it further know that Yahweh is
the Creator of those who rise up to fight and speak against her. He will see to it that their opposition
against her will not stand. He will vindicate her and see to it that the Servant’s offspring, the servants of
Yahweh, receive the inheritance promised of righteousness and spoils of victory.
Is. 55 Yahweh Offers Salvation to All for Free Out of Grace. God’s Word Will Cause
It to Happen.
Is. 55:1-5 Yahweh Extends an Invitation to His Salvation Banquet to All Free of Charge
The Servant, “the righteous one” “bore the sin of many [all; the world]” and “poured out his soul to
death” in order that he would have offspring who would be accounted righteous (Is. 53). Since his
Servant has accomplished his mission, Yahweh now extends an open invitation to all people around the
world to accept the salvation won by the Servant. That salvation is likened to the food of a great
banquet that is good and rich and satisfying and gives life. To receive this life-giving food, it did not
matter whether you were rich or poor because it is available for free.
Yahweh says if you want to live, you need to listen to what he is saying and come to the banquet. As
surely as Yahweh had “steadfast, sure love for David” and made an everlasting covenant with him, so you
can rest assured that what he offers here will be backed up by a new covenant that will never expire. In
Yahweh’s covenant with David, Yahweh promised to raise up the Messiah from David’s line who would
rule in an everlasting kingdom. When this Son of David comes, his reign will be for all people
everywhere. He will witness to the nations, telling them all that he has done in order that this invitation
may be extended to them. Because of Yahweh and the witness of the Holy One of Israel (the
Servant/Messiah), people from all nations will run to the church in order that they might receive this
priceless food/salvation that gives eternal life.
Is. 55:6-9 Repent and Receive Yahweh’s Grace
Yahweh has invited all people from all nations to the salvation banquet free of charge (55:1-5). Those
who receive the invitation do not have to accept it, but they must recognize that this may be the last
time they hear the invitation. So they need to take advantage of it while they still can. The wicked and
unrighteous are urged to turn away from their evil ways and thoughts and instead turn to Yahweh in
repentance and accept his invitation.
Those who accept the invitation must forsake their wicked ways and thoughts and “return to Yahweh”
(repent) so that they can receive his compassion and abundant pardon (grace). Some may question how
God could simply pardon the wicked but they must realize that God’s ways and thoughts in saving
mankind from its sin are much higher than man’s ways and thoughts.
Is. 55:10-13 God’s Word Assures that the Salvation of Israel and the World Will Happen
This plan of salvation that Yahweh speaks of is sure to happen. Just as the snow and rain come down on
the earth and provide water that causes plants to grow and prosper, so Yahweh’s word will cause
salvation to happen. When Yahweh speaks his word, it does what it says. It produces the results that
Yahweh intends. There is no stopping it. (10-11)
To reassure them that this is true, they will see that Yahweh keeps his promises when Israel goes forth
out of Babylon just as Yahweh said they would. When they go out, it will be with great joy and peace. All
of creation will break forth in celebration as God’s word is fulfilled. The curse brought about by sin
causing thorns and weeds to grow and the exile caused by Israel’s sin will be undone by God’s word.
When God’s word is fulfilled, the news will spread and the world will know the name of Yahweh
because of the grace and mercy he shows to Israel and to all people. (12-13)
The Story Told by Is. 40-55

Although Is. 40-55 is written almost entirely as poetry, nevertheless, like a narrative, it tells a story. It tells
the story of how God planned to use the two servants and Cyrus to redeem Israel and bring salvation to
the ends of the earth. Here is a recap of that story.
Because of their idolatry, God’s people Israel had been sent into exile in Babylon. But God did not plan to
leave them there. After being there for 70 years, Israel was told to prepare the way for Yahweh because
he was coming to redeem his people (40:1-11). They should have no doubts that this will happen
because Yahweh, their God, sits high above the earth, is its creator, and is the everlasting God (40:12-
31). How will Yahweh do this? He will accomplish it in two phases.
Phase 1 – Get Israel Out of Babylon
First, he will get Israel out of Babylon (Is. 41-48). To get them out, Yahweh will raise up Cyrus and expose
the idols of Babylon and the nations as nothing (41:1-29). Yahweh will not only call Cyrus to free Israel;
he will also call his servant Israel to tell the nations his verdict concerning idols, that they are nothing
(42:1-4). Yahweh is calling his servant Israel to be righteous and to be a light to the idolatrous world
(42:5-9). The light that Yahweh will bring to the nations should cause them to break forth in song. This
has been his plan for a long time and now he is setting it in motion and no one can stop it (42:10-17).
But there is a problem. His servant Israel is deaf and blind in idolatry just like the nations and because of
that they have felt the refining fire of God’s wrath in exile (42:18-25). But now there is comforting news
for Israel (40:1). Yahweh will redeem Israel from her exile in Babylon (43:1 – 44:5). The Holy One of Israel
is with his people and will bring them out (43:1-13). He will provide a new exodus for them which will be
like their exodus out of Egypt (43:14-21). This new thing that Yahweh will do for Israel will be a gracious
gift (43:22 – 44:5).
Israel has a choice concerning their future. They can trust Yahweh or idols. Yahweh can declare the
future and make it happen. Idols are manmade objects of silver, gold, and wood. They can do nothing
(44:6-20). Yahweh, the great Creator, will redeem them by calling and using Cyrus, and the gods of
Babylon will be powerless to stop him. The Babylonians and their gods will be utterly humiliated. (Is. 46-
47) Yahweh has used Israel’s time of exile to refine them and now he is making a new announcement of
what he is going to do (48:1-11). Yahweh is calling Israel to come out of Babylon (48:12-22).
Phase 2 – Get Babylon Out of Israel
The second phase of Yahweh’s plan is to get Babylon (idolatry) out of his people (Is. 49-54). Yahweh
called Israel to be a light to the nations, but they were unable to fulfill their call because, like the nations,
they were unfaithful idolators too (42:19). Because Israel could not complete her mission, Yahweh called
a substitute Servant, a second Servant. He was to do what Israel could not do, be a light to the nations. In
addition, he was to restore Israel back to Yahweh (49:1-6). The substitute Servant will usher in a year of
Jubilee where not only Israel will be freed to return to the promised land, but all those in exile because
of their sin can look to Yahweh for freedom and he will escort them through the wilderness of life to the
heavenly promised land (49:7-13).
Israel’s response to Yahweh’s promise of Jubilee is to accuse him of forsaking and divorcing her. Yahweh
replied, This is not true. Her estrangement from him was only for a short time and was caused by her
unfaithfulness. He assures her of his unfailing love for her and that he has the power to free her and
cause her to have a bright future with many offspring (49:14 – 50:3).
After being in exile for 70 years, God’s people are weary, but the Servant has some sustaining words of
hope for the weary. Servant Israel had closed her ears to Yahweh and was rebellious against him. On the
other hand, the Substitute Servant will eagerly listen to Yahweh and obediently performs his task of the
redemption of Israel and the world even though it will involve great suffering and pain and humiliation.
In the end he will be vindicated (50:4-9). They need to heed the voice of the Servant or they will face the
fire of Yahweh’ wrath (50:10-11).
Three times Yahweh admonishes Israel to “listen to me”, that is, trust my promise of redemption (51:1-
8). They need to listen because Yahweh is the Maker of the earth and without him they face nothing but
devastation. If they stick with Yahweh, they can throw off the shackles of servitude (51:9 – 52:2). Yahweh
continues to speak to Israel. He says, It may not appear that I am in charge, but I will redeem you. I will
rearrange the political order and bring you back to Zion (52:3-12).
In Is. 40:9, Yahweh said his people will be heralds of good news. What is the good news they will
proclaim? The fourth Servant Song (52:13 – 53:12). The Servant who was as high as Yahweh will be
brought low, becoming the substitute for sinful mankind. He will be despised and rejected. He will be a
sin offering for the world. He will be falsely accused and killed for the transgressions of mankind. But he
will be vindicated when he is raised and because of him many will be accounted as righteous (52:13-
53:12). This is how the Substitute Servant will reconcile the world back to God.
Based on their current circumstances, it would seem impossible that Israel would once again inhabit
Jerusalem. But Yahweh promises to redeem them. And this redemption will be a precursor to what he
does for the New Jerusalem as the nations hear the Good News and flock to it. (54:1-3) Yahweh despises
humanity’s idolatry but he still has compassion and steadfast love for her (54:4-10). Yahweh’s promised
restoration of Jerusalem and protection of his people gives us a glimpse of the joy, beauty, and safety
that he will provide for his people in the New Jerusalem. He will look after his church and put down all
those who oppose it, ensuring they receive their inheritance (54:11-17).
The salvation won by the Servant Yahweh offers to all people free of charge (55:1-5). He invites all
people to repent and receive his grace (55:6-9). This plan of salvation that Yahweh speaks is sure to
happen. God’s word produces what it says. Nothing can stop it. When God’s word is fulfilled, the curse
will be lifted and everyone will know that Yahweh is a God of grace and mercy (55:10-13).

Studying Isaiah 40-55

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Studying Isaiah 40-55

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Notes for Studying Isaiah 40-55

How to Read Isaiah

 The fall of the northern kingdom in 723 BC.

 The rise in power of Babylon (625 BC – 562 BC).

1. Exodus theme - Yahweh is king.

Is. 2:1-5 The Book’s Message

A summary of 2:1-5 and the book’s message is:

Is. 6 Isaiah’s Call

Is. 40:1-11 - The Prologue to Is. 40-55

Is. 42:1-9 – The First Servant Song and Its Explanation

Is. 42:1-4 The First Servant Song

Is. 42:5-9 The Explanation of the First Servant Song

Is. 43:1 – 44:5 Yahweh will Redeem Israel from Exile

Is. 43:14-21 Yahweh provides a new exodus for his people.

Is. 48:12-22 Yahweh Calls Israel Out of Babylon.

Is. 49-54 The Substitute Servant gets Babylon out of Israel

Is. 49:7-13 Epilogue/explanation of the Second Servant Song

Is. 50:4-9 The Third Servant Song

Is. 50:10-11 Turn to Yahweh or Face the Fire of His Judgment

Is. 51 – 52:12 Between the Third and Fourth Servant Songs

Is. 51:3 A Promised New Creation

Is. 51:17-23 Israel Needs to Wake Up

Is. 52:1-2 No Longer Slaves

Fourth Servant Song (Is. 52:13 – Is. 53:12)

Introduction to the Fourth Servant Song

Here is an outline of the fourth Servant Song.

 Yahweh describes the Servant’s exaltation.

Is. 2 Previews the Fourth Servant Song

Is. 52:13 – 53:12 The Fourth Servant Song

Is. 52:13-15; Is. 53:11-12 – “Many” means all

Is. 53:1-3 The Servant is Despised and Rejected

Is. 53:1 Israel Will Be a Herald of Yahweh’s Compassionate Arm

Is. 53:6 The Servant Carries Our Iniquities

Is. 53:9-10 -No Violence, Guilt Offering - Righteous

Is. 53:10 – Offspring are Suffering Servants Too

Is. 53:10-11 The Servant as a Guilt Offering to Make People Righteous

Is. 53:11 – Righteousness and the Two Servants

Is. 53:12 – Victory/Spoils to God and His People

Summary of the Fourth Servant Song

Is. 54 Epilogue/explanation of the fourth Servant Song;

Is. 54:1-3 The Barren One will have Many Offspring

Is. 54:11-17 Yahweh will Restore Jerusalem and Protect Her

Is. 55:6-9 Repent and Receive Yahweh’s Grace

The Story Told by Is. 40-55

Phase 1 – Get Israel Out of Babylon

Phase 2 – Get Babylon Out of Israel

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