42:1 “Here is my servant whom I support, my chosen one in whom I take pleasure. I have placed my spirit on him; he will make just decrees for the nations.
Chapters 42-66 speak of the Servant of Jehovah. The Servant of Jehovah was a messianic title for the Lord Jesus Christ. Most of these prophecies dealt with His first coming. In theses passages, sometimes God is speaking, but sometimes the Servant Jesus is speaking.
In verses 1-4, God the Father is the speaker. He announces the Servant to Israel. The Hebrew word for “support” is תָּמַך (tamar), meaning to sustain. God the Father would sustain His Servant while He was on earth.
The Servant was chosen by Jehovah to serve on earth. God the Father takes pleasure in the Servant. He enjoys spending time with Him. God the Father placed His spirit upon His servant.
This verse represents the three personalities of the Trinity. God the Father is the Speaker. God the Son is the Servant. God the Holy Spirit will be placed upon God the Son at His baptism.
42:2 He will not cry out or shout; he will not publicize himself in the streets.
Jesus would not be a street preacher. People would come to Him to hear His teachings. There is nothing wrong with street preaching. Many have come to know the Lord Jesus Christ through street preaching. This prophecy just simply stated that street preaching would not be the main teaching method of Jesus.
Jesus would lead a quiet ministry. He would not yell in the streets. He would not pound the pulpit. He would be humble and quiet-spoken.
42:3 A crushed reed he will not break, a dim wick he will not extinguish; he will faithfully make just decrees.
Jehovah’s Servant would accomplish three things:
First, Jehovah’s Servant would not break a crushed reed. This is a figure of speech which meany that He would not become a dictator who would crush the oppressed.
Second, Jehovah’s Servant would not extinguish a dim wick. This was another figure of speech which meant that He would not discourage those who had little or no hope.
Third, Jehovah’s Servant will faithfully make just decrees. When Jesus rules in the Millennial Kingdom, He will make just laws. He will not be bribed. He will not pass laws to benefit one political party over another. His laws will be beneficial to all of mankind.
42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed before establishing justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait in anticipation for his decrees.”
Jehovah’s Servant will be successful in establishing justice on earth. Enemies will attempt to crush Him before He can accomplish this task, but they will not be able to do so. All of the nations of the world shall wait for His second coming, so that He can establish His Millennial government. During His first coming, it will appear that He was defeated and crushed, but He actually accomplished the work which He was called to do.
42:5 This is what the true God, the Lord, says— the one who created the sky and stretched it out, the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, the one who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who live on it:
In verses 5-9, Jehovah continued to speak. Jehovah gave His commission to the Servant.
Isaiah gave an introduction to God the Father. He is the one true God. All other gods are false. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He stretched out the sky. He gives breath (or life) to all things.
42:6 “I, the Lord, officially commission you; I take hold of your hand. I protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, and a light to the nations,
God gave an official commission to the Servant. He will hold the hand of the Servant and help Him to accomplish His task. He will protect the Servant until He accomplishes His task. The Servant will become the mediator of the Jewish covenants, especially the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31-34. The Servant will become a light to the Gentiles.This prophecy was cited by Simeon in reference to the infant Jesus (Luke 2:32). The Messiah Himself was also to be the "new covenant” of God with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31).
The second part of the Servant's commission is to become a light to the Gentiles. The Gentiles did not have the Scriptures. The Gentile were living in the darkness of satanic paganism. The Servant will bring light to the Gentiles.
42:7 to open blind eyes, to release prisoners from dungeons, those who live in darkness from prisons.
The mission of the Servant would be to open the eyes of those who were spiritually blinded. He is also to release captives from the spiritual bondage of sin and Satan.
42:8 I am the Lord! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols.
The patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) did not know the personal name of God. They referred to Him as Elohim or El Shaddai. Moses did not know the name of God until he was 80 years old.
Jehovah Witnesses like to misuse this verse to show that Jesus is less than Jehovah. However, this name emphasizes Jehovah as the one who keeps His promises (or covenants). During the days of Isaiah, Israel was worshiping idols. God would not share His glory with any idols. He will share His name with the Lord Jesus Christ, because they are one essence, but different personalities.
42:9 Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; now I announce new events. Before they begin to occur, I reveal them to you.”
God created time. The way that God glorifies Himself is by proclaiming the future before it happens. He will not share His glory with demons. Demons will not be able to predict the future. The Bible is unique in all literature, in that it is the only book with hundreds of fulfilled prophecies. No book can predict the future 100% of the time, except for the Bible.
42:10 Sing to the Lord a brand new song! Praise him from the horizon of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and everything that lives in it, you coastlands and those who live there!
In verse 10-13, Isaiah as speaking. He sang a new song of praise to Jehovah.
During the Millennial King, everyone all over the earth will sing a new song to Jehovah as well. This includes people who make their living by sea commerce, those who live on the islands, and those who live in the desert regions and towns.
42:11 Let the desert and its cities shout out, the towns where the nomads of Kedar live! Let the residents of Sela shout joyfully; let them shout loudly from the mountaintops.
Kedar was an area in Northern Arabia. Sela was a city in Edom. All of the people in the desert areas will praise Jehovah, because there will be no deserts in the Millennial Kingdom.
42:12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves; let them praise his deeds in the coastlands.
All of the people on the coastlands will praise Jehovah.
42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero, like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; he shouts, yes, he yells, he shows his enemies his power.
When Jehovah arrives at His Second Coming, He will not be soft spoken. He will shout out a battle cry. He will return as a warrior who will take the kingdom from Satan at His Second Coming.
42:14 “I have been inactive for a long time; I kept quiet and held back. Like a woman in labor I groan; I pant and gasp.
In verses 13-17, Jehovah spoke once again. He has been silent for a while. He was ready to give out new prophecies.
42:15 I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up; I will dry up all their vegetation. I will turn streams into islands, and dry up pools of water.
Those who do not respect God will have their vegetation dry up. Many of these events will occur during the Great Tribulation.
42:16 I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. I will turn the darkness in front of them into light, and level out the rough ground. This is what I will do for them. I will not abandon them.
All men are born blind. God will open the eyes of Israel and lead them down the correct path. During the Millennial Kingdom, there will also be no more physically-blind people. The Great Physician will be on the earth. He will heal everyone.
42:17 Those who trust in idols will turn back and be utterly humiliated, those who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’
Those who trust in idols are the Gentiles. God will also open up their eyes as well. The Gentiles will be humiliated and ashamed, because they were trusting in demonic idols and not in God.
42:18 “Listen, you deaf ones! Take notice, you blind ones!
In verses 18-22, Jehovah continues to speak. He points out Israel's current deafness and blindness.
The deaf ones refer to Israel. They could not hear the prophets. The blind ones refer to Israel. Israel was called to become a "light to the Gentiles," but they were the blind leading the blind.
42:19 My servant is truly blind, my messenger is truly deaf. My covenant partner, the servant of the Lord, is truly blind.
The blind servant is not the Messiah, but Israel (Isaiah 41:8). Israel was called to be a servant to God. She was to become priests to all of the Gentiles. However, Israel failed in her responsibility, so the Messiah was chosen to accomplish this task.
42:20 You see many things, but don’t comprehend; their ears are open, but do not hear.”
Israel saw many things, but she could not comprehend the truth. Israel's ears were open, but she wanted her ears tickled. Sin had destroyed her capacity to see, hear, and understand spiritual concepts.
42:21 The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice by magnifying his law and displaying it.
Israel keeping the Law would reveal to other Gentile nations the righteousness of God.
42:22 But these people are looted and plundered; all of them are trapped in pits and held captive in prisons. They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them; they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!”
The Israel of Isaiah’s day was not obeying the Mosaic Law. Therefore, she was cursed. Israel’s enemies were looting, plundering, and imprisoning Israel.
42:23 Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen attentively in the future?
In verses 23-25, Isaiah spoke.
Who cares if Israel is plundered? Who will listen to her cries and assist her? God is the only one who cares for Israel. The rest of the world hates Israel, because they fear that Israel will one day rule over them in the Millennial Kingdom.
42:24 Who handed Jacob over to the robber? Who handed Israel over to the looters? Was it not the Lord, against whom we sinned? They refused to follow his commands; they disobeyed his law.
The robbers were those who plundered and are still plundering Israel. This would include Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greeks, Romans, Nazi Germany, Russia, and the Arabian nations. Since Israel refused to follow the conditional Mosaic Law, then Jehovah turned Israel over to robbers who would plunder her wealth.
42:25 So he poured out his fierce anger on them, along with the devastation of war. Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it; it burned against them, but they did notice.
Since Israel refused to follow the Mosaic Law, then God was pouring His wrath upon her. However, Israel was too blind to see the reason for her plight. Therefore, Jehovah would send His Servant to open up her eyes and show her the terrible condition in which she had chosen for herself.